VoIP vs Virtual Phone Systems: Which is better?

2) Call Quality

To provide effective customer support, you must have a reliable phone connection. In order to help your clients and build strong customer relationships, you should be able to listen and be heard. 

VoIP is largely dependent on the quality of your internet connection. If your internet connection is unstable, then VoIP may not be the suitable choice for your business. 

In comparison, virtual phone systems operate using existing phone lines and service networks you’re already using. What this means is that you’re less likely to see a change in the quality of your calls. 

However, whether you use VoIP or virtual phones, your overall call quality will finally depend on your internet connection. 

3) Call Management Features

When it comes to features, VoIP services tend to have an edge over virtual phone systems. Simply put, they just have more call handling and management options to offer. From auto attendants, to call forwarding, call queues, call screening and more. 

However, virtual phones often come with fewer call management features. For this reason, small teams and entrepreneurs experience that virtual systems are only able to handle low call volume. They also lack important advanced features like team messaging, video conferencing and file sharing.

4) Reliability

As you may know, the quality of VoIP calls is fully dependent on your internet connection. If your internet connection is weak or your bandwidth too low, your calls will be poor. 

However, as data centers are part of the transmission process, this isn’t true for virtual phone systems. This is why virtual phones are typically considered more reliable. However, this is not always true.

5) Scalability

When it comes to scalability, VoIP is clearly superior. VoIP with its unified communication as a service (UCaaS) capabilities offers users more options to expand their platform. This allows your business to manage multiple communication channels and scale as you grow.

Moreover, VoIP is also preferable if you already have existing hardware. This is because the majority of VoIP services are quite compatible with various IP devices. 

If you’ve already invested in hardware, virtual phone systems are not the suitable choice. Typically, virtual phones are best-suited for businesses with an existing landline or cell plan.  

Conclusion

Overall, both virtual phones and VoIP services have a lot of benefits to offer. It’s also certain that both of these systems are preferable to the traditional landline.

But, how do you know which one is better? When it comes to VoIP vs virtual phone systems, it truly depends on what your business needs are. 

VoIP is better suited for teams looking to replace their traditional in-office phone line with a centralized business communications platform. However, a virtual phone system is the cost-effective option for small teams or individuals in want of a portable business phone number.

As such, it’s worth considering all the above criteria as well as what your business requires when making your final choice. 

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