Zoom Review

Why We Chose Zoom for Video Conferencing

Seamless, professional experiences are a must when company representatives meet with clients, vendors or job candidates remotely. We love that Zoom helps solve the challenges we face when meeting virtually. It’s easily navigable for occasional users yet offers advanced features for video conferencing experts. Budget-friendly mix-and-match plans and AI capabilities were key reasons we chose Zoom as the best business phone system for video conferencing. 

Zoom’s generative AI assistant works across multiple channels, including Zoom Meetings, Team Chat, Phone and Whiteboard. We found the automatic meeting summaries and recordings extremely helpful. Conference attendees (especially late joiners) liked the option to ask the AI Companion questions without disrupting the session. This feature is unique among business phone systems with AI-powered video tools.

Zoom’s AI tools can answer questions from video meeting attendees. Source: Zoom

Whether training new hires or visualizing product rollouts, employees can use Zoom to share files and engage participants. A fully integrated whiteboard and customizable backgrounds give Zoom a competitive edge. 

While GoTo Connect and Dialpad integrate with Miro, neither has built-in whiteboard solutions. Nextiva also offers video conferencing but not whiteboards. None of these Zoom alternatives lets users customize their virtual background with a slideshow.

Zoom’s free video meeting software comes with its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, Zoom Phone. Monthly prices start at $10 per user, and companies can mix and match plans to equip staff with the right tools without going over budget. Zoom Phone connects users with up to 100 people for 40 minutes per meeting. In contrast, Zoom Workplace Business Plus ($26.99 per user monthly) supports 30-hour sessions with 300 attendees and includes the AI Companion for video conferences. 

Zoom’s reasonable rates and plan flexibility keep it planted firmly on our list of the best business phone systems. However, the video conferencing features remain Zoom’s top selling point. 

Ease of Use

Zoom’s single-platform solution has a user-friendly interface, allowing for quick adoption among sales and service teams. Many business professionals are already familiar with Zoom meetings. The VoIP phone and chat services are equally accessible to end users. Employees can use a mobile app, desktop client, plug-and-play VoIP phones, or analog devices for inbound and outbound calls. 

Basic functions are relatively intuitive; even nontechnical team members will quickly learn how to make and receive calls or start a Zoom meeting. Zoom provides clearly labeled in-call controls for call transfer, record and hold. In addition to mobile and desktop apps, we appreciate that Zoom offers some functionality through its web portal and Zoom Web App.  

Zoom was a bit more challenging on the administrative side. Small business owners switching from landline to VoIP service may feel overwhelmed by the number of potential configurations, from call reports to AI settings. In comparison, Ooma and Nextiva offer fewer video meeting features but are easier to deploy. 

Zoom Phone System Features

Zoom’s phone system is packed with productivity and communications tools. Explore a few of our favorite Zoom features for small businesses.  

Video Conferencing

Zoom provides high-definition video and audio services, including the popular free Zoom Meetings software. As a video-first platform, its conferencing capabilities integrate seamlessly within team chat and voice calls. This functionality extends to one-click meetings from whiteboard sessions.

Collaborate with co-workers using Zoom’s built-in whiteboard tools while video conferencing. Source: Zoom

We appreciate that all Zoom Phone subscriptions integrate with the vendor’s free video service. It supports unlimited video conferences for 40 minutes with 100 attendees. The capacity increases to 300 people for 30 hours for Zoom Workplace Business Plus users. In contrast, Dialpad tops out at 10 participants for five hours, whereas RingCentral’s RingEX’s top-tier plan allows 200. 

AI Companion 

Zoom officially launched its AI Companion software in September 2023. Like similar tools offered by RingCentral and 8×8, the smart assistant summarizes video meetings and provides action items. Still, its bespoke capabilities caught our attention. AI-curated chat summaries transform unwieldy threads into tidy overviews, and the digital assistant answers typical in-meeting questions.  

Zoom AI Companion condenses chat threads into succinct summaries. Source: Zoom

We felt Zoom’s AI features were conducive to highly productive online meetings. Yet it lags behind early adopters like Dialpad, which also transcribes and summarizes voice calls. We expect Zoom to offer these capabilities to Zoom Phone users soon. Our Dialpad review discusses why it’s our preferred platform for voice intelligence. 

Zoom Clips

Zoom’s asynchronous video tool addresses the idea that too many meetings can kill productivity. Still, certain topics must be addressed via video. Users can access Zoom Clips in the online portal or apps to record and edit short-form videos. Zoom Phone accounts support five stored videos, up to two minutes each, whereas Zoom Workplace allows unlimited videos without time restrictions. 

After sharing a snippet, Zoom users can view video clip analytics, reactions and comments. Source: Zoom

Team Chat and Collaboration

Messaging and file sharing are standard unified communications features offered by Zoom and competitors. We found Team Chat easy to navigate and appreciated dedicated spaces for persistent meetings. 

The Zoom Notes feature is also a nice addition. Users can add manually written reports from meetings to a central repository. We liked the option to make each note private or shared. RingCentral’s RingEX also has a collaborative notes feature. Check out our review of RingCentral to see why it’s our top choice for collaboration. 

Collaborate on projects with Zoom Notes. Source: Zoom

Zoom Surveys

The survey feature is rare on cloud PBX phone systems but can benefit small businesses. Zoom is rolling out Zoom Surveys to licensed users, but only some customers can access them. We love this feature for HR, sales, service and product development teams. 

The survey library stores reusable templates. It lets teams select and share surveys via hyperlinks or during video meetings. You can also design polls and quizzes. This tool is in addition to the standard after-meeting surveys Zoom offers.

Zoom lets you create and customize surveys to engage customers or employees. Source: Zoom

Integrations

As small and midsize businesses (SMBs) look to increase productivity and reduce costs, integrated tools offer solutions. We love that all Zoom Phone subscriptions integrate with some of the best CRM software, calendar tools and email platforms. In contrast, competitors like RingCentral and Vonage lock some integrations behind higher-priced plans. 

Although Zoom syncs with fewer third-party applications than some competitors, we were satisfied with how well the integrations worked. For example, the Zoom Phone integration with Zendesk allows employees to continue working on a help desk ticket while answering Zoom calls within the Zendesk app. With Apps for Team Chat, users can access Salesforce, Jira, Asana or Microsoft Dynamics 365 without leaving Zoom.

Embed third-party tools in your Zoom business phone system to improve workflows. Source: Zoom

Call Management 

Unlike competitors, Zoom doesn’t lock advanced features behind higher-priced tiers. For instance, all Zoom Phone accounts can belong to several shared line groups, whereas only Vonage Advanced plans support call groups. We found Zoom calling features comprehensive and well suited for SMBs or enterprises. 

Indeed, Zoom offers an impressive set of call-handling and management tools, including the following:

• Unlimited auto receptionists
• Call delegation
• Interactive voice response (IVR) system
• Call queues and shared line groups
• Business hours and holiday routing
• Call monitoring (barge, monitor, whisper and takeover)
• Call hold, park and transfer

Zoom Pricing Plans and Subscription Costs

Zoom VoIP pricing ranges from $10 to $26.99 per monthly user. Companies can mix and match subscriptions for additional savings. We came across only a few business phone systems offering pay-as-you-go options. In addition, no Zoom competitors have a lower-priced unlimited calling plan with a full-featured IVR and multiple auto attendants. 

Zoom Phone integrates with the vendor’s free video conferencing software. It doesn’t include paid Workplace features, like cloud storage, 30-hour video meetings, telephone dial-in numbers or the AI Companion for video. 

We recommend Zoom Phone for employees with occasional video conferencing needs, whereas power users should opt for Zoom Workplace Business Plus. This subscription provides video and AI capabilities similar to RingEX’s base plan and is competitively priced. [Want to check out more AI-powered solutions? See our comparison of RingCentral and Dialpad.]

Review the following Zoom telephony plans to learn how their core features differ: 

Zoom offers several add-ons for Zoom Phone and Workplace subscriptions. A customer favorite is the Zoom Phone Power Pack. It costs $25 per month and provides enhanced call queue analytics. Zoom Phone customers can also add a toll-free number, cloud recording storage, conference room connectors and unlimited international calling to over 15 countries and regions.

Implementation and Onboarding

Zoom’s primary advantage is its familiar user interface, which can speed up the onboarding process. New users receive an email with a link to set up their Zoom Phone service. Once they select their country, time zone and PIN, they can customize voicemail settings, choose an emergency address and configure business hours. After that, they can use Zoom’s desktop client or mobile app to make and receive calls. 

Zoom has enhanced the onboarding process for administrators. Zoom Phone account owners or admins log in to their web portal and initiate setup. The automated tool poses questions to gauge the company’s phone requirements and provides suggestions with step-by-step guides. 

Overall, most standard systems were relatively straightforward to configure for admins with VoIP telephony experience. Likewise, most users can grasp essential calling and video functionalities. Despite this, organizations with advanced routing configurations, various account-level permissions and multiple sites will spend more time during implementation than smaller businesses.

Customer Support

Zoom Phone’s customer support options are more complex than those of other VoIP services. The vendor offers 24/7 phone and chat support for stand-alone Zoom Phone customers. However, it cautions that support plans may vary when combined with meeting packages. Other leading VoIP providers, such as Nextiva and Ooma, tailor their assistance to small businesses and may be more responsive during deployment. 

Some users reported longer wait times and dropped support calls when calling Zoom. Therefore, it may not be the best solution if you need dedicated, live assistance for troubleshooting technical and administrative problems. 

We appreciate Zoom’s comprehensive self-help tools, including the searchable knowledge base, a chatbot for troubleshooting technical issues and an active community forum. The learning center provides free on-demand courses and short videos. The drawback for some account owners is that Zoom’s support articles have few images, videos or GIFs. It was sometimes challenging for less technical admins to configure the Zoom system. 

Limitations

Zoom’s flexible plans are a good value for small businesses, but the phone service may not suit every company. It offers options for global calling yet falls behind GoTo Connect’s unmetered calling to 52 countries. Like Zoom, GoTo Connect has robust video meeting tools. Our GoTo Connect review explains the platform’s pricing and features. 

During the research and testing phases for our Zoom review, we felt many of the vendor’s support services were geared toward larger companies. We found Ooma’s plan and feature documentation easier to understand, ultimately making the phone system more straightforward to implement and use. Learn more in our full review of Ooma Office.  

Methodology

For our Zoom Phone review, we tested Zoom’s desktop, web and mobile apps. Our research included assessing user feedback and comparing features and pricing between systems. We spoke with customer service agents and everyday Zoom users. Our team spent dozens of hours trying VoIP and video conferencing platforms to see how usability, capacity and in-meeting tools differed. See our guide to choosing a business phone system to learn how to balance affordability with must-have features. 

Bottom Line

We recommend Zoom Phone for …

• Organizations that want a single solution for voice and video meetings. 
• Companies with dedicated IT teams.
• SMBs looking for AI-powered productivity tools. 

We don’t recommend Zoom Phone for …

• Administrators setting up a complex system for the first time. 
• Sales teams that need voice intelligence for audio calls. 
• Companies that make a lot of international phone calls.