| Cost |
| Software, one person | $14.95/mo | $8.99–25.99/mo | $15–35/mo | free | $20–35/mo |
| Software, five people | $46.75/mo | $44.95–129.95/mo | $75–175/mo | n/a | $100–175/mo |
| A second number for one person | ~$2/mo, carrier only | a second paid line, from $8.99/mo | $5/mo each | not possible | $5/mo each |
| Five numbers, one person | about $23/mo all in | five paid lines — from $44.95/mo | $35/mo (1 seat + 4 extra numbers) | not possible | $40/mo (1 seat + 4 extra numbers) |
| Calls & numbers |
| Each number rings differently | ✓ before you answer, on the lock screen | the extra lines forward into one — you check the caller ID | not documented | ✕ | ✕ |
| Voicemail transcripts | ✓ included | from the $14.99 tier | ✓ all plans | ✓ | ✓ all tiers |
| Call recording | ✓ automatic on incoming calls, kept as long as you like | top tier only, from $25.99 | by hand on the entry plan; automatic from $23 | partial | on-demand from $20; automatic from $25 |
| Take your number elsewhere | ✓ port out via your carrier | ✓ port out | ✓ port out | ✓ $3 to unlock, then port | ✓ port out — genuinely straightforward |
| If you stop paying for the software | numbers carry on — separate company, separate bill | service stops; port out to keep the number | service stops; port out to keep the number | the number goes with the account | service stops; port out to keep the number |
| Texting & privacy |
| Nobody else can read your texts | ✓ | encrypted and HIPAA-ready — but stored by iPlum | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| What texting costs | no allowance — every message at cost, about ½¢ | included, fair-use | included, fair-use | free & unlimited (US) | 25–200 per person per month, then ~1¢ each |
| How much you can actually text | a few thousand a month — real conversations, comfortably | fair-use ceiling, not published | fair-use ceiling, not published | unlimited, but personal 1:1 only — no business texting | 25/month/person before it costs more |
| Texting registration paperwork | you do it, guided | you do it too | you do it too | not offered | you do it too |
| What the registration costs | ~$19.50 once, $1.50/mo | at cost | $19.50 once, $1.50–3/mo — also at cost | n/a | the same, also at cost |
| Running it |
| Day-to-day app and admin | one app, one settings page | well regarded; a console per line | well regarded; easiest to get going | simple, but basic | powerful, and a lot to learn |
| You run the server | yes — that's the trade | nothing to run | nothing to run | nothing to run | nothing to run |
| Call queues, desk phones, video meetings | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |