Best Virtual Phone Systems in 2026: 5 Priced and Compared
Short answer: the cheapest real system is now Unitel Voice, whose Solo plan is $9.99 a month for one user with a toll-free or local number and unlimited calling and texting. For a whole team on one flat bill, Unitel's Team plan is $19.99 a month for unlimited users. If you want per-seat software, Calilio and KrispCall both start at $15 per user per month ($12 billed annually). TalkRoute is $19 a month for one user, and 800.com is $19 a month billed yearly for 250 minutes.
The useful distinction is not features. It is billing shape. Per-seat systems get expensive the moment a second person needs a number; flat-rate systems get restrictive the moment you need real call routing or CRM logging. Pick the wrong shape and you either overpay or outgrow it in a quarter.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Entry price | Billing shape | What the entry tier includes | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unitel Voice | $9.99/mo (Solo) | Flat, 1 user | Toll-free or local number, unlimited calling and texting, auto attendant | Texting carrier fees; no CRM integrations listed |
| Calilio | $15/user/mo ($12 annual) | Per seat, up to 10 users | One number, 300 minutes, 200 SMS, call recording, voicemail | IVR needs the $35 tier |
| KrispCall | $15/user/mo ($12 annual) | Per seat, up to 5 users | Number per user, 200 in and 200 out minutes, multi-level IVR, SMS | Call recording starts on Advance |
| TalkRoute | $19/mo | Flat, 1 user | 1 number, 500 texts, unlimited calling, video meetings | Zapier only, no native CRM |
| 800.com | $19/mo billed yearly ($23 monthly) | Flat, minute bundle | 1 number, 250 minutes, 1 user, call recording, CRM integrations | Only 250 minutes on the entry plan |
Prices are the published entry tiers as of September 2026, read from each vendor's own pricing page: Unitel Voice, Calilio, KrispCall, TalkRoute and 800.com.
The per-seat options: Calilio and KrispCall
Both cost the same per seat at entry level. The difference is what the entry tier includes.
Calilio Standard gives you one free US, UK or Canadian number, 300 calling minutes, 200 SMS, call recording, voicemail and forwarding, for up to 10 users. IVR, business hours, a power dialer and AI call analytics all sit on Premium at $35 per user per month, or $28 billed annually. So the honest way to read Calilio's price is Standard if you need a phone, Premium if you need a phone system. Its interface is the strongest argument for it: it does not feel like software from 2008 and works on any device.
KrispCall renamed its tiers: the entry plan is now Starter (formerly Essential) and the next one is Advance (formerly Standard). Starter, at $12 per user per month billed annually or the same monthly rate as Calilio, includes a free US, Canadian or UK number per user, 200 outbound and 200 inbound minutes, 100 SMS segments, multi-level IVR, call monitoring and basic integrations, for up to five users. Call recording, call transfer and transcripts start on Advance at $32 per user per month billed annually, which covers up to 50 users.
The catch is quality. Our review found call quality drops during peak hours, words cut off during soft or quick speech, and a laggy mobile app. If your calls are internal coordination, that is survivable. If your calls are sales conversations or support, it is not, especially since recording those calls requires Advance.
The flat-rate option: TalkRoute
TalkRoute Basic is $19 a month for one user, with one phone number, 500 text messages, unlimited calling, call forwarding and video meetings. Plans are month to month with no contract, and annual plans save more. Plus at $39 covers three users and adds a phone menu; Pro at $59 covers ten users and adds call recording.
For a solo operator, TalkRoute is a clean way to have a real business number rather than a personal mobile. The absence of a contract matters: much of this category nudges you toward annual billing.
Where it falls short is integration. Our review found Zapier is the only connection point: no native CRM integrations and no direct hookups to HubSpot or Salesforce. If you want calls logged against contact records automatically, TalkRoute cannot do it natively.
The toll-free options: Unitel Voice and 800.com
Both started as the way to get a number that signals an established business, and both have grown into full phone systems.
Unitel Voice now sells three plans on its pricing page. Solo is $9.99 a month (or $84 billed yearly, about $7 a month) for one user, one toll-free or local number, unlimited calling and texting, an auto attendant with custom greetings and voicemail with transcription. Team is $19.99 a month for unlimited users and adds unlimited extensions, ring groups with custom call routing, live call transfer and unlimited voicemail boxes. Office is $29.99 a month with three users included (each extra user costs the same as a Solo plan) and adds desktop softphones, desk phones, presence and team messaging.
That makes Unitel the price leader in this list, and Team at $19.99 for unlimited users is the cheapest way to put a whole small office on one number. The costs to watch: texting requires carrier registration, which Unitel lists at $19.50 one-time plus $1.50 a month, and the pricing page lists no CRM integrations, so sales teams that want automatic call logging will find it thin.
800.com now has two self-serve plans on its plans page. Startup costs the same as TalkRoute Basic when billed yearly, or $23 month to month, for 250 minutes, one number, one user and one extension. Small Business is $49 a month billed yearly, or $59 monthly, for unlimited minutes under a fair-usage policy, three toll-free, local or vanity numbers, and unlimited users and extensions. Enterprise is quoted. Every plan lists call recording, business texting, call tracking and analytics, sequential and simultaneous forwarding, API and webhook access, and CRM and Zapier integrations.
The model is still forwarding-friendly: calls to your number can ring your existing mobile or office line, or a sequence of numbers tried in order, so setup is trivial. The limit is the Startup plan's 250 minutes, which a busy line can burn in a week. Most businesses land on Small Business, which 800.com labels its best value.
How to choose
You are one person and want a business number. Unitel Voice Solo, or TalkRoute if you want video meetings and 500 texts in the base price.
You are two to ten people who all need to be reachable. Unitel Voice Team at $19.99 flat for unlimited users is the cheapest route. Choose Calilio or KrispCall if you want per-seat software with its own apps and analytics.
You need a toll-free number with predictable cost. Unitel Voice, because unlimited calling beats the 250-minute bundle on 800.com's Startup plan.
You need calls logged in your CRM. 800.com, which lists CRM integrations and API access on every plan, or KrispCall, whose pricing page lists native HubSpot and Salesforce connections (Salesforce as an add-on from Advance). Unitel and TalkRoute are the weak options here.
What this category actually costs
The five entry prices run from $9.99 to $23 a month on monthly billing, and the realistic working price is higher for most buyers: $35 per user for Calilio once you need IVR, $32 per user billed annually for KrispCall once you need call recording or more than five users, $49 billed yearly for 800.com once 250 minutes runs out, $29.99 for Unitel once you want desk phones.
That is the pattern worth carrying into any vendor conversation. Entry pricing in this category advertises a phone. The system you end up running typically costs two to three times as much.
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual phone system cheaper than a business mobile plan?
Usually yes at one user, and the gap widens with team size, because you are buying numbers and routing rather than devices and data. At $9.99 to $23 a month for a first user these systems cost less than most business mobile lines and add auto attendants, voicemail transcription and call recording that carriers charge extra for.
Can I keep my existing number?
Every vendor here supports porting, and KrispCall advertises free porting for US local and toll-free numbers. Porting timelines are set by the losing carrier, not the new one, so treat any promised date as an estimate.
Do these work without desk phones?
Yes. All five run on mobile and desktop apps. Unitel's Office plan adds desk phones if you want them, and Calilio supports them without requiring them.
Which one has call recording on the entry plan?
Calilio Standard and 800.com Startup both list call recording. KrispCall starts it on Advance, TalkRoute on Pro at $59, and Unitel's pricing page does not list it among the Solo plan's headline features.
What is the real difference between a virtual phone system and VoIP?
In practice the terms overlap, and vendors use them interchangeably. The useful line is feature depth: a Solo-style plan forwards and answers calls, while Calilio Premium, KrispCall Advance and 800.com Small Business add routing, recording and analytics. If you need a contact centre, none of these five is the right tool.
Related reading
- What software actually charges, by category, including the median across every tool we price.
- Individual reviews: Unitel Voice, Calilio, KrispCall, TalkRoute, 800.com.
Across our whole catalogue the median is $24 a month and 33% of tools advertise a free tier. Figures are the lowest recurring monthly price quoted in our own review of each tool, read on 2026-08-19. Full method and every category.
