Q&A: Best Low-Cost Internet Telephones

Professional Business Communications on a Budget

Updated: June 06, 2016

telephone

Q: I'm a small business owner, and I need low-cost internet telephones for my employees. What are the best options available?

A: Thanks so much for your question! I am sure many others are in your exact same position—a small business owner looking for a good communication system to help support the success and growth of your company.

While it is definitely a worthy investment to procure internet phones for your team, you probably have a specific or limited budget for what you want to spend at this phase in your company’s growth. The great news is that there are several very affordable Voice Over IP (VoIP) phone systems that you can choose that will meet your business needs and fit into your budget.

The best options for you to consider are a Hosted IP Phone System or a cloud-based or SaaS PBX.

A Hosted IP Phone System is a good option for a small company because you do not have to invest any hefty upfront funds for hardware or pay a staff to maintain it. Instead, you work with the provider and leverage the power of their systems and IT staff to make calls, host web meetings, etc. While you do not have to make upfront investments in equipment or employ a staff to manage a Hosted IP Phone System, the downside to this solution is that it is quite easy to amass large monthly fees based on what services and features your team is using.

A cloud-based or SaaS PBX system is perhaps the most popular VoIP phone solution for small businesses. There are no upfront equipment costs, and there are a multitude of plans and features available that are designed to fit any budget. Since this phone system functions in a cloud environment, you can make calls and access rich call features from your laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.
Additionally, you can also use internet softphone software that is licensed per user, and accessible with smart mobile devices You can make calls, host web conferences, and share media from anywhere with an internet connection, for a low monthly fee.

Learn more about VoIP phone systems or explore our recommendations of internet phone system providers as you make your IP phone system decision. We’re here to help you select the perfect phone system for your business and your budget.

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Image courtesy of Freepik from Flaticon, licensed by Creative Commons BY 3.0.
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