Ooma vs. Vonage—which one is the best VOIP Service?

VOIPs came to change the way businesses handle communications in their offices. However, it was not until recently that small businesses began taking them seriously. Where you paid hundreds of dollars in phone bills, you now pay a fraction with VOIP services.

Of course, VOIP services are not all created equal. Some—like Ooma and Vonage—have remained at the helm of the industry for years. A quick search on Google and you will realize these two brands are also industry pioneers.

So, which of the two is the better provider?

Ooma

Ooma is best known for two things. First, it provides unlimited call minutes countrywide. If you hate being limited to a specific number of call minutes, Ooma is the way to go. The company also offers Internet Phones—and is one of the top providers in that area.

A lot more can be said about Ooma. But first:

What’s Vonage known for?

Vonage is popular for their affordable plans, cost-effectiveness for international calls and plenty of features. The company caters to both residential and business enterprises.

Regarding which is the better provider, below is a comparison of how the two companies fair in different areas.

Call Quality

Some IP phones’ call quality can make you hate VOIP altogether. Not the case with either Vonage or Ooma. The two companies have great reviews on call quality. Where people complain about call quality, it’s often not the fault of the providers.

Internet bandwidth quality and the quality of equipment tend to have more influence of IP call quality than anything else. If the equipment is top notch and the weather is good—both Vonage and Ooma will produce high-quality calls.

Call Minutes Comparison

Ooma leverages its IP phones to make money. The Ooma Telo, for example, costs $99.99. With the device, Ooma then sells you VOIP services at $9.99 for 12 months. You get unlimited call minutes in 60+ countries, unlimited texts and video conferencing. After one year, Ooma charges you $17.99 per month for their services.

Vonage offers its VOIP services, plus a free device that connects to your mobile devices and desk phones. The call minutes are similar to those of Ooma. You get unlimited minutes and text messages throughout the US and Canada with most plans for a price of between $19 and $40. International calls come at a different package that cost $27.99 per month.

With both Ooma and Vonage, there are certain limitations to the call minutes. If you opt to make calls on mobile devices, you are limited to 10 countries. Video conferencing and file sharing features are also not enabled.

With such similarities, both companies could be beneficial. However, make sure to read further details about each price plans and services before picking a provider. Read this summary about Ooma business VOIP to find out whether its hefty initial price is cost-saving in the long-run or not.

Phone Lines and additional Features

VOIP price plans tend to differ depending on the number of phone lines linked to your IP number. The $19.99 plan with Vonage supports up to four lines. The more expensive plans support between five and 100 lines. You can communicate between any two IP-supported call devices, integrate with CRM software and record calls with the more expensive plans.

Ooma offers one streamlined package when you buy the Trelo device. As part of the plan, up to 20 users are supported. You also get three-way call features, voicemail forwarding, call blocking and recording. You can also block auto robot calls and customize calls so that when known numbers call you, you see a green or red signal.

Customer Services

Customer support approval rating is one area where many VOIP providers perform poorly. Even the biggest companies struggle to satisfy their customers. The fact that in-house problems like IP phone and Internet bandwidth reliability affect calls is a major issue. Most businesses complain about issues that may not have been caused by the providers.

Luckily, Vonage and Ooma have relatively high customer ratings online. From emergency services to overall satisfaction, the companies are top-rated. Still, the companies don’t offer exactly the same kind of support services.

Premium customers enjoy more personalized services than regular buyers. They also have virtual assistance and 24/7 support. Vonage includes dedicated sites for customer support-related issues. You can browse through their knowledge bases to find help in any issue. If there is no solution, you can call or reach out to them via their live-chat features.

Based on online reviews, Vonage has the better of customer support staff. While users agree both providers offer great services, reviews differ on who offers helpful support services. Ooma tends to use overseas-based call centers who may not be knowledgeable in all areas. Vonage works with US-based staff. Despite the slight differences, both customers have support staff members who communicate back and listen to your issues.

Overall Differences

Vonage and Ooma compete closely in almost all the services they offer. Whether it’s local or international calls, you will struggle to differentiate the two. However, the two companies have their differences.

With Ooma, you pay for a device and receive lower monthly charges. Vonage offers you a free VOIP device for higher monthly plans. Of course, your budget will have a say on what decision you make. The number of lines needed and other features also tend to influence the choice you make.

If you do a lot of international calls, check which countries are supported. Both Vonage and Ooma support about 60 countries each. Go through them and choose whichever serves the countries you do business with.

To Conclude

Ooma and Vonage are two of the biggest VOIP service providers in the world. They both serve residential and business enterprises. However, there are differences between the two providers. Ooma sells you their VOIP ATA device. Vonage gives you one free of charge. The former has lower monthly costs while the latter is more expensive on a month-month basis.

Compare the features offered in more details, their pricing plans, and customer support before choosing a provider to work with.

 

4 thoughts on “Ooma vs. Vonage—which one is the best VOIP Service?

  • June 7, 2021 at 4:46 AM
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    Very useful article … very good information has been received. This article has been told about the Vehicle Tracking and Delivery app.Our company provide best call center solution, CRM solution…visit our site:-dialerphilippines.com

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  • May 24, 2019 at 12:34 PM
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    I have used Vonage for well over 10 years. Their support use to be much better 10 years ago when you had a technical issue. I plan to switch to Ooma. I can understand home users and very small businesses going completely mobile with their phones. But if you have a larger business, even a small office with several people, most still depend on desk phones for communication. That’s where a service like Ooma or Vonage works well.

  • March 6, 2019 at 3:51 PM
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    Both are good but I would recommend CallHippo as best VOIP online phone number provider. VOIP gives you and your employees the ability to make calls, share documents, conduct virtual meetings and hold video conferences

  • March 6, 2019 at 3:51 PM
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    Forget Ooma & Vonage. They are old VoIP in this mobile age. My friend referred me to iPlum about 6 months ago & I have been using it since then as second line on my mobile phone for business purposes. I do calling & texting very easily as separate line. iPlum also has some cool built -in technology to use either VoIP or Carrier minutes for making my iPlum calls and still show my business number as Caller ID. That makes it is as reliable as my regular carrier phone. The cost is almost half of what Ooma or Vonage charges. I am also able to put Auto Attendant and create extensions on it. I sometimes use its call recording feature for customer service calls.

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