OverView
Both 1-VoIP and Vonage are top of the line VoIP providers, of that is there is no doubt, however; one must triumph the other. Vonage has had a very shaky period in time when providing quality service to its customers was getting tougher due to a lack of stronger networking infrastructure. 1-VoIP which was founded only 4 years after Vonage has had no such complications and has been providing reliable service to the entirety of its clientèle for a long time running now.
Realistically speaking, one of the first things a customer wants to know about, is what they can get for free in a plan. Vonage offers a multitude of free things that do come at a different price which we will mention shortly. Vonage is offering a free phone adapter, free shipping, and free activation for the condition that the customer sign into a, on the other hand, contract. 1-VoIP on the other hand also offers a free adapter and free activation, however without the need to sign into a contractual agreement. Baiting customers into, however, contracts is a ploy used by many VoIP and internet providers which Vonage is guilty of, however, 1-VoIP stays far away from!
Smartphone Apps are becoming somewhat of a necessity in this day and age when people would rather be carrying around their smartphone devices instead of old telephones. Thus the integration of a home phone network to smartphones using an app is imperative. 1-VoIP offers such an app and it supports Windows, Android, and IOS!
The mobile app that Vonage has to offer pales in comparison to that of 1-VoIP. The Vonage mobile app only allows calling, texting, and video chatting between existing Vonage customers, which greatly reduces the number of potential contacts. This mobile app is much more like a chatting app rather than a telecommunications mobile app considering the lack of integration and any real incentive.
Perhaps one of the most important differences to note between the two providers is credibility. Within just the last month 215 complaints against Vonage have been closed through the Better Business Bureau. Over the course of three years, the average of 200 complaints remains consistent, coming in at a total of 671 complaints in total that have been closed. Of these many complaints, around half were complaints of problems with the services, and one third were of billing issues. These numbers are quite substantial and not to be taken lightly when making a decision on choosing between two VoIP services. 1-VoIP has one complaint against them through the Better Business Bureau but that is most probably due to 1-VoIP current lack of exposure to the world.
Pricing
Many people considering pricing to be very simple and straightforward, however many things must be taken into consideration when examining the price of any given plan. This includes the number of features added in, the flexibility, and location among many other things. The pricing on 1 -VoIP residential plan which offers unlimited calling in North America is offered at $9.87 coupled with promotion through Gonevoip.ca! Any price below double-digit value in the telecommunications world today is very hard to come by. Vonage, on the other hand, offers the same sort of plan which also offers unlimited calling throughout North America for a total monthly payment of $24.99. Even without the promotional value, 1-VoIP would still be offering a lower price. However, why is Vonage implementing such a high price whilst knowing there are providers such as 1-VoIP and others who can simply outprice and oust them of customers!
In terms of pricing, 1-VoIP wins on a few more aspects as well, considering they don’t offer any fees on activation and the equipment is free. While Vonage, on the other hand, charges an extra 50 dollars in additional fees which only includes the equipment and setup!
Features
The feature difference we would first like to mention is the fact that Vonage doesn’t offer BYOD (bring your own device), while 1-VoIP does offer BYOD. Not only does Vonage offer BYOD but it also charges considerably high on a one-time purchase fee or monthly rental fee. While customers of 1-VoIP have no need to worry about such expenses.
Here is a comprehensive list of the features that 1-VoIP has to offer:
- Call Block
- Call Conferencing
- Fax Capabilities
- Call Forwarding
- Call hold
- Call transfer
- Music Hold
- Caller ID Name
- Call waiting
- Web Management
- DND
- Multiple users
- Area Code Selection
- Extra Number
- Toll-Free Numbers
- BYOD
- Desktop App
- Smartphone APP
- Enhanced Voicemail
- Voicemail to Email
Of these many features that 1-VoIP is offering with their services, Vonage disassociates a number of these features. For example, Vonage doesn’t offer fax capabilities, call holding, call transfer, music hold, toll-free numbers, BYOD, or the desktop app. The fax capabilities, however, are achievable with the Vonage plan with an added charge of $10.00 per month, however, 1-VoIP is offering this incentive inclusive to the plan which only costs $9.87 per month!
Customer Support
Implementing a comprehensive customer support program to ensure customer satisfaction is imperative to any business. 1-VoIP offers 24×7 customer service capabilities and also a 24×7 technical support program. Issues can arise at any given time during the day or night, and having the added incentive of providing this support at all times is an incentive that relieves customers.
Vonage offers a comprehensive troubleshooting tool on their website, however, Vonage offers to call support from 8 am to 2 am ET; which isn’t entirely 24×7. However, they do have a live chat feature is available at all times. The live chat support and troubleshooting make up for the limited calling time frame.
In regards to customer support both Vonage and 1-VoIP offer comprehensive support, but Vonage takes the win because of the added live chat support and troubleshooting tool which is available on their website!
Plan Flexibility
The number of plans that are provided to tailor to a variety of clientele is very important to find out how willing business is going to go to satisfy their customers. 1-VoIP keeps its plans simple which ranges from local calling, North America wide unlimited calling, and global unlimited calling. The priciest plan is the World plan which comes in at only $23.97 per month while not implementing any activation fees, or hardware charges and not forcing the customer into any contractual agreement. Vonage, on the other hand, offers a variety of plans which cater to individual needs such as people who need to call Mexico or the Philippines. However, the pricing on the World plan by Vonage is $27.99 per month and a 6-month promotion which allows customers to gain this plan at $9.99 for the first six months. The catch, however, is that the customer must agree to a one-year contract which once again is a baiting tactic to entice customers into agreements that are entirely unnecessary.
Verdict
Too much weight is on the side of 1-VoIP to give much credibility to Vonage. The pricing values that 1-VoIP offers are far better than any of the plans that Vonage has to offer. Furthermore, the additional factor that many of the additional charges that Vonage implements, 1-VoIP does not. The number of additional features that 1-VoIP has to offer further tips the scales far in their favor.