Virtual PBX Review

Virtual PBX Pros

• Low cost per minute
• International numbers available
• Smart routing system (ACD Queues) for incoming calls
• Annual pre-payment discounts available on basic, mid-level, and corporate plans
• 30-day free trial

Virtual PBX Cons

• Presently there are no cons for this service.

All of VirtualPBX's reviewed plans provide fantastic value in terms of price and include a standard number of minutes and unlimited extensions. VirtualPBX offers a 30-day free trial, which includes 50 minutes to test the product. This is a great service for people who want a lot of extensions at a low price as Virtual PBX offers unlimited extensions.  If you need an international number, Phone.com charges significantly lower international fees. VirtualPBX includes standard call management features (i.e. set answering rules, transfer, block and put calls on hold, Find Me / Follow Me) and PBX features (i.e. conference calls, unlimited extensions, voicemail to email) for a low monthly cost. VirtualPBX offers phone and email customer support five days a week.

Pricing

Virtual PBX's basic pricing plan is equal to our Market Standard, but the minutes offered with this plan exceed our base-line for this level of plan by three times.  Virtual PBX provides a local or 855, 866, 877, 888 toll-free number for free with your monthly plan as well as true 800 toll-free numbers for a $25 setup charge. Virtual PBX offers international numbers in over 40 countries. They typically charge a $20 to $35 connection fee and additional $20 to $35 monthly fee per international number. There is a one-time $25 fee for vanity numbers as well as existing numbers that are ported in to the system. Virtual PBX offers a 30-day free trial that is limited to 50 minutes.

Online Interface

Virtual PBX offers an above average online interface.  You can set up an account quickly using their setup wizard. Contacts can be stored in the interface, but you have to manually add each contact one at a time. Virtual PBX allows you to set specific handling rules, make a block call list, access call logs, set voicemail alerts, upload your own greeting or customize your own hold music all through the online interface. Virtual PBX does not offer mobile applications for their service.

Call Management Features

Virtual PBX's call handling rules include the ability to block a call, route calls to system administrator, route them to an extension, send them to an ACD Queue, or send them to a voicemail box.  Virtual PBX allows you to assign call handling rules based on specific contacts, groups, or even the time the call is received. Virtual PBX also lets you transfer a call to voicemail or another extension, forward calls, put a call on hold or record a call, all through the phone's keypad.  But, you cannot block a call directly from the phone's keypad.

Virtual PBX's call management features also include Follow Me call handling, which lets you set up an ordered list of extensions that will ring sequentially when you get incoming calls.  Virtual PBX offers call tagging and call screening as well as HD Voice. You may also place outgoing calls through your online Virtual PBX account from anywhere inside or outside of the U.S.

PBX Features

Virtual PBX stores your voicemails online, and you can opt to receive an alert or the message itself through your email whenever you receive a voicemail.  Virtual PBX does not offer voicemail-to-text transcription.  Each extension can store up to 100 voicemails for up to 30 days.

Virtual PBX provides an unlimited amount of extensions, which greatly exceeds our Market Standard of 10 extensions. Virtual PBX also offers conference calling, and they automatically provide you with a bridge number. Virtual PBX deducts conference call minutes based on the number of people on a call multiplied by the number of minutes of the call. Ten people can be on a particular conference call at one time and for an extra charge, you can add up to 96 people on a call at one time. Virtual PBX also allows you to have multiple conference calls going on at the same time.  Virtual PBX offers send and receive Internet fax service, which meets our Market Standard. Virtual PBX also offers auto attendants, dial-by-name directories, and ACD Queuing capabilities.

Customer Support

Virtual PBX offers average phone and email customer support. They do not offer live chat. Phone support is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT and there is a 24/7 emergency support number available as well. During testing, we experienced no significant wait times.