Conclusion:
[Last updated 7/6/2017]
Phone.com's Base Plan is an excellent value and one of the highest quality services we've reviewed. This plan costs $12.99 per month (or $119.88 per year) for 300 minutes, unlimited extensions and 3.9 cents per additional minute. For a limited time (up to 6 months) you can reduce the monthly fee to $8.99 by using coupon code: CHOOSEWHAT. They don't offer a free trial to test the service before you buy.
Phone.com offers Find Me/Follow Me that sets forwarding rules and an auto attendant which is a custom menu that directs calls. They also offer voicemail alerts and voicemail-to-text transcription. You can store unlimited voicemails for 90 days. They let you send faxes online for free, but you'll need to add an additional phone number, which costs $4.99/ month, to receive faxes online. Phone.com offers good phone, email and live chat support 24/7.
Pricing
Phone.com’s Base Plan includes 300 minutes and unlimited extensions. This plan costs $12.99 per month, which is just over 4 cents per minute. For a limited time (up to six months) you can reduce the monthly fee to $8.99 by using coupon code: CHOOSEWHAT. You also have the option of paying annually, with a rate of $9.99/ month ($119.88/ year). Additional minutes are charged at a rate of 3.9 cents per minute, which is better than our market standard. Phone.com does charge additional taxes and fees that vary by region and plan options. For higher volume users, Phone.com offers two additional plans: Plus and Pro. The Plus Plan is $19.99/ month and includes 500 minutes. The Pro Plan is $29.99/ month and includes 1,000 minutes. If you need more shared minutes, You can purchase additional shared minutes in 1k, 2.2k and 5k minute bundles.
Phone.com also allows customers to add unlimited minute extensions for $17.99 to $23.99/ month depending on the number of extensions and the selection of monthly vs annual payments. You can also generate a custom quote of the top business VoIP services (including Phone.com) using our proprietary tool.
Phone Numbers
Phone.com provides a local, 800, 888, 877, 866, or vanity toll-free number with a monthly subscription. Porting an existing number into your PBX system is free with Phone.com. They also have international numbers in nearly 40 countries for an extra $4.99 or $12.99 per month, depending on the country. Additional local numbers also cost $4.99 each per month.
Online Interface
Phone.com provides a setup wizard in order to help customize their high quality online interface. The online interface in a virtual PBX system allows you to set up all facets of your phone system in one easy-to-use web platform. The interface grants access to call logs and allows you to make a block call list for numbers you want to stop receiving calls from. Phone.com’s interface also lets you record calls (for an additional monthly fee) and download these recordings to your computer. This service makes it easy to create an online address book by importing spreadsheets and other list documents saved as a CSV file. The call handling rules you are able to set through the interface include the ability to forward, forward to voicemail, go to menu, go to dial-by-name directory, disconnect and put on hold.
Voicemail
Phone.com allows you to store voicemails for up to 90 days. You can receive your voicemails by email or download them directly from the interface to your computer. The service also will let you convert the voicemails to text messages for an additional 25 cents per message for a human transcription or $1.50 a month for an automatic transcription.
Call Handling
Phone.com offers a Find Me/Follow Me handling system that redirects calls from one extension to another when the call is not answered, which meets our Market Standard for virtual PBX systems. While on a call, you can block or unblock a caller, transfer, record, and put a call on hold by simply using the numbers on your phone's keypad. The provider also offers features such as call screening, which lets you see who is calling before you answer, and Do Not Disturb, which allows you to turn an extension off when you are out of the office or too busy to take calls. You can also set up an auto attendant, which lets people calling into your PBX decide which department they need to be routed to (e.g. 1 for sales, 2 for customer service, etc.). Additionally, Phone.com gives you the ability to set how long someone sits in the call queue before they are redirected to a voicemail box.
Phone.com also gives you the ability to make calls from outside of the U.S. through your PBX system. Phone.com's audio is clear and loud with no static. A unique feature of this service is that it works with softphones, which are software programs that let you use a computer as a phone.
Conference Calling, Internet Faxing, and Mobile Apps
Although many virtual PBX services bill conference calls on your monthly minutes, Phone.com offers free conference calling with moderator features and allows a maximum of 500 people to be on a conference call at once. The moderator features come with a reference guide for keypad shortcuts. Phone.com's virtual PBX service includes the ability to send faxes online. To receive faxes to the Phone.com interface and/or your email address, the service provides a separate line for free with any account. They also offer a mobile app for Android and BlackBerry phones. This mobile app will allow you to access and use your PBX account without charging you for cell phone minutes or PBX minutes, as it uses only your data plan's allotment.
Customer Support
Phone.com’s customer support is exceptional, offering an attentive and knowledgeable staff. Their phone support is available 24/7, and their FAQs, tutorials, and online forums are accessible to all users.
