Why Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)?

VoIP services can be a valuable complement or replacement to landline (analog) telephone services. With VoIP services you can get all the basic calling features you enjoy plus many advanced features without paying extra.

For example, most VoIP services include in their basic plans:

• Transfer, block and forward calls
• Caller ID
• Voicemail and Call Waiting

Compared to analog telephone services, VoIP requires only a low monthly fee and some long distance calls are free. VoIP services can save you money with:

• Unlimited In-Network Calls - VoIP services allow unlimited free calls to and from anyone inside their network.
• Plan Minutes - Often VoIP services include long distance calling in their basic plan minutes, so if you have 500 minutes, you can call anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. International calls are usually extra. VoIP services also offer unlimited plan minutes at a higher monthly price.
• Low Over-the-Limit Fees - VoIP services charge 2-5 cents a minute.
• Disconnecting Your Land Line - With VoIP services you may be able to shut down your land line and transfer your familiar phone number to their service. Many offer emergency 911 services, or you could just simply use your cell phone for emergencies and VoIP for regular calls.
• Choosing your Area Code - Many services will let you pick the area code of your choice. So if you frequently call an area code other than the one you live in, you could pick that area code and save on long distance fees.

On this site, you’ll find articles related to VoIP and equipment as well as comprehensive reviews and a side–by–side comparison to help you make an informed decision about which VOIP service is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

What to Look For in VoIP Service

VoIP technology started out as computer to computer communication so some providers still focus on computer to computer services and telephone to telephone service is extra. The more popular telephone to telephone services may offer computer to computer add-ons for free or they may charge an extra fee.

Deciding which VoIP service is right for you may be confusing, but when choosing a plan think about what kinds of calls you make, what advanced features you want and whether you want to disconnect your land line service or add a VoIP number in addition to your regular service.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate VoIP Services:

Service Plan Fees & Minutes
Most VoIP providers generally offer 500 calling minutes (local and long distance combined) in their basic plans. Beyond 500 minutes, calls are charged at per minute rates and international calls are charged at separate rates. In-Network (calls between users of the same service) calls are free. Unlimited calling is generally up one level from a basic plan. Depending on the provider, the monthly price for unlimited calling may increase $5-$10 or more than double.

Calling/Service Features
A good VoIP service should provide calling features such as Voicemail, Caller ID, 3-way Calling, Speed Dial, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and Call Return (*69). An even better VOIP service will offer enhanced features like Repeat Dialing, transferring and blocking calls, ringing on multiple telephone numbers (Find Me), Do Not Disturb and Enhanced 911 Dialing.

VoIP providers offer service features such as transferring your existing telephone number to their service, choosing a different area code than the one you live in, using the portable telephone adapter to use VoIP service anywhere there is a broadband Internet connection, accessing account statements online and forwarding calls to a safe number in the event the Internet is disrupted.

Installation/Setup
VoIP service is ordinarily simple to install and setup. High-speed Internet is required for all VoIP services (dial-up will not work). For computer to computer services, a computer and VoIP software (usually a free download) are required. And for telephone to telephone services, only a telephone adapter (usually free with service) is required. A few providers require their customers to sign up with their Internet service, which can be a significant cost increase. Additionally, some provider's services are not compatible with a USB modem.

Help/Support
At the very least a VoIP provider's website should provide help information such as frequently asked questions and contact information. An impressive website will offer additional help information like installation/user guides, tutorials and user forums. Customer service should personally respond to questions from customers — some providers send standardized form letters in response to emailed questions to customer service and some telephone menu options don't lead to a live person.

VoIP services are a functional and inexpensive technology that provides consumers with an alternative to analog telephone services. VoIP service plans offer the same calling features as analog phone services at a much lower price.

Our objective review of VoIP services rates Vonage as the overall best bet but we stress that the most important measure of a VoIP service is how well it meets your personal needs. Take a look at our review of Skype for another outstanding service that offers VoIP from a very different perspective. Each of the ranked services has advantages and disadvantages worth considering.