Ooma vs GoogleVoice: Which one is the best for your business?

October 10, 2023

Brace yourself for a showdown: Ooma vs. Google Voice. Discover the best communication contender for your business. Let the battle unfold!

Welcome Ooma: Your comprehensive business communication choice. Ooma boasts VoIP services, communication hardware, and monthly plans featuring add-ons such as international calling and voice-to-text. Revel in 50+ features, including call forwarding and virtual faxes.

But now, let's turn our focus to the other side of the ring... an step into Google Voice: Versatile VoIP solution for worldwide enterprises. Connect effortlessly via web, mobile, or desk phones. Seamlessly integrate with Google apps. Enjoy voice, video, and more, plus texts, voicemail transcriptions. Choose from three plans.

Compare Ooma and GoogleVoice plans and features

How many users do you need?

	Ooma	Google Voice
Pick up plan
Price for users	/month	/month
Channels
Key features
Support Channel
Pros and Cons
Best For

Cheaper starter plans with Google Voice but more features with Ooma

Businesses can subscribe to the Ooma Essentials plan by paying a monthly fee of $19.95 per user. This gives them access to 50+ standard features including a virtual receptionist, ring groups and voicemail.

Upgrading to the Ooma Pro plan costs businesses $24.95 per user per month. This gives them access to all the Essentials plan features as well as call recording, video conferencing, text messaging and more.

Paying a monthly fee of $29.95 per user gives users access to the Ooma Pro+ plan. This is the most advanced Ooma business communication plan and includes all the features of the Pro plan as well as integration to Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365, hot desking, etc.

The difference in pricing between Ooma and Google Voice is most apparent in the starter plan.

A monthly user license fee of $10 gives businesses access to the Google Voice Starter plan with access to features such as voicemail transcription, call forwarding, Google app integrations, etc. An account can be used by up to 10 people in 10 different locations.

Priced at $20 per user per month, the Google Voice Standard plan includes all the Starter plan features as well as ring groups, ad-hoc call recording and multi-level auto attendant. There is no user limit for this plan.

The Premier plan has a $30 monthly user license fee. It is inclusive of automatic call recording, advanced reports and all the features of the Standard plan.

A step-by-step comparison between Ooma and GoogleVoice

To help you find what solution fits best your need between Zoom Phone and Ringcentral, we have conducted an unbiased comparison based on 8 criterias:

#1 Manage your office calls : How will you handle calls while at the office? Can you use computer-based calls or do you require an office phone?

#2 Manage your calls on the go: Does it offer a mobile app with VoIP calls? Do you need to set up call forwarding to your mobile device?

#3 Auto-attendant : Can you easily distribute calls to your team?

#4 Greetings Management : Can you set up company greetings on your own? How easy is it to create and manage announcements?

#5 Call Tracking : How easy is it to monitor your business calls?

#6 Call recording : Can you record and listen to calls?

#7 Call billing : How much does it cost to make and receive calls? Is everything included?

#8 Activation : How easy is it to activate a phone number and set up your phone system?

COMPARE

Manage Your Office Calls
Manage Your Calls On The Go
Auto-attendant
Greetings Management
Call Tracking
Call recording
Call billing
Activation

#1 Manage Your Office Calls

Multi-device support allows seamless in-office call transfers for both services

Subscribers can make and receive calls through IP desk phones. Pro and Pro+ subscribers can also use a desktop app.

Office connectivity options are similar for Ooma and GoogleVoice subscribers. In addition to a web application, Google Voice services can be accessed through a deskphone.

#2 Manage Your Calls On The Go

Mobile applications for users available from Ooma and Google Voice

The Ooma smartphone app is available to all subscribers to allow them to manage calls inside and outside the office.

As with Ooma, GoogleVoice agents can make and receive calls through an app for Android and iOS devices.

#3 Auto-attendant

Ooma virtual receptionist services empowers Ooma users to offer better service

Ooma users can greet callers with a customized message and have calls routed to relevant extensions through a multi-level virtual receptionist.

Unlike Ooma, all GoogleVoice plans do not include call routing.

A Starter plan subscription does not include IVR or auto attendant facilities but the Standard and Premier plans include a multi-level auto attendant feature.

#4 Greetings Management

Similar call greeting customization options from both service providers

Businesses can customize greetings for incoming calls from the Ooma dashboard.

Step 1. Login to Ooma with admin access.

Step 2. Go to settings and set your business hours schedule.

Step 3. Edit text for your greeting and select the text to speech option or upload recorded greeting.

Customized greetings are a common feature in Ooma and GoogleVoice plans.

Greetings can be customized from the Google Voice app or web browser.

Step 1: Open Voicemail Greetings from the settings menu.

Step 2: Click on the record button.

Step 3: Record your message. Click stop to finish recording.

#5 Call Tracking

Google Voice gains advantage for wider call management options

While Ooma does not include call monitoring services such as call whisper, barge or takeover in any of their plans, subscribers do have a few ways to assess team productivity and call quality. Supervisors can easily start three-way calls between external callers, an agent and themselves. They can also study call log reports and individual user call history from the Ooma dashboard. Voicemails left by callers can be forwarded to email inboxes.

The Pro and Pro+ users can also get these voicemails transcribed to skim through the content and prioritize responses.

Ooma and GoogleVoice have similar policies on call monitoring.

Calls forwarded to voicemail are available as transcriptions to all Google Voice Starter plan subscribers. They can also transfer calls easily to other agents or supervisors if required. In addition, supervisors can access call log and usage reports to assess team productivity.

In addition to the features of the Starter plan, the Standard plan includes eDiscovery to find specific conversations from calls, text messages and voicemail records. Calls may also be recorded for later analysis.

All calls handled by Premier plan subscribers are automatically recorded. Subscribers can also read advanced call reports and access features of the Starter and Standard plans.

#6 Call Recording

Neither service offers call recording with starter plans

Pro and Pro+ plan subscribers can record all incoming and outgoing calls. This feature is not available to Essential plan subscribers.

Ooma and GoogleVoice both offer limited access to call recording.

Call recording is included only in the Google Voice Standard and Premier plans. The Standard plan features ad-hoc call recording while the Premier plan features automatic call recording.

#7 Call Billing

More value for money with Google Voice for international calling

Calls within the USA are unlimited in all plans. International calls can be billed at a location-specific per minute rate or you can get an add-on international calling pack.

GoogleVoice offers more flexibility over international calling as compared to Ooma.

Calling numbers other than those in the USA and Canada are billed according to location and number type. For example, charges for calls to Australia range from $0.01 to $1.95 per minute. All subscribers enjoy free calling between Google Voice numbers.

#8 Activation

Similar registration and administration steps for Ooma and Google Voice

Ooma subscribers can get a new business phone number or transfer existing business phone numbers to the platform for no additional fee. Once an account is created, Ooma services can be accessed through apps for smartphones, IP phones or analog phones. If you do not have a phone, you can purchase IP or Wifi phones from the Ooma website. Chrome extensions can also be used to access Ooma services from desktops and laptops. Pro or Pro+ plan subscribers can also use desktop apps.

Once you have chosen a plan, you can complete the subscription formalities for Ooma as well as Google Voice from a web browser. The Google Voice services can then be accessed through a smartphone app or web browser. The Standard and Premier plans include access through desk phones with Obi Edition firmware.