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VoIP: Ratings of Sources
Total of 28 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Save a Bundle
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our AssessmentBased on a survey of 69,000 reader experiences with telecommunications services, this review compares VoIP, landline and fiber-optic service providers as part of larger cost-saving bundles that combine TV, Internet and long-distance phone service. Thirteen VoIP providers are rated for value, reliability, and call quality and support as well as for overall user satisfaction. Editors recommend four VoIP bundlers specifically, and two other stand-alone VoIP providers get equal or better scores overall.
Internet Telephony & VoIP
by Editors of PCMag.com
by Editors of PCMag.com
Our AssessmentYou'll find all of PCMag.com's VoIP reviews here. Each product is thoroughly tested and rated on a scale of 1 to 5, and the best are named Editors' Choice. The latest Internet telephony products to get this award are 8x8 Virtual Office Pro, Google Voice and Vonage.
Readers' Choice Awards 2010: VoIP
by Editors of PCMag.com
by Editors of PCMag.com
Our AssessmentIn a 2010 survey of nearly 20,000 PCMag.com readers, Cablevision's Optimum Voice wins the Readers' Choice award for best VoIP service. Verizon VoIP gets an honorable mention, with lower ratings for customer support. The survey also rates Charter, Comcast, AT&T, Road Runner, Ooma, Vonage, MagicJack and Skype services in eight subcategories (such as sound quality and technical support) and overall.
Prizefight: Google Voice vs. Skype
by Editors of CNET
by Editors of CNET
Our AssessmentCNET throws Skype into the ring with Google's new Voice Calls from Gmail feature. Three expert testers score each contender on features, apps and interface, device compatibility and cost. Google wins every category, and the prizefight -- for U.S. users. Skype is still the better international option.
Telephone Service Provider Ratings
by Editors of J.D. Power and Associates
by Editors of J.D. Power and Associates
Our AssessmentThough best known for its car satisfaction ratings, J.D. Power and Associates also polls consumers about their local and long-distance telephone service. Unfortunately, this survey mixes VoIP with traditional long-distance services, which limits its usefulness. This 2010 research study, based on 21,480 customer responses, finds that for the third year in a row cable companies have the competitive edge by bundling voice and data services. A winner is named for four regions of the U.S. -- east, west, south and north central. However, not all companies are included, and national VoIP companies such as Vonage and Lingo are not included in the survey at all.
Check Out a Business or Charity
by Editors of BBB.org
by Editors of BBB.org
Our AssessmentBetter Business Bureaus across the country collect customer complaints and track regulatory actions related to all kinds of businesses -- including VoIP -- and this website rates each business accordingly. VoIP services from Cablevision and Wow! (two cable companies that are highly rated in other reliable reviews) earn grades of A and A+, respectively. MagicJack earns an A-, after cooperating with regulators to settle a large number of customer complaints. The worst-rated VoIP providers are Ooma and Skype, both with grades of F, but there is little explanation why.
MagicJack vs. Vonage vs. Skype
by Editors of SpotCoolStuff.com
by Editors of SpotCoolStuff.com
Our AssessmentThis review compares three of the most popular Internet phone services -- Vonage, MagicJack and Skype; a March 2009 review covers Ooma as well. The review considers in detail all the relevant factors: cost, call quality and features, plus privacy and customer service. Based on tests, the review concludes that all three services can provide excellent call quality -- but not consistently. Vonage is the overall winner, with Skype recommended if you only want inexpensive international calls. More than 100 users add comments.
Five Ways Gmail Chat Looks Better than Skype
by Barbara E. Hernandez
by Barbara E. Hernandez
Our AssessmentAs long as it remains free -- or at least cheaper than Skype -- calling from Gmail is the more attractive option, Barbara E. Hernandez says. It allows you to use one Google Voice number for all of your phones, integrates with your Gmail contacts, includes free video chat (as does Skype) and Google is a more established company than Skype.
For VoIP, What Part of 'Unlimited' Don't You Understand?
by Robert Mitchell
by Robert Mitchell
Our AssessmentThis PC World article probes several popular VoIP services that offer "unlimited" calls to reveal hidden caps. Vonage defines "normal use" as less than 5,000 minutes per line per month (over 83 hours), while Ooma's cap is 3,000 minutes per month (since raised to 5,000). The review includes a link to some recommended alternatives, including Skype. In separate reviews, MagicJack and Comcast get accolades.
Talk Is Cheap, if You Ask
by Eric A. Taub
by Eric A. Taub
Our AssessmentThis overview of long-distance calling options reports on tests of Skype and MagicJack, but comparison to Vonage and the original Ooma Hub is strictly based on features. Call quality on Skype is judged "spotty," and connections prove problematic using MagicJack -- sometimes even requiring rebooting the computer. Vonage is judged a better choice.
Review: Ooma Helps You Save on Your Phone Bills
by Preston Gralla
by Preston Gralla
Our AssessmentThis long review covers the original Ooma in detail, with a few comparisons to Vonage and Skype. The reviewer concludes that Ooma can save a significant amount of money compared with a landline phone -- unless you opt for lots of extensions (called "Scouts") or extra options. However, call quality varies and is "generally fuzzy, with a hollow or tinny sound at times." Per-minute charges for calls overseas are comparable to those of Skype.
Charts: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
by Contributors to DSLReports.com
by Contributors to DSLReports.com
Our AssessmentThis comparison chart, updated weekly, is based on user-written ratings and reviews of 15 VoIP providers. Each service gets ratings on six separate factors: website, call quality, technical support, ease of installation, reliability and overall value. Four providers get Gold awards based on owners' reviews over the past six months. The larger site includes reviews of many more VoIP services, plus a chart that organizes them into those reported by happy users (Smooth Ride), those who are not completely pleased (Mixed) and those who are largely displeased (Unhappy Campers). Most services also have discussion forums here.
VoIP Services Review
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
by Editors of TopTenReviews.com
Our AssessmentTwenty-one VoIP providers get detailed reviews and ratings here. The top 10 are included in a detailed chart that compares features. The site also includes a video about VoIP. Though it's possible for users to add their own reviews and ratings, only a few have been published. We'd rank this review site higher if the testing methods were better documented.
Ooma Telo Is Great Internet Phone Device
by Peter Svensson
by Peter Svensson
Our AssessmentIn his Associated Press review, Peter Svensson says he has tried many VoIP products, but the original Ooma was the first one that he and his wife found good enough to keep. After using it for more than a year, he compares it with the newer Ooma Telo, explaining each version's pros and cons.
Walt Mossberg's Column Archive: Personal Technology
by Walt Mossberg
by Walt Mossberg
Our AssessmentThe Wall Street Journal's tech critic, Walt Mossberg, tests MagicJack and the original Ooma. Both work, but both have some drawbacks. Mossberg does a great job clearly explaining these devices in plain English.
Google Shakes It Up Again with Free Phone Calls
by David Pogue
by David Pogue
Our AssessmentDavid Pogue reports that Voice Calls from Gmail are easy to do and sound clear in his tests, even using built-in laptop speakers and microphones. He notes that the feature only works from computer to phone, not phone-to-phone -- for now.
Hands On: Google Voice Calls via Gmail
by Mark Hachman
by Mark Hachman
Our AssessmentMark Hachman reports some snafus when he tries to call people from Gmail, including one call that refused to connect and mixed results for sound quality. For now, he says, the feature "remains a curiosity" with limited value.
Hands-on with Gmail VoIP: Gmail Adds the Kitchen Sink
by Eric Chiu
by Eric Chiu
Our AssessmentVoice Calls from Gmail sound "consistently decent" in Eric Chiu's test. He says a landline call from Gmail sounds better than on an HTC Droid Incredible phone.
Google Voice: A Dutiful but Klutzy Secretary
by Courtney Banks
by Courtney Banks
Our AssessmentCourtney Banks tests the beta version of Google Voice. Banks's main complaint -- that the voice mail transcription gets a lot of the words confusingly wrong -- is still a problem, according to more recent comments about the service.
Replace Your Landline with $199 Ooma Telo
by Rick Broida
by Rick Broida
Our AssessmentRick Broida, who writes The Cheapskate blog for CNET, says he's just about ready to ditch Vonage in favor of a new VoIP solution, the Ooma Telo. He says Telo's call quality seems better in his initial test, and he likes the idea of no more monthly bill (except a nominal one for 911 and other fees). Nearly 50 user comments are posted.
After Up-Front Cost, Ooma Has Edge over Vonage
by David Einstein
by David Einstein
Our AssessmentIn this short reader Q&A, David Einstein recommends Ooma over Vonage. Vonage offers free international calls, but Ooma's are only pennies, and Ooma has no monthly fee.
Product Spotlight: Ooma Telo & Handset
by Editors of EVDOInfo.com
by Editors of EVDOInfo.com
Our AssessmentThis review of the Ooma Telo springs from (and links to) an earlier detailed and well-illustrated review of the original Ooma, both over Cox Cable and over a 3G wireless network (Sprint EVDO). Call quality is excellent over cable, but the reviewer warns that using it on a 3G network requires an excellent signal.
VoIP Service Providers Competitive Study, Wave 6
by Editors of Keynote Systems
by Editors of Keynote Systems
Our AssessmentMost of the latest Keynote Systems test reports on VoIP providers (including Vonage, Lingo and Packet8/8x8) are available only by purchase. This free version includes some useful information on specific cable phone services, although it is two years old. For audio quality, Comcast Digital Voice ranks far higher than any of the six VoIP services. Time Warner Digital Phone gets high marks for reliability.
VoIP
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Our AssessmentOwners review quite a few VoIP-related devices here, such as Skype phones. The reviews and ratings of Ooma, MagicJack and the i2 Telecom VoiceStick are significant, since they also cover the services themselves. Of these three, the Ooma Core (which consists of the original Ooma Hub plus an Ooma Scout for an extension/second line) gets the highest ratings, averaging 4.5 stars (out of 5) in more than 800 reviews. The newer Ooma Telo averages 4 stars, with nearly 400 reviews posted. The VoiceStick gets an average of 4 stars in fewer than 20 reviews, while MagicJack trails with a 3-star average rating in about 200 reviews -- and plenty of those are 1-star.
The Ooma Conspiracy -- or Why Vonage is Ultimately Doomed
by Doug Mohney
by Doug Mohney
Our AssessmentThis article explains Ooma's business model, showing that the company is at least breaking even on each new customer, which bodes well for the company's future. Elsewhere in this VoIP blog, a Feb. 26, 2009, article on Vonage mentions that it takes the company about three years to break even on a new customer. An April 16, 2009, article reports that MagicJack settled with Florida's Attorney General, promising improvements in customer service and disclosure policies.
Voip Service Provider Reviews and Ratings
by Contributors to VoipReview.org
by Contributors to VoipReview.org
Our AssessmentThis site publishes user-written reviews and ratings, with listings that can be sorted by the average rating. Quite a few providers have accumulated reviews from enough users to make their average ratings quite useful. Several lesser known VoIP services get higher average ratings than better known providers.
Popular VoIP Phone Service Provider Reviews and Ratings
by Contributors to WhichVoIP.com
by Contributors to WhichVoIP.com
Our AssessmentThis site has quite a few articles on VoIP and also lets people rate and review their VoIP services. A chart features six VoIP providers. InTalk has the highest rating of 4.9 stars (out of 5), with more than 30 reviews posted.
VoIP Reviews & Prices
by Editors of NextAdvisor.com
by Editors of NextAdvisor.com
Our AssessmentSeven VoIP providers get full reviews and ratings here, though the emphasis is on features; no testing is documented. All the reviews are basically positive, but Vonage and Phone Power! get the highest ratings.
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