Best Virtual Phone Systems in 2026: 5 We Priced and Tested
Short answer: if you want the cheapest real system, Calilio and KrispCall both start at $15 per user per month. If you want one flat bill instead of a per-seat one, TalkRoute is $19 a month for the whole line. If you specifically want a toll-free number, 800.com starts at $19 plus per-minute usage and Unitel Voice at $24.99.
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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calilio | $15/user/mo | Per seat | Calling, one number, call management, voicemail | IVR and recording need the $25 tier |
| KrispCall | $15/user/mo ($12 annual) | Per seat, max 5 users | Number per user, IVR, recording, SMS/MMS, Slack | Call quality drops at peak hours |
| TalkRoute | $19/mo | Flat, 1 user | 1 number, 500 texts, unlimited US/Canada calls, video | Zapier only, no native CRM, no API |
| 800.com | $19/mo + per minute | Flat plus usage | 1 toll-free number, forwarding, voicemail | Variable monthly cost, no video or routing |
| Unitel Voice | $24.99/mo annual | Flat, minute bundles | 500 minutes, toll-free number, auto-attendant | No native Salesforce or HubSpot |
Prices are the published entry tiers as of August 2026, read from each vendor's own pricing page during our review.
The per-seat options: Calilio and KrispCall
Both land at $15 per user per month, and the difference is what you get for it.
Calilio gives you core calling, one phone number, call management and voicemail at $15. IVR, call recording, advanced routing and integrations all sit on the Business tier at $25 per user per month. So the honest way to read Calilio's price is $15 if you need a phone, $25 if you need a phone system. Its interface is the strongest argument for it: it does not feel like software from 2008, it works on any device, and it does not push you toward desk phones.
KrispCall puts more in the entry tier. At $15 per user per month, or $12 on annual billing, you get a local or mobile number per user, a unified callbox, IVR, custom caller ID, call recording, SMS and MMS, a Slack integration and basic analytics. That is materially more than Calilio at the same headline price.
The catch is quality. Our review found call quality drops during peak hours, words getting cut off during soft or quick speech, and a laggy mobile app with unclear voice. If your calls are internal coordination, that is survivable. If your calls are sales conversations or support, it is not, and the extra features are a poor trade for a call that clips.
One more constraint on KrispCall: the Essential tier caps at five users. Above that you are on Standard at $40 per user per month, which changes the comparison entirely.
The flat-rate options: TalkRoute
TalkRoute is $19 a month for one user, one phone number, 500 text messages, unlimited US and Canada calling, voicemail and video meetings. Four tiers, all billed monthly, no long-term contract, and annual billing saves 17%.
For a solo operator or a business where one main line reaches everyone, this is the cheapest way to have a real business number rather than a personal mobile. The absence of a contract matters more than it sounds: most of this category assumes you will commit annually.
Where it falls short is integration. Zapier is the only connection point. There are no native CRM integrations, no API, no direct hookups to HubSpot or Salesforce. If you want calls logged against contact records automatically, TalkRoute cannot do it, and no amount of Zapier will make that feel native.
The toll-free options: 800.com and Unitel Voice
These two solve a different problem. You are not buying a phone system, you are buying a number that signals an established business.
800.com starts at $19 a month plus per-minute usage for one toll-free number, basic forwarding and voicemail. Pro at $39 includes 500 minutes, an auto-attendant, SMS and call recording. Premium at $79 includes 1,500 minutes and vanity number eligibility. The model is forwarding: calls to your toll-free number ring your existing mobile or office line, or a sequence of numbers tried in order.
That model is the appeal and the limit. Setup is trivial because nothing changes about how you actually answer. But per-minute pricing on the basic tier means your monthly cost is variable, and the feature set stops well short of a VoIP platform: no contact centre, no video, no advanced routing.
Unitel Voice is $24.99 a month on annual billing for 500 minutes, one toll-free number, a basic auto-attendant, voicemail-to-email and mobile apps. Business at $39.99 adds 1,500 minutes, multiple numbers and an advanced auto-attendant. Bundled minutes rather than per-minute billing makes the cost predictable, which is the main reason to choose it over 800.com.
Its limitation mirrors TalkRoute's: no native Salesforce or HubSpot integration, so sales-heavy teams that want automatic call logging will find it thin. Call quality also depends on your mobile connection, which is true of the category but worth stating.
How to choose
You are one person and want a business number. TalkRoute at $19 flat, or 800.com at $19 if the number itself is the point.
You are two to five people who all need to be reachable. KrispCall at $15 per user, accepting the quality trade, or Calilio at $15 if you can live without IVR until $25.
You need predictable cost with a toll-free number. Unitel Voice at $24.99, because bundled minutes beat per-minute billing for budgeting.
You need calls logged in your CRM. None of these five. TalkRoute, Unitel Voice and 800.com all say so plainly, and Calilio puts integrations behind its $25 tier. This is the clearest gap in the category at this price point, and it is worth knowing before you migrate rather than after.
What this category actually costs
The five entry prices here run from $15 to $24.99 a month, and the realistic working price is higher for most buyers: $25 for Calilio once you need IVR, $40 per user for KrispCall above five people, $39 for 800.com once per-minute billing gets annoying.
That is the pattern worth carrying into any vendor conversation. Entry pricing in this category advertises a phone. The system costs roughly 60% more.
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 $15 to $25 per user these systems cost less than most business mobile lines and add auto-attendants, voicemail-to-email and call recording that carriers charge extra for.
Can I keep my existing number?
Every vendor here supports porting, and 800.com's forwarding model means you do not have to change anything about how you answer calls. 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. Calilio explicitly does not require desk phones, though it supports them.
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: 800.com forwards calls and stops there, while Calilio and KrispCall offer routing, IVR and recording. 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: Calilio, KrispCall, TalkRoute, 800.com, Unitel Voice.
