After researching 29 different phone systems, we found Nextiva to be the best for most. It scales from solo teams to complex, multi-site contact centers and stays easy to run the whole way.
No matter what you need, it’s flexible, fast to implement, highly scalable, and supports dozens of desk phone models (if you want physical phones). With a deep feature set, strong reliability, and excellent support, it’s hard to beat.
The Top Business Phone Systems in 2025
Here are our top picks that cover the needs of most people looking for a business phone system:
- Best business phone system for most: Nextiva
- Strong alternatives: RingCentral, Ooma, and Vonage
- Simple systems for basic needs: Phone.com and 1-VoIP
Business Phone System Reviews
We set out to review as many phone systems as we could find and started with 29 before narrowing it to our top picks.
Beyond call quality and reliability, we looked closely at internal collaboration, ease of implementation, admin usability, core call handling, hardware compatibility, international calling, texting, analytics, security/compliance, and customer support.
Our research team spent months digging into the specifics—what matters, what’s noise, and which options shine in different scenarios.
Below is a distilled version of the most important takeaways so you can choose with confidence.
Nextiva: The Best Business Phone System For Most
Nextiva is one of the most reputable and reliable business phone systems available.
It fits the needs of almost anyone—from small offices to high-volume sales and support teams. It brings calling, texting, team chat, video, and basic help-desk style tools into one clean interface.
Whether you’re in a traditional office with a handful of employees or running hundreds of hybrid and remote agents, Nextiva stays intuitive.
The interface is organized and easy to learn. Admin tasks like adding users, setting up voicemail, configuring auto attendants, routing, and answering rules are straightforward, with guided walkthroughs in the Admin Portal.
Beyond voice, you can host video meetings (up to 250 participants with standard limits on on-screen videos), collaborate in group messages, share files, and manage simple queues without bolting on extra tools.
You’ll also get online faxing, business SMS/MMS (with support for required 10DLC registration), and a long list of everyday call features—from caller ID and voicemail to multi-level auto attendants. If you use desk phones, Nextiva supports popular models from Poly, Yealink, and Cisco.
Security and compliance are strong, with enterprise-grade encryption and options for regulated industries. If you need call recording, Nextiva supports on-demand and automatic recording on eligible tiers and add-ons.
Nextiva also caters to inbound and outbound call centers with advanced IVR, skills-based routing, and real-time analytics—either via dedicated contact-center plans or by layering features onto standard business plans for smaller teams.
If you want a dependable, all-in-one system that’s easy to roll out and scale, start with a demo and try it free to see how it fits.
For more details, see our full Nextiva review.
RingCentral: Cheaper Call Recording, Tougher Set Up
RingCentral is a top-tier business phone solution. In call quality, reliability, and support, it’s essentially neck-and-neck with Nextiva.
Where they differ: Nextiva is typically easier to roll out and administer. RingCentral, on the other hand, has one of the broadest app marketplaces and deeper enterprise features, which is great if you need them—but adds complexity if you don’t.
RingCentral includes on-demand call recording at every tier and offers automatic call recording on higher plans. If blanket call recording is a must and you’re price-sensitive, that can tilt things in RingCentral’s favor.
If you prize simplicity for non-technical teams, Nextiva remains the better default pick. If you want a huge integration catalog and advanced analytics out of the box, take a close look at RingCentral.
Ooma: Easiest Setup, Lacking Long-Term Scalability
Users consistently praise Ooma for quick, DIY setup and straightforward user management. If you rely on desk phones, pre-provisioned hardware can be plug-and-play.
Fully virtual or tied to an office, most small teams can be up and running in minutes.
Ooma includes local or toll-free numbers and unlimited calling to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, plus low per-minute international rates. Pro and Pro Plus tiers add video meetings (typically 25–100 participants depending on plan), texting, virtual fax, and call recording.
The trade-offs show as you grow: analytics are basic, team collaboration is limited, and there’s no true contact-center stack. If you expect to add advanced routing, AI-assisted coaching, or detailed wallboards, you’ll likely outgrow Ooma.
It’s a smart choice for very small teams that want the easiest path to a professional phone system. See our Ooma review for the full breakdown.
Vonage: A Great Deal if You Don’t Need Physical Phones
Vonage offers aggressive pricing promos and a mobile/softphone-friendly setup that’s attractive if you don’t need desk phones. Premium plans add unlimited video meetings (commonly up to 200 participants), team messaging, and popular integrations.
The caution: many features competitors include standard are add-ons here. Once you layer those in, the value can disappear. For most teams, you’ll get more for the money with Nextiva.
There are exceptions. If you place a lot of international calls, Vonage’s bundled international options can be compelling. It also has a large integration marketplace (100+ apps) including webinar tools like Livestorm.
Support isn’t 24/7 on every tier, which can be frustrating if you need after-hours help. If you’re small, softphone-first, and price-driven, test Vonage—but compare total cost (with add-ons) against Nextiva.
See our in-depth review of Vonage for more.
Simple Business Phone Systems: Phone.com and 1-VoIP
Phone.com and 1-VoIP are both budget-friendly, simple systems if all you need is a basic setup for occasional calling. If you can afford Nextiva, we still recommend it for long-term flexibility and support.
Still, if price is the top concern or your usage is sporadic, these two are worth a look.
Phone.com—Great for Infrequent Calling
Phone.com keeps costs low while letting you scale up only when you need to. It’s ideal for seasonal businesses, micro-teams, and sporadic call volumes.
The entry plan includes pooled minutes (e.g., 500 shared), one number per user, and small-group conferencing. You can mix and match user tiers so only power users get advanced features—big savings compared to platforms that force everyone onto the same plan.
Even as a lean VoIP option, Phone.com offers HIPAA-friendly add-ons and video meetings (commonly up to 100 participants). The video experience is basic but fine for one-off needs.
1-VoIP—Compatible with a Bunch of Legacy IP Phones
1-VoIP is a good fit when you want simple voice calling at a low monthly rate per extension and don’t need bells and whistles. It supports a wide range of IP phones and has a strong uptime record.
Its pay-as-you-go approach makes sense if you don’t spend all day on the phone. For infrequent calling, you can save a lot compared to feature-dense suites.
There’s no video, and collaboration features are minimal. If you eventually want modern messaging and meetings, Phone.com or one of the bigger suites will be a better long-term home.
Advanced Business Phone Systems for Contact Centers
Call center software adds far more functionality than standard phone systems. Look for advanced routing (skills-based, queue-based, IVR), agent coaching tools, quality management, AI transcriptions/summary notes, and wallboards for real-time metrics.
Whether you run a full contact center or just a busy support line, prioritize detailed reporting, automatic (and on-demand) recording, compliance options, and role-based permissions.
Nextiva checks these boxes with dedicated contact-center plans, and its standard business plans can cover smaller queues without much extra complexity.
Business Phone Systems vs VoIP: Terminology Explained
VoIP (voice over internet protocol) is a type of business phone system that routes calls over the internet instead of copper phone lines. Most modern VoIP services are cloud-based (hosted), so you don’t have to manage servers in your office.
A virtual phone number lets you make and receive calls from smartphones, computers, or IP phones without a hardwired landline. This is the default with VoIP/cloud systems.
A multi-line phone system means you can handle multiple calls at the same time—placing callers on hold, transferring, and conferencing.
PBX (private branch exchange) is the internal switching system that routes calls within your organization. Today, a hosted cloud PBX is usually the most cost-effective and reliable route.
You’ll also see UCaaS (unified communications as a service), which bundles calling, messaging, and video; and CCaaS (contact center as a service) for high-volume support and sales teams.
Bottom line: the exact labels matter less than whether the platform delivers the features, reliability, and compliance you need.
What Matters When Reviewing Business Phone Systems
We evaluated dozens of factors. These are the ten that matter most—and how to think about them.
Phone System Setup
Setup should be fast and non-technical, and everyday tasks (adding users, setting hours, building menus) should take minutes—not tickets to IT.
Distributed teams make this even more important. Look for guided onboarding, device auto-provisioning, and clear role-based permissions.
This is critical if you’re deploying to remote or hybrid teams and need consistency across home offices.
Call Handling Features
High-volume teams need smart routing so callers reach the right person fast. Core tools include ACD (automatic call distribution), IVR (interactive voice response), and auto attendants.
Look for skills-based routing, priority queues, and screen-pops with caller context from your CRM or help desk.
Call Recording and Analytics
Recording helps with coaching, QA, and compliance. Ideally you get both on-demand and automatic recording, searchable transcripts, and granular retention controls.
Analytics should cover queue performance, handle times, missed calls, and agent activity with drill-downs and real-time wallboards.
Internal Collaboration Tools
Modern systems bundle more than calling: video meetings, team chat, file sharing, SMS/MMS, faxing, and direct inward dialing. That consolidation reduces app sprawl and training time.
Desktop and Mobile Apps
Great apps are essential if you’re not buying desk phones. Test mobile call quality, call flip between devices, and whether the softphone behaves like a real phone (call transfer, park, presence, & BLF).
Integrations
Prioritize depth over quantity. A tight Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, or Microsoft 365/Google Workspace integration beats a long list of shallow connectors.
International Calling
Per-minute international rates add up fast. If you dial abroad regularly, compare bundled international plans or unlimited country packs. If you’re North America-only, don’t overpay for global features you won’t use.
Security and Compliance
Look for encryption in transit/at rest, SSO, audit logs, role-based access, and data residency options. If you handle regulated data, confirm eligibility for things like GDPR or HIPAA support and understand which features are limited on compliant plans.
For texting, ensure 10DLC registration and compliance. For calling, verify STIR/SHAKEN, E911/988 support, and clear data-retention policies.
Hardware and Equipment Compatibility
Most modern systems work great on computers and smartphones. If you want desk phones, confirm supported models and auto-provisioning. Buying devices through your provider usually guarantees plug-and-play setup and support.
Call Center Features
For high-volume teams, prioritize queueing, predictive/preview/auto dialers, agent assist, sentiment analysis, and QA scorecards. These tools maximize talk time and reduce time lost to manual dialing, ringing, and voicemail.
For inbound, routing + context is everything. For outbound, look for compliance tools (DNC, time-zone rules) and pacing controls that keep you efficient without risking fines.
