When it comes to making business phone calls, you should not use your personal phone number due to privacy concerns.
On top of that, it can be annoying as well and is not a scalable solution. Due to these drawbacks, more and more businesses (both new & established) have moved towards the use of virtual numbers for their business needs.
Using a virtual business phone, one can do all the things you would expect from a traditional phone number, such as making calls, message recording, forward calls, and so on. On top of that, it is also very easy to set up a virtual number and doesn’t require any tech knowledge as well. In most cases, all that’s required is to download an app on your computer or mobile to get virtual numbers. A lot of companies even offer virtual numbers free of cost and only charge on the usage.
Virtual Number for Business
In this article, we look at the best apps for getting a virtual number for your business needs, including the free and paid options:
Nextiva
In the market, one of the top service providers of virtual business phone numbers is Nextiva. Using the Nextiva app, it becomes very easy to handle your communication needs on your mobile phone, computer, or even a desk phone.
With Nextiva, users can make phone calls and send/receive texts using VoIP technology. Currently, Nextiva is offering phone numbers in a lot of different countries, including the USA. Some of the features of Nextiva are:
- Call Routing
- Call Queuing
- Call Analytics
- Unlimited Calls
- Auto Attendant
And much more…
The Nextiva app is available on all famous mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS. The pricing for Nextiva’s business phone number starts from $18.95/month.
Grasshopper
For startups, one of the easiest ways to get a virtual phone number is via Grasshopper! The company has a lot of diverse offerings when it comes to mobile numbers, which even include tool-free numbers such as 800 and 833. Just like other top providers, Grasshopper also supports all major regions, which allow you to easily acquire a virtual number.
The features of the Grasshopper are:
- Texting and Calling
- Call Forwarding
- VoIP Calling
- Automated Messages
And more…
The Grasshopper app can be used to receive any calls right on the mobile phone, just like a regular phone number! This one is a little more expensive than the Nextiva as the monthly plans start from $26.
Ooma
Using the Ooma service, you can get a 1-800 phone number (toll-free) at competitive rates. So if you are looking to get a toll free number for your business, you should also check out the offerings of Ooma.
By default, the website offers a free virtual toll-free number for all customers. If we look at the features of the Ooma, it includes all the things you would expect from a phone number, such as extension dialling, virtual receptionist, mobile apps, holding sounds, and much more.
To get started with Ooma, the basic plan is around $19.95/month and offers more than 35 features and a free virtual number.