VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a truly modern way for businesses to communicate – and its popularity is growing fast, with landline systems quickly becoming a thing of the past. It makes sense, of course: by enabling you to make (and take) calls over the internet instead of via traditional phone lines, VoIP systems are cheaper and often more reliable.
But with so many VoIP systems to choose from on the Canadian market – each boasting different call management features, inclusive minutes, software integrations, contactable countries, and more – narrowing them down to the VoIP system that'll bring your business the most benefits can be a real headache.
But don't worry – because we've taken that research off your to-do list and done it ourselves. We've compared VoIP suppliers from all over Canada on a variety of factors – from features to fees, and everything in between. As a result, we can present our four favorites: Versature, RingCentral, Ooma, and 8×8. Each is incredibly well-suited to a specific kind of business, so you can find our top pick for you, no matter how big your company is.
Now, let's find out what makes these VoIP companies so great…
▶ Read more: Everything you need to know about business VoIP
The 4 Best VoIP Providers in Canada
Following our extensive research, we can reveal that the best VoIP providers available to Canadian businesses are Versature, RingCentral, Ooma, and 8×8.
Let’s take a closer look at these providers:
| Provider | Rating | Best for | Monthly Cost | Top benefit | Our review |
| Versature | Small businesses | $29.99 – $44.99 | Easy setup and excellent support | Jump to review | |
| RingCentral | Medium to large businesses | $24.99 – $64.99 | Good value plans to accommodate big teams and lots of calls | Jump to review | |
| Ooma | Startups | $24.95 – $29.95 | Cheap, flexible price plans with no contracts | Jump to review | |
| 8×8 | Contact centers | $33 – $237 | Features designed to optimize contact center performance | Jump to review |
Versature
Best for Small Businesses
Ottawa-based Versature is a small, well-liked VoIP provider – if its impressive count of industry award wins is anything to go by! In large part, Versature’s popularity is a result of its user-focused approach – it has a dedicated ‘Customer Success’ team that exists solely to help businesses utilize the system to its full potential, a bilingual support team that’ll help you any time for no extra charge, and super easy setup – you’ll receive phones that are already set up and ready – just plug them in and go. It’s these offerings – along with Versature’s affordable prices – that can prove invaluable to small businesses, especially those new to the world of phone systems and VoIP. Besides that, you’ll find that Versature offers pretty much every phone system feature you could need to make and take calls efficiently, though you may need to pay extra for one or two add-on functions.
How much does Versature cost?
Alongside one-time activation fees (which Versature doesn’t divulge) and a few add-ons, Versature charges the following:
| Plan | Price |
| Essentials | $29.99 per user, per month |
| Professional | $34.99 per user, per month |
| Enterprise | $44.99 per user, per month |
Versature can also offer personalized pricing plans designed specifically for your business – you’ll need to get in touch with the company to find out what those might look like.
Pros:
- Free phone rental when you sign up to a three or five-year contract
- Unlimited local calls, long distance calls (to/from Canada and the US), and incoming calls
- Integrations with Slack, Salesforce, Zendesk and Klipfolio make operations smoother
Cons:
- Call recording costs $10 to $20 extra per seat, per month
- If you want more than one phone number, you’ll need to pay $5 per additional number, per month
- Small businesses with less than 6 users are only eligible for a $130 per month plan
RingCentral
Best for Medium to Large Businesses
RingCentral is a big name in the world of business VoIP, and for good reason. It offers packages designed to suit businesses of all sizes, but we believe its packages for larger companies will give you the most bang for your buck. Its ‘Ultimate’ plan enables video conferencing for up to 200 participants, unlimited storage for documents, invoices, recordings, and more, and 10,000 toll-free minutes. And if you use up those minutes, the following rate of 3.9 cents per minute is still pretty competitive. Of course, that’s not to say that its cheaper plans aren’t worth checking out if you’re a small business – While they are more basic, they could well suit a company with limited needs.
How much does RingCentral cost?
| Plan | Price |
| Essentials | $24.99 per user, per month |
| Standard | $29.99 per user, per month |
| Premium | $39.99 per user, per month |
| Ultimate | $54.99 per user, per month |
Pros:
- Free 15-day trial available
- Businesses with more than 100 users on the system will be offered discounted prices
- Integrates with a range of CRM and productivity software
Cons:
- The cheapest plan (‘Essentials’) only includes 100 toll-free minutes - fewer than competitors
- The Essentials plan is only available to businesses with fewer than 21 system users
Ooma
Best for Startups
Running a startup comes with a great deal of uncertainty. When you’ve never installed a VoIP system before and you’ve no idea how long you’ll need it for, you need a supplier that’s flexible, with a system that’s easy to use and affordable. That’s Ooma. Its VoIP system, Ooma Office, costs just $24.95 per month – the smallest price tag on this list – but more importantly for dynamic new businesses, Ooma doesn’t tie users into lengthy contracts, instead working on a pay-as-you-go basis. Ooma Office comes with 35 call management features, from a virtual receptionist to an app that enables remote business calls. Some features, such as video conferencing, are only available on Ooma Office Pro, but at $29.95 that plan shouldn’t break the bank either.
How much does Ooma cost?
| Plan | Price |
| Ooma Office | $24.95 per user, per month |
| Ooma Office Pro | $29.95 per user, per month |
Pros:
- Free 30-day trial available
- Comes with a mobile app, for making and taking business calls remotely
- Contract-free flexible payments
Cons:
- Does not integrate with your existing business software, unlike other VoIP systems
- Cheapest plan does not include video conferencing or call recording
8×8
Best for Contact Centers
If you’ve done a lot of research into telephony, you’ve probably come across 8×8 before now. X Series, 8×8’s cloud communications software, provides an all-in-one solution for VoIP calls, meetings, and team collaboration. Your global ambitions should be well covered by the X4 plan’s unlimited UC calling to 47 countries. However, it’s on the (admittedly expensive, but fantastic) X6 and X8 plans that contact centers will really benefit, with 4,000 minutes across 47 countries included, plus call quality management, speech analytics, real-time agent feedback, and more features designed specifically for these dynamic, bustling environments.
How much does 8×8 cost?
8×8 does offer other plans and packages, but let’s take a look at how much the cloud-based X Series costs (all prices are per user, per month):
| Plan | Price for 1-99 users | Price for 100-999 users | Price for 1,000+ users |
| X Series X2 | $33 | $31 | $28 |
| X Series X4 | $60 | $57 | $55 |
| X Series X6 | $156 | $149 | $142 |
| X series X8 | $237 | $230 | $223 |
Pros:
- Larger businesses are eligible for cheaper price plans
- The X6 and X8 plans provide excellent features specifically designed for contact center optimization
- The cheapest plan includes unlimited calls to 14 countries
Cons:
- More expensive price plans may not be suitable for fledgling contact center teams
- You won’t be able to call mobile numbers in certain countries, including Japan, Italy, Poland, and more
Expert Verdict
The providers we've reviewed here offer the best VoIP systems available to Canadian businesses, with our extensive research rating them highly for affordability, reliability, features, customer service, and more.
If you're just starting out and need a VoIP system to kickstart your business comms, Ooma is a great choice. If you're a little more established and have started to scale, we don't think you'll go wrong with Versature. If you'd describe your business as medium-sized or large, we'd suggest taking a look at RingCentral, while businesses that need a VoIP system for a contact center should investigate 8×8.
Of course, businesses come in all shapes and sizes, with varying needs and goals – which is why finding the right VoIP system can be such a challenge. Fortunately, we can go one step further and match you up directly with the best VoIP provider for your business' unique requirements.
All you have to do is answer a few questions about your company, and what it needs from a VoIP system (it only takes a minute). Behind the scenes, we'll use your answers to match you up with Canadian VoIP providers that can meet your needs with aplomb.
They'll then be in touch directly, with tailored no-obligation quotes and answers to any of your questions, so you can sit back and have the best options come to you. It's free, and a super fast and easy way to find your VoIP system.
FAQs
What is VoIP and how does it work?
Good question! VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Essentially, it's a technology that enables you to make and take phone calls over the internet, using a variety of devices – from desk phones to desktop.
Our guide to VoIP explains everything you need to know about this popular technology, while this video explains how it works in just two minutes:
Is VoIP cheaper than landline?
Yes! VoIP uses the existing internet connection, so you don’t need to have a whole new system installed or expensive hardware ordered – making it a much more affordable option to set up. There's also the fact that VoIP providers typically charge lower call charges than landline service providers, and often give you free international calls; something you'll benefit from continuously!
Which is the best VoIP provider for small businesses in Canada?
Following our extensive research into the VoIP phone systems on the Canadian market, we believe Ooma to be an excellent choice for startups, while Versature provides a great service to small businesses. But there are plenty more options to explore: check out our list of the best phone systems for small businesses in Canada to see more.
