Why Should I Consider VoIP Services?

VoIP services transmit voice traffic over an IP-based network, which, in layman’s terms, means internet phone service. It’s similar to talking over a normal telephone, except it’s often much cheaper than regular phone service and doesn’t always have to involve a traditional telephone. People who are accustomed to using traditional phone services will encounter a significant learning curve when they decide on one of the many quality VoIP providers and services out there, but that’s all a part of getting used to something new. Once they figure out it’s not that bad, they’re going to wish they had gone with one of them sooner.

As time goes by, it becomes harder to pay the excessive monthly fees and additional charges phone companies tack on to your bill every month. Some of you might be scared away from the prospect of using VoIP services because you think it might require a little bit of computer knowledge. Luckily, there are many VOIP services that are willing to help you through the process. You don’t need to worry about any sort of learning curve. With these services, you’re going to be up and running in a very short amount of time.

In this site, you'll find articles such as VoIP Services: Read the Fine Print and VoIP Services: Don't Forget the Past as well as comprehensive reviews on VoIP services like Phone Power and ITP. All of this is presented with a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which service is right for your VoIP needs. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™

VoIP Services: What to Look For

When you’re looking for the right service, you should consider everything you’re going to do with it. Once you have figured out what you want your service to do, look for a service that meets all of those requirements. You don’t want a service that’s going to charge you too much for plans that are missing features you need and overloaded with features that are of no use to you; you want a service that’s going to give you the most benefit for the price you pay every month. Anything else should be left where you found it.

Here are the criteria we used to evaluate VoIP Services:

Service Plan and Fees
The service plan and fees involved with the service you choose can often be the most important factor in your decision making process. You want a plan that’s going to allow you to make calls to where you want without sticking you with all sorts of unnecessary fees. Too often people get saddled with expensive plans that provide them with very little benefit. Don’t be one of these people.

Features
The plan from the service you choose needs to have several additional features to make it even more worth your while. All of the fundamental phone features are great, but we all want a few bells and whistles now and then. Plans that provide additional features are more than likely going to be successful in keeping their customers around.

Ease of Installation/Setup
The VOIP services you choose need to be easy to install and setup. The last thing you would want when you sign on with a new service is to be greeted with complex procedures to get everything up and running. In an age where everything is given to us immediately, you don’t want to have to go through a lot of red tape to get to where you want to go.

Help/Support
The task of navigating the world of VoIP services can often be a difficult one. It’s comforting to go with a company that has solid help and support options to back you up. There’s no reason to go with a company that doesn’t look out for their customers through quality customer service.

If you’re tired of dealing with the phone company, we recommend that you go with one of the quality VoIP services in this category. Any one of them is going to make sure you will get what you want in terms of internet telephone capabilities without having to pay too much for it.

 
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VoIP Services Review 

Blur the Lines Between Internet and Telephone

You don’t need to rely on a phone company anymore. Now with the surge in popularity for Voice Over IP (VoIP) services, you can use your internet browser to take their place. Leave the fees and bad service behind.

Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
Excellent score   Excellent
Very good score   Very Good
Good score   Good
Fair score   Fair
Poor score   Poor
Phone Power ITP Vonage Net2Phone Phone.com 8x8 ViaTalk Lingo Skype BroadVoice
Phone Power ITP Vonage Net2Phone Phone.com 8x8 ViaTalk Lingo Skype BroadVoice
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Price Per Month Buy Phone Power
$14.95
Buy ITP
$9.99
Buy Vonage
$25.99
Buy Net2Phone
$24.00
Buy Phone.com
$9.88
Buy 8x8
$24.99
Buy ViaTalk
$16.95
Buy Lingo
$21.95
Buy Skype
$2.99
Buy BroadVoice
$9.95
 
Overall Rating Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good
Ratings
Service Plan and Fees Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Features Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good
Ease of Installation/Setup Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good
Help/Support Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent
View Specifications Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
View Screenshots View Phone Power screenshots View ITP screenshots View Vonage screenshots View Net2Phone screenshots View Phone.com screenshots View 8x8 screenshots View ViaTalk screenshots View Lingo screenshots View Skype screenshots View BroadVoice screenshots
Installation
Free Phone Adapter Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Activation Fee/ Setup Fee $15.00* $29.95 $29.99 $29.99 $0.00 $29.99 $29.95 $29.95 $0.00 $29.95
Cancellation Fee $99.00 $0.00 $39.99 $39.99 $0.00 $59.00 $49.95 $39.95 $0.00 $39.95
Service Plan Fees & Minutes
Unlimited Minutes   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Long Distance Calls (outgoing) Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Canada Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Puerto Rico   Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Select International Calls Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Free In-Network Calls Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Business Plans Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Basic Calling Features
Voicemail Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Caller ID Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark  
3-Way Calling Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Speed Dial Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Call Waiting Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Call Forwarding Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Call Return (*69) Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Enhancing Calling Features
Call Transfer Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark   Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark
Call Blocking Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
911 Service Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Do Not Disturb Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Free 411 Directory Assistance Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark   Check Mark    Check Mark
Find Me Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    Check Mark
Service Features
Keep Existing Number Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Choose Area Code Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Online Account Management Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Additional Services Available
Add a Line Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
SoftPhone Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Toll-Free Number Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Directory Assistance Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Virtual Phone Number Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark
Fax Support/Service Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    Check Mark
Technical Help/Support
FAQ/Knowledgebase Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Email Support Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Telephone Support Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
 
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Price Per Month Phone Power
$14.95
ITP
$9.99
Vonage
$25.99
Net2Phone
$24.00
Phone.com
$9.88
8x8
$24.99
ViaTalk
$16.95
Lingo
$21.95
Skype
$2.99
BroadVoice
$9.95
$ Available for an extra fee. * If you place your order online, you don't have to pay a setup fee, but if you place it over the phone, this fee applies.
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