VoIP: Reviews

ConsumerReports.org: This review compares major cable VoIP companies with other VoIP providers and several landline phone services, based on ratings from a survey of 69,000 readers.

Keynote Systems: This review compares six VoIP services, giving top ranking to Comcast Digital Voice.

J.D. Power and Associates: This review of telephone services, based on a survey of 21,480 users, rates cable companies by region.

PCMag.com: Cablevision Optimum Voice earns a Readers' Choice award here, based on a poll of nearly 20,000 readers.

PC World: Probing the fine print, this review reports that Ooma's free calls are actually limited to 3,000 minutes per month (since raised to 5,000).

DSLReports.com: Comcast is the only cable company compared here with other VoIP providers.

Wired: Comcast takes a hit in comparison tests at Wired.

TopTenReviews.com: Comcast performs poorly in reviews here.

ConsumerReports.org: While this report focuses on bundled services, it ranks VoIP providers.

PCMag.com: Vonage ranks fourth out of 10 VoIP services evaluated, based on a poll of nearly 20,000 readers.

SpotCoolStuff.com: This review compares Vonage with two other popular VoIP services, Skype and MagicJack -- based on tests of call quality, as well as other factors.

The New York Times: This overview of long-distance calling options compares Vonage with Ooma, Skype and MagicJack, but tests only the latter two services.

PCMag.com: In this older review roundup, five VoIP phone services are tested, and while none are rated poorly, Vonage gets the Editors' Choice award.

Wired: Vonage ranks second, bested by Lingo, in tests and ratings of eight VoIP providers.

DSLReports.com: Vonage gets a Silver award based on its high ratio of positive user-written reviews (79 percent over the past six months).

WhichVoIP.com: Over 200 users review Vonage here, but at the time of our report, over 60 percent say they wouldn't recommend it to a friend.

TopTenReviews.com: Vonage earns the No. 3 ranking among 21 VoIP providers rated here.

The New York Times: This review compares Ooma with Vonage, Skype and MagicJack, concluding that Ooma and Vonage have the best call quality plus easy installation and use.

SpotCoolStuff.com: This detailed review of Ooma compares it with Vonage, MagicJack and Skype -- concluding that for U.S. users who make mostly domestic calls, Ooma is the best choice.

Computerworld.com: This detailed single-product review of Ooma concludes that it can save a lot of money unless you need a lot of extensions or extra options.

EVDOInformation.com: This review reports on tests of Ooma on a 3G wireless network (Sprint EVDO) as well as over a high-speed cable broadband connection, even including audio files of sample calls.

DSLReports.com: Ooma earns top ratings here, based on about 40 enthusiastic user-written reviews.

Amazon.com: Over 800 owners review Ooma here, resulting in an overall rating of 4.5 stars (out of 5).

FierceVoIP.com: This article explaining Ooma's business model reinforces the probability that Ooma will stay in business despite offering free ongoing service, in part because the company plans to refresh its hardware about every two years.

San Francisco Chronicle: In this short article, David Einstein compares Ooma and Vonage, ultimately recommending the former.

CNET: Rick Broida, who writes The Cheapskate blog for CNET, takes a look at Ooma Telo, comparing it to his current VoIP service, Vonage.

CNET: Voice Calls from Gmail beats Skype in this head-to-head comparison.

PC World: Barbara E. Hernandez likes Voice Calls from Gmail better than Skype -- as long as Gmail calling remains free, or at least cheaper than Skype.

The New York Times: This blog post does a great job explaining what you can and cannot do with Google's Voice Calls from Gmail feature.

The New York Times: Voice Calls from Gmail are clear -- even on regular laptop speakers and microphones -- and easy to use, David Pogue says.

PCMag.com: When Mark Hachman tests Voice Calls from Gmail, one call refuses to connect and another has poor sound quality.

Laptop Magazine: Eric Chiu explains how Gmail calling works and briefly tests it.