VoIP Reviews; Voice Over IP Reviews, Best VoIP Service

Best VoIP service overall

VoIP reviews say CallVantage outdistances Vonage and other competitors for its consistently high call quality and customer support. Unlike the VoIP services offered by cable-TV providers, you don't have to get your… Internet service from AT&T to subscribe; CallVantage works with any broadband Internet service. There's also a rich menu of features, such as call logs, fax support, speed dial and three-way calling. CallVantage subscribers also now have 911 service. Although Cox Digital Telephone and Cablevision's Optimum Voice get higher ratings for sound quality, AT&T CallVantage is much less expensive.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: This report concerns bundled services, but the subscribers-only ratings chart breaks the services into separate categories and ...

PCMag.com: This annual service and reliability survey focuses on tech support, and AT&T CallVantage ranks third among six mainstream VoIP ...

PCMag.com: This dated customer-satisfaction poll of PC Magazine readers puts AT&T CallVantage in second place, barely beaten by Cablevision ...

DSLReports.com: AT&T CallVantage gets a Gold Award based on its very high ratio of good user reviews compared with bad (about 4:1 based on about ...

CNet.com: This report is a relic - an update of one from 2004 - but some of the more than 60 user reviews are a lot more recent and overall ...

J.D. Power & Associates: Unfortunately, this customer-satisfaction survey mixes VoIP with traditional long-distance services, so it's not specific enough ...

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Best voice quality and reliability

Cox Communications Digital Telephone

*Est. $40 per month Compare Prices

Compared to other VoIP services, reviews say Cox Digital Telephone has the best call quality and reliability. However, it's only available in areas served by Cox Communications, and it's more expensive than services like… AT&T CallVantage and Vonage. Extras include call forwarding, priority ringtones, selective call rejection, caller ID and three-way calling. By bundling digital phone with other Cox services, you can reduce monthly rates, so Cox Digital Telephone makes the most sense for those with other Cox services. Cox says that all of its subscribers have E911 service.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Cox VoIP is among the nine VoIP and VoIP-type services ranked among the standard and cable phone services in this report about ...

DSLReports.com: This is a go-to website for VoIP user reviews in most cases. There are just a handful of user reviews about Cox VoIP at this ...

J.D. Power & Associates: Cox wins or fares no worse than average in every region where it competes, However, VoIPs are mixed with traditional ...

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Most VoIP features

Vonage

*Est. $25 and up Compare Prices

Due to successful patent infringement suits by Verizon and Nextel Sprint, Vonage has taken a big hit, but we still found it recommended in reviews. Though it doesn't have a price advantage over AT&T CallVantage, you do… get a lot of extras with Vonage, including call waiting, caller ID, visual voicemail and even weather alerts. The base price also includes free calls to five European countries. The downside is that Vonage's long-term prospects are now cloudy. Overall, Vonage falls behind Cox and other services in call quality and service. E911 is available to most subscribers.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: While this report focuses on bundled services, it ranks nine VoIP companies. Vonage is among them, but you need a subscription to ...

PCMag.com: Five VoIP phone services are tested, and while none are rated poorly, Vonage gets the Editors Choice award. Reviewer Rick Broida ...

PCMag.com: Vonage places second overall (good for a Readers Choice award) in an annual service and reliability survey, this time focusing on ...

CNet.com: This older report gives an Editors Choice award to Vonage, saying the call quality is good. Some of the more than 700 user ...

DSLReports.com: Vonage gets a Silver Award based on its high ratio of good user reviews (about 8:1 based on about 2,000 user reviews). Its gets a ...

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Free VoIP software

Skype

free for basic service Compare Prices

Skype is a free download that allows you to make no-cost VoIP calls, including video calls, to anyone with the same software through your computer. Skype also has inexpensive add-on plans that let you call regular phones… through your computer for about 2¢ per minute almost anywhere in the world. You can place unlimited calls to landline phones within the U.S. and Canada for $30 a year. Skype is a favorite in reviews for its ease of setup and decent if unpredictable sound quality. Your computer needs to be turned on to make or receive Internet phone calls in most cases, though new phones are available that bypass the computer altogether. Skype isn't meant to replace your regular phone, however -- it doesn't offer any 911 service or local number portability.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Skype is among those listed in the separate chart on phone services in this report about bundled services. Nine VoIP and ...

PCMag.com: While Skype PC-to-PC and Skype PC-to-phone sit at the bottom of the chart in this service and reliability survey focusing on tech ...

ConsumerReports.org: This brief report gives a good rundown of Skype but warns there is no 911 service and that you should also have a landline to be ...

CNet.com: This report is outdated, the revision of an article written in 2005, and for what it's worth, Skype gets a "very good" rating. ...

DSLReports.com: There are only about 20 reviews about Skype at DSLReports.com. They're overwhelmingly positive, but it's a small sampling ...

PCMag.com: This customer-satisfaction poll calls Skype "a different animal" and removes it from the VoIP rankings, but notes that customer ...

PCMag.com: PC Magazine does a basic run-through of a Skype update for PCs that allows for a larger, but customizable, window for video ...

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VoIP: Reviews

Best VoIP service overall

Best voice quality and reliability

Most VoIP features

Free VoIP software

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