The Best VoIP Solution for Solopreneurs

If you’re like me, you spend quite a bit of time on the phone. And most of the time, you’re probably speaking to someone who’s a little further than the next town over. In fact, some people with whom you speak are probably on a completely different continent.If your only option were the standard long-distance carriers out there, the cost could be a real bitch. That’s the beauty of voice over internet protocol (aka internet phones; aka VoIP) services. With VoIP, you can make long distance calls at a fraction of the cost compared to regular long distance.

Skype is one example of a well-known VoIP service, and one that I use a lot. With Skype, you can make free calls to any other Skype user on the planet (currently, there are over 4 million Skype users). If you call a non-Skype user, the cost is quite inexpensive (like $0.02/minute). But Skype’s quality is not so great when calling a non-Skype user, and I’ve also had problems when calling into a teleconference (Skype-to-Skype calls are crystal-clear though).

Recently, I began using Vonage, and I really like it. The call quality is exactly like my regular land-line phone. Plus, I’m not tied to my computer headset like I am with Skype. I just plugged my regular cordless phone into my Vonage router, and I get unlimited long-distance for 24.99/month.

Those aren’t the only two options for VoIP service though. It’s a growing market with new services popping up all the time. In fact, what prompted this post was a Slate article titled: Smooth Operators. In the article, Sam Schechner reviews several VoIP services and assigns a rating based upon several metrics, including sound quality, reliability and portability.

In order from worst to best, here’s his list of services and how he rated them (the maximum score was 50). Be sure to check out the rest of the article for his detailed review.

• BroadVoice - 22.5
• Skype - 31
• Verizon VoiceWing - 32
• Packet8 - 33
• Vonage - 36
• GalaxyVoice - 40
• AT&T CallVantage - 41