Best 1300 Number Providers in Australia
AVOXI compares the best 1300 number providers in Australia by reviewing pricing, feature sets, hidden costs, strengths, weaknesses, and more. Compare the top 1300 service plans before choosing a provider!
Comparing This Year's Top 1300 Number Providers
When it comes to comparing 1300 number services, we have some good news and bad news. The good news is that there are plenty of providers trying to win your business. The bad news is that telecom pricing can get ridiculously complicated no matter where you are, but this is especially true for 1300 number providers in Australia.
In fact, in our experience as a global provider of hosted number services, few regions can compare to Australia when it comes to complicated pricing plans, excessive costs for “add-on” features, and administrative charges. On the bright side, most of these providers also offer useful add-on services like live receptionist, or options to bundle your hosted number plans with high quality internet and PBX services. However, that does make it even more difficult to get an apples-to-apples comparison between 1300 service plans.
That is where we come in! In today’s review, we’ll compare 5 of the top 1300 number services in Australia as well as ourselves. We’ll be answering some of the most common questions asked about these services, including:
- How to get the best call rates for your particular business case
- Where to find the best 1300 number plans for several different business scenarios
- What to watch for if you want to avoid excessive admin fees or getting locked into a bad contract
Please note, all references to pricing and fees are in AUD unless otherwise stated.
Common Questions About 1300 Services
Can you call a 1300 number from overseas?
How are 1300 numbers different from other types of Australian phone lines?
Are 1300 numbers toll free in Australia?
1300 Number Plans Comparisons by Size
Business phone service pricing is complicated, so trying to calculate what you'll be paying for your service (and what exactly you're getting for your money) can be a nightmare when you aren't familiar with telecom terms and pricing structures already. That's why we're starting this article by taking care of as much of that for you as we can. Below you'll find plan details from all 6 providers, including what you can expect to pay on your first two invoices if you choose them. We created 1300 plan comparisons tailored for three levels of call volume that cover the common needs of entrepreneurs and startups, small and medium size businesses, as well as large enterprises.
Best 1300 Number Plans for Entrepreneurs and Startups
In our first scenario, we're comparing plans for startups or entrepreneurs looking for a simple, affordable service that isn't going to be a pain to deal with or beat you down with hidden admin fees. We did the math and estimated what a plan with about 100 minutes of talk time will look like from the top 1300 providers.
| Best plan | 1300 Go ($0, then $9/month after first 12 months) | Basic ($12.49 USD, or about $16.18) | $10 Number |
| Call charges (forwarding to landline) | $25 (100 minutes at 25¢ per minute) | Includes 134 minutes | Includes 100 minutes |
| When forwarding to mobile | Expect 56 minutes for $25 | Expect 127 minutes for $12.49 USD ($16.18) | Same plan includes 37 minutes forwarded to mobile |
| Additional usage (per minute) | 25¢ when answering on landline, 45¢ on mobile | 6.9¢ USD (8.9¢) forwarding to SIP; 8.6¢ USD (11¢) to landline; 9.8¢ USD (13¢) to mobile | 10¢ when answering on landline, 18¢ on mobile |
| Setup fees | $30 | None | $25 |
| Free features | Includes basic call forwarding features like time-based routing. | Best set of free features on this list, including simple and complex IVR, time and day-boused routing, business intros, advanced call reporting and many more. No geographic-based routing or postcode prompting (most customers use IVR as a workaround). | Excellent set of included features compared to other Australian providers. No extra cost for simple IVR, state and time-based routing, business greetings, fax and voice to email, and many more. They lack some more advanced features, but that shouldn't be a problem at this call volume. |
| Add-ons | Add-on costs for basic features like IVR and business greetings add up quickly. Unlocking "complex" routing features like geo-routing is somewhat expensive. | Advanced features like live call monitoring, CRM integration, advanced call reporting, etc. available after purchasing user licenses within the platform. | Competitive pricing for customers that would like to bundle live answering or virtual receptionist services with their 1300 number plan. |
| 1st invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $55 ($25 for calls, $30 setup fee). Add $110 for IVR, $60 for business intro, and/or $20 for voice to email | $12.49 USD or about $16 | About $40 |
| 2nd invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $25. Add $10 per feature if required: IVR, business intro, voice-to-email, fax-to-email | $12.49 USD or about $16 | About $15 |
| Cancellation and Porting Policy | 30 days notice. $25 to cancel in first 12 months, $75 to port your number. | Cancel or port out anytime. Enjoy a free month of calls when you port to AVOXI. | 30 days notice of cancellation. $40 to port out in first 12 months |
| Additional notes | Alltel's pricing is already somewhat expensive, and their numerous fees attached to seemingly every feature or level of service add up very quickly ($10 to change your forwarding number, for example). | While we are your top choice if fowrarding most calls to mobile or internationally, easybound includes many of the same features as we do with their service plans, plus some we don't like geographic routing. Our flat admin fee of $4.99 USD is also noteworthy on a plan this small. | easyinbound offers great call rates and every plan includes a better set of small business features than most Australian 1300 providers at no extra charge. With low setup fees and very few of the admin fees and add-on costs you see many Australian providers charging, they are a great choice for most small business customers. |
| Recommendation | Between the setup fees, high per minute rates, add-on costs for several standard features, admin fees, and cancellation policies, there are very few scenarios where Alltel makes the most sense for low call volume plan. | Consider us if you are forwarding some calls to mobile, need complex IVR or call analytics, or will be forwarding calls to internationally. Not ideal for postcode prompting, geographic routing, bundled live answering packages, or bundled internet packages. | easyinbound is tough to beat here! They probably make the most sense for a majority customers at this call volume. Exceptions include customers that need advanced features they don't have, or who plan on forwarding calls overseas. |
| Best Plan | Light 1300 ($15) | Secret Plan ($5.50) | Starter Plan ($10 plan +$5 number) |
| Call charges (forwarding to landline) | Includes 42 minutes forwarded to landline. Additional 58 minutes brings the total just under $22 | Includes 94 minutes. Additional 6 minutes brings total to $6.20 | 43 minutes included with plan |
| When forwarding to mobile | For $22, expect about 37 minutes | For $6.20, expect about 50 minutes | Same plan includes 37 minutes |
| Additional Usage (per minute) | 12¢ on landline, 32¢ on mobile | 11.7¢ on landline, 22.7¢ mobile | 12¢ to landline, 35¢ to mobile |
| Setup fees | Only for some add-on features (Ex. $50 setup for IVR) | $77 (Includes GST) | $10 |
| Free features | Includes voice-to-email, recorded announcements, keypress menu (simple IVR), and time/day based routing. | Looks like basic call routing included. Several advanced features available if you use their hosted PBX solution and buy user licenses | The features included for free with your Zintel plan are not bad, but certainly not as impressive as some other providers on this list. Standard features include basic call forwarding, voice-to-email, call reporting, and call overflow. |
| Add-ons | IVR ($50 setup + $35/month), Call Recording ($30/month), Postcode Prompter ($200 setup + $250/month), SMS enablement (20¢ per text). Only provider on this list offering dynamic call tracking. | Similar to AVOXI, you can unlock more features by buying user licenses in their platform. Lack of free features combined with the complexity of this setup may not be ideal for some customers with small call volumes. | Tons of features features that have add-on costs tied to them. Common features like simple IVR, business greeting, call blocking, time and day routing, call overflow and more can each add as much as $5 - $10 to your monthly bill. |
| 1st invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $22. Add $85 for IVR and $30 for call recording if needed. | About $83 | About $35 ($15 plan, $10 setup, $10 for silver pack features). Add $30 if Gold Pack features required (simple IVR, time and day-based routing, business greetings, etc.) |
| 2nd invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $22. This can change dramatically if any add-on features are required. | About $7 | About $25. Add $30 if Gold Pack features are required. |
| Cancellation and Porting Policy | 30 days notice required | No specific early termination fees cited in critical information summary | 30 days notice required |
| Additional notes | Solid option if only answering on landline and you want their included features that many other Australian providers charge extra for. Also your best option if you need SMS enablement or dynamic call tracking. | At a glance, low monthly fee looks great if you're forwarding calls to a landline or VoIP phone, but high setup fee kills any savings you'll enjoy with VoIPLine unless you stay with them for several months at a minimum. Even still, easyinbound and AVOXI win out in most scenarios for customers in need a of a low volume plan. | Call rates look solid and no setup fees makes them stand out compared to many Australian providers. Although it's nice that they include call reprorting and voice2email for free, paying extra for basic features is where your invoice may sneak up on you. |
| Recommendation | Solid option if you are answering on landline exclusively, or if you need an unusual feature like dynamic call tracking or SMS. Solid pricing for bundled live answering and virtual receptionist services as well. | VoIPLine's 1300 number plans are a little difficult to dissect. However, if you have simple needs, don't expect big spikes in your call volume, and plan to stay with them for at least a year, VoIPLine's low monthly fees can save you some money in the long run. | Zintel is not a stand-out winner in this category, but remains a solid option in many scenarios. |
Best 1300 Number Plans for Small and Medium Businesses
Next, we're comparing plans for a small or midsize business looking for a comprehensive service that's easy to self-manage, but also doesn't cost a fortune. We did the math and estimated what a plan with about 800 minutes of talk time will look like from the top 1300 providers in Australia.
| Best plan | 1300 Advance ($39) | Standard ($52.99 USD, or about $69) | $10 Number + $50 Call Pack |
| Call charges (forwarding to landline) | $77.60 (800 minutes at about 9.7¢ per minute) | Includes 801 minutes | Includes 950 minutes |
| When forwarding to mobile | Expect 325 minutes for $77.60 in call charges | Expect 675 minutes included with your plan | Same plan includes 375 minutes forwarded to mobile |
| Additional usage (per minute) | 9.7¢ - 10.7¢ when answering on landline, 23.9¢ on mobile | 5.8¢ USD (7.5¢) forwarding to SIP; 7.6¢ USD (9.8¢) to landline; 8.8¢ USD (11.4¢) to mobile | 10¢ when answering on landline, 18¢ on mobile |
| Setup fees | $50 | None | $25 |
| Free features | 1300 Advanced includes simple IVR, business intro, call recording, voice-to-email, and call announce | Best set of free features on this list, including simple and complex IVR, time and day-based routing, business intros, advanced call reporting and many more. No geographic-based routing or postcode prompting (most customers use IVR as a workaround). | As we covered in our small call volume comparison, easyinbound's set of free features looks great compared to other Australian providers. Some customers of this size will be fine with those features, while some may not be able to get around the lack of complex IVR, integrations, advanced analytics, call scoring, etc. |
| Add-ons | Custom quotes for "complex" routing options, such as multilevel IVR or postcode prompting. Admin fees for account changes, like updated business hours or answer points | Advanced features like live call monitoring, CRM integration, advanced call reporting, etc. available after purchasing user licenses within the platform | Competitive pricing for customers that would like to bundle live answering or virtual receptionist services with their 1300 number plan |
| 1st invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $167 ($39 plan, $77.60 call charges, $50 setup fee) | About $69 ($52.99 USD) | About $85 |
| 2nd invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $127 | About $69 ($52.99 USD) | About $60 |
| Cancellation and Porting Policy | 30 days notice. $25 to cancel in first 12 months, $75 to port your number. | Cancel or port out anytime. Enjoy a free month of calls when you port to AVOXI. | 30 days notice of cancellation. $40 to port out in first 12 months |
| Additional notes | Alltel still looks more expensive compared to other options on this list, even before accounting for their excessive admin and billing fees. | As the call volume increases, AVOXI's pricing gets more competitive and our free set of advanced features becomes more relevant. | Like before, easyinbound's call rates and included features make them a great choice for many midsize customers. However, their limited feature is a sticking point for some customers with at call volume. |
| Recommendation | Consider Alltel if you're also hoping to bundle several solutions with your 1300 plan, such as live answering, internet, and data services. | At this call volume, AVOXI is one of your top 2 choices in most situations. If you are forwarding a percentage of calls to mobile or overseas, we are the standout choice. | easyinbound looks good again! They aren't the stand out winners they were for a lower call volume, but still an excellent choice for midsize call volumes as long as you don't need certain advanced features like complex IVR. |
| Best Plan | Cap79 ($79) | Plus Plan ($40) | Pro Plan ($60 plan +$5 number) |
| Call charges (forwarding to landline) | 750 minutes included. About $4 for additional 50 minutes. | Includes 684 minutes. About $14 for additional 116 minutes. | 800 minutes included with plan. |
| When forwarding to mobile | Same plan gets you 300 minutes when forwarding to mobile (25¢ per minute). | Same scenario gets you 412 minutes on mobile. | Same plan gets you 348 minutes on mobile. |
| Additional Usage (per minute) | 7¢ on landline, 25¢ on mobile | 11.7¢ on landline, 22.7¢ mobile | 12¢ to landline, 35¢ to mobile |
| Setup fees | Only for some add-on features (Ex. $50 setup for IVR) | $77 (Includes GST) | None |
| Free features | Includes voice-to-email, recorded announcements, keypress menu (simple IVR), and time/day based routing. | Looks like basic call routing included. Several advanced features available if you use their hosted PBX solution and buy user licenses. | The features included for free with your Zintel plan are not bad, but certainly not as impressive as some other providers on this list. Standard features include basic call forwarding, voice-to-email, call reporting, and call overflow. |
| Add-ons | IVR ($50 setup + $35/month), Call Recording ($30/month), Postcode Prompter ($200 setup + $250/month), SMS enablement (20¢ per text). Only provider on this list offering dynamic call tracking. | Similar to AVOXI, you can unlock more features by buying user licenses in their platform. Lack of free features combined with the complexity of this setup may not be ideal for some customers with small call volumes. | At this call volume, we assume "Silver" and "Gold" feature packs are required for most customers ($10 and $30 add-ons). This covers call blocking, simple IVR, time/day-based routing, business greetings, and state-based routing. This does not included call recording, missed call alerts, complex IVR, etc. |
| 1st invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $198. (Assumes IVR and call recording add-ons required). | About $131 | About $105. Add $50 if Platinum Pack features required (inbound/outbound call recording, caller display, complex IVR, missed call alerts, etc.) |
| 2nd invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $148. (Assumes IVR and call recording add-ons required). | About $54 | About $105. Add $50 if Platinum Pack features are required. |
| Cancellation and Porting Policy | 30 days notice required. | No specific early termination fees cited in critical information summary. | 30 days notice required. |
| Additional notes | Solid option if only answering on landline and you want their included features that many other Australian providers charge extra for. Also your best option if you need SMS enablement or dynamic call tracking. | VoIPLine seems like a very good option for midsize companies that simply want a number they can plug into an existing system from a service with low call rates. Their high setup fees should be offset within a few months of savings at this call volume. | Call rates look solid and no setup fees makes them stand out compared to many Australian providers. Although it's nice that they include call reporting and voice2email for free, paying extra for basic features is where your invoice may sneak up on you. |
| Recommendation | Solid option in certain cases, like for companies that need dynamic call tracking. They do not stand out as the obvious choice for midsize call volumes. | If you have simple needs, VoIPLine can save you some money in the long run. However, you can get a fuller feature set for only a few extra dollars with AVOXI or easyinbound. | Just like in our previous scenario, Zintel may not be the stand-out winner, but it's competitive pricing and solid feature sets make them a good option for many situations. |
Best 1300 Number Plans for Enterprise
Finally, we're comparing plans for large enterprises looking for a safe, highly-reliable service that also provides the affordable call rates you should expect when managing high volumes. We estimated what a plan with about 2,000 minutes of talk time will look like from Australia's top 1300 services.
| Best plan | 1300 Advance ($39) | Premium ($106.99 USD, or about $138) | $10 Number + $115 in Call Packs |
| Call charges (forwarding to landline) | $213 (2200 minutes at about 9.7¢ per minute) | Includes 2225 minutes | Call packs add up to 2200 minutes |
| When forwarding to mobile | Expect 893 minutes if forwarding to mobile | Expect about 1,783 minutes when forwarding to mobile | Expect 861 minutes if forwarding to mobile |
| Additional usage (per minute) | 9.7¢ - 10.7¢ when answering on landline, 23.9¢ on mobile | 4.8¢ USD (6.1¢) forwarding to SIP; 6.6¢ USD (8.5¢) to landline; 7.8¢ USD (10¢) to mobile | 10¢ when answering on landline, 18¢ on mobile |
| Setup fees | $50 | None | $25 |
| Free features | 1300 Advanced includes simple IVR, business intro, call recording, voice-to-email, and call announce. | Best set of free features of any provider in this article. No geographic-based routing (most customers use IVR as a workaround). | easyinbound's offers an excellent set of free features for small businesses and many midsize customers. In general, their lack of advanced features will be a sticking point for enterprise-level customers. |
| Add-ons | "Complex" routing schemes like geographic routing (ex. $29/month + $49 setup for region-based routing, $99/month + $199 setup for postcode prompting). | Advanced features like live monitoring, CRM integrations, scheduled reports, custom dashboards, and more available after purchasing user licenses within the platform. | Competitive pricing for customers that would like to bundle live answering or virtual receptionist services with their 1300 number plan. |
| 1st invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $302 | About $138 ($106.99 USD) | About $150 |
| 2nd invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $252 | About $138 ($106.99 USD) | About $125 |
| Cancellation and Porting Policy | 30 days notice. $25 to cancel in first 12 months, $75 to port your number. | Cancel or port out anytime. Enjoy a free month of calls when you port to AVOXI. | 30 days notice of cancellation. $40 to port out in first 12 months. |
| Additional notes | Like the other scenarios, Alltel looks excessively expensive here. However, they are a large company with several solution options. Enterprises with large call volumes or bundled services may be able to negotiate for more competitive rates here. | Our pricing structure was set up to create competitive small business plans and unbeatable enterprise plans. Unlike other providers on this list, you can try our service without facing cancellation costs. We'll even port your number for free if you move to another carrier. | Once again, easyinbound is one of the most competitively priced options in this scenario. However, they are tailored to small businesses, and their lack of enterprise features and programmability will be an issue for many organizations with this call volume. |
| Recommendation | If you have over 2,000 minutes of monthly talk time, try negotiating custom rates or a bundled solution with other Alltel services before writing them off. | If the math isn't convincing enough, give us a try! There's no cost to cancel, no setup fees, and we'll even port your number for free if you'd like to change carriers. | Even without many advanced features, easyinbound's pricing makes them a noteworthy option. If their feature set works for your needs, consider them if you won't be forwarding many calls to SIP, mobile, or international locations. |
| Best Plan | High Volume 1300 ($99) | Value Plan ($80) | Ultimate Plan ($125 plan +$5 number) |
| Call charges (forwarding to landline) | 1,980 minutes included. Additional 220 minutes will be about $11. | 1,367 minutes included. Add $97 to get to 2,200 minutes total. | 1,875 minutes included with plan. Add $26 to get to 2,200 minutes total. |
| When forwarding to mobile | Same scenario gets you about 687 minutes forwarded to mobile. | Same scenario gets you 1,132 minutes on mobile. | Same scenario gets you 926 minutes on mobile. |
| Additional Usage (per minute) | 5¢ on landline, 16¢ on mobile | 11.7¢ on landline, 22.7¢ on mobile | 8¢ to landline, 19¢ to mobile |
| Setup fees | Only for some add-on features (Ex. $50 setup for IVR) | $77 (includes GST) | None |
| Free features | Includes voice-to-email, recorded announcements, keypress menu (simple IVR), and time/day based routing. | Looks like basic call routing included. Several advanced features available if you use their hosted PBX solution and buy user licenses. | Standard features include basic call forwarding, voice-to-email, call reporting, and call overflow. |
| Add-ons | IVR ($50 setup + $35/month), Call Recording ($30/month), Postcode Prompter ($200 setup + $250/month), SMS enablement (20¢ per text). Only provider on this list offering dynamic call tracking. | Similar to AVOXI, you can unlock more features by purchasing user licenses in their platform. No way to add individual features based on need without adding users to their PBX system. | At this call volume, we assume Silver, Gold, and Platinum features packs will be required for most customers (add $10, $30, and $50 respectively). |
| 1st invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $225. (Assumes IVR and call recording add-ons required). | About $254 | About $220 |
| 2nd invoice estimate (ex. fees) | About $175. (Assumes IVR and call recording add-ons required). | About $177 | About $220 |
| Cancellation and Porting Policy | 30 days notice required. | No specific early termination fees cited. | 30 days notice required. |
| Additional notes | Simple1300 is the only provider on this list offering dynamic call tracking. They have similar add-ons to other Australian services, but their fees for add-on features are very expensive. | As the call volumes increase, VoIPLine's pricing gets less competitve compared to our other scenarios. Their high setup fee should be less of a problem for customers of this size. | Invoice costs can fluctuate depending on your feature needs. If you don't need features like call recording, caller display, or multilevel IVR, subtract $50 from monthly cost. |
| Recommendation | As the call volume increases, Simple1300 looks better and better for customers forwarding to landlines. Avoid if answering any percentage of calls on mobile or forwarding internationally. | While VoIPLine looks very good in our midsize scenario, their pricing structure is not as advantageous for larger customers compared to other services on this list. | Zintel is consistently one of the top 3 options in almost every scenario we look at. They may not be the best choice here based on their website information, but there's no reason to avoid getting a quote from them and comparing to other providers. |
Top 1300 Providers by Use-Case
Best 1300 number plans that include SMS?
Best 1300 number providers for geographic call routing?
Best 1300 provider when forwarding calls internationally?
Which provider offers dynamic call tracking with 1300 number plans?
Where can I get the best deal for live answering service bundled with my 1300 number?
Looking Closer at Australia's Top 1300 Number Providers
| Provider | Great For | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alltel | Great for larger companies that want to bundle several solutions, such as internet and data storage, with their 1300 service plan. | ||||
| AVOXI | Great for businesses that forward calls to mobile devices or international locations, and midsize-enterprise companies looking for volume discount rates. | ||||
| easyinbound | Great for small business plans and midsize businesses without complex service needs like advanced IVR or voice integrations. | ||||
| Simple1300 | Great for midsize plans forwarding mostly to landline, as well as companies with dynamic call tracking needs. | ||||
| VoIPLine Telecom | Great for "plug and play," or large companies that want competitive call rates to plug into their hosted PBX and forward to SIP. | ||||
| Zintel | Good for small and midsize companies that either need very few features, and or several features included with their service. | ||||
Alltel
Alltel is an Australian-based telecommunications service provider that offers several packages for local 1300 numbers. Customers can purchase these packages online and enhance their solution with additional features like live answering, virtual receptionist, and Internet service, making them a good option for maximizing convenience under one provider.
Call plans at Alltel start at $0 for their 1300 Go for the first 12 months, which includes simple routing options and fast-activation numbers. After that, the price goes up to $9 for the same plan. Alltel has four plans for their 1300 number solutions, as well as two additional prepaid plans for $50 per month with 300 mobile minutes and 1,000 landline minutes.
All plans contain a $30 once-off setup fee, which will be included in your first bill. Alltel lets customers choose how they wish to pay - by month or year. If you choose the annual bill plan, you can save up to 20% of your total cost which could help you allocate those savings to their other services. Alltel’s included features fall short compared to others on this list. Many standard features are extra for the first three plans, with only their 1300 Advance plan having any at all.
| Strengths | Weaknesses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large inventory of premium 1300 numbers and smartnumbers | Shocking amount of admin fees, add-on charges, and hidden costs associated with any service plan you choose (detailed below) | ||||
| Also a provider of hosted PBX, Internet, data, and IT solutions for companies interested in managing adjacent solutions under one company | Add-on fees for basic features like IVR (which still comes with additional fees), business intro, fax2email, and voice2email, unless you choose their most expensive plan | ||||
| 1300 Grow plan includes unlimited calls from local landlines (if answering on a landline), a very interesting offer for businesses that don’t receive or answer many calls on mobile devices | Common features like call recording, call whisper, and access to a self-managed online portal only available on Alltel’s most expensive plan | ||||
Alltel 1300 Number Plans
Alltel pricing begins at $0 per month (first 12 months only, then $9 per month) for their 1300 Go plan, but choosing this plan means very high call rates (25¢ per minute when answering on a landline, 45¢ per minute when answering on mobile). 1300 Starter is $19 per month and includes 30 minutes of free calls from local landlines and average call rates that are significantly more affordable than 1300 Go. 1300 Grow will cost you $29 per month, but includes unlimited calls from local landlines and much better call rates than Starter or Go. However, none of those options includes business intro, IVR, voicemail2email, fax2email, call recording, call whisper, or access to an online portal to manage your settings. Those features are included in their $39 1300 Advance plan (the highest-tier plan), although this plan doesn’t include free calls from local landlines and increases your average call rates back to what’s offered in the Starter plan. Every plan includes a $30 setup fee - except for 1300 Advance - which has a $50 setup fee.
Expect to pay a minimum of $63 for Go, $68 for Starter, $88 for Grow, and $128 for Advance in your first month. These prices include the setup fee but not any add-ons.
Based on our findings, customers hit a diminishing return for the number of minutes they receive in the Advance plan. The starter to intermediate plans accumulates minutes, whereas Advance sees a loss. This is probably offset by the features included in Advance that aren’t included in the others. When you select your call plan, you’ll be prompted to pick your number and add-ons. Some 1300 numbers are free, while others have a price tag. Several add-ons have associated setup fees and per month charges, including features like IVR, business intro, fax- and voice-to-email.
Alltel offers a wide variety of services like live answering, call recording, SMS, and virtual receptionist for an additional cost. Live answering is an intuitive tool to help your business interact with leads and take down vital information, even if you’re technically closed for the evening. Extras for the feature can set you back $35 (not including the price for the service). The more departments you add to your operator’s plate, or the more SMS recipients added outside of your primary contact, the more expensive your invoice becomes. Alltel charges $10 per additional question in addition to the caller’s name, callback number, and message. EasyInbound only charged $0.25 per additional question!
As for a virtual receptionist service, it comes in three unique plans - PAYG, 100 minutes, and 500 minutes - with a cost per excess calls of $2.50, setup fees that can reach $190, and monthly plans from $30 for PAYG, $210 for 100 minutes, and $950 for 500 minutes. Alltel is a provider that has a charge for several services and features. However, if you’re seeking a provider that can offer agent or Internet connection services then Alltel may just be the right one for you.
Alltel's Highlighted Services
- Prepaid Plans: Simple plans with a fixed minute system to answer calls on mobile or landline systems.
- Smartnumber Inventory: Instantly obtainable smartnumbers (also known as vanity toll free numbers) for purchase.
- 24/7 Live Answering: Professional operators answer phone calls in your business name and respond based on service arrangement. Concierge service will extend live answering capabilities with warm transfers to available teams or agent.
AVOXI
AVOXI is a leading provider of 1300 numbers in Australia and inbound numbers in 170+ countries. Every plan comes with several business phone features at no extra cost, including unlimited IVR menus, time-based routing, call overflow rules, voicemail transcription, and much more. Advanced phone system features like live call monitoring, customer callback, and CRM integrations can be unlocked by setting up user licenses within our platform.
Unlike many other providers on this list, we don't offer state-based routing or postcode prompting, nor do we have bundled services with for live answering (virtual receptionist). However, you won't find many admin fees, setup costs, or add-on charges for standard features like IVR and automated call routing, which seems to be normalized among 1300 service providers that focus exclusively on Australia.
| Strengths | Weaknesses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No setup fees, no early termination fees, no add-on fees for basic features, and no charge to get help from our service team at any hour | No geographic-based routing or postcode prompting feature | ||||
| Most affordable option in several scenarios, especially for medium-high call volumes or when forwarding calls to a mobile or overseas | Flat $4.99 USD admin fee makes it harder for our smaller calling plans to compete with providers focused on small businesses | ||||
| Intuitive interface with features like multilevel IVR, complex call routing, call reporting, voicemail transcription many more included at no extra cost | Unlike other providers on this list, we don’t offer bundled services for live answering, virtual receptionist, Internet, or fax-to-email | ||||
AVOXI 1300 Number Plans
Our transparent pricing plans tell customers exactly what they need to know: pricing, minutes, and call rate for each additional minute used. Compared to the other providers, AVOXI does have one of the most expensive plans for their upper-tier packages. However, it also provides you with the most minutes.
Plans begin at $7.99 USD (approximately $10.31 AUD) for their pay-as-you-go style Classic plan. As you move up plans, you are allotted more minutes. AVOXI’s Premium plan has the most amount of minutes. For $106.99 USD (an estimated $138.02 AUD), organizations receive 3,059 inbound call minutes.
There are no contracts or setup fees, and we include over 20 call features free of charge for our 1300 number customers. Customers pay for services in USD.
AVOXI's Highlighted Services
- Intuitive Voice Platform: Manage your business phone service settings from an easy-to-use interface.
- Paid Porting Offer: Enjoy a month of free calls when you port an existing 1300 phone number to AVOXI!
- Advanced Call Forwarding: Every 1300 number plan includes multilevel IVR, time and day-based routing, call overflow and ring rules, and many more business phone features at no extra cost.
easyinbound
easyinbound is an Australian voice provider that serves 1300 inbound phone numbers to startups and corporations around the country. Their online portal makes it easy to select the number and plan you want. Compared to other providers highlighted on this list, easyinbound is more upfront with their per month pricing, and they include several standard and advanced features in their plans at no additional cost.
Package plans at easyinbound begin at $0 for their version of pay-as-you-go, followed by a $5 plan, $25 plan, and $50 plan for landline, mobile, or a hybrid package. They can also tailor a customized plan for large volume clients.
As mentioned above, they’re one of the few providers here that actually include call features in their plans free of charge. These features include simple IVR, call queuing, overflow routing, call whisper plus more advanced features like call recording, state-based routing, reporting, and statistics. Live answering service is also available for customers but for an additional fee per month.
| Strengths | Weaknesses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick, easy activation comparable to global services and better than most local Australian services | Although excellent for most small business needs, they lack some of the features and pricing perks that many midsize and most enterprise clients need | ||||
| The free features easyinbound includes with every plan is much better than most Australia-based providers, where extra fees for generic features is common | While not as bad as most Australian services, they still charge fees for things like changing your forwarding settings, handling service requests after hours, early termination and porting fees, etc. | ||||
| Excellent incoming call rates, affordable 1300 service plans, and plenty of free features makes easyinbound an excellent choice for most small businesses in Australia | General lack of advanced features such as smart IVR, CRM integrations, detailed analytics, etc. | ||||
easyinbound 1300 Number Pricing
easyinbound call plans for their 1300 numbers begin at $0 and increase to $5, $25, and $50 for their landline, mobile, and hybrid packages. Their pricing and allocated minutes for each plan are fairly straightforward, providing its customers with clear insight on the number of minutes received and call pack rate for each plan.
It’s refreshing to see a provider with clear pricing, but what’s not so abundantly clear are the fees associated with assistance from the customer care team. Changes to accounts can range from $14.95 to $25.95 per change depending on the complexity of the situation. Administration fees can really add up too. Fees that easyinbound charges their customers include after-business-hours-work, port-out per number, and service reconnection following a suspension or cancellation among others.
easyinbound provides its customers with several standard and advanced features complimentary with their service that other providers do not. They also offer additional features to enhance your business’s customer experience. Live answering is one of these services, and its basic call pack begins at $27.95 for 20 answer calls. Each additional call pack contains 5 for $5.95. Out of Alltel and Simple1300Numbers, easyinbound has the best rates.
Ex. 85 answer calls cost approximately $150 at Alltel and Simple1300Numbers, whereas at easyinbound it’s $94.
Just like Alltel, they also offer a virtual receptionist service. easyinbound’s virtual receptionist service is less expensive compared to Alltel. In your first month of service, you’ll be paying one-third less the cost at $199 for easyinbound and $300 for Alltel for 100 answer calls. After that, setup fees will be excluded. SMS is available within both services. Based on their monthly pricing, call rates, allocated minutes, and service to New Zealand and Australia, easyinbound is an ideal solution for inter-region businesses selling products and services within the country that receives low-mid monthly call volume.
easyinbound Highlighted Services
- Call Recording: Automatically record all incoming calls and have both sides of the conversation emailed to you directly.
- Virtual Receptionist & Live Answering: Easily enhance your customer service by taking down contact or lead names, messages, and transfer them where they need to go within your organization.
- Call Distribution Routing: Direct inbound calls via state-based and time of day/week routing terms.
Simple1300
Simple1300Numbers is a local provider of telephone numbers for businesses seeking national Australian 1300 numbers. Customers can order these directly from their website, along with a plan that’s best suited for their needs. Plans start at just $10 per month for a prepaid plan, increasing to $99 for those with high call volume.
This provider offers customers landline and mobile answer point options. Their landline answer point call rate is $0.015 for its Prepaid plan, and starts at $0.012 for its Light 1300 plan, getting cheaper as you move up the plans.
Simple1300Numbers has mobile answer point amounts for 100 minutes, 250 minutes, 300 minutes, and in a call credit amount that’s not easily identifiable to be converted into a number. Buying a 1300 number from this provider comes with some unique features, including state- and region-based routing, line hunts (call overflow sequence), and keypress menu which is also referred to as simple IVR.
| Strengths | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No additional charges for standard features like simple IVR, voicemail-to-email, and time-based routing (many Australian services charge extra for these) | Call rates are very expensive when answering on mobile | ||||
| Able to log in to an online portal, view reports, and change basic settings like forwarding rules (many Australian services charge admin fees like this) | Very high setup fees and recurring charges for add-on features, even compared to other local services in Australia | ||||
| Plenty of options for add-on features and services, including dynamic call tracking | Pricing plans are not intuitive or easy to understand, even for those familiar with telecom pricing | ||||
Simple1300 Number Plans
The Prepaid 1300 plan is the provider’s most basic call tier, starting at just $10 per month. While in the general arena of bottom-tier pricing, Simple1300Numbers’ beginner package is slightly more expensive compared to others on this list.
They offer several unique plans with talk time apportioned to landline and mobile answering points. Pricing for these plans is decent when picking up a call from a virtual landline. Mobile answer point costs are high, especially compared to easyinbound and Alltel. And if you converse via SMS, an additional $0.20 is charged for every text.
While there’s better on this list, Simple1300Numbers is a good brand to consider for your virtual landline needs. After a thorough examination, we can determine that this brand is an ideal solution for businesses that operate with low-mid volume each month and don’t need additional features to get the job done right. Their low monthly fee combined with fair landline answer rates is a great differentiator among Australian 1300 providers.
Ex. Customers with talk time less than 750 landline minutes could spend anywhere from an estimated $64 (could be less) to $132 for inbound calls per month.
If you’re seeking some additional features to enhance your call center, Simple1300Numbers does offer some utility add-ons to get it right on track. While it may be necessary for some, it can drive up your monthly cost significantly. Customers could spend up to an estimated $645 for their first month and $395 (or more depending on your live answering plan) per month thereafter, excluding the total monthly cost amount.
- Call recording: $30 per month (3 months of storage)
- Live call answering: $50 per month (15 calls per month, $2.50 per call after)
- Multilevel IVR: $35 per month + once-off $50 setup fee
- Postcode prompter: $250 per month + once-off $200 setup fee
- Digital fax: $30 per month
Simple1300Numbers’ live answering is a personal monthly inbound telecommunications service where an operator takes down key details and messages in the name of your brand. Their pricing and allotted minutes are fair, but going over said call times can cost you up to $2.50 per additional call. Postcode prompter helps callers get directed to the right store or office location. A custom message is played and prompts the caller to input the post code into the keypad, which then reroutes them to the appropriate location based on their entry.
Simple1300 Highlighted Services
- Forward to SIP: Delivering IP-enabled private branch connection over fiber optics to SIP-compatible phones or Asterik systems, allowing for cheap call rates and quicker connections.
- Dynamic Call Tracking: Search engine marketing tool that allows you to track conversions from paid adverts from coding attached to your 1300 number. Tracking metrics available to view when integrated with Google Analytics.
- Call Recording: Easily record calls for quality assurance, training while gaining insightful customer feedback to improve processes.
VoIPLine Telecom
VoIPline Telecom is a telecommunications company with hosted PBX and voice coverage solutions in over 50 countries, including New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Before purchasing a 1300 business phone number solution, customers can enjoy a 14-day free trial with access to their advanced mPBX routing system and call flow monitoring capabilities.
Packages begin at $5.50 per month with their Secret plan, increasing in minutes and price as you move up. Their Value plan is their most expensive at $80 per month, but it comes with the most amount of call minutes compared to the other plans at VoIPline Telecom.
If you require more minutes than the 1,818 for mPBX, 1,368 for landline diverted to a landline, or 705 minutes for landline diverted to mobile, then you can get a customized quote for all of your call volume needs. There’s a $77 setup fee to get you started on all 1300 voice plans, and VoIPline Telecom has a promotion going on for double call value - double your minutes without additional cost!
| Strengths | Weaknesses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice coverage in over 50 countries | Pricing system makes sense, but very expensive for hosted, landline, and mobile top-tier plans | ||||
| Excellent call rates and plan pricing for companies that simply want to plug a number into their existing system or migrate to VoIPLine's platform | Fees for basic services like call recording and local number porting can be quite expensive | ||||
| Pricing isn't simple, but it is transparent (very few admin fees to worry about, G&S included in most of their pricing, etc.) | Pricing for 1300 numbers can be pricey for short-term needs | ||||
VoIPLine Telecom Number Plans
The Secret plan is this provider’s lowest-tier plan, which begins at $5.50 per month for 125 hosted mPBX minutes, 94 minutes for calls answered on a landline, or 48 minutes for calls answered on a mobile phone. The standard inbound call rate is $0.088 per minute for calls going through their cloud-based system, mPBX. Customers diverting their inbound calls through landlines will pay an extra $0.029 per minute ($0.117 total), and those who answer calls on their mobile device will pay an additional $0.139 per minute on top of the standard inbound rate ($0.227 total). Diverted calls to mobile devices are about 63% more in total cost with pricey call rates at $0.23 per minute. While relatively high, they’re consistent throughout each plan unlike others on this list.
This provider has one of the highest voice coverage counts on this list behind AVOXI. Comparatively, many Australia-based providers in this analysis strictly service Australia, whereas VoIPline Telecom also services Commonwealth Nations like New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom. VoIPline Telecom offers their customers four different plans at varying price points. Each plan has an allocated number of talk minutes, but it’s not immediately clear how many are included within each tier. To determine the number of minutes, you must divide the call rate you plan to use by the promotional price (which we’ve done for you below).
Ex. Plus - Landline Minutes: $80 (double value promotion) / (inbound rate ($0.088) + landline diversion rate ($0.029)) = 684 minutes
VoIPline Telecom’s integration functionality with Microsoft Teams and its unique hosting system, mPBX, makes it a viable solution for contact centers taking calls with a mid-volume range per month. While it’s one of the most expensive solutions on this list, its mPBX system stands out with a variety of included features, such as call parking, reporting, call recording, call queue wallboard, and drag-and-drop call flow map. This system helps companies to visualize their call flow methodology, helping call center managers streamline their telephony system for optimized call routing.
VoIPLine Telecom Highlighted Services
- Microsoft Teams Integration: Allow Microsoft Teams agents the ability to make and receive calls within direct routing capabilities.
- Call Parking: Inbound calls can be sent to predefined lots, allowing agents to retrieve them from another phone in the business. Customers can set up parameters if the call is forgotten in the lot.
- Call Queue Wallboard: Monitor the status of inbound calls in real-time and make necessary changes in call routing allocation on drag-and-drop software.
Zintel
Zintel is a national provider of 1300 number voice offerings that fuel the Australian and New Zealand market. Customers of this provider can purchase a 1300 phone number through their simple three-step cart process:
- Choose 1300 number
- Select plan
- Add features
Upfront your spending $5 for your 1300 phone number. Zintel plans begin at $0 for their Pay As You Go option, increasing in cost and minutes as you move up before landing at the Ultimate package, which includes 1,875 landline minutes or 789 mobile minutes for $125 per month and cheaper than VoIPline Telecom offering similar minutes.
Our analysis involves monthly pricing, but customers can opt-in to save upwards of 25% for annual bill pay. Several advanced call features can be added to your plan to enhance your solution, such as call recording, missed call alert SMS, and professional voice talent recording to give your customers total brand voice throughout their call journey. However, Zintel also charges extra for many standard features as well like simple IVR/keypress, business hour routing, call splaying, and more. Complimentary features that are included with all plans: voicemail to email, call forwarding and reporting.
| Strengths | Weaknesses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick, easy activation for inbound numbers in both Australia and New Zealand | Cost per minute (when forwarding to mobile) is not competitive, even in highest volume plans | ||||
| Setup costs and admin fees are notably smaller compared to most providers based in Australia | Although better than many Australian services, they still charge setup fees and some frivolous admin fees. These billing practices aggravate customers and are not often used outside of Australia anymore | ||||
| No add-on fees for call reporting, voice to email, call overflow (sequential), or self-service portal | Add-on fees for standard features like time-based routing, simple IVR, business greetings, and simultaneous ringing | ||||
Zintel Number Plans
Zintel offers seven different voice plans for your 1300 needs. The Pay As You Go plan doesn’t cost anything per month. Instead, you pay for the minutes you use by multiplying them by the associated call rate. Their Starter plan begins at $10 and gradually increases in cost and minutes as you move up tiers and maxing out at $125 for the Ultimate plan. While this number provider offers a few specific call features within its plans, customers can enjoy the flexibility to select additional features that will be most impactful on their communications.
Like Alltel, customers may choose to be billed annually and save 25% of their total monthly cost. Call rates are competitive for landline rates and mobile rates among the listed providers, yet still relatively high overall for the service provided. This provider offers its customers a virtual receptionist service which is a unique service to this group. Just like live answering, this virtual service takes calls and messages on your behalf, but sends you the details via SMS or email so you can follow up with those contacts. Customers must inquire about the price, as it’s not listed on their website.
Unlike other providers, setup fees are only required for PAYG and Starter plans. From our calculation, we can determine that Plus customers yield the most value (90% more) in additional minutes for landline and mobile minutes compared to the plans beneath. Interestingly, Premium and Ultimate plans share the same percentages for additional minutes, too. So if you go with one of the upper-tier plans, it’ll really just come down to how many minutes you average per month.
Inbound call rates for Zintel are competitive, ranging from $0.12 to $0.08 for landline answerpoint and $0.35 to $0.19 for mobile answerpoint. PAYG call rate is high at $0.30 and $0.55, respectively. If you don’t need a suite of call features, then Zintel might be the right provider for you. While they have a couple of robust features, such as reporting and sequential call overflow, included within their plan, many of the add-on features they promote are standard features of other providers. Their features are stacked within tiered plans, which could save you $10 from a $90 total if you buy all three. Say you bought each individually. You could be spending up to $250 each month outside of your call plan for several industry standard features, as well as some robust ones like inbound and outbound call recording and missed call alert SMS and Email. Postcode prompting, professional voice talent recording with a voice actor, and fax to email are additional features to add to your telecommunications.
Zintel Highlighted Services
- No Porting Fees: Easily transfer your legacy 1300 telephone number for free.
- Virtual Receptionist: Capture every contact 24/7 even if you can’t get to the call. Your virtual receptionist will email or SMS the lead’s contact information to you so you can follow up accordingly.
- Professional Voice Over: Get a consistent, professional sound with hundreds of voice actors to suit your brand.
Choosing the Best 1300 Service Provider for Your Business
Engaging with customers is easier with a reliable, high-quality local 1300 number phone service supporting you! Even if you don’t choose AVOXI, we hope this article makes it easier to navigate the complicated world of telecom pricing and find the best Australia 1300 phone service provider for your business!
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