Looking for something similar to Google Voice, but better? Discover the best 5 alternatives to Google Voice that you can use for your business VoIP provider in Ireland.
Google Voice is a telephone service that provides their services to Google Account customers in the U.S., Canada and several countries. This service was released in 2009 by Google. In Ireland, only the paid business version of Google Voice is available. The free consumer version is exclusive to the USA.
You can activate a local phone number, based on the availability in the selected area codes. Google Voice software comes with a mobile application and a desktop/tablet interface enabling users to log calls, block callers, create logs, and perform regular telephone functions.
Other features like voicemail, texting, transcribed and audio voicemails can be activated by the user. PC-to-phone calling is available.
You can use Google Voice for both personal and business purposes. While the former is free (only available in the USA), you need to pay for a subscription if you need it for your business.
As a Google Voice Personal customer, you will be able to create just one phone number account. On the other hand, Google Voice Business customers can create multiple accounts, depending on the plan they have chosen (Starter, Standard, and Premier).
The costs will depend on the features of each subscription. While personal users can use the account only in the U.S., Google Voice business users can currently buy available phone numbers from 13 countries!
Google Voice Personal accounts come with basic features like call forwarding, voicemail transcripts, and mobile application feature. You get much more from your company's Google Workspace managed voice account, such as desk phone compatibility, do not disturb button, and auto attendants.
Source: Google Voice pricing on cloud.google.com on the 06/18/2024
Google Voice's monthly plans for businesses range from $19 to $30 per user.
The base model is only applicable to emerging startups as it has a limit of 10 users.
The standard plan is priced at $20 per user per month and has no limits on the number of users but does not offer international calling.
If you have more than 10 users and need to make international calls, the premier plan at $30 is the only option. While all plans offer free calling to the USA from any country, Google Voice is not available in all countries.
Google Voice is a great software for quickly gaining a new phone number and making VoIP calls. But the offer remains very limited and there is a possibility that individual entrepreneurs will need to replace their mobile number with a new number.
Google Voice is oriented towards business, but the features are weak compared to other solutions on the market. For example, you won't be able to set up phone support or voice menus to manage customer calls, even with the $30 per month/per user package.
Pros: Google Voice is good for making VoIP calls
Cons: The features offered by Google Voice are weak compared to other solutions
Google Voice appears to be a free solution since it allows you to get a local US number at no cost. However, if you want to use Google Voice on a professional level, you will need to switch to a paid plan ranging from $10 to $30 per user per month. Very few features are offered in these packages, much less than most other business solutions available on the market. Better alternatives can be found quite easily.
If you want to set up an auto-attendant to manage your calls like an established business, that option is available starting from $20 per user. If you have a team of 3 people managing calls, you will need to spend $60 a month. With Quicktalk, you'll have the same option with more features at $19.
Pros: Google Voice provides a free basic phone line for domestic use only
Cons: Adding essential business features is costly. For the same price, you have better options with other VoIP providers
When you want to place calls overseas, you'll need to add credits to your account to pay for service. In most cases, however, the fees are minimal and just a couple of cents per minute.
Here's a handy tool from Google on call rates. You can input the country you're planning to contact and see associated costs.
International calling might not matter at this point for your business, but things can move quickly if you have an international phone number. Whether you start using foreign providers to manage your business or expand internationally, having a business phone that covers international calls will undoubtedly make a difference at some point.
With Quicktalk, enjoy unlimited outbound and inbound calling towards 36 countries.
When it comes to Google, privacy has been a concern for everyone. When using Google Voice, you unknowingly endup sharing your call logs, information about your callers, the text exchanges between you and your clients or any such details with them.
Unfortunately for us, these details will be forever stored on Google's servers. Can Google publish or sell your data? The answer is a big no. Typically, the stored information will be used to offer you personalized ads making you purchase unwanted products. Learn more about Google Privacy policy.
However, in a world of increased scrutiny and where the debate of block-chain based and privacy-oriented Web 3 is gaining momentum, it is not desirable to have your personal and business critical information stored on third party servers owned by the GAFA.
If privacy matters to you, you need to consider a different service provider that you are sure that they won't save and use your data to further their business.
When choosing a business communication service provider, it is important to go for a provider that gives the utmost importance to addressing customer complaints. However, Google Voice doesn't even have a dedicated phone number where you can reach their customer care for immediate resolution of your concerns.
So, how do you contact Google Voice's customer care? You can reach them through their Workspace community, social media or the support at Google Admin console. Here is a guide to reaching Google Voice's support https://support.google.com/a/contact/gsuite voice_complaints.
And once you raise a complaint they take around 10 working days to resolve it. Unfortunately, a business can't wait for 10 days to resolve an issue, especially when it is related to call quality that can affect your daily business.
So, you need to ask yourself, should reaching a support center be this complicated?
Integrating your phone number system into your office CRM or e-commerce software can be highly beneficial for your business. It not only saves time and costs but also improves your business's overall efficiency and customer experience.
Google does not integrate with anything other than Google Workspace. However, being able to integrate your phone system with other tools unleashes a lot of potential in your customer service. Here are some examples:
Since Google Voice does not have these integrations, and alternative like Quicktalk would be a better option.
Many users complained about outbound portability issues. When customers usually port their numbers to Google Voice, it works most of the time, even if it costs them a $20 fee. But if you need to switch from Google Voice to another provider, porting your Google Voice number can be complicated. You can't reach out to someone at Google and get it fixed quickly. Everything is happening online, and you may face certain issues.
To manage customer calls, established businesses must have their team trained on how to answer the phone. You can't really do that efficiently without call recording and live call listening.
Then, in order to monitor your call activity with efficiency, you need the minimum call statistics options. How many calls did your business miss last month? How is that improving? How much business are you losing every month because of missed calls? How can you manage to take more calls with smarter call routing? etc.
Whenever you choose a new software solution for your business, you must always go for something that is simple, yet highly advantageous. When it comes to virtual phone systems, you need to choose a provider that can offer state-of-the-art solutions to help you set up a cloud phone system in a matter of 3 minutes or less.
If Google Voice takes longer to connect, worry not; there are many other alternate providers such as Quicktalk who offer fantastic solutions.
Are you looking for a better option than Google Voice? Compare the other solutions on the market to select the best tool for your small or medium-sized business. Below, you will find a review of the competitors in terms of price, features, and ease of use:
Quicktalk offers numerous benefits that make it an ideal choice for small businesses seeking an efficient and reliable phone system. Here are some of the key advantages of using Quicktalk:
If you are a small business looking for a virtual phone number system that is easy to set up, at affordable rates, consider Quicktalk. With over 15 years' experience in the telecom industry, Quicktalk has the expertise to help small and medium businesses manage their customer calls effectively, making it an excellent alternative to Google Voice.
As of now, they have just one unique pricing plan which comes with fantastic features, including call recording, live monitoring, and call statistics.
Discover how it works here.
Goldfish provides flexible phone systems for small businesses, but their pricing, which ranges from €5 to €40, does not include call minutes, making it less cost-effective. They offer features such as call queuing, virtual numbers, and an intuitive online dashboard for managing calls. Goldfish is particularly noted for its straightforward setup process, allowing businesses to activate their phone systems within minutes. This ease of activation makes Goldfish a convenient option for small businesses seeking a quick and efficient communication solution.
Goldfish offers a range of pricing plans to suit various business needs. Their Single-User VoIP plan is perfect for entrepreneurs, priced at €5 per month, and includes 1 inbound VoIP number and 1 connected VoIP device. The Multi-User VoIP 5 plan, ideal for startups and SMEs, costs €25 per month and provides 5 inbound VoIP numbers and up to 5 connected VoIP devices. For expanding businesses, the Multi-User VoIP 10 plan is available at €40 per month, offering 10 inbound VoIP numbers and up to 10 connected VoIP devices. Larger businesses can opt for the Multi-User VoIP 10+ plan, which includes unlimited inbound VoIP numbers and connected VoIP devices, with pricing available upon request.
Nuacom offers a comprehensive phone system for small businesses, starting at €19.99 per user per month. Their features include virtual receptionists, call recording, and detailed call analytics, all aimed at enhancing business communication efficiency. Activation is straightforward, with most businesses becoming operational within a day. This seamless setup is supported by Nuacom's excellent customer service team, ensuring a smooth transition and immediate functionality.
This VoIP platform can be set up in a few minutes, has excellent security features, and offers smart solutions as per individual requirements like personalized call answering options, quick call handling, excellent call quality, and swift deployment.
Nuacom offers three pricing plans tailored to different business needs:
Skype is one of the leading VoIP communication service providers and comes with many useful features.
Skype is one popular application that allows users to make video calls, share pictures, send voice messages, and more. The company also offers unique virtual numbers, called Skype numbers, which can be used for both business and personal use.
From forwarding incoming calls to sending voice chats, do all this at very affordable rates with Skype. Though the prices start from just $3.59 per month, the total costs will depend on your call minutes and the destinations you are calling. As soon as the payment is processed, you can start using your Skype number.
Vodafone offers a reliable business phone system with extensive network coverage. Their plans start at €25 per month and include features like call forwarding, voicemail to email, and unified communications that integrate mobile and fixed lines. The activation process is quick, often completed within a couple of days, and businesses benefit from Vodafone's robust support network and disaster recovery plans, ensuring continuous and dependable service.
Google's Voice has a starter pack with basic calling features priced at $10 per user per month. This is for up to 10 users. The standard pack is priced at $20 per user per month for unlimited users. If you need to upgrade to permit international calling, you will need the Premier pack priced at $30 per user per month.
Google Voice has many other Ireland based competitors that offer cloud communication solutions like business phone systems, call center solutions, video calling, etc. Google Voice is generally compared to Quicktalk, Skype or Goldfish that provide similar features.
Top 5 Google Voice competitors
1: Quicktalk
2: Goldfish
3: Nuacom
4: Skype
5: Vodafone
If you are an entrepreneur or small business wanting another alternative to Google Voice, Quicktalk could be a great alternative for you. It is easy to set up, affordable, and will help improve your customer experience.
Paul is a tech and business phone system enthusiast always open to discuss ideas. If you’re interested in collaborating on content projects or getting a product listed on our blog, don’t hesitate and reach out to us: [email protected].
