Vonage stands out for home users thanks to its low costs, money-saving international calling features, and intuitive management interface. You also have a clear upgrade path to Vonage Business Communications should you ever need more SMB-friendly calling features.

Why We Picked It

Price and features: Vonage's main Domestic Plan costs $9.99 per month, plus fees. It lets you make unlimited non-commercial calls to Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the US. You also get the free Extensions app for your number; when someone calls, you get it on both your home phone and the mobile app. The International Plan goes for $14.99 per month, plus fees. It adds free calling to 60 countries. Both plans include the unique Boomerang feature—when an international caller dials your number, Vonage ends the call and then calls that number back at no cost.

Platforms, ease of use, and support: Vonage offers the aforementioned Extensions app for Android and iOS, but no desktop apps. The management interface, which runs in a browser, is remarkably clear and easy to use. Phone tech support is available from 9 a.m. to midnight EST on Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday. Chat and online support are available 24/7.

Hardware Options: Vonage provides a free hardware adapter with all calling plans, which is required if you plan to use the service with a landline phone. You don't have to worry about any setup since the adapter comes provisioned and ready to use. Vonage’s adapter has two RJ11 ports for connecting two home phones (using one line). Unlike with Ooma, no branded desk phones are available.

Call quality and reliability: All the calls I made with Vonage over a 600Mbps fiber connection were pristine, and the service didn't drop any calls. The same was true for an international call.

Privacy and security: Vonage does not offer end-to-end encryption or multi-factor authentication. It does encrypt your password, however, and its privacy policy is clear.

Who It's For

People who value ease of use: Vonage is extremely easy to set up and use, even for non-tech experts. If you want to get a home phone system up and running with as little friction as possible, Vonage's home service won't give you any trouble.

Remote workers who value privacy: If you work remotely and don't want to use your personal mobile number for business calls, Vonage is a good option. Its call quality is reliable enough for professional tasks, and you can take calls on the go with the Extensions app.

Google Voice’s main claim to fame is that it doesn’t cost anything for basic personal use. It offers a fresh, intuitive interface on the web and mobile, and paid plans (including add-ons for Google Workspace) are available if your needs grow over time.

Why We Picked It

Price and features: Google Voice is free for a single user in the US. With a free account, you get the ability to forward calls to linked numbers, call transcription, mobile apps for Android and iOS, spam call filtering, and voicemail transcripts. Calls to the US and Canada are free, but international calls require credits. Texting is free only in the US.

The US-only Starter plan ($10 per user per month), available without a Google Workspace account, gives a single user unlimited domestic calling and texting in the US and Canada; international calls still require credits. The Starter plan also unlocks three-way calling and call recording features. (You can record all calls with the Starter level, but only incoming calls with the free plan.)

Additional plans are add-ons to Workspace plans. They start at $10 per user per month. A forthcoming feature for these tiers only will take real-time notes during a call, which is unique among the services I tested.

Platforms, ease of use, and support: Google Voice works on the web or via an Android or iOS app. No desktop client is available. The web interface has undergone a recent overhaul, making it especially intuitive. For the free plan, support is available only through community forums. The standalone Starter paid plan unlocks 24/7 chat, email, and phone support.

Hardware Options: Google Voice works with several Poly desk phones, such as those in the Edge series. Otherwise, it doesn't offer any official hardware adapter or a way to make the service work with your existing home phone.

Call quality and reliability: Google Voice test calls sounded clear, with no pauses, stuttering, or background hiss.

Privacy and security: For all plans, including the free version, calls are encrypted during transmission, as are all attachments, voicemails, and text messages. Google's privacy policy is clear and robust, and accounts support multi-factor authentication.

Who It's For

Free users: Google Voice's free tier is ideal if you need a second number with basic calling features. You can easily upgrade to a paid plan if you eventually need more features or support.

Mobile callers: Google Voice offers reliable Android and iOS apps, meaning you can make calls anywhere from inside or outside your house. Of course, you can still conduct calls from a web browser when you are at your desk, too.

1-VoIP residential plans start at an extremely affordable rate and get you the hardware you need to update your existing landline. The service includes all the typical features, such as spam blocking and voicemail, as well as unique ones, such as faxing and text messaging.

Why We Picked It

Price and features: All three of 1-VoIP's plans have the same supporting features, such as automated spam call blocking, call screening, faxing, texting, and voicemail routing to email. However, their calling capabilities differ. The Value plan ($8.97 per user per month) includes unlimited incoming minutes and 500 outbound minutes to the US and Canada. The US & Canada Unlimited level ($17.97 per user per month) provides unlimited outbound call minutes to the US and Canada. Finally, the World Unlimited tier ($23.97 per month). You can pay a $2.95 monthly fee for a protection plan, but it's not required. As with all VoIP services, fees for 911 calls and administrative functions add to the cost.

Platforms, ease of use, and support: Like many low-cost VoIP services, you can use 1-VoIP with your home phone using the free adapter. The service also offers Android and iOS apps, but none for desktop platforms. To access your account settings, you must go through a browser. The web interface is relatively straightforward, but Vonage's management platform organizes features better. Tech support is available by chat, email, or phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST on Monday through Friday; on Saturday and Sunday, the hours run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. After-hours support allows you to submit an online ticket and receive a call back during normal support hours.

Hardware Options: 1-VoIP offers a free hardware adapter with all pricing plans. Two RJ11 jacks let you connect two home phones with a single line. The company also offers home and desktop phones that work with the service.

Call quality and reliability: Test calls I made with 1-VoIP went through just fine, although I sometimes noticed a small amount of static. Calls didn't outright stutter or drop, however.

Privacy and security: 1-VoIP does not encrypt calls or offer multi-factor authentication. The privacy policy is clear but not as robust as that for some services, such as Google Voice.

Who It's For

Frequent faxers: 1-VoIP goes beyond the VoIP calling basics to offer faxing capabilities. This saves you the trouble of finding and paying for a dedicated fax service.

Feature maximalists: The service is a worthy choice if you want to minimize costs without sacrificing features. The full list of 1-VoIP's capabilities is more impressive than other services I tested.

The relatively streamlined Voiply is the most affordable paid service I tested, especially if you opt for the annual subscription plan. It's simple to set up and use on the web and mobile platforms, thanks in part to its focused feature set.

Why We Picked It

Price and features: Voiply's sole Residential Plan ($7.46 per month, billed annually) supports unlimited domestic and international calling (numbers in some countries incur extra fees). You get basic features, such as call forwarding, spam call blocking, three-way calling, and voicemail to email, but not advanced ones like call routing. Faxing costs an extra $5 per month, and an optional protection plan for the hardware adapter costs $1.11 per month.

Platforms, ease of use, and support: Voiply keeps things simple and straightforward. No desktop apps are available. Because it doesn't offer as many advanced features as competitors, the configuration process is simple. The mobile apps are also easy to use. Tech support is available 24/7 by chat, email, or phone, and you can submit tickets to a web portal.

Hardware Options: Voiply offers a few phones for home use. Only one hardware adapter is available, with a single RJ11 port for your home phone.

Call quality and reliability: Test calls sometimes experienced slight static or interference, but were mostly reliable. These issues weren't persistent, however, and Voiply didn't completely drop any calls.

Privacy and security: Voiply encrypts calls but does not offer multi-factor authentication. The privacy policy is extensive and clear, however.

Who It's For

International callers on a budget: With a low-cost monthly service plan that supports international calls to more than 50 countries, Voiply is a top choice for staying in touch with friends and family outside the US.

Value seekers: Voiply offers the most cost-effective paid plan among the services I tested, making it excellent for home users looking to keep costs down. The fax add-on is also quite reasonable.

Ooma Telo is the home-focused counterpart to the company's business VoIP service. Ooma has the distinction of winning our reader-powered Business Choice Award for Best Overall VoIP service for the 12th year in a row.

Why We Picked It

Price and features: Ooma's entry-level Basic Plan is free, though you still have to pay for the Ooma Telo hardware adapter, which costs $99.99 and requires an Ethernet connection. The free service includes unlimited calling in the US or Canada, along with basic features such as caller ID, call holding, and remote voicemail retrieval. Calls to other countries incur fees. An alternative adapter, the Wi-Fi-enabled Telo Air, costs $129.99. The Basic plan lets you make mobile app calls but not receive incoming calls. The Premier Plan costs $9.99 per month per user. That plan adds unlimited calling to Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, along with the ability to make and receive calls from the mobile app, the option to add a second line, and spam call blocking. Additional international plans, starting at $17.99 per month, unlock unlimited calling to more countries.

Platforms, ease of use, and support: All plans require a hardware adapter, but the service is straightforward and easy to configure. Subscribers to the Premier plan can connect the adapter with Amazon Alexa, Dropbox, and Google Voice. Tech support is available by email or chat 24/7. Phone support runs from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST on weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST on weekends.

Hardware options: Ooma offers several phone models that work with Telo adapters. You can buy sleek home handsets, as well as some retro options.

Call quality and reliability: Calls were crisp and clear for the most part, but I occasionally encountered some slight static and interference. Ooma didn't abruptly end any calls, nor did it otherwise suffer from lag.

Privacy and security: Ooma Telo encrypts calls but doesn't support multi-factor authentication for residential users. The privacy policy is detailed and extensive.

Who It's For

International callers: Ooma's top-end World Plus international plan ($25.99 per month) lets you reach landlines in 70 countries and mobile phones in 40. And even if you need to reach someone who doesn't live in a supported location, the rates are reasonable.

Retro phone fans: If you miss the days of rotary phones, Ooma sells several compatible models that tap into that nostalgia. You can even get a cheeseburger-themed phone.