Standard
$15
user/mo
$23 USD if billed monthly
Need small business phone services? Dialpad gives you phone calls, video conferencing, and SMS/MMS + team messaging, all in one beautiful app. Take it for a test drive to see how easy it is to use!
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Running a small business can be hectic.
For many people, setting up a business phone line is the last thing on your mind. You’ve been okay so far taking incoming calls and text messaging clients on your cell phone, haven’t you?
But if you find yourself taking calls from clients way past business hours—or trying to find that one really important text thread with a customer without any luck—it might be a sign that your small business needs a proper business phone system.
But how do you choose the right phone service for your business?
A small business phone system is essentially a communications setup that's designed specifically for a small business to make phone calls in addition to other features like call queues, call forwarding, and call routing.
Traditionally, these would be PBX phone systems, but today, VoIP phone systems that enable phone calls over an Internet connection are becoming more and more common.
What's key here is the communication needs of small and growing companies are very different from global corporations and residential phone services. That’s because of things like the volume of communications they have on a regular basis, the types of interactions they have to handle, and so on.
Today, a small business phone service is often much more than just a "phone service." In many cases, it's a full-fledged communications platform that lets you communicate in a variety of ways including outbound and inbound phone calls, instant and SMS messaging, video meetings, and sometimes, it even has contact center functionality!
A must-have for any office phone system. Make crystal-clear voice calls from anywhere with Dialpad's global voice network.
Send SMS / MMS texts, and group messaging across all connected devices.
Launch video conferences or conference calls from any device.
The best business phone services should let you easily keep your existing phone numbers if you want. With Dialpad, you get a free local virtual phone number with your plan or port over your existing numbers if you want—right in your online dashboard.
Not always at your desk? No problem. With Dialpad's call forwarding, you can add your mobile or small business phone number, a colleague's number, or even a landline into your online dashboard with two clicks and all of your calls will be automatically forwarded!
Dialpad Ai is unique in that we built it in-house—and it can not only transcribe calls in real time, but also pick up on keywords and phrases to help with call coaching (which will probably be more useful if you're managing a contact center or call center).
Caller ID is a must for your business VoIP phone system. With Dialpad, you can choose which caller ID profile you want displayed when you call someone. (Fun fact: You can also dial *67 before your recipient's number to block your caller ID or *87 to unblock it.)
Ever wish you could just skim all of your voicemails instead of listening to them? Dialpad's visual voicemail feature transcribes your voicemails (there's Dialpad Ai again), so you can read them when you're busy in meetings and can't listen to the audio.
Change your call routing options anytime in Dialpad, and easily make call transfers to your colleagues right from your call screen. Like almost everything else in Dialpad, it's easy to do on your own without IT help.
The biggest benefit of a VoIP phone service should be that it's easy and fast to set up. With Dialpad, you can sign up for an account and start using it on the computers and mobile devices you're already using—in minutes. Want to set up a desk phone or office phone? That's easy to do too.
Dialpad’s apps work across iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. And if your clients or prospects don’t want to download the app, they can still join your meetings from a web browser. Even you, the host, don’t have to use the desktop app to host a call—just log in on your web browser.
All the value of the Standard plan, plus:
Business phone services and cloud communications may sound like they’re too expensive or complicated for a small business, but often, that's not the case.
(Of course, if you’re a one-person business and you don’t have too many communications needs, you might be able to get away with just using your cell phone.)
The question here is: How do you know when your small business is ready to move on to an actual business phone service provider? Here are five questions to ask.
If you’re just one person, you probably don’t need to talk to many other people other than your customers and prospects.
But if you’re hiring salespeople, customer support agents, and more, then it’s probably time to start thinking about a business phone system. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems are great because they run over the internet, and are an affordable way for small business teams to do everything from conference calls to team messaging.
With Dialpad, for example, you can get set up with a new business phone number or phone line in minutes:
Download the desktop or mobile app (Dialpad works across PC, Mac, iOS, and Android), and you’re all set.
If you’re using a traditional phone system or just your personal cell phone number, you may be getting calls from customers and clients at all hours of the day.
If so, it’s time to move on from just using your cell phone. At this point, you probably need to be able to set “do not disturb” hours on your phone or just be able to block business calls when it’s time to unplug.
If you’re with Dialpad’s business phone service, for instance, you can just download the softphone app (you can still use your personal phone) and make business calls, message other team members, and even text clients, right from the app.
And of course, you can set your working hours so that any work calls you get after hours automatically get forwarded to voicemail:
Phone calls are great, but what if you need instant messaging, SMS/MMS, and video conferencing? If you think you’ll need those communication options soon, then you should look at business phone services that also come with those channels—which are usually referred to as unified communications platforms.
Instead of having five or six different add-on apps for things like messaging and video conferences, why not choose a phone service that comes with everything in one handy app?
For example, Dialpad technically gives you a small business phone service, but it’s really a unified communications platform. With what's essentially a small business phone plan from Dialpad, you get not only unlimited calls, but also built-in messaging, free video conferencing, SMS/MMS, call waiting, screen sharing, and a ton of additional features. (Did we mention you can flip your calls seamlessly between your phone and computer without dropping the call?)
A small business phone service can set you up with everything you need to create a small business call center or contact center. (In fact, Dialpad also has a fully integrated contact center platform if you need it.)
If you’re getting enough enquiries from customers that you need things like call logs, a virtual receptionist, hold music, or call routing, you may want to look into a small business phone service that has these contact center features.
Let’s face it. There are definitely “free” small business phone services out there, but often, they’ll sell nickel-and-dime you on really basic features (or charge you by the minute for outgoing business calls). It’s generally better if you have a budget to work with—even if it’s a modest one.
Dialpad’s least expensive plan, as a comparison, costs $15 per user per month, but comes with unlimited calling (in your home country, the US, and Canada) and unlimited texting among a host of other cool functionality.
When your communication needs stretch to much more than an average phone call, Dialpad's innovative solution may be the best small business phone service for you. Offering everything from video conferencing and instant SMS and MMS messaging to a fully integrated contact center platform, you’ll be streamlining your business’ communications in no time.
Leave your PBX phone systems in the past and overhaul your small business’ communication with a VoIP phone system designed for maximum efficiency and optimal output. Boasting easy setup, real-time transcription, and various call routing, forwarding, and transfer options—this affordable virtual phone system starts at £12 a month per user.
"We love the voice transcription, call transferring, international calling and mobile app functionality."
"We looked into all the major players...Dialpad came out on top in features and ease of management."
"We're able to track calls, coach new team members, track call dispositions with prospects and customers, and view reporting to ensure high call quality."
Some small business phone service providers will say they "cost $0 per month" but charge you by the minute, while others might look a bit more expensive while including everything you need in one straightforward package. Then there are things like international calling rates to consider. Make sure you check the fine print!
From call encryption to dedicated support, to HIPAA and GDPR compliance, security is important and not just something that's reserved for enterprise plans—make sure your small business phone service comes with solid security standards.
Are you using Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar? What about Salesforce or HubSpot? Your phone system or communications platform should integrate with them! Dialpad has a wide range of integrations, and even an open API if you want to build your own custom integrations.
We’ve already mentioned some key considerations for small businesses when choosing a phone solution, like cost-efficiency, scalability, and functionality. But something that's user-friendly and easy to deploy is important too.
So, why get a small business phone solution with Dialpad? Because Dialpad ticks all of those boxes (and then some)!
It's a truly robust and versatile all-in-one workspace that handles all your communication needs. You can make and take calls via your office Wi-Fi, send SMS/MMS messages to colleagues or prospects, and jump on a video meeting—all in the same desktop / mobile app.
There’s no complicated installation or expensive hardware like with traditional analog systems. It takes just minutes to set up your entire office, different company departments, and individual phone lines.
All that, and Dialpad still comes with a small business-friendly price tag. You can get set up with Dialpad for as little as $15 per user per month, which gives you a unified communications platform along with unlimited calling in your country, the US, and Canada, and unlimited SMS/MMS messaging in the US and Canada.
Traditional phone systems needed in-office hardware and copper phone lines. It was expensive, time-consuming to set up and make changes to, and just cumbersome. Today, more and more businesses of every size are doing their calling over the Internet.
Voice over IP (also known as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP) is the technology that allows those calls over the Internet to happen.
Basically, what it does is turn audio signals (in this case, your voice) into data packets. Those packets are then transmitted over the Internet until they reach the recipient of the phone call.
When the data packets reach their destination, they’re then transformed back into the audio which the call recipient hears.
There are a ton of advantages of using VoIP phone systems, and many of them are actually applicable specifically to small businesses.
For instance, VoIP phone systems tend to be more cost-effective than traditional setups. There’s less (or no) hardware to install and maintain as a start. Plus, adding new users, features, and lines is much cheaper and easier—not to mention that calls (especially long-distance) are often less expensive too.
VoIP phone systems also offer a lot of value. They tend to come with functions that traditional systems just can’t match. (Think things like visual voicemail, built-in video conferencing and messaging, and Ai-powered transcription and sentiment analysis.)
Most small businesses can get up and running within a day. Special circumstances like porting existing numbers into Dialpad and configuring other custom capabilities may take a while longer.
For most small businesses, you can get set up with Dialpad pretty easily in minutes. Both admins and users will have access to web and live chat support (plus 24/7 phone support if you're on the Pro or Enterprise plan), in addition to an online Help Center that can walk you through some basic tasks (setting up voicemail, downloading the app, and so on).
If you have a particularly complicated setup—which is quite rare with small businesses—our Professional Services team is here to help!
From single sign-on capabilities to compliance with GDPR, SOC2 Type II, and HIPAA, Dialpad is used by businesses and organizations in regulated industries like healthcare, law, education, insurance, and more.
There are integrations for access management via SAML and SCIM from providers like Azure, Google Workspace, OneLogin, Okta, and more.
Dialpad is also a proud member of the Cloud Security Alliance. Learn more about how we keep your business communications safe and secure.
Typically with SaaS phone system providers, the higher tiers give you more advanced features, more readily available customer support, and integrations. Usually, these are functions that a small business is unlikely to use.
Dialpad's plans are pretty comprehensive even at the basic level, with unlimited calling, toll-free number support, auto-attendants, HD call quality, and more.
It makes a huge difference! For starters, an advanced business phone system like Dialpad gives you exceptional call quality, which instantly makes you look more professional. With HD video and audio as standard, there’s no patchy sound or dropped calls, and you’ll immediately see improvements to your productivity, efficiency, and customer service.
And instead of fielding calls on your cell phone and dealing with inquiries outside of business hours, you can rely on call management features such as call forwarding, visual voicemail, and auto-attendants—which can automatically forward your calls to colleagues or voicemail so you're not working at all hours of the day (and night). With Dialpad's smart routing features, calls and messages get answered much faster (and by the right person for the task).
Another cool thing is that modern VoIP phone systems can give you more than just voice calls. With Dialpad, for example, you also get video meetings, SMS/MMS, team messaging, and even contact center features if you need them—plus integrations with your favorite apps all built into the same system. You won’t waste time toggling between apps and windows, and all conversations are stored in the same place for easy access.
That's the benefit of unified communications solutions: there’s no need to fork out for lots of different apps, which is one reason why business phone systems are great—they're much more affordable. Unlike an on-premises system, there’s no costly maintenance involved, and the subscription pricing model means you pay a monthly flat fee. (Dialpad also gives you unlimited calls in your country, the US, and Canada.)
Of course, not all business phone systems are easy to set up and use, so make sure yours is! Can you keep your existing phone numbers? (Will they help you port them over?) Can you scale up and down easily as you need to? Does your provider have excellent onboarding and customer support? These are just a few questions to ask as you're vetting your options!
Often, small businesses can go through rapid growth spurts. When you add lots of phone lines with a traditional PBX system, the cost can quickly add up. Long-distance phone calls, especially international calls, can also be a significant monthly expense.
On the other hand, with a VoIP phone system, small businesses pay a flat monthly fee regardless of how many calls are made, can add new users and phone lines without tacking on hardware or other costs, and generally can scale up or down much more flexibly.
You’ve probably seen ads for a range of options like Ooma, Nextiva, and Vonage—and their pricing and features will all vary widely. Our best advice is try them all, compare them against each other and Dialpad, and make your choice from there.
Or, take it from Stanley Fukuda, Systems and Technology Manager at Mediasmith: “We looked into all the major players, RingCentral, services offered by our ISP, and Grasshopper to name a few. Dialpad came out on top in features and ease of management.”
The average cost of a phone service for small businesses will vary depending on the company’s size, how many users there are, and which pricing plan you go with. Dialpad Talk’s lowest plan starts at only $15 per user per month, for example, and comes with pretty much everything you need included.
There’s also the Dialpad for Startups program, which helps early-stage companies grow with business phone lines and video conferencing. The program offers 10 free seats of Dialpad Talk Pro (business lines) and 10 free seats of Dialpad Meetings’ Business plan (professional video conferencing).
If you’re with a cloud-based VoIP provider, you’ll get a virtual phone number with your local area code. Decide if you want or need new business numbers, a toll-free number, a vanity number—or port in your existing number. You can do all four with Dialpad!
You can get a free business number included with any of Dialpad’s plans—in addition to unlimited calling, call management tools, a mobile app, call recording, and plenty of integrations with tools and CRM software like Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft 365, and more.
Many still do. But some businesses also still only accept cash and others track their inventory using pencil and paper. The most important question is whether landlines will help or hinder your business in the future.
For example, do you want to have a remote or hybrid team? Will you want to expand to other regions or countries? Those things are harder and more expensive when you're using landlines.
Absolutely. Unlike some providers, which resell or whitelabel contact center solutions from third parties, Dialpad Ai Contact Center is fully integrated with its unified communications product.
That means your customer support or sales team can get all the functions they need to best serve your customers and prospects while staying connected with the rest of your business.
Say, for example, that one of your team members takes a call from a customer with a very specific and complex question. With Dialpad's unified communication solution, they can send an instant message to a manager to get an answer quickly in the same app through which they took the customer call.
Absolutely. When you switch your small business phone service to Dialpad, you get 1-800 / toll free number support as standard.
It’s quick and easy to set up or add toll-free numbers, and you can also purchase a vanity number if you think it'll give your marketing a boost.
And if you’ve already got a 1-800 or vanity number you want to hang on to, Dialpad can help too. If you switch providers to Dialpad, our porting service will help you bring your favorite numbers with you.