How to Compare Business Phone Plans Side by Side

To compare business phone plans fairly, work out the full monthly cost for your actual team, check which features each plan includes, and then add the things that cost extra: phone numbers, call recording, international or toll-free minutes, and taxes and fees. A plan that looks cheaper per person can cost more once you fill in those blanks. Here is a simple way to line them up side by side.

What Should Every Plan Include?

Start with the basics a small business uses every day. If a plan charges extra for these, write that down:

• Unlimited calling in the lower 48 states and parts of Canada.
• An app for computers and cell phones that shows your business number.
• A phone menu ("press 1 for..."), business hours and holiday hours.
• A way to ring several people at once, and a way for callers to wait in line.
• Voicemail to email.
• 911 that sends your street address and suite or floor with the call.

With Telonium, all of these are part of the $24.95 per user price. You can check the full list on our pricing page.

How Do Prices for Each User Add Up?

Multiply the price by the number of people who make or take calls. Then check how many phone numbers come with the plan. Here is the math for Telonium, before taxes and fees:

If one of those people only needs voicemail or forwarding, a user without a phone is $14.95 instead. Our post on what a business phone line costs shows the totals for other team sizes.

Which Numbers Come with the Plan?

Ask how many numbers are included and what each extra one costs. Telonium includes one number for every two users, and extra numbers are $5 a month. Count the numbers you really use: a main line, a fax line, a direct line for a salesperson, a toll-free number. Then ask what it costs to bring a number you already have. With Telonium, that is $10 per number, one time.

What Counts as Extra?

Every provider has a list of extras. Get it in writing and see which ones you would actually use. Telonium's extras, charged only if you use them, are:

• Call recording, an add-on.
• International calls, including to Alaska, Hawaii and US territories.
• Incoming toll-free minutes.

Desk phones are optional. If you want them, they are bought, not leased, and arrive set up.

What About Taxes and Fees?

Advertised prices are almost always before taxes and fees, and those vary by location. Ask each provider for an estimate of the full monthly total for your address and team size, so you compare real numbers. Our guide to hidden fees on a business phone bill explains the lines you will see.

A Blank Comparison Checklist

Copy this table into a spreadsheet and fill in one column per provider:

Questions to Ask Before You Sign

• Can we add or remove users any time?
• How long until we are up and running?
• Who answers when we call for help, and when?
• What happens to calls if our office internet goes down?

For Telonium: service is month-to-month with no long-term contract, you can add or remove users any time, you sign up online in about ten minutes, and accounts are usually approved within one business day. Support is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, with 24/7 emergency support at 404-566-8888. A backup number catches calls if the system cannot reach your phones. For more questions worth asking, see what to ask before choosing a phone provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Cheapest Plan per User the Cheapest Overall?

Not always. Extra numbers, add-ons and fees can change the total. Compare the full monthly cost for your team.

How Many Plans Should I Compare?

Two or three is plenty. Fill in the same checklist for each, so you compare like with like.

Do I Need to Count Desk Phones in the Cost?

Only if you want them. Many small teams use the app on computers and cell phones, and desk phones are optional.