Written by Matt Reed Reviewed by James Macey Published on 24 September 2025 On this page Best Business Phone Lines 1. RingCentral Advanced 2. Zoom Regional Unlimited 3. 8x8 Work What Is a Business Phone Line? Types of Business Phone Line Landline vs VoIP Best Business Phone Ranking Methodology Verdict FAQs Expand We may receive a commission from our partners if you click on a link to review or purchase a product or service. Learn More. Choosing the right business phone line is crucial if you want to improve communication between your team, clients, and business partners. Our research has identified RingCentral Advanced, Zoom Regional Unlimited, and 8×8 Work as the top three business phone line providers for Canadian companies in 2025.Below, we’ve directly compared the key strengths and potential drawbacks of each provider to help you clearly understand which business phone line suits your organization best. But if you want to know exactly which option is best for your medium-sized business and how much it will cost you right away, we suggest filling out our free quote comparison tool to get quick answers. Best Business Phone Lines 2025: Top Systems Summary RingCentral Advanced – Best Business Phone System OverallZoom Regional Unlimited – Best value for money8×8 Work – Best for large teams looking for discounted pricingBased on our research, these are the providers we recommend. Clicking on any of the links will take you to our free quote-finding tool, where you can receive tailored quotes from trusted providers suited to your needs. Read our methodology to learn how we decided on our top five. The Best Business Phone Lines in 2025We recommend that you invest in Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP) phone lines and communication systems rather than landlines because they are cheaper, flexible, and have significantly more features. Here are our five best business phone lines for medium-sized Canadian businesses, according to our research: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward RingCentral Zoom Phone US & Canada Unlimited 8×8 Expert Rating 4.6 Expert Rating 4.6 Expert Rating 4.7 Price C$30 – C$45 Price CAD$19.95 Price Custom (C$30 – C$195) Domestic Calls Unlimited calls within US and CA Domestic Calls Unlimited minutes Domestic Calls Unlimited International Calls N/A International Calls No minutes included International Calls Unlimited inbound and outbound minutes to 48 countries Integrations 90+ CRM platformsHelpdeskWeb conferencingExternal live chatEmail Integrations CRMHelpdeskWeb conferencingEmail Integrations CRMHelpdeskWeb conferencingExternal and internal live chatEmail Not a Medium-Sized Business? If you wouldn’t classify your team as an established medium-sized business of 50 to 250 employees, we have other guides that may be of interest to you:Read our Best Small Business Phone Systems guide if your team has less than 50 members of staff.Read our Best Enterprise Phone Systems guide if your operation has between 250 and 500 employees. 1. RingCentral Advanced: Best Business Phone Line OverallRingCentral Advanced takes the top spot overall due to its extensive set of features, powerful integrations, and unmatched scalability, making it ideal for medium-sized businesses looking to streamline their communications. RingCentral 4.6 Pricing C$30-C$45/user/month Get Free Quotes Read our review Strengths Free 15-day trial available Businesses with more than 100 users on the system will be offered discounted prices Integrates with a wide range of CRM, communication, and productivity software Weaknesses The cheapest plan (‘Core’) only includes 100 toll-free minutes, fewer than competitors No CRM integrations on the cheapest plan Some users report that integrations drag down the quality of the system Pricing See more See less PlanPrice Prices displayed are for annual billing, which is 33% cheaper than monthly billing Core C$30/user/month Advanced C$35/user/month Ultra C$45/user/month Why is RingCentral Advanced a top business telephone system for medium-sized businesses?RingCentral Advanced is perfect for medium-sized businesses that require a comprehensive communications solution capable of handling large teams and high call volumes. In our research and testing of its platform, we found that it offers sophisticated call management tools, including advanced Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and call routing capabilities, to provide smooth customer interactions even during busy periods.Using RingCentral is pretty self-explanatory as we found out in our hands-on testing of its platform. Source: Expert MarketOne of its biggest advantages is the broad range of software integrations available, allowing seamless connections with over 500 applications, including popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, helpdesk software, and team collaboration tools. There is also Application Programming Interface (API) support for custom integrations, too.This integration flexibility sets RingCentral apart from competitors like 8×8 Work, which have far fewer ready-made integrations with third-party tools, and sets RingCentral Advanced up as a great choice for businesses with complex workflows or specialized/niche integration needs, such as sales-driven organizations or customer support centers.Transferring a call via your call directory is an easy process using RingCentral's software. Source: RingCentralAdditionally, RingCentral Advanced has excellent employee training features, offering call whisper, call monitoring, and call barge functionalities. Call center operations or teams frequently onboarding new staff will appreciate these functionalities, which aren’t always a part of phone line packages.Any reasons why RingCentral Advanced won’t be for your business?Despite its strengths, RingCentral Advanced may not be the best choice for medium-sized businesses with simpler requirements or tighter budgets.Its extensive capabilities come at a higher price point of C$35 per user, per month compared to providers like Zoom Regional Unlimited ($15/user/month), which offers similar core features for $10 less per user, per month. That could make RingCentral Advanced too costly for businesses that don’t require the extensive integrations it offers. What’s New With RingCentral: Q2 2025 Updates RingCentral has recently launched its new AI Receptionist (AIR): an integrated AI voice assistant designed to automate customer interactions and improve efficiency.Built directly into RingCentral’s business phone system, AIR answers calls immediately, engages in natural conversations, handles routine customer inquiries, intelligently routes complex requests, and can even schedule appointments or send SMS follow-ups.This tool should mean medium-sized businesses can handle higher call volumes seamlessly, reducing the need for additional staffing, and maintain a consistent, high-quality customer experience at all times of day. 2. Zoom Regional Unlimited: Best Value Business Phone LineZoom Phone’s Regional Unlimited plan stands out as the best value option for medium-sized businesses, combining affordability with impressive functionality. Businesses receive a robust set of features, including advanced call management, video conferencing for up to 500 participants, and effective live training tools, all packaged at a notably lower price point compared to its competitors, especially RingCentral Advanced and 8×8 Work. Zoom Phone US & Canada Unlimited 4.6 Pricing CAD$19.95 Get free quotes Zoom Phone review Strengths Unlimited regional calling at a budget-friendly price Clean, professional interface with customizable meeting templates Lots of call management and training features, making it a scalable solution Weaknesses Confusing third-party tool integration setup according to our tests Poor contact form design on smaller screens Pricing See more See less PlanPrice (per user, per month) Metered CAD$13.33 Unlimited CAD$19.95 Global Select CAD$26.60 Why is Zoom Regional Unlimited a top business telephone system for medium-sized businesses?Zoom Regional Unlimited offers exceptional value, particularly for cost-conscious businesses aiming to balance budget constraints with strong feature coverage. Its advanced call management system, including visual voicemail transcription, auto-attendant capabilities, and sophisticated call-routing tools, is comparable to higher-priced competitors like RingCentral Advanced but without the cost.In the top left corner, you can see the voicemail transcript Zoom generated, which was mistake-free. Source: Expert MarketAs you may expect of a Zoom product, it’s an ideal choice for businesses with extensive video conferencing needs since it supports meetings with up to 500 participants on this plan – significantly more than some providers that didn’t make this page, like Ooma. Furthermore, Zoom’s intuitive interface allows businesses to benefit from minimal onboarding time, helping to improve operational efficiency without additional training costs.Overall, Zoom’s comprehensive yet affordable package makes it a particularly attractive option for medium-sized businesses, especially those focused on cost-effectiveness without compromising on critical communication tools.When in a video meeting you can make notes, which saves you opening up another window mid-conversation. Source: Expert MarketAny reasons why Zoom Regional Unlimited won’t be for your business?While Zoom Regional Unlimited provides excellent value, it lacks some integrations available with competitors. Notably, it only integrates with Salesforce for CRM purposes, falling short compared to RingCentral Advanced, which integrates with a wider range of CRM platforms.Similarly, Zoom lacks integration with customer-service live chat tools (such as WhatsApp), a strength found in RingCentral’s offerings, which could be important for businesses prioritizing multi-channel customer support beyond the supported channels.Moreover, Zoom Regional Unlimited doesn’t offer calendar integration with common productivity tools like Google Workspace or Microsoft Outlook. With many businesses heavily reliant on integrated scheduling tools from these two teams, this could be a significant shortcoming compared to the likes of RingCentral Advanced. What’s New With Zoom: Q2 2025 Updates Zoom Phone’s latest update is bringing about several enhancements to improve collaboration, security, and device management. Highlights include:Multi-party call conferencing: Zoom Phone now supports multi-party conferencing for up to 10 participants, allowing users to seamlessly merge multiple calls into one unified conversation.Advanced call recording management: Admins can now exclude specific phone numbers from recording and identifiable reporting, allowing for better privacy and compliance, particularly important for industries handling sensitive communications.Expanded device support: Improvements include automatic data center failover for Algo devices, zero-touch provisioning enhancements for Poly hardware, and new firmware updates for devices from AudioCodes, Mitel, Poly, and Yealink. 3. 8×8 Work: Best Business Phone Line For Large Teams8×8 Work stands out as the top choice for medium-sized businesses managing larger teams or rapidly scaling workforces.With comprehensive training and management tools, expansive video conferencing capabilities, and excellent global communication support, it’s specifically suited to businesses where extensive internal collaboration, staff training, and performance analytics are critical. 8x8 4.7 Pricing Custom Get Free Quotes Read our review Strengths Excellent integrations (helpdesk, web conferencing, email, CRM and more) Excellent features for contact centres (SMS, chat, email, messaging; post-call surveys etc.) Unlimited calls to 48+ countries Weaknesses Expensive option with non-transparent pricing No spam-call prevention Pricing See more See less Price 8x8 no longer publicly displays its pricing, so these prices may not be accurate C$30-C$195/month Why is 8×8 Work a top business telephone system for medium-sized businesses?8×8 Work is a great choice for supporting large teams through its strong emphasis on management, training, and collaboration features. It offers advanced call management tools such as call monitoring, whispering, and barging (on certain plans), allowing supervisors to discreetly coach team members or intervene during live calls.This is ideal for larger customer support or sales teams requiring frequent coaching or oversight, and compares favourably against options not on this page, such as Ooma, which lacks comprehensive live call-coaching functionalities.Making a call and using call management features like call forwarding is incredibly intuitive with 8x8. Source: Expert Market8×8 offers some of the best calling allowances for large-scale international businesses, too, with unlimited calling to 14 countries on its base plan and expanding to 48 countries in higher tiers. That’s better than RingCentral Advanced, for instance, which only provides unlimited calls within the US and Canada (international calls have varying rates, none of which are unlimited).Additionally, 8×8 supports video conferencing with up to 500 participants, matching Zoom’s capabilities. Combined with its intuitive interface and detailed analytics dashboard, 8×8 can facilitate effective team collaboration and provide managers with clear insights into team performance.Using a softphone, you can conduct video meetings and integrate your calling schedule with a work calendar via the likes of Google, iCloud and Microsoft calendars. Source: Expert MarketShould you need help orienting you and your team to 8×8 Work, you can quickly contact 8×8’s customer support across multiple channels, including live chat, email, or phone. Most useful is that their phone line and live chat are 24/7, so you can call them around the clock whenever an issue arises. Plus, there’s also a user forum and online knowledge base with articles to help you without the need to wait for a customer service agent’s response.Any reasons why 8×8 Work won’t be for your business?While 8×8 offers numerous advantages, it may not be the ideal fit for every business. Namely, our research tells us that 8×8’s plans may be priced higher than some competitors, which could be a concern for budget-conscious small businesses.We say those prices “may be priced higher” because 8×8’s pricing plans are private in 2025, meaning you won’t know exactly what you can expect for your business needs as they evolve. This bespoke model can make budgeting difficult for businesses looking for straightforward pricing transparency.By contrast, Zoom Regional Unlimited, RingCentral Advanced provides clear upfront costs for both base plans and any add-ons, making them potentially better fits for teams needing simpler cost management. What’s New With 8x8: Q2 2025 Updates 8×8 Work recently introduced significant enhancements to its Desktop/Web apps as part of its latest rollout of version 8.20, released February 18, 2025, aimed at improving communication efficiency:Chat summarization feature: Users can now generate summaries of chat conversations, saving time when catching up on discussions. Summaries can be generated for the past 24 hours, last 3 days, unread messages, or from a specific message within a chat.Group MMS messaging: The introduction of Group MMS messaging allows users to create text-based conversation groups that integrate both internal and external (domestic US or Canada) contacts.Improved accessibility: Accessibility improvements have also been implemented for users relying on screen readers, particularly in messaging and general navigation, helping to improve the platform’s ease-of-use across diverse user groups. What Is a Business Phone Line?A business phone line refers to a telephone system, either landline (as you probably know already) or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), designed for business use. Unlike traditional landlines, modern systems use the internet, enabling advanced features like multiple simultaneous calls, call forwarding, and voice or video conferencing. Types of business phone lineThere are three main types of business phone lines: Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN): The original landline technology, PSTN transmits analog voice over copper wires. Despite modernization, its core functionality has remained unchanged since its invention in the 1800s.Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN): Introduced in the 1980s, ISDN digitized landlines, enabling simultaneous voice and data transmission over PSTN wires. It offers clearer calls and faster data transfer compared to PSTN.Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): VoIP transmits calls over the Internet, replacing traditional phone lines. It supports advanced features like conferencing and call forwarding, eliminates physical limitations, and scales easily with business growth, making it the most efficient and flexible option. Landline Phone Lines vs. VoIP Phone LinesNow that we’ve defined what a business phone line is and its different types, let’s go in-depth on the difference between landlines and VoIP lines, focusing on three key categories: price, functionality, and mobility.LandlineVoIPPriceRequires installation fees for wiring and equipment, and costs increase with additional phone lines. Only works with analog devices like office phones, which must be purchased and configured.Minimal setup cost with no installation fees. Operates through smartphones, computers, or tablets, so handsets are optional. Highly cost-effective for scaling.FunctionalityLimited features, requiring manual call routing or expensive upgrades to private branch exchange (PBX) systems. Offers basic voicemail but lacks advanced tools like automated call management. Conferencing is minimal.Advanced features like call queue, ring groups, virtual receptionist, and automated call management. Includes voicemail-to-text or voicemail-to-email and supports conferencing with multiple users.MobilityLimited to the provider’s service area. Number transfers are needed for relocations or when traveling abroad. Requires physical phones for communication.Nationwide and international coverage with no service interruptions during relocations. Uses apps to turn smartphones, tablets, and computers into communication devices. How Did We Compare the Best Business Phone Lines?We've researched 10 market-leading VoIP phone systems, evaluating them in terms of functionality, usability, cost, and security options, so we can make the most useful recommendations to Canadian businesses.Using our in-house research framework and ranking process, we evaluated each VoIP system across seven core categories of interest, each weighted differently, and then combined the results to come up with a final score.Our main testing categories for VoIP products and services are:Cost: The pricing structure associated with the VoIP service, such as monthly subscription fees, call rates, setup fees, hardware costs, and any additional charges for add-on features or services.Call features: The functionalities and capabilities offered by the VoIP service, including basic features such as call forwarding and voicemail, as well as advanced features like auto-attendant and conference calling.External connections: The VoIP service's ability to connect and integrate with external systems or devices, such as compatibility with existing phone systems or integration with mobile devices.Customer support: The assistance and resources provided by the VoIP service provider to customers, including technical support, online resources, and access to customer support representatives.Security options: The measures and features implemented by the VoIP service to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and protection of voice communications and data.Scalability: The ability of the VoIP service to accommodate the growth and changing needs of an organization, e.g. capacity to handle a growing number of users or support multiple locations.Reputation: External customer opinion; the feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular VoIP product – the market position and reputation a VoIP software holds. Verdict There’s no doubt that VoIP phone lines remain the superior option for business communications in 2025, easily outclassing traditional landlines. They provide greater flexibility, allowing teams to effortlessly make calls from smartphones, desktops, or tablets, and support remote and hybrid work seamlessly. Plus, businesses gain access to powerful features to manage calls, collaborate effectively, and scale communications as teams grow.Our researchers selected RingCentral Advanced as the top overall business phone line this year due to its exceptional range of communication features, robust integrations, and innovative AI-driven tools like RingCentral AIR.Close behind is Zoom Regional Unlimited, offering the best value for businesses needing a solid suite of VoIP features without breaking the budget.For large teams with demanding communication needs, 8×8 Work is also a solid choice, providing extensive global calling capabilities and comprehensive training features.If you still can’t decide which business phone line supplier to choose for your business, try our free quote comparison tool. Just answer a few questions about your team, and we will match you up with the best providers. They’ll then be in touch with obligation-free quotes that are tailored to your needs. It’s a quick and easy way to compare the right options for your business. FAQs What’s the difference between a hosted and self-hosted phone system? A hosted phone system, also known as a cloud phone system, is hosted offsite on a remote server, which is usually owned and maintained by your phone system provider. These phone systems are cheaper to install and easier to manage.A self-hosted system is hosted by you, usually on a server inside your premises. This type of system is usually costly to set up, and requires dedicated IT expertise to maintain it and keep it updated. On the plus side, you can tailor self-hosted systems to your exact requirements, and choose when to update your system. How many phone lines does a business need? The number of phone lines you need will depend on various factors, including your call traffic, the size of your company, and how many employees you have. Do I have to have a business phone line? A business phone line is essential because it offers features that will help you manage calls, supervise your agents, and collaborate with your team. It’s also good for branding, as it adds professionalism to the way you handle customers. Written by: Matt Reed Senior Communications and Logistics Expert Matt Reed is a Senior Communications and Logistics Expert at Expert Market. Adept at evaluating products, he focuses mainly on assessing fleet management and business communication software. Matt began his career in technology publishing with Expert Reviews, where he spent several years putting the latest audio-related products and releases through their paces, revealing his findings in transparent, in-depth articles and guides. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism from City, University of London, Matt is no stranger to diving into challenging topics and summarising them into practical, helpful information. Reviewed by: James Macey Senior Business Software Researcher James draws on more than four years experience as a researcher to offer specialized advice on a wide range of categories from CRM to fleet management. He believes all businesses can grow if they use the right tools and services.