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FreedomVoice Review: Virtual Phone & Virtual Office |
| Sign up for FreedomVoice | |
Rating: |
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| Service designed for 5 employees or less, includes faxing; it's not a beauty, but it's easy to use | |
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Introduction
FreedomVoice is meant for the smallest of small businesses, with only 5 included mailboxes. It has a few faults, but it's a refreshingly simple virtual phone service with some good extras that will be the perfect choice for some users. Interface and Setup We'll admit that when we first looked at FreedomVoice we were a bit disappointed. The interface is a bit chunky, and its light-green color choice feels a bit old-fashioned, like a throwback to the days of monochrome computer monitors. Yet the more we dealt with the complex menu systems belonging to other services, the more we could appreciate the simple menu system of FreedomVoice. Setting up forwarding rules, for instance, is as straight-forward as it gets (see screen shot at left). Best of all, you won't spend time hunting for the right menu option. Recording messages is particularly easy with FreedomVoice. Select "have the system call me" on the web control panel and your phone will ring. Record the message, and you're done. You can also upload a recording, or let the robo-voice speak a standard message. Assigning extensions and mailboxes are equally easy. Service and Features FreedomVoice call quality was on par with the other services we tested. Voices were clear when we called between two desk phones. Naturally things were a little choppier when forwarding calls to a cell phone. Calling out with FreedomVoice is possible, but it requires using a virtual calling card procedure which is a bit clunky compared to services that provide smart phone apps. FreedomVoice is one of the few services to include Internet faxing. The fax interface will not wow anyone, and those with more complex faxing needs should subscribe to a dedicated Internet fax service (the coverpage is about as bland as they come). But for those who require sending and receiving the occasional fax, it's a nice bonus. Pricing and Minutes At $9.95 per month, FreedomVoice's pricing plan may not seem any different, but since there's no annual contract, it comes out as the cheapest plan we reviewed if you want to pay month-to-month. Extra calling time comes in a bit higher than most, 5.9¢ a minute. You can upgrade to 1000 minutes and 25 voicemail boxes for $39.95 per month, or 2500 minutes and 100 voicemail boxes for $79.95 per month. Extra minutes are then 4.9¢ and 3.9¢ respectively. Conclusion FreedomVoice can be a bit lacking compared to other more well-rounded services (the hold music is pretty bad, and you don't have any options to change it). However, it is an inexpensive and straight forward service, and is particularly good for those that don't want a yearly commitment. Some services have too many features, and some have too few. Whether or not FreedomVoice is among the latter, depends a lot on your needs. Try out the two-week trial if you think it might be a good option for you. Sign up for FreedomVoice | Compare to Other Virtual Phone Services |
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| Annual Plan Price: | $9.95/mo |
| Free Trial: | 15-day free trial |
| Domestic Minutes: | 100/mo |
| Extensions: | 5 |
| Faxing: | Send & receive |
| Additional Minutes: | 5.9¢ |
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