Cable-company VoIP
Cable-company VoIP

Best voice quality and reliability

$12
Estimated Price

Reviewers and customer surveys conclude that cable VoIP has the most reliable connections and best call quality. Reviews note, however, that the best cable VoIP providers vary in performance from one service area to another, so it's wise to check user-written reviews from your geographic area. Cable VoIP is often bundled with TV and Internet access, making it more affordable. You can call 911 using cable VoIP, and some providers include battery backup for making calls during power outages.

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Vonage
Vonage

Most VoIP features

$10
Estimated Price

Vonage is one of the most popular VoIP services. Reviews say call quality is often excellent, but less consistently so than with most cable VoIP. However, Vonage is less expensive, especially for international rates. The World plan (*Est. $25 per month) includes unlimited calls to landline phones in more than 60 countries. You get a lot of extras with Vonage including call waiting, caller ID, visual voice mail and even weather alerts. One of the most helpful features is virtual phone numbers. This means you can add a phone number with an area code that's local to the people who call you most.

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Ooma
Ooma

Hardware VoIP with no monthly fee

$200
Estimated Price

Ooma is less expensive than Vonage (*Est. $10 to $25 per month) in the long run, since the only fee for basic VoIP service is the cost of the Ooma hardware (you will have to pay government taxes and fees, about $3.50 per month). The Ooma Telo, which you can use with your existing cordless phone, is an upgrade to the original Ooma hardware and promises better call quality. However, you'll need to buy special Ooma Telo handsets (*Est. $50) if you want any extensions or to take advantage of the Ooma Premier services package (*Est. $10 per month), which includes three-way calling and voice mail forwarding. Reviews say call quality is similar to that of Vonage, and you get a virtual second line so two people can use the system at once. Basic features such as voice mail, call waiting and caller ID are included.

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Voice Calls from Gmail
Voice Calls from Gmail

Best Free VoIP

$0
Estimated Price

Voice Calls from Gmail are completely free to the U.S. and Canada. You can call any landline or mobile phone in these countries from your computer for free, though Gmail charges for international calls. Skype, on the other hand, offers free international calls to other Skype users. Gmail calling has some other drawbacks, such as the lack of a 911 feature, but reviewers like the advanced features you can get by signing up for a free Google Voice number, which will ring on all of your phones at once and even transcribe your voice mails and text or email them to you for free (although testers say the transcription isn't very accurate). In short, reviews say Voice Calls from Gmail are a major leap forward for free VoIP calling, but it still can't replace your regular phone.

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See a side-by-side comparison of key features, product specs, and prices.

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