Apps and Software

6 of the best VoIP services for calling family and friends

Want clearer, more reliable calls? Hop aboard the VoIP train.
By Jennifer Allen  on 
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Our Top 6 Picks

RingCentral (opens in a new tab)

Best Overall

With an easy-to-use interface and a basic plan offering unlimited U.S. calls, this popular VoIP service is perfect for residential use.

The Good

  • Simple interface
  • Flexible price options
  • Mobile and desktop apps
  • Video conferencing
  • Voicemail-to-text, document-sharing tools
  • Unlimited calls within the U.S./Canada

The Bad

  • A little pricey

The Bottom Line

RingCentral is a big name in VoIP for a good reason. It's simple to use and reasonably well-priced, albeit not the cheapest.
Pros & Cons

8x8 (opens in a new tab)

Best For International Calls

It's a little complex for residential users, but 8x8 gets a big plus for offering convenient support for calls beyond just North America.

The Good

  • Unlimited calling within 14 countries
  • 30-day free trial
  • Mobile and desktop apps
  • Video conferencing
  • 24/7 support

The Bad

  • Site is intensely business focused
  • Gets pricey if you need more countries

The Bottom Line

If you have loved ones scattered around the world, you want a VoIP service that takes that into account. 8x8 is one of the best options out there.
Pros & Cons

Vonage for Home (opens in a new tab)

Best Budget VoIP

Another well-known name, Vonage for Home makes a good short-term VoIP solution.

The Good

  • Cheap for the first six months
  • Voicemail
  • Selective call block

The Bad

  • Gets a little pricey once the introductory offer ends
  • Limited features compared to other options on this list (no video conferencing)

The Bottom Line

Vonage for Home is good for the short term but can get expensive.
Pros & Cons

Ooma (opens in a new tab)

Best For Less Tech-savvy Folks

This dedicated residential VoIP plan requires the purchase of equipment starting out but it can work out to be a lot cheaper in the long run.

The Good

  • Useful near free plan available
  • Quick set up process
  • Broadband isn't necessary

The Bad

  • Premier plan is needed to get the most out of it
  • Initial outlay is required

The Bottom Line

Particularly ideal for users without a home internet connection, Ooma Telo works out as an inexpensive deal with a nearly free plan that should suit a lot of people.
Pros & Cons

Lifesize (opens in a new tab)

Best For Video Conferencing

Video calls are great for feeling closer to loved ones. Lifesize is a well-priced way of doing precisely that.

The Good

  • Free plans available
  • 30-day trial
  • High-quality video
  • Unlimited meetings

The Bad

  • Ideally need to buy extra equipment
  • Better options out there for audio

The Bottom Line

If video conferencing is vital for your family, then Lifesize is a good option at an even better price. Just don't expect many features.
Pros & Cons

AXvoice (opens in a new tab)

Best For Local Calls

If you mostly call locally, AXvoice is a great cost-effective option; otherwise, it also has additional features for a higher price.

The Good

  • Great North America Unlimited plan price
  • Additional features available
  • Easy UI

The Bad

  • Some plans are less worth it

The Bottom Line

For the cost-aware domestic callers, AXvoice is a great choice.
Pros & Cons

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP), a technology that allows you to make calls through the internet, has been a popular business communications solution for a couple decades now. But as our relationships with our home phones have changed over the years — anyone else old enough to remember curly-corded landlines(opens in a new tab)? — the market for residential VoIP services has grown considerably. (Especially now that so many people are working from home.)

Not sure which one is right for you? Read on to learn more about residential VoIPs and how to pick the best one for your needs.

How does a VoIP work?

In simplest terms, VoIP converts an analog voice signal into a digital "packet" that can be sent across the web (as opposed to a traditional phone network, which involves copper wires and switchboards). The VoIP provider takes that packet and changes it back into an analog signal before getting it to its destination. This all happens instantaneously, meaning there's no lag between the two ends of the conversation.

What's the point of using a VoIP?

Making calls using VoIP is typically far more reliable than using a landline. Conversations transmitted over the internet tend to be crisper and clearer, so you can spend less time asking the person on the other end to repeat what they just said. You'll also (usually) wind up paying less for a VoIP service than you would a standard phone system, especially if you're making a lot of long-distance or international calls. Most VoIP providers don't charge extra for those, since everything's just happening over the internet.

A VoIP will also get you access to features like hosted voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, and conferencing. It's basically a calling system for the modern age.

What's the difference between a residential VoIP and a business VoIP?

Trick question. There really isn't one — not anymore, at least. Consumers used to be limited to apps like FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Skype, while businesses got the meatier services (also known as "unified communication" systems) that came with advanced features like call recording, call queueing, and automatic attendants that direct callers to different extensions. But nowadays "the line between the two [is] starting to blur," according to former Mashable tech fellow Haidee Chu.

"Ever since the coronavirus pandemic forced people to stay at home, business products like Zoom have been gaining traction from everyday consumers," Haidee wrote. "Overnight, it's become a host for(opens in a new tab) college lectures, blind dates, workout sessions, church services — even an inspiration for memes."

Tapping into the demand(opens in a new tab), many VoIP providers now offer lower-cost, pared-down residential plans that meet consumers somewhere in the middle. For example, Zoom's free Basic plan will let you host meetings up to 40 minutes long with up to 100 participants, automated captions, three editable boards, and a team chat — just right for the average family or friend group. Compare that to its $199/year Business plan, which unlocks unlimited meetings for up to 300 participants, 5GB of cloud storage, unlimited boards, managed domains, and company branding. Total overkill.

How to choose a residential VoIP provider

Think about what you want most out of your phone service. Do you simply want cheap calls with high quality? Are things like voicemail and call recording must-haves? Do you need a bunch of lines, or just one or two? Would a mobile app be useful, or do you prefer a desktop-based service? Keep this wish list in mind when you compare plans: Your No. 1 goal here is to avoid spending too much on features you won't actually use on a daily basis.

What about those free VoIP services?

Free messaging and video call apps like the ones mentioned earlier (FaceTime, Messenger, etc.) can serve a valuable purpose if you're only occasionally making calls. Anyone can download and sign up for them, and most can accommodate group calls for family gatherings at this point.

The catch there is that such apps lack the robust customer support you'll get with a residential VoIP service, as well as the ability to dial regular phone numbers for free. Instead, you're restricted to calling people using the same app as you. They can be good backup options to VoIPs, to be sure, but we wouldn't count them as a comparable landline replacement.

Below, you'll find our guide to the best residential VoIPs of 2022.

Best Overall
Credit: RingCentral
Specs
  • Essentials plan: $29.99/month per user
  • Standard plan: $37.99/month per user

One of the biggest names in the VoIP space, RingCentral(opens in a new tab) is popular for good reason: It's easy to use, it's well-priced, and its call quality is consistently regarded as best-in-class; your calls should always been clear and crisp. The Essentials plan offers unlimited calls within the U.S. and Canada for up to 20 users at a time, which is perfect for families with relatives strewn across North America. That also comes with a voicemail-to-text tool and a document-sharing feature. Alternatively, if you want to enjoy unlimited audio conferencing, video meetings with up to 100 participants, and 24/7 support — this would come in handy for wedding livestreams — you can upgrade to the Standard package for $8 more monthly per user.

Best For International Calls
Specs
  • X2 plan: $28/month per user

If you have relatives or friends who live abroad, calling them can get pricey on a landline. Enter: 8x8(opens in a new tab). For roughly the same price as other VoIPs, it offers unlimited voice calls to the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom on its mid-tier X2 plan. (It's technically a business product geared toward "larger teams," but residential users can still make good use of its voicemail service, voicemail transcription tool, HD audio and video conferencing with screen sharing, group messaging, and 24/7 customer support.) The downside is that the price goes up a lot if you need to make calls in countries beyond that list. Still, this is a great starting point for many.

Best Budget VoIP
Credit: Vonage
Specs
  • Limited Domestic plan: $9.99/month for six months with a one-year agreement, then $14.99/month
  • Domestic plan: $9.99/month for six months with a one-year agreement, then $26.99/month
  • Limited International plan: $9.99/month for six months with a one-year agreement, then $16.99/month
  • International plan: $9.99/month for six months with a one-year agreement, then $29.99/month

The cloud communications provider Vonage is best known for its business VoIP solutions, but the residential service (Vonage for Home)(opens in a new tab) is just as good, especially for those on a budget: Your first six months will cost just $9.99/month, provided you commit to a one-year agreement. (That applies to any of its plans, too, from the entry-level Limited Domestic plan that includes 400 monthly minutes of calls to the U.S. and Canada, to the International plan with unlimited calling to over 60 countries.) Its limited feature lineup isn't enough to justify it as a long-term solution — there's no video conferencing, for example — but it's totally worth it in the meantime.

Best For Less Tech-savvy Folks
Specs
  • Basic Plan: Free (besides monthly taxes and fees), though the device will run you $99.99 upfront
  • Premier Plan: $9.99/month

Unlike some other companies listed here, Ooma(opens in a new tab) has a fairly straightforward pricing plan. Crucially, Ooma Basic only requires you to pay monthly taxes and fees which often works out at only a few bucks a month. For the small price, you get free calls within the U.S. along with features like answering machine functionality, and low-cost international calls. On this plan, you'll need to pay a one-off fee to keep your existing number plus whatever plan you choose and you'll need to buy additional equipment, but oftentimes, it still works out as a great deal.

There's also a huge advantage to the Ooma Telo 4G equipment which doesn't require you to have home broadband set up to use it and just involves a $12 cellular access fee instead each month. That's perfect if you're looking for a set up for a less tech-savvy friend or relative or simply someone who has no interest in broadband, but who still wants to save a lot of cash on their phone bill.

Just bear in mind that you'll need to upgrade to Ooma Premier if you want features like three-way conference calling, more extensive voicemail, and call forwarding, amongst other things. 

Best For Video Conferencing
Credit: Lifesize
Specs
  • Standard plan: $12.50/month
  • Plus plan: $14.95/month per host
  • Enterprise plan: $14.95/month per host

Want to see your loved one's face while you talk? There are a wealth of options out there with Lifesize(opens in a new tab) being one of the fastest-growing. Your family needs to commit to at least 10 of you signing up to the Plus package, but you can then gather together up to 300 participants at once. (The chats can last as long as you want them to, so this is an ideal service for a large family that prefers video calls to audio chats.) It's a little business-focused but the service includes native desktop and mobile apps, although there is the suggestion that equipment via Lifesize makes the experience even better. Lifesize isn't really any use for those looking for regular landline style calls, but if you're keen to video chat all day long, you can't go wrong here.

Best For Local Calls
Credit: AXvoice
Specs
  • Pay as You Go plan: $4.99/month
  • US/Canada 200 plan: $5.99/month
  • USA/Canada Unlimited plan: $8.25/month
  • Residential International plan: $16.58/month

AXvoice(opens in a new tab) keeps things cheap, separating residential VoIP services from business VoIPs. The Pay as You Go plan isn't super worth it at $4.99/month plus 1.5 cents/minute, but for $1 more, you can get 200 minutes worth of calling to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada with its US/Canada 200 plan. Better yet is the USA/Canada Unlimited plan, which includes unlimited minutes and call forwarding. Extra features include Caller ID, enhanced voicemail that can be managed via email, three-way calling support, and even extensive logs. AXvoice prioritizes local calls but there is a residential international plan available that costs a little more. Ultimately, the best value comes from staying local. A simple to use interface means you won't have to worry about a tricky to figure out business-focused site, too.


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