Best Toll Free Number Providers in Australia
AVOXI compares the best toll free number providers in Australia by reviewing pricing, feature sets, hidden costs, strengths, weaknesses, and more. Compare the top 1800 service plans before choosing a provider!
Comparing Australia's Top 1800 Number Providers in 2021
Are you seeking the best toll free number provider in Australia? You’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’re comparing the very best providers for your business needs.
When it comes to comparing toll free provider services, telecom pricing can get extremely complicated - especially in Australia. In fact, in our experience as a global provider of hosted number services, very few regions can compare to Australia’s complex pricing structure, excessive costs for add-ons, and administrative charges.
On the bright side, most of these providers also offer additional services like live receptionist or bundling plans for your hosted number with high-quality Internet and PBX services. But, it does make it even more difficult to get an aligned, apples-to-apples comparison between toll free providers.
This where AVOXI comes in! In the review below, we’ll be comparing the top 5 toll free Australian providers including 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 business use-case
- Where to find the best Australia toll free 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
Note: 1800 number pricing from these providers is shown in Australian dollars unless otherwise noted. At the time of this article, the applicable conversion rate is $1 USD to $1.30 AUD.
Common Questions About 1800 Number Plans
Are 1800 numbers free to call in Australia?
How much does an 1800 number cost in Australia?
What's the difference between 1300 and 1800 numbers in Australia?
Comparing Australian Toll Free Number Plans 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 5 providers, including what you can expect to pay on your first two invoices if you choose them. We created this Australian toll free number plans comparison tailored for three levels of call volume that cover the common needs of entrepreneurs and startups, small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large enterprises.
Best 1800 Number Plans for Entrepreneurs and Startups
First, we're comparing 1800 number 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 200 minutes of talk time will look like from the top 1800 providers.
Best 1800 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 1,200 minutes of talk time will look like from the top toll free providers in Australia.
Best 1800 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 3,000 minutes of talk time will look like from Australia's top 1800 services.
Top Toll Free Services by Use-Case
Who is the best toll free number provider for geographic call routing?
Who is the best toll free number provider when forwarding calls internationally?
Where can I get the best deal for live answering service bundled with my toll free number?
What toll free provider can assist in optimizing call flow methodology?
Which provider can help my low call volume needs?
Looking Closer at Australia's 1800 Number Providers
| Provider | Great For | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800NumbersAustralia | SMEs with low call volume that need round-the-clock professional answering services. | ||||
| AVOXI | Businesses that forward calls to mobile devices or international locations and midsize to enterprise companies looking for volume discount rates. | ||||
| easyinbound | Small business plans and midsize businesses without complex service needs like advanced IVR or voice integrations. | ||||
| VoIPline Telecom | "Plug and play" or large companies that want competitive call rates to plug into their hosted PBX and forward to SIP. | ||||
| Zintel | Small and midsize companies that either need very few features and/or several features included with their service. | ||||
1800NumbersAustralia.com
1800NumbersAustralia.com is an Australian-based telco service provider that offers three packages for toll free numbers. This provider is a brand of the Alltel family, meaning they have similar pricing structures for their voice plans and add-on fees. We discuss Alltel in great detail in our article on 1300 Australian telephone numbers, which you can view here.
Customers of 1800NumbersAustralia.com can purchase these packages online, select the 800 number they want, and enhance their solution with features like live answering, business introduction, fax-to-email, and voice-to-email making them a good option for those seeking to maximize convenience under one provider.
Call plans start at $19 per month for their Basic package (but currently offering a $9 per month rate special), moving up to $29 for Standard, and $39 for Premium. The two bottom-tier packages include low call rates, free routing options, and complimentary inbound call reports to measure your success. However, it’s only in Premium where you get the features like IVR, call recording, analytics, and voice-to-email included. All three plans contain a once-off $30 setup fee, which will be included in your first invoice.
| Strengths | Weaknesses | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powered by Alltel's industry experience and knowledge | Cancelling service in the first 12 months incurs charges, additional cost to port your 1800 number | ||||
| Provides several robust additional services for communication teams with 24/7 support needs | Basic call features offered as expensive add-ons, and excessive fees for simple services (like changing where your calls are forwarded) add up quickly | ||||
| Large inventory of premium and "smart" 1800 phone numbers | High call rates and excessive admin fees makes their 1800 plans expensive compared to other providers regardless of your call volume | ||||
1800NumbersAustralia Plans & Pricing
1800NumberAustralia.com pricing begins at $19 per month for their Basic plan, $29 per month for their Standard plan, and $39 per month for their Premium plan. While their plans identify call rates and setup costs, the minutes provided are not so clearly known. We can determine the amount of perceived talk time by dividing the given call rates by the monthly price.
Ex. $19 Basic rate / $0.097 inbound to landline (local & national) = 196 minutes
Whatever plan you choose, no matter the answerpoint destination, you can expect to pay an estimated $38 for Basic, $58 for Standard, and $78 for Premium excluding the setup fee and add-ons. Your first invoice will be the highest as it will include your monthly plan, add-ons, and setup costs for your plan and phone number.
Based on our findings, this provider will be a suitable option for businesses with relatively low call volume per month. Their Premium plan offers the most complimentary features, but only second best in allotted minutes compared to their other packages, which is likely to offset the added cost of the features on the provider’s end.
When you select your plan, you’ll be prompted to pick your number and add-ons. Some 1800 numbers are free, while others have a price tag. Several add-ons have associated setup fees and per month charges, including features like IVR Pro ($10/month), business intro ($10/month), fax- and voice-to-email ($10-29/month for each). 1800NumbersAustralia offers services like live answering ($39-250/month), IVR sub-menus, region- and exchange-based routing, and more.
The more you add on, the more costly your monthly invoice will be. Add-ons just for live answering can cost a minimum of $39 each month for 25 calls. Need additional sub-menus in your IVR system? That’s an additional $15 per month up to three additional menus. You could spend a minimum of $828 every year just by selecting the minimalist plans within each add-on. This telecom service provider has additional charges for several services and features. However, if you’re seeking a provider that can offer several services to assist your call center, 1800NumbersAustralia might just be the one for you.
1800NumbersAustralia.com Highlighted Features
- Exchange-Based Routing: Define your call collection areas based on Telstra’s exchange boundaries and direct calls to 1,000 different answerpoints. Over 5,200 collection areas to choose from.
- Expansive 1800 Inventory: Instantly obtainable Australian 1800 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 agents.
AVOXI
AVOXI is a leading provider of 1800 toll free 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 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 1800 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 and 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 1800 Number Plans & Pricing
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 5,000 inbound call minutes.
There are no contracts or setup fees, and we include over 20 call features free of charge for our Australia 1800 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 1800 phone number to AVOXI!
- Advanced Call Forwarding: Every 1800 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 Australian toll free 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 $5, followed by a $25 plan, $45 plan, and $79 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 toll free 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 1800 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 1800 Number Plans & Pricing
easyinbound call plans for their 1800 numbers begin at $5 and increase to $25, $45, and $79 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 charge 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.
They also offer a virtual receptionist service. In your first month of service, you’ll be paying $199 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 Features
- 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.
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 an 1800 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 toll free 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 1800 toll free 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 1800 number voice offerings that fuel the Australian and New Zealand market. Customers of this provider can purchase an 1800 phone number through their simple three-step cart process:
- Choose 1800 number
- Select plan
- Add features
Upfront you're spending $5 for your 1800 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 1800 Number Plans & Pricing
Zintel offers seven different voice plans for your 1800 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.
Customers of Zintel may choose to be billed annually and save 25% of their total monthly cost. Call rates are competitive for landline among the listed providers and very high when forwarding calls to a mobile device. 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 range from $0.08 to $0.12 for landline answerpoint and $0.19 to $0.35 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 Features
- No Porting Fees: Easily transfer your legacy 1800 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 Toll Free Service for Your Business
Engaging with customers is easier with a reliable, high-quality toll free 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 1800 number plan and provider for your business!
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