Tons of Free VoIP services exist and are available in the market, but they are just available in a few App stores. You might be using them for personal use to connect with family & friends. These apps are easy to set up and can be easily accessed by signing up for free.
Free VoIP providers are great for personal use, but they might not be the best for your business.
Everyone knows that anything free comes with certain limitations and Free VoIP is no different in this case.
Why shouldn't you use Free VoIP Services for Business?
01. Only work when the other person is also using the same app
One of the significant downsides of Free VoIP is that you can only use it when the person receiving it also has the same VoIP app. For example, if you have a Viber account and want to call someone. To make a call, the other person should also have Viber in their system. You also won’t be able to call on phone numbers directly.
02. No direct calls to and from landline phones
Using free VoIP, you won’t be able to make calls from the landline to the app and vice versa. Some apps may offer it through a temporary setup, but it’s paid and expensive.
03. Dependent on an internet connection
All types of VoIP services need a strong internet connection to make calls seamlessly. Using paid VoIP services is thus a better way to go about it as the service provider you choose makes sure that your system can handle internet calling by testing your broadband and its speed.
04. No calling option for emergency numbers
You can’t make an emergency call through free VoIP as there is no physical address associated with it. According to federal law, business VoIP providers must register a customer address to the number. It makes it easy for the responders to locate the callers in case of an emergency. Hence, free VoIP providers can’t replace paid VoIP providers and residential VoIP landline services.
Issues with Free VoIP services for Business
Business VoIP services usually come with a cost that depends on the plan you choose and you get what you pay for. But usually, the free VoIP services are trials that big service providers give to very small businesses, which cater to a very limited number of users. With the Free VoIP services, you might also face communication & coordination issues like:
Calling & Texting
Inbound calling in free VoIP services might not be chargeable, but you need to pay a per-minute charge for the outbound calling and there are usually no unlimited minutes in their plans. Also, calling and texting services to these numbers would be free but limited to very few numbers or businesses in the US. In many cases, the SMS service is not at all supported for which you’ll need other options.
Lack of Support & Services
A lot of collaborated features such as video conferencing or SMS might come with a cap on the usable bandwidth. This will affect your messages' quality, connectivity, or content (due to the limited character limit). Also, there might be unified free service providers but there won’t be any support from their side in case of a problem or issue you might face.
Usability Issues
You may get a free number which is usually recyclable and then you might receive unwanted calls. You won’t be able to contact the emergency numbers or the landline numbers. This might create a problem in reaching out to the customers resulting in a loss of potential customers for your business.
No Integration with CRM Software
Free service providers don’t provide integration with CRM software like Salesforce, HubSpot, etc. These are essential for tracking the customers.
Key takeaway
Keeping all these factors in mind, Free VoIP services are suitable for personal use but on the contrary, even for a small or average business, it is wise to go for paid VoIP plans. They offer much better services and features like unlimited bandwidth, Calling & Texting to Landlines, better call connectivity & quality, and access to multiple users of your business.
Looking for a more reliable and cost-effective VoIP solution for your company? Start using Falkon VoIP today to experience the next level of business VoIP services.