Google Voice, founded in 2009, is a voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP). With Google Voice, you can enjoy calling, texting, and voicemails, and a hot of features, with free calls from the US to Canada. While the name Google and the features sound appealing and incite trust blindly, the reality is different.
Several users have reported issues with Google Voice that far outweigh the brand name's features and charm. Common issues with Google Voice include lag on phone calls, no ringing to alert users on an incoming call, and jitter.
Heavy dependence on high-speed internet to allow users to make calls, poor service when the internet fluctuates, and downtime during power outages are enough reasons for frustrated and embarrassed users to look for Google Voice alternatives.
Users looking for landline reliability and call quality need not be disappointed. Switch to Community Phone, the best reliable wireless landline service in the US, fighting to keep the landline alive.
Read on to learn about some of the best Google voice alternatives in 2023!
Best Google Voice Alternatives
1. Community Phone - The Best Alternative to Google Voice
Community Phone provides the best, easy-to-install, reliable landline phone service for homes and businesses. The essential features of Community Phone Service include - wireless connectivity, easy installation, and the absence of copper wires. Being non-reliant on the internet makes Community Phone a better landline service than Google voice, whose users face typical internet-based phone woes.
Community Phone's wireless landline base connects your home or business phones to cell towers in your area, eliminating the need for copper wire installations or internet-based setups. Strong coverage across 99% of the US, with excellent call quality in rural and low-reception areas, speaks volumes about Community Phone's reliable landline service.
With features like internet-based services, reliability like a copper wire landline, and the freedom of wireless access, Community Phone is the best service for your home or business.
Google Voice Vs. Community Phone
Community Phone is better than Google Voice in reliability, security, and features it offers its customers.
Reliability
Internet-dependent Google Voice will work ineffectively if your internet fluctuates, leaving you embarrassed in front of family or business associates in the middle of a call. Call drops, latency, and jitter are common issues that plague Google Voice customers.
Connecting your home or business phone to cell towers in your area and partnering with nationwide carriers makes the Community Phone service more reliable than internet-based phones. Enjoy excellent call quality in rural and low-reception areas with the superior design of the landline base that amplifies signal strength.
Security
Google Voice uses the internet to enable communication, leaving your family or business exposed and vulnerable to hacks, breaches, and attacks.
Community Phone is a wireless landline service that does not make your family or business vulnerable as it does not use the internet. Since it does not need copper wires to power it, the Community Phone landline service cannot be wire-tapped, ensuring maximum security.
Works During Power Outages
Internet-based phones will go down if there is a network, internet, or power outage, leaving you stranded without phone service.
You wouldn't have factored an investment in a backup power unit in your budget, which can render you without service. A backup power unit to keep your phones running, especially in areas with frequent power outages, would raise your utility bills.
With cell towers having an uptime of 99.9%, Community Phone ensures you are never without phone service. Additionally, the 12-hour backup battery on the landline base keeps your phones working during a power outage.
Community Phone Features for Households
Call Waiting
Never miss a call from a loved one when you are engaged on another call with the Community Phone call waiting feature. Two beeps on the phone line will alert you of an incoming call, letting you decide how you want to handle the second call.
3-way Calling
Conference colleagues and collaborate when you are working from home with the Community Phone 3-way calling feature. Bring loved ones in on the same call to talk to them together. Endless possibilities!
Spam Call Blocking
Protect yourself, your family, or your employees from phone scams and fraud with the Community Phone spam call-blocker. This powerful system disconnects and blocks unwanted calls before your phone can ring, allowing you to work on more critical tasks. This feature is available for both businesses and households.
Features for Business
Custom Dial Menu
Program the Community Phone automated answering service to route calls, answer frequently asked questions, or route callers to voicemail. You can customize your business greeting to create a great first impression or share important information about your business through the custom dial menu.
Live Call Transfer
When they reach out for assistance, nothing stops a frustrated customer from taking his business elsewhere, especially if your team placed them on long holds or routed their call incorrectly. Ensure calls are routed to the appropriate person with the live call transfer feature without placing the caller on hold.
Call Routing
Route calls to the appropriate department or person every time with the Community Phone call-routing feature. You can program multiple phones to ring simultaneously, alerting people of an incoming call, so anyone available can answer it.
Or, you can program your phones to ring in succession if the first line is busy or doesn't answer to ensure you never miss a customer call.
Tailor several features like business landline texting, call forwarding, voicemail-to-email, etc., to suit your business's specific needs.
Benefits of Switching to Community Phone
Community Phone is the best Google Voice alternative in the US. Here are some benefits of switching to Community Phone:
1. Cost affordable plans
2. No internet or copper wires are needed, saving time and money on installation.
3. No contracts or hidden charges
4. Unlimited nationwide Calling and texts
5. Cheap international calls to 229 countries
6. 24/7 reliable customer support that cares
How do I Sign Up With Community Phone?
To begin using Community Phone and get started with its services, follow these steps:
1. Contact Community Phone customer care at 866-271-5129 to sign up for the service.
2. You can also sign up through the website if you choose
3. Choose your number, or port your existing number after sharing details with Community Phone.
4. Wait for the Community Phone landline base to reach, which usually takes about 3-5 business days.
5. Connect the landline base after following the instructions, power it on, and you should be ready to make or receive calls.
6. If you are a business owner, the sign-up process will be slightly different as you will have a dedicated account manager who will work with you.
Other Alternatives
2. Ringblaze
A Google Voice alternative, Ringblaze, is a cloud-based communication that is budget friendly and optimized for sales and support teams. Ringblaze helps you build a call center which is why many consider it one of the best Google Voice alternatives.
Ringblaze needs customers to use desktops to utilize their services as they do not provide a mobile app service.
Features
The following are some features of the Ringblazeservice:
a) Call forwarding
b) Call conference provided
c) Maximum Participants up to 100.
Price
Ringblaze only offers one plan, which costs $29 per user per month.
3. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is another Google Voice alternative. It is a cloud-based communication and virtual phone system that enables customers to access and use two phone numbers on one device. Grasshopper allows you to get a new number or port an existing number to them.
Features
1. Call Forwarding and Call Routing
2. Total Business Interactions under One Channel
3. Desktop and Mobile app
Price:
Grasshopper's services are available through a monthly plan. The plans in Grasshopper start at $26 a month.
4. Skype
Another cloud-based software, Skype, offers premium business numbers that can be forwarded to your phone number, sent to voicemail, or answered on Skype. Skype allows up to 10 numbers to be attached to your account, so you can have different numbers forwarded to different people. Numbers on Skype have enabled two-way SMS, making using different numbers easier.
Features
It has a built-in application for both desktop and mobile.
Price:
The price plans start from $8.39
5. Ooma
Ooma is another cloud-based system and Google Voice alternative that is great for any business. Through this platform, privacy settings, blocklist, and check voicemails are managed from wifi or Celluar connection on a mobile device.
Feature:
1. This service does not require software to use it.
2. Phone calls can be managed from a smartphone.
Price
The price plans start from $19.95 a month.
6. Nextiva
Nextiva provides phone call services to large and small businesses. This Google Voice alternative enables businesses to maintain contact centers in the cloud for outbound and inbound calling campaigns.
Customers can also automatically get feedback from clients through inbound calls. Similarly, all the communication and data can be managed centrally. The interaction of customers with the business can also be traced.
Features
1. You can know the customer's information when they call.
2. Call Forwarding option
3. Call Routing
Price
The plan starts at $1.99 a month
7. Hushed
Another cloud-based alternative to Google Voice is a phone number application that allows its customers to call, send pictures, and text others. This service helps keep a customer's actual phone number safe and secure. It can also automatically respond to any text messages sent to the number. The hushed application can also be integrated with applications like DropBox or Slack.
Features
1. It enables you to add and manage more than one number.
2. It also needs wifi/Data Connection; (you can easily access your number using wifi/data)
3. It can Record Voicemail; You can record and customize voicemail.
Price
Life Time Validity is available for $25
Conclusion - The Bottom Line
Several users have reported several problems with Google Voice. Don't let internet woes decide the fate of your business or rob your quality time with your family.
Switch to Community Phone, a reliable wireless landline service provider that combines the best of the telecom world - features, reliability, and wireless access in one and scale your business or enjoy quality time with your family.