Google Voice for Business: Plans, Limits, Alternatives
Google Voice gives a business a number that rings on every device you own. In 2026 it comes in six versions: three personal Gmail plans and three team plans on top of Google Workspace.
The quick answer: Google Voice for business costs $10 to $30 per user per month on Workspace, or $10 to $20 a month for one person on a paid Gmail plan. The free version is meant for personal use. It handles calls, one-to-one texts, ring groups and Gemini call notes well, but missed calls still end up as voicemail. If you want every call answered and booked on the right person’s calendar, Carly does that from one prompt in ChatGPT or Claude.
Google Voice for Business Plans and Prices (September 2026)
| Plan | Price | Who buys it | Users | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | Personal Gmail | 1 | Number on all devices, calls, texts, voicemail transcripts. Needs an existing mobile number |
| Starter (personal) | $10/mo | Personal Gmail | 1 | 24/7 support, three-way calling, call recording, desk phones, 911, number not reclaimed for inactivity |
| Standard (personal) | $20/mo, 50% off the first 6 months | Personal Gmail | 1 | Auto attendants, Gemini call notes |
| Starter (Workspace) | $10/user/mo | Workspace admin | Up to 10 | Starter features for a team, US texting |
| Standard (Workspace) | $20/user/mo | Workspace admin | No cap | Ring groups, call queues, auto attendants, Gemini notes, eDiscovery, SIP Link |
| Premier (Workspace) | $30/user/mo | Workspace admin | No cap | Automatic recording, transcription and AI notes, international locations, BigQuery reporting |
Every Workspace tier is billed on top of a Google Workspace plan: Business Starter lists at $7 per user per month on an annual commitment and Business Standard at $14. Gemini call notes on Workspace need Voice Standard or Premier on Business Standard or higher, so a five-person office that wants ring groups and AI notes pays $14 plus $20 a seat: $170 a month before taxes.
The personal paid plans launched in July 2026 for solo operators and side businesses, US only, one user each. For a team texting app comparison, see Quo vs Google Voice. Carly is free Zapier-style workflows; AI agents from $35/month.
Is Free Google Voice Allowed for Business?
Google’s help center says the no-charge plan “is for personal, consumer use.” The paid personal plans’ terms say those “services and features are for business use.”
Google sells the $10 Starter plan on the promise that your number “will not be reclaimed due to inactivity,” and its plan table shows no 911 support, call recording, three-way calling or desk phones on the free tier. For one person, the $10 personal Starter plan is the cheapest sanctioned setup. For a team, it’s Workspace plus a Voice seat per person.
Google Voice Texting Limits and 10DLC
US carriers treat business texts from 10-digit numbers (10DLC) as application-to-person messaging, and most providers make you register with The Campaign Registry first. Quo and Grasshopper both list a $19.50 one-time fee.
Google’s plan pages don’t list a registration step. Texting is “subject to the relevant acceptable use policy,” which bars “large numbers of commercial messages, or automated messages,” including anything sent “via an automated process, such as a script.” One-at-a-time replies are fine; reminders, promotions and texts from Zapier or a CRM are out. In February 2025, Android Police reported Google Voice texts failing for some users under carrier business-messaging rules. Workspace texting is US only.
Carly texts from your business number: two-way texts, a text back on every missed call, reminders to a list and group texts. More in SMS appointment booking for business.
Google Voice Ring Groups, Auto Attendants and Queues
From Google’s admin docs:
- Ring groups are on Voice Standard and Premier for Workspace only. No personal plan has them.
- A ring group can have up to 50 members, each with their own Voice license and number.
- Each ring group needs its own phone number.
- Calls ring members simultaneously, in a fixed order, or round robin, with call queuing on Standard.
Auto attendants (phone menus) come with Standard on Workspace and the personal Standard plan. Voicemails and texts land in Gmail. The recurring complaint in Google’s help community: admins asking how to send and receive texts on a ring group number.
Google Voice AI Features in 2026
Google added its first real AI feature to Voice in June 2026: Gemini “Take notes for me.”
- Tap Notes during a call and Voice records it, transcribes it and emails you a Gemini summary with key points and action items. Everyone on the line hears “This call is being recorded and captured by AI.”
- It’s English only, and only the person who started notes sees the recording, transcript and summary.
- On Premier, admins can make recording, transcription and notes automatic.
Voice also uses Google AI to filter spam and transcribe voicemails. The plans don’t list an agent that picks up when nobody else does, so missed calls still become voicemails. Compare the best AI receptionists.
Where Businesses Outgrow Google Voice
- Missed calls stay missed. A 7pm lead hears voicemail and calls the next business.
- Team and automated texting. Admins struggle to text from ring group numbers, and software-sent texts break the acceptable use policy.
- The CRM stays empty. Integrations center on Gmail, Calendar, Meet and SIP Link, so someone still logs the call in HubSpot by hand.
- Two bills per seat. Workspace plus Voice for every user, and Gmail plans stop at one user.
Google Voice Alternatives
| Alternative | Starting price | What it adds over Google Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Carly | Free Zapier-style workflows; AI agents from $35/mo | Answers 24/7, books callers on your real calendars, texts back missed calls, logs every call to your CRM |
| Quo (formerly OpenPhone) | $15/user/mo annual, $19 monthly | Shared team inbox for calls and texts, Sona AI agent |
| RingCentral RingEX | $20/user/mo annual, $30 monthly | Full UCaaS platform, AI Receptionist add-on |
| Dialpad | $15/user/mo annual, $27 monthly | AI transcription and recaps built in, AI Agents on credits |
| Grasshopper | $14/mo annual, $18 monthly | Virtual number with extensions that rings your cell |
1. Carly: Answers, Books and Logs to Your CRM
Where Google Voice takes a voicemail, Carly answers. It’s reliable and endlessly customizable: it follows your rules exactly, the same way on every call.
- Answers 24/7, or only when your team doesn’t pick up, in English or Spanish.
- Books callers during the call on your team’s real Google and Outlook calendars, round robin.
- Calls new web leads within a minute and texts back every missed call from the same number.
- Hands callers to a person through ring groups or a phone menu.
- Logs every call, text and voicemail to one team inbox and HubSpot, Salesforce, Dynamics 365 or Carly’s own CRM.
- Runs from ChatGPT or Claude with the Carly connector, connects to thousands of apps and triggers free Zapier-style workflows.
Best for: Service businesses, agencies and professional firms where every missed call is a lost booking. Pricing: Free Zapier-style workflows; AI agents from $35/month. Setup: Copy one prompt into ChatGPT or Claude, grab a number, and you’re live. Get started.
2. Quo (Formerly OpenPhone)
The closest thing to “Google Voice for teams”: shared numbers, one set of call and text threads, and Sona, an AI agent that answers inbound calls and can text a scheduling link. See Quo pricing.
Pricing: Starter $15/user/month annual ($19 monthly), Business $23 ($33), Scale $35 ($47). Sona includes 1,000 credits a month, about 10 calls, then paid tiers from $25/month for 40 calls. Watch out for: Carrier registration ($19.50 one-time) before texting US numbers, HubSpot, Salesforce and phone menus held to Business, and Sona costs that climb with call volume.
3. RingCentral RingEX
A full communications platform with meetings, desk phones and a contact center to grow into. Its AI Receptionist (AIR) costs extra. See RingCentral AI receptionist.
Pricing: Core $20/user/month annual ($30 monthly), Advanced $25 ($35), Ultra $35 ($45). AIR is an add-on from $39/month with 100 minutes, then $0.50 a minute. Watch out for: 25, 100 or 200 SMS per user per month by tier, a $25 Business SMS Booster for a shared text inbox, required TCR registration, and reviews citing slow support and renewal price increases.
4. Dialpad
AI transcription, call recaps and scorecards built in. AI Agents handle voice and chat and bill per conversation from credits. See Dialpad alternatives.
Pricing: Standard $15/user/month annual ($27 monthly), Pro $25 ($35) with a 3-user minimum, Enterprise quoted. AI Agent credits are priced by sales. Watch out for: The Pro user minimum, unpublished AI Agent pricing, and reviews reporting dropped calls in the mobile app and billing disputes.
5. Grasshopper
A business number with extensions that forwards to your team’s cells. See Grasshopper alternatives.
Pricing: True Solo $14/month annual ($18 monthly), Solo Plus $25 ($32), Small Business $55 ($70). Watch out for: A $19.50 one-time texting registration plus $1.50 a month, and extra numbers at $9 to $10 a month each.
For the wider field, see the best small business phone systems and AI answering services.
Stay on Google Voice or Switch?
Stay if people answer their own calls, text customers one at a time and don’t need the CRM updated.
Switch if calls arrive while everyone is busy or texts are how customers book. To get Carly answering your line, paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:
Carly business setup prompt
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or any AI. It walks you through the rest.
Help me connect Carly Teams so I can work with my organization's business texts, phone calls, voicemail and voice/text agents from this chat. I'll add it to you myself: tell me exactly what to click for the app you are, one step at a time, and wait for me to confirm before moving on. If a step doesn't match what I see, ask me what's on my screen. If you can do the setup yourself (Claude Code, Codex, Muse, Grok Bot), go ahead, and ask me for any key in your secure credential prompt, never in the chat. Don't tell me it's connected until list_phone_lines works, and if I have several teams, ask which to use. Before sending a text or making a call, confirm the team, recipient and message or task with me. The steps are below.
# Connect Carly Teams to an AI app
> Carly Teams works a team's business phone lines through the team's AI agents: business texts, phone calls, voicemail, the voice and text agents, and the team's CRM.
MCP server: https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp (streamable HTTP, OAuth)
## Setup
Carly Teams isn't in any plugin or connector directory yet, so it's added as a custom connection by URL.
1. Add Carly Teams:
- ChatGPT: open https://chatgpt.com/plugins, click Add, and choose Create MCP App (not Create plugin or Upload plugin archive). If Create MCP App isn't on the menu, turn on Developer mode first in Settings > Security and login. Name it "Carly Teams" with the description "Work with my team's business texts, calls, voicemail and voice/text agents," paste https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp as the server URL, choose OAuth, create it, and sign in. Then in the message box open the + menu, choose Developer mode, and pick Carly Teams. No plugin needs to be built, packaged or uploaded.
- Claude (claude.ai, Claude Desktop, or Cowork): Customize > Connectors > Add custom connector, name it Carly Teams, paste https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp, and sign in.
- Claude Code: `claude mcp add --transport http --scope user carly-teams https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp`, then /mcp, pick carly-teams, and authenticate.
- Codex: `codex mcp add carly-teams --url https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp`, then `codex mcp login carly-teams`.
- Cursor: add {"mcpServers": {"carly-teams": {"url": "https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp"}}} to ~/.cursor/mcp.json, then sign in to carly-teams from Customize.
- Muse: a custom connector to https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp with a Carly API key as its bearer token. The key comes from carlyassistant.com/account (API key under Carly Teams) and goes in Muse's connector settings, not in a chat message.
- Grok: grok.com/connectors > New Connector > Custom, paste https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp, and sign in.
- Grok Bot: a custom remote MCP server named carly-teams at https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp. Approve it and sign in.
- Perplexity: Plugins in the sidebar (or Customize > Connectors), then Add custom > Connector > Add MCP connector. Choose Remote, name it Carly Teams, paste https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp, pick OAuth, check the box and click Add, then click the Carly Teams card to sign in.
- Anything else: a remote MCP server (streamable HTTP) named carly-teams at https://carlyassistant.com/team/mcp. It signs in with OAuth.
Sign in with the Carly account that belongs to the organization.
2. Once it's added, the Carly Teams tools show up in the chat, including list_phone_lines. If they don't, turn Carly Teams on for the chat or start a new chat.
3. To check it worked, call list_phone_lines: it returns the teams and phone lines the account can reach. A team with no phone line yet can get one with find_numbers (optionally by area code) and get_number, which may return a checkout link to finish.
4. Something to try first: "Review our missed calls and voicemail and help me reply to customers." Carly Teams also reads and answers business texts, has the team's agent make calls, and edits the voice and text agents. Texts and calls go out at once from the agent's number and can't be taken back. Team permissions apply.
## Email, calendars and workflows
Email, calendars, files, booking pages and workflows are the regular Carly connector, added separately. It's listed in ChatGPT's plugin directory (https://chatgpt.com/plugins/plugin_asdk_app_6a67a26316b88191860222f918d4ec54) and Claude's connector directory (https://claude.ai/directory/carly), and connects anywhere else at https://carlyassistant.com/mcp/. Its setup is https://carlyassistant.com/mcp.txt.Get started, or watch the 2-minute video.
FAQ
Is Google Voice free for business use?
The free Basic plan is “for personal, consumer use,” per Google’s help center. For business, Google sells $10 or $20 one-person Gmail plans, or $10, $20 or $30 per user on top of Google Workspace.
How much does Google Voice for business cost?
On Workspace, Voice Starter is $10 per user per month (up to 10 users), Standard $20 and Premier $30, plus Workspace itself from $7 per user per month annual. One-user Gmail plans are $10 (Starter) or $20 (Standard).
Can Google Voice send business text messages?
Yes, one-to-one texts to US numbers. The acceptable use policy bars bulk commercial messages and texts sent by a script, so reminders and marketing texts don’t fit.
Does Google Voice have an AI receptionist?
Not on its plan pages. They list Gemini “Take notes for me” for calls you answer, plus spam filtering and voicemail transcription, but no agent that answers incoming calls. Carly, Quo’s Sona and RingCentral’s AI Receptionist do.
Does Google Voice have ring groups?
Yes, on Voice Standard and Premier for Workspace: up to 50 members per group, its own number, ringing all at once, in order or round robin. Personal Gmail plans don’t include them.
What is the best Google Voice alternative for a small business?
Carly for an AI that answers every call, books it and logs it to your CRM. Quo for a shared texting inbox, RingCentral for a full platform, Grasshopper for a simple virtual number.
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"Before Carly, I relied on a Calendly link, but the whole process felt impersonal and not very professional. Carly changed that by handling all the back-and-forth, so I'm no longer stuck in endless email threads trying to line up schedules.
Now Carly reaches out to candidates, shares my real-time availability, lets them pick a slot, then sends a Zoom link and drops it straight into my calendar. She sends reminders to both of us before each call, which has significantly reduced no-shows and last-minute confusion.
On top of scheduling, Carly acts like a full executive assistant, sending me my schedule the night before so I can prepare for each call. It reminds me of the old x.ai assistant, but Carly is noticeably smarter, faster, and better suited to my healthcare recruitment business."
