You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website.

We independently select all products and services. If you click through links we provide, we may earn a commission. Learn More.
Advertiser Disclosure

10 Best SIP Trunk Providers Of 2025

Updated: Dec 27, 2024, 8:00am
Written By
Senior Staff Writer
Reviewed
Deputy Editor, SMB
& 1 other
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

SIP trunking connects your PBX phone system to the cloud for internet-based calling. This benefits your business by lowering monthly calling costs and reducing your hardware maintenance needs. With SIP, you can purchase new phone numbers based around the globe and scale more easily—all managed from a cloud-based virtual dashboard.

To determine the top SIP trunk services of 2025, we evaluated and compared 15 popular providers. Our research found Plivo to be the top choice due to its flexible pricing and wide global coverage—though services such as Twilio, OnSIP and others offer distinct benefits and use cases. Check out our rankings to choose the best SIP trunk provider for your business.

Read more

The Best SIP Trunk Providers of 2025

  • Plivo: Best for Scaling Teams
  • OnSIP: Best for IVR Menus
  • Twilio: Best for Call Quality Monitoring
  • Bandwidth: Best for Designing Call Flows
  • AVOXI: Best for Global DID Numbers and Coverage
  • 8×8: Best for Custom Call Forwarding
  • CallHippo: Best for Sales Teams
  • Nextiva: Best for Toll-Free Calling
  • SIP.US: Best for Faxing or SMS Add-Ons
  • AstraQom: Cost-Effective Option for Large Teams

Why You Can Trust Forbes Advisor Small Business

The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to providing unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content to guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.

Learn More: How We Evaluate VoIP and SIP Providers

  • 15 Companies Evaluated
  • 26 Decision Factors Considered
  • Four Levels of Fact-Checking
  • Hands-On Testing

Best for Scaling Teams

Plivo

Plivo
4.9
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

0.65 cent per minute outbound, 0.25 cent per minute inbound

Coverage

220-plus countries

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

Yes

Plivo

0.65 cent per minute outbound, 0.25 cent per minute inbound

220-plus countries

Yes

Expert Take

Plivo’s Zentrunk SIP trunking solution lets you make calls to a massive global area with unlimited concurrent calls for your team. With elastic pay-per-minute pricing and volume-based discounts, Plivo makes a great choice for scaling companies that call around the world.

Features

Plivo’s SIP trunking connects you to a massive global network. It has seven main data centers around the globe, while most alternatives only have two or three. This ensures great audio quality to over 220 countries—over double what other providers offer. While several other SIP trunking providers offer U.S.-based local numbers, Plivo offers numbers from over 70 countries, helping you establish an international presence.

The self-service portal is easy to use, letting admins assign business numbers to agents in minutes. You can make and receive an unlimited number of concurrent calls from Plivo business numbers, enabling teammates to share numbers. Paired with the massive calling area and phone number availability, this makes Plivo a good option for companies looking to scale with their current PBX infrastructure.

Plivo SIP trunking setup dashboardThe Plivo app dashboard lets you set up SIP trunks, track call logs and view recordings

Pricing

Plivo offers elastic SIP trunking, which means it charges per minute rather than offering unlimited calls for a flat monthly rate. You pay 0.65 cent per minute for outbound calls and 0.25 cent per minute for inbound calls. This is an average value for elastic SIP pricing.

If your company’s call volume fluctuates by the month, or if you have low call volumes, Plivo could offer a cost-effective option. If you have large call volumes, Plivo offers high-volume rates that are even cheaper.

Customer Service

Similar to Bandwidth, Plivo offers support through a ticketing system only—with no option to reach staff immediately through chat or phone. The provider also offers a knowledge base of articles and guides about SIP trunking.

Reputation

Plivo has slightly more reviews than other SIP trunk services on sites such as G2 and Capterra, which bodes well for its popularity. Users note the VoIP system’s excellent audio quality, but they complain about being unable to reach a live human for support when needed.

Pros & Cons
  • Excellent global coverage
  • International numbers
  • Flexible pricing with volume discounts
  • Lacks advanced features such as IVR and queuing
  • Hard to reach a live human for customer support
  • Call logs can be difficult to understand

Best for IVR Menus

OnSIP

OnSIP
4.7
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

3.2 cents per minute plus $49.95 monthly per account

Coverage

20-plus countries for standard coverage, 28 more for extended dialing

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

No

OnSIP

3.2 cents per minute plus $49.95 monthly per account

20-plus countries for standard coverage, 28 more for extended dialing

No

Expert Take

OnSIP is a flexible solution that can adapt to a wide variety of PBX infrastructures—even those dispersed across the globe. Each plan includes multiple IVR menus and ring groups—enabling custom call routing. However, OnSIP’s combined per-minute and monthly rates can be pricey for teams with high call volumes.

Features

OnSIP’s virtual dashboard lets admins manage not only SIP trunk numbers, but also routing features: five voicemails, three ring groups and three IVR menus per account. By comparison, many other SIP trunking services—such as Plivo and 8×8—either charge extra for these features or don’t offer them at all. This makes OnSIP a feature-rich option for inbound customer self-service call handling.

The OnSIP admin panel also displays more in-depth analytics and call log visual displays than other platforms. Most alternatives just list the account call history in a table, but OnSIP displays daily call trends graphically.

However, OnSIP’s global coverage is limited. The standard package allows you to call only 21 countries, while many alternatives offer coverage to an area over twice that size. Calling outside of the 21-country area requires additional paperwork and can rack up exceptionally high fees.

OnSIP admin panel analytics and call logsOnSIP’s admin dashboard offers visual displays of call history and volume trends

Pricing

OnSIP is one of the pricier SIP trunking providers on our list. While it offers elastic per-minute pricing, the 3.2 cents-per-minute rate is much higher than alternatives such as Twilio and Plivo. You also need to pay $49.95 monthly per account—and that’s before any per-minute charges.

Despite the high cost, OnSIP offers decent value for teams with low call volumes that want IVR menus and ring groups to improve their inbound routing. If you have high call volumes, you’re better off choosing a provider that enables unlimited calling such as Nextiva, AstraQom or SIP.US.

Customer Service

Along with many SIP trunking alternatives, OnSIP does not let users reach customer support directly by phone. Instead, you can access its knowledge base, email support or submit a support ticket.

On the plus side, customers on review sites frequently report that OnSIP’s support team responds to tickets quickly.

Reputation

OnSIP’s VoIP service has relatively few reviews on sites such as Trustpilot and GetApp, but customers give it slightly above-average ratings. They praise OnSIP’s customer support and call reliability within the U.S., though some report confusion with the sign-up process.

Pros & Cons
  • Strong reliability in the U.S.
  • Includes IVR menus and ring groups
  • Strong analytics and call log displays
  • Expensive per-minute rates
  • Limited global coverage
  • Account-based pricing may be too costly for small teams

Best for Call Quality Monitoring

Twilio

Twilio
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

0.53 cent per minute outbound, 0.34 cent per minute inbound

Coverage

100 countries

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

Yes

Twilio

0.53 cent per minute outbound, 0.34 cent per minute inbound

100 countries

Yes

Expert Take

Twilio’s Elastic SIP Trunking offers flexible pricing and connectivity to over 100 countries. The SIP API connects with several of Twilio’s other APIs, unlocking unique features for call quality insights and SMS texting. It’s a cost-effective option for any team—regardless of your scaling or call volume needs.

Features

Twilio’s SIP Trunking solution is easy to set up and supports unlimited concurrent calling for teams based in most countries around the globe. While its 100-country calling network isn’t as expansive as Plivo’s, it’s more than enough for most companies that call abroad.

Twilio really stands out with its on-demand features that connect with its SIP Trunking API. The Voice Insights feature closely tracks every call you make, identifying any issues with jitter, delay or silence. Each call generates a summary to help you monitor your phone system’s performance.

You can also use your SIP trunking number to connect with Twilio Messaging for automated SMS alerts and notifications. These SMS automations unlock new opportunities for marketing, appointment booking and sales. Most other SIP providers on our list don’t connect to SMS, while Twilio does.

Twilio Voice Insights visual displaysTwilio’s Voice Insights API provides unique insights and visual displays about call quality

Pricing

Twilio’s SIP pricing is elastic, along with Plivo’s, meaning it charges per use rather than by a fixed monthly rate. It costs 0.53 cent per minute for outbound calls and 0.34 cent per minute for inbound calls. The outbound rate is slightly lower than Plivo’s, and the inbound rate is slightly higher, making Twilio a better value than Plivo for sales teams that mostly make outbound calls. Customer service teams that field many inbound calls might find a better value with Plivo.

Twilio offers committed-use discounts—providing cost-effective pricing structures for teams anticipating high or low call volumes.

Customer Service

All Twilio customers can submit a web ticket and expect a response within 24 hours through email or voice call. Beyond help tickets, Twilio offers higher-tier support plans for an additional cost. Upgrades include guaranteed response times, live chat, phone support and even an assigned account manager with the highest tier.

Reputation

Twiio’s SIP trunking and voice services have an above-average number of reviews on sites such as G2 and Capterra, suggesting strong popularity. Further, its customers give the provider above-average ratings. Users complain that it’s incredibly difficult to reach a real human for support. Some also mention that the abundance of call-quality data can initially feel overwhelming.

Pros & Cons
  • Detailed call quality tracking
  • SMS connectivity available
  • Flexible elastic pricing
  • Difficult to reach a live human for support
  • No included call groups or IVR menu
  • Call monitoring information can feel daunting at first

Best for Designing Call Flows

Bandwidth

Bandwidth
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

Custom quote-based pricing

Coverage

65-plus countries

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

Yes

Bandwidth

Custom quote-based pricing

65-plus countries

Yes

Expert Take

Bandwidth’s elastic SIP trunking service offers flexible pay-per-use pricing to meet high or low call volumes for companies of any size. The software’s admin panel lets you build custom call flows with advanced functionality, including authentication or call routing.

Features

Bandwidth’s voice network connects by PSTN to over 65 countries with 99.999% uptime, helping your company reach destinations that may be inaccessible with your legacy landline phone system. It also offers direct low-code or no-code integrations to connect your phone service with popular platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Webex, Zoom and Google Voice. The last two are particularly rare SIP trunk integrations.

The connected Maestro call flow designer is a drag-and-drop tool for customizing how your phone system handles and distributes inbound calls. You can use it to build ring groups and set up automatic call forwarding. You can also link your call flows to voice authentication apps and conversational AI technology, creating IVR menus that offer intelligent self-service for your customers.

Bandwidth’s drag-and-drop call flow designerBandwidth’s Maestro lets you customize call flows with a drag-and-drop interface

Pricing

Bandwidth offers custom quotes based on your current PBX system, company infrastructure and calling needs—so you’ll need to contact its team to get a full picture of its SIP trunking rates.

However, Bandwidth’s website mentions elastic usage-based pricing, and its voice API costs 1 cent outbound and 0.55 cent inbound per minute—so we expect its SIP trunking rates to be in that ballpark. These per-minute prices are lower than most providers on our list but higher than elastic alternatives Twilio and Plivo.

Customer Service

If you need help setting up your SIP trunk, Bandwidth provides a team of SIP trunking experts to help you plan and perform your SIP connection—which usually takes no more than a couple of minutes. Once you’re set up, you can connect with support only by submitting a help ticket and waiting for a reply by email or phone.

Bandwidth does not offer immediate live support.

Reputation

Bandwidth has an above-average number of reviews on sites such as Software Advice and G2, with roughly average scores—although these reviews cover not only the provider’s SIP Trunking but also its CPaaS services. Customers report that the admin portal is easy to use, but many complain that live phone support can be difficult to get when needed.

Pros & Cons
  • Drag-and-drop call flow design
  • Pre-built integrations with many unified communications and contact center platforms
  • Calling network covers over 65 countries
  • Hard to reach a live agent for customer support
  • Lack of pricing transparency
  • Missing some features, such as call recording

Best for Global DID Numbers and Coverage

AVOXI

AVOXI
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

$19.99 monthly per trunk plus 1 cent per minute for U.S. numbers

Coverage

150-plus countries

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

Yes

AVOXI

$19.99 monthly per trunk plus 1 cent per minute for U.S. numbers

150-plus countries

Yes

Expert Take

AVOXI’s SIP trunking solution offers middle-of-the-road pricing, but it stands out by providing virtual phone numbers in over 150 countries with excellent calling coverage globally. This offers a unique opportunity for teams looking to expand their business presence or unify a global team.

Features

AVOXI’s SIP trunking service works with most PBX systems, and they work with you personally to ensure that your SIP solution matches your infrastructure. While configuring SIP endpoints in your PBX, AVOXI’s dashboard lets you test the connection to ensure you’re ready to begin making calls.

The most notable aspect of AVOXI’s SIP solution is its international coverage. AVOXI has four data centers worldwide, enabling you to place calls to over 150 countries with 99.995% uptime. AVOXI’s service averages a 4.2 Mean Opinion Score, which indicates top-tier audio quality—even in hard-to-reach countries. Further, AVOXI lets you provision business phone numbers in over 150 countries—a significantly wider selection than any other SIP solution on our list.

If you’re looking to establish a local presence abroad, AVOXI makes a solid but somewhat costly option.

Audio quality graphs for all of a company’s callsAVOXI’s admin portal shows you the audio and connection quality for each call

Pricing

AVOXI’s SIP trunking starts with a monthly rate of $19.99 per outbound SIP trunk, with no monthly cost for an inbound SIP trunk. Each AVOXI trunk holds unlimited channels, meaning companies won’t need more than one. Beyond the monthly cost for a trunk, AVOXI calling starts at 1 cent per minute for calls from U.S. phone numbers, with pricing as low as $0.0023 per minute for international numbers.

Since you must pay $19.99 monthly plus per-minute rates, AVOXI’s SIP trunking solution is costlier than some alternatives, including Twilio and Plivo, that only charge an elastic per-minute rate. However, if your team prioritizes international business phone numbers, has staff spread across the globe or wants to call a variety of countries, AVOXI offers a unique opportunity.

Customer Service

AVOXI offers 24/7 customer support through ticketing, email, live chat and phone. It also has multiple phone numbers worldwide for multilingual technical support.

Reputation

AVOXI has few reviews but encouragingly high customer ratings on sites such as G2 and Software Advice. Customers report personal and helpful treatment from support staff, but some report difficulty canceling or removing numbers from an account.

Pros & Cons
  • Great global audio quality and connectivity
  • Large selection of international numbers
  • Can configure IVR and call recording
  • Pricier than many alternatives
  • Less applicable to businesses operating in one country
  • Some users report difficulty canceling

Best for Custom Call Forwarding

8×8

8×8
4.4
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

$25 monthly per channel plus 2 cents per minute for calling

Coverage

100-plus countries

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

No

8×8
Learn More Arrow
Read Forbes’ Review

$25 monthly per channel plus 2 cents per minute for calling

100-plus countries

No

Expert Take

The trunking solution from 8×8 includes a unique SIP Trunk Call Manager dashboard to manage inbound calls and business hours. It’s designed to work alongside 8×8’s other offerings, including its unified communications system.

Features

The SIP trunking from 8×8 includes its SIP Trunk Call Manager—a virtual control center that provides some unique call-management features. You can set business hours that route and forward calls to certain numbers based on what time a customer calls. Users can set emails or text alerts for missed calls and voicemails. These forwarding and notification features are unique to 8×8 and help users stay organized when they’re on the go or have shifting daily hours.

Administrators can use the Call Manager dashboard to manage numbers, call logs and usage statistics. Further, 8×8’s SIP trunking solution is designed to work with its other offerings—including unified communications and call center software—helping you connect your on-premises phone system to cloud-based multichannel communications that include video, team chat and more advanced call routing features.

8x8 admin portal call forwarding rulesThe 8×8 admin portal lets you customize call forwarding when a user isn’t available

Pricing

The 8×8 trunking service charges $25 monthly per SIP channel, plus 2 cents per minute. These prices are notably higher than most other providers on our list. Its SIP trunking may make a decent option if you also plan to use its call center or unified communications platform.

Otherwise, you’ll find better value with the lower per-minute rates of alternatives such as Plivo or Twilio. Platforms such as Nextiva and SIP.US also offer cheaper flat monthly rates if you prefer consistency.

Customer Service

The 8×8 platform offers users 24/7 live support by web ticket, phone and live chat. Since many SIP trunking alternatives only offer ticketing, 8×8’s customer support is among the best on our list. I’ve contacted 8×8 by live chat and phone during the workday and reached a live agent in minutes in both cases.

Reputation

It’s difficult to gauge 8×8’s popularity as a SIP trunk provider since most reviews on sites such as Gartner and Trustpilot focus on its UCaaS service. However, these reviews suggest a subpar experience. Customers complain that the software doesn’t integrate smoothly with other platforms and interfaces, though users report reliable VoIP uptime.

Learn more: Read our full 8×8 review.

Pros & Cons
  • Unique call management features
  • 24/7 live support by phone and chat
  • User-friendly admin portal
  • Doesn’t include IVR menus or ring groups
  • Expensive
  • May pose difficulty integrating with software outside of 8×8 ecosystem

Best for Sales Teams

CallHippo

CallHippo
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

$25 monthly per channel for unlimited calling in the U.S.

Coverage

100-plus countries

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

No

CallHippo

$25 monthly per channel for unlimited calling in the U.S.

100-plus countries

No

Expert Take

CallHippo enables SIP service for your IP PBX system at a flat monthly rate, but it requires all users to sign up for its full office phone system. These plans include SMS, voicemail, a shared call inbox and even a power dialer on high-tier plans. While costlier than many alternatives, these features unlock unique sales use cases.

Features

With CallHippo SIP trunking, you can choose from virtual phone numbers in over 50 countries, with unlimited calling in the U.S. and metered rates to destinations around the globe.

Once connected, each user has access to CallHippo’s phone system dashboard, which includes many standout features—varying depending on the plan you choose. All CallHippo plans include click-to-dial functionality, enabling agents to call by clicking on a number. Plans also include public leaderboards and shared call inboxes that help agents work together to take care of outbound calls. CallHippo also offers an add-on power dialer, which streamlines outbound sales processes.

Overall, CallHippo’s SIP and phone-system plans provide unique sales features for using an IP PBX.

Graphical display of CallHippo call dataCallHippo’s analytics dashboard displays detailed call data over time, with one-click access to the power dialer

Pricing

CallHippo offers a flat $25 monthly rate per user, enabling unlimited calling in the U.S., with additional per-minute rates when calling international destinations. However, note that this $25 charge is per user, while most alternative providers, such as AVOXI, charge by the SIP trunk, which supports multiple lines.

If you’re just looking for a good deal on SIP-based calling with minimal features, you’ll find better value with an elastic alternative such as Plivo or per-trunk unlimited pricing such as Nextiva provides. CallHippo is only a better value than these elastic alternatives if you plan to take advantage of its sales features.

Customer Service

CallHippo advertises 24/7 customer support, but you can only connect with them by email or live chat—not phone. I reached out to CallHippo support through live chat in the middle of the workday and successfully connected with a support agent.

Reputation

CallHippo has an average number of reviews on sites such as Software Advice and Trustpilot, but its customers give the service slightly below-average scores. Users praise the platform’s intuitive dashboard, but many report issues with CallHippo’s customer service and sign-up process.

Pros & Cons
  • Flat monthly rate keeps pricing simple
  • Advanced features for sales teams
  • User-friendly virtual dashboard
  • Doesn’t accommodate legacy PBS systems
  • Can be costlier than elastic pricing from alternatives
  • Can be difficult to communicate with support

Best for Toll-Free Calling

Nextiva

Nextiva
4.3
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

$14.95 monthly with per-minute pricing or $24.95 per channel with unlimited calling in the U.S.

Coverage

Anywhere in the world

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

No

Nextiva
Learn More Arrow
Read Forbes’ Review

$14.95 monthly with per-minute pricing or $24.95 per channel with unlimited calling in the U.S.

Anywhere in the world

No

Expert Take

Nextiva’s SIP trunking service offers a moderately priced flat monthly rate for unlimited calls in the U.S., plus a toll-free number. With additional volume discounts available, it’s a cost-effective option for teams with high anticipated call volumes seeking to utilize toll-free numbers.

Features

Nextiva’s SIP service only includes the essential features—a virtual admin portal and call logs. Still, each sign-up supports unlimited calling in the U.S. and a toll-free number, which normally costs at least $2 per month with an alternative provider. Users also get access to a virtual dashboard to manage and provision phone numbers and monitor call logs.

The toll-free number makes Nextiva a good option for teams that want to encourage more inbound customer calls both domestically and internationally. Customers across the U.S. can call your toll-free line at no cost to either party, and international callers can contact your business without incurring long-distance fees.

Unfortunately, Nextiva’s SIP service does not include advanced features such as voicemail or IVR menus.

View of the Nextiva app’s call historyNextiva’s admin portal includes call records with key information for each call

Pricing

Nextiva offers two SIP trunk pricing plans: the Metered plan costs $14.95 monthly per user but adds 0.8 cent per minute, and the Unmetered plan costs $24.95 monthly per user with unlimited calling in the U.S. plus a toll-free number. Nextiva also offers volume-based discounts on the Unmetered plan that reduce the price for teams with high call amounts.

For most teams, Nextiva’s Unmetered plan will be costlier than elastic SIP options such as Plivo and Twilio since Nextiva’s per-minute rate is over 25% higher. However, if your team has very high call volumes and plans to use toll-free numbers for your SIP trunks, the Unmetered plan could provide value.

Customer Service

Nextiva offers 24/7 phone and live chat support seven days a week from roughly 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT. You can also submit a support ticket. Considering that most SIP trunk providers on our list only offer ticketing, Nextiva’s support accessibility is above average.

Reputation

Nextiva has many reviews and strong scores on sites such as Trustpilot and G2. However, most of these reviews focus on its VoIP phone system and unified communications platform—not its SIP trunk offering.

Nextiva customers commend the friendly and personal tone of its support agents, though some complain about billing issues and difficulty canceling.

Pros & Cons
  • Flat monthly rate for predictable pricing
  • Low volume discounts
  • 24/7 phone support
  • Minimal features
  • No voicemail
  • Monthly rate may be too costly for teams with low call volumes

Best for Faxing or SMS Add-Ons

SIP.US

SIP.US
4.0
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

$24.95 monthly per channel with unlimited calling in the U.S.

Coverage

Unlimited calling in the U.S., per-minute calling globally

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

No

SIP.US

$24.95 monthly per channel with unlimited calling in the U.S.

Unlimited calling in the U.S., per-minute calling globally

No

Expert Take

SIP.US offers a straightforward SIP trunking solution with a virtual control panel for provisioning and managing business numbers worldwide. The software also offers add-ons for email-based faxing and SMS texting.

Features

SIP.US’ SIP trunking solution works with nearly all PBX systems, physical phones and internet providers, offering great adaptability to your current hardware. You can set up the virtual trunk in seconds and gain access to a control panel to monitor call data and number assignments.

The SIP.US service also offers a Microsoft Teams integration that can fit right into your UCaaS or team collaboration platform. SIP.US also offers custom SMS packages that let you text customers from your business number. While several SIP alternatives also offer SMS texting, they don’t provide the flexible monthly SMS packages that SIP.US does. SIP.US also uniquely offers virtual faxing using your business phone number, which can connect faxes to your email address.

View of the Nextiva app’s call history
SIP.US lets you configure each phone number’s calling rules—including international dialing

Pricing

With month-to-month pricing, SIP.US costs $24.95 per channel, which is comparable to other providers’ monthly rates for unlimited domestic SIP calling. If your team has low call volumes, you’ll likely find better value with an elastic pricing alternative such as Plivo or Twilio.

The SMS texting add-on offers several packages depending on how many texts you need, starting at 1.2 cents per SMS. Fax service starts at an extra $24.95 per month. Since the fax service and SMS allotment flexibility are unique to SIP.US, they may be worth the cost if SMS or fax are an integral part of your customer-facing communications.

Customer Service

SIP.US offers customer support through a self-service knowledge base and phone support during standard U.S. business hours. While not accessible 24 hours a day, the option to reach a live support agent by phone is a nice plus that many SIP alternatives don’t have.

Reputation

SIP.US has a small number of reviews on sites such as Software Advice and Capterra, but customers generally rate the service above average. They mention that SIP.US provided reliable phone service and customer support, though some mention that the user dashboard is confusing to navigate.

Pros & Cons
  • SMS and faxing add-ons
  • Flat monthly rate for consistent pricing
  • Adapts to a variety of PBXs, internet providers and phones
  • Can be costlier than elastic usage-based pricing
  • SMS, fax and phone numbers cost extra
  • Virtual dashboard can be confusing

Cost-Effective Option for Large Teams

AstraQom

AstraQom
3.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting Cost

$71 monthly for six phone numbers and unlimited calling

Coverage

100-plus countries

Elastic Usage-Based Pricing Available?

No

AstraQom

$71 monthly for six phone numbers and unlimited calling

100-plus countries

No

Expert Take

AstraQom offers SIP trunking services that enable you to make VoIP calls to over 100 countries. The service stands out with an account-based pricing package that bundles six lines with unlimited calling, providing a cost-effective option for companies that want multiple numbers.

Features

AstraQom’s offering is pretty simple—just a virtual dashboard for administrators to purchase, provision and track calling history for local or international DID numbers. Even if your team is spread out across multiple cities or countries, AstraQom’s dashboard unifies your PBX systems and numbers into one database. The SIP service provides 99% uptime to over 100 countries, utilizing multiple data centers around the world.

While AstraQom’s feature offering is basic and lacks tools such as ring groups and voicemail, you can integrate it into a unified communications platform or connect it with a VoIP phone to access these features. AstraQom mainly stands out with its easy setup and strong voice coverage around the world.

Setup details connecting an AstraQom SIP line to a UCaaS platform
Integrating an AstraQom SIP line into a unified communications platform, with call recording and forwarding details

Pricing

AstraQom offers flat monthly rates for SIP trunking—each plan including free unlimited inbound calls. The lower-tier Starter and Corporate plans cost $15 and $43 per month, respectively. However, they only include one channel and a limited pool of monthly minutes before you begin paying 2 cents per minute for outbound calls.

The Deluxe plan, however, offers six phone numbers, each with unlimited inbound and outbound calling in the U.S. and Canada—all for $71 per month. This amounts to a little over $10 per user, which is a stellar deal for unlimited calls. If your team has high monthly call volumes within the U.S., the Deluxe plan may offer excellent value. However, if you have low call volumes or call abroad, you’re probably better off with an elastic alternative such as Plivo or Twilio.

Customer Service

AstraQom offers 24/7 customer care during U.S. weekdays, accessible by phone, email, live chat or support ticket. I reached out through live chat during the workday and connected with a helpful representative in about five minutes.

Reputation

AstraQom has very few entries on review sites, and most of them are several years old—suggesting very low popularity. Among the reviews available online, customers seem to appreciate AstraQom’s global presence, but several users complain of hard-to-reach customer support.

Pros & Cons
  • Works with nearly all PBX systems
  • Great value on Deluxe plan
  • Strong global coverage
  • Flat monthly rate can be costlier than usage-based pricing
  • Lacks features such as IVR and voicemail
  • Minimal feedback and reviews online

Forbes Advisor Ratings


Methodology

Our scores and rankings are the product of careful research, testing and comparison of 15 SIP services that businesses use today. We evaluated each SIP provider using our rubric, containing 26 data points spread across five categories, which we weighed according to their importance.

Here’s a breakdown of our scoring rubric’s general categories:

Decision Factor Scoring Weight Description
General Features
25%
We confirmed and tested the most essential SIP features, including BYOC integrations, international calling coverage, call forwarding, etc.
Expert Score
23%
Our subject matter expert tested and scored each service across four key areas: features, popularity, ease of use and overall value.
Value
19.5%
We considered each product’s pricing—including monthly and per-minute rates—in relation to its features, evaluating the service’s overall value for the money.
Additional Features
20%
Beyond the regular SIP features, we looked for “extra,” but still important, SIP features such as local and international numbers, number porting and call analytics.
Customer Service and Support
12.5%
We tested and compared each provider’s customer support offerings, considering the support channels offered and the ability to reach a live human anytime.

Read more: How we test VoIP and SIP providers


What Is SIP Trunking?

SIP trunking is a communication technology that connects your PBX system to the cloud, enabling you to transmit audio over the internet. It permits your PBX system to use Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a software protocol that facilitates real-time audio, video and data transmission between endpoints.

Most on-site PBX systems have IP capabilities that connect to the internet. SIP trunk providers give you credentials that configure SIP service for your PBX system. Once you enter these credentials, your PBX system can make and receive calls digitally over the web—without involving a landline.

Since SIP is cloud-based, administrators use a virtual dashboard to manage everything: call logs, voicemail, provisioning user phone numbers, inbound call routing, interactive voice response (IVR) menus and ring groups. SIP doesn’t require hardware such as physical phone lines, so you can get set up in minutes just by subscribing to a SIP trunk provider.


How To Choose the Best SIP Trunk Provider

When choosing a SIP trunk provider, it’s important to consider your company’s current infrastructure, as well as your anticipated monthly call volumes and destinations. You should anticipate what phone system features you’ll want—such as ring groups, IVR and analytics. Consider your company’s scaling expectations and, if you have remote workers, where they’re located.

Here’s a more elaborate breakdown of what to look for and consider when choosing a SIP trunk provider.

Essential SIP Trunk Provider Features

When evaluating a SIP trunk provider’s features, first consider its global coverage and virtual phone number offering. Then consider aspects such as the virtual dashboard, call routing features, call logs and voicemail.

Here’s a closer look at what features to compare.

  • Global coverage: Each SIP trunk provider offers distinct global coverage options—allowing you to call certain countries and have service around the globe. Before signing up with a provider, ensure its network covers the countries you call most often—and supports connectivity where your team is based.
  • Phone number offering: Some SIP providers only offer phone numbers from across the U.S., while some provide virtual numbers from over 100 countries. Ensure your SIP provider offers virtual numbers from the countries where you want to establish a business presence.
  • Virtual dashboard: A SIP trunk service’s admin dashboard lets managers purchase and assign phone numbers, manage billing and track call logs. Check out each provider’s dashboard to ensure it feels simple and intuitive.
  • Voicemail: Some SIP trunking providers let you set up voicemail messages directly within the virtual dashboard, while some do not. Voicemail is a critical feature for retaining customers who call when you’re unavailable.
  • Call routing and forwarding features: Many SIP providers offer call management features such as automated call forwarding during particular business hours or when you miss a call. This capability improves your customer support by ensuring that more calls get answered by a live agent.
  • Call records and analytics: Most SIP services track basic call records and display them in the virtual dashboard. However, some SIP providers offer more detailed analytics about each call’s connection quality. Further, some display call data in visual formats such as graphs or charts.
  • Ring groups: Some SIP providers let you bundle phone numbers or users together so their phones ring in unison. This feature works well for creating intracompany departments and ensuring that all calls are handled by the right representative.

Pricing

Evaluating a SIP trunk service’s pricing model is an essential part of your selection process because pricing amounts and structures vary significantly between providers. Some providers offer “elastic” pricing, which means they charge your calling by the minute, while others charge a flat monthly rate.

Here are the primary pricing models that SIP providers offer.

  • Elastic pricing: Elastic, or usage-based, pricing charges you by the minute, varying rates depending on where you call. Some providers charge as much as 3 cents per minute, while others charge as little as 0.5 cent per minute. Elastic SIP providers, such as Plivo and Twilio, often offer volume-based discounts and a good deal for teams with low or high call volumes.
  • Monthly cost pricing: Many SIP providers charge a flat monthly rate—either for the user/channel or the SIP trunk itself. Often, providers charging per user offer unlimited calling in the U.S., which can be cost-effective for companies with high domestic call volumes.
  • Combination: Some providers charge a monthly rate for your SIP trunk plus a metered per-minute price beyond that. In most cases, this pricing structure offers the worst overall value—though some providers with this model make up for it with excellent coverage or features.

Integrations and BYOC Connections

One of SIP’s main benefits as a cloud-based technology is that it can integrate your phone system with other digital data sources such as CRM systems, unified communications and messaging platforms, and contact centers.

Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) integrations refer to a platform’s ability to support you in integrating your own phone system into its service. For example, Microsoft Teams’ BYOC capability lets you bring your own phone system—including SIP trunk service—and use it within the Teams dashboard. Many contact centers and unified communications platforms offer this same capability, but it depends on your SIP trunking provider’s available and pre-built integrations.

Before choosing a SIP trunking service, check its pre-built integrations and BYOC connections to see if you can enhance your phone system by connecting it to other communication platforms.

Customer Support

Since your phone system is an integral part of your business’s daily functions, it’s important that your SIP trunk provider is available to provide service when you need it. Unfortunately, many SIP trunk providers only offer customer service through support tickets—which can take up to 24 hours to receive a reply.

Customer service can be even harder to reach for companies based outside the U.S., since most SIP providers staff their support teams during U.S. working hours. However, some SIP providers—such as Nextiva—offer 24/7 live support through phone, live chat and email.

Before deciding on a SIP trunking service, confirm the provider’s customer service availability and make sure it will accommodate your needs.


How Much Does SIP Trunking Cost?

Provider Starting Monthly Price (Monthly Plan) Usage-Based Costs Phone Number Costs Total Monthly Expense (25 Users, One Hour of Phone Time per Day) Volume Discounts?
Plivo
None
0.65 cent per minute outbound, 0.25 cent per minute inbound
50 cents to $1.00 per month
Around $170.00
Yes
OnSIP
$49.95 monthly per account
3.2 cents per minute
$2.00 per month
Around $1,120.00
No
Twilio
0.53 cent per minute outbound, 0.34 cent per minute inbound
$1.15 to $2.15 per month
Around $180.00
Yes
Bandwidth
Custom pricing
0.55 cent per minute inbound, 1 cent per minute outbound
(Estimated $1.00 per month)
Around $270.00
Yes
AVOXI
$19.99 monthly per trunk
1 cent per minute
(Estimated $1.00 per month)
Around $370.00
No
8x8
$25.00 monthly per channel
2 cents per minute
Included
Around $1,285.00
No
CallHippo
$25.00 monthly per channel
International calling only
Included
Around $625.00
No
Nextiva
$24.95 per channel
International calling only
Included
Around $625.00
Yes
SIP.US
$24.95 monthly per channel
International calling only
$1.00 per month
Around $650.00
No
AstraQom
$71.00 monthly for six phone numbers
International calling only
Included
Around $285.00
No

SIP trunking pricing varies greatly depending on the provider’s model, the number of users you have, your calling destinations and your inbound vs. outbound call distribution. In most cases, you’ll save money choosing a SIP trunking provider that offers elastic, usage-based pricing that averages below 1 cent per minute. Plivo and Twilio are two such examples and are the cheapest options on our list. Elastic-based SIP pricing usually costs under $8 monthly per user when averaging one hour of talk time per day—including the cost of a phone number—which is a great deal.

The low cost of elastic SIP trunking makes it hard to justify the subscription-based pricing model. Most subscription-based SIP providers charge $25 monthly per user. While this includes a phone number, it’s really only a good value for teams with very high call volumes. Further, some subscription-based providers such as CallHippo and AVOXI add unique features or extensive global coverage, which can justify the higher price in some cases.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the benefits of SIP trunking?

SIP trunking connects your PBX system to the cloud, enabling you to save money and expand your calling network by making audio calls over the internet.

What are the disadvantages of SIP trunking?

SIP trunking shifts your landline system to the internet, so it requires you to have stable bandwidth. Compared to hosted PBX, SIP trunking still requires you to manage a physical PBX system—while a hosted PBX system is entirely cloud-based.

What is the difference between VoIP and SIP trunking?

SIP Trunking is the technology that connects your PBX system to the internet in order to make calls. Voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) is the technology of making calls over the internet.

How much does a SIP trunk cost?

SIP trunks can cost up to $25 monthly per user or as little as 0.5 cent per minute with free setup. Pricing varies by provider.

Do I need a SIP trunk?

No, you don’t need a SIP trunk. Hosted PBX solutions offer fully cloud-based phone systems that only require an internet connection. However, if you have a PBX system on-site, SIP trunking is an effective way to enable calling over the cloud.


Next Up In VoIP


Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. This compensation comes from two main sources. First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. The compensation we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles; these “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Advisor. While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Advisor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. Here is a list of our partners who offer products that we have affiliate links for.
lorem
Are you sure you want to rest your choices?