Virtual PBX Review
Basic Plan: VPBX-5
Mid-Level Plan: VPBX-10
Corporate Plan: VPBX-50
Virtual PBX: Basic Plan
Plan |
VPBX-5 | |
Free Trial | 14 days | |
Monthly Fee | $9.99 | |
Activation Fee | None | |
Extensions | 5 | |
Included Minutes | 100 | |
Included Minutes Rate | 6.49¢ | |
Outbound Minutes Rate | 6.49¢ | |
Follow Me | Yes | |
Internet Fax | Yes | |
Cost Per Fax | 6.49¢ | |
Voicemail | Yes | |
Voicemail to email | Yes | |
Call Forward | Yes | |
Call Hold | Yes | |
Call Transfer | Yes | |
Conference Calls | Yes | |
Message Alerts | Yes | |
Dial by Name Directory | Yes | |
Call Screening | Yes | |
Web Management | Yes | |
800 number | Free | |
Local Number |
Free | |
866, 877, or 888 Number |
Free | |
800 Vanity Number |
$25.00 | |
Transfer 800 Number |
$25.00 | |
Multiple Dial-In Numbers |
$10.00 | |
Additional extension |
N/A |
Plan Reviewed: VPBX-5
Pros
- $9.99 monthly fee
- No activation fee
- Internet fax and conference call features included for free
- Toll-free number included
Cons
- No additional extensions
Conclusion
Virtual PBX's VPBX-5 plan falls right in line with our "market standard." For a monthly fee of $9.99, you receive 100 included minutes, 5 extensions and a toll-free number.
The VPBX-5 plan has inbound internet fax, conference calling, message alerts, and call screening included for free. A downside to note about Virtual PBX's VPBX-5 plan is the inability to add extensions, so if you have a large office or anticipate expanding, you might want to look at another provider. Despite this downside, Virtual PBX's VPBX-5 plan is a good value and worth checking out.
User Feedback
2 out of 5 stars
December 16, 2008
By Michael
I wasn't impressed
Once you sign up for a free trial you are then taken through a setup process which adds charges at every turn so the price they snag you with could basically never be the price you pay.
If that isn't the case, then this renders their site unclear and not user friendly. The most frustrating of all was no reference (that I could find) regarding how you cancel the trial.
On top of that it took three emails and a phone call to even engage them in trying to cancel my account. In fact I never did receive an email back from their support team.
The company I did sign up to was RingCentral. The system was easy to navigate and there were no hidden charges. They seem to deliver what they describe and we are pleased on the face of it so far.
Virtual PBX: Mid-Level Plan
Plan | VPBX-10 | |
Free Trial | 14 days | |
Monthly Fee | $24.99 | |
Activation Fee | None | |
Extensions | 10 | |
Included Minutes | 500 | |
Inbound Minutes Rate | 5.9¢ | |
Outbound Minutes Rate | 5.79¢ | |
Follow Me | Yes | |
Internet Fax | Yes | |
Cost Per Fax | 5.79¢ | |
Voicemail | Yes | |
Voicemail to email | Yes | |
Call Forward | Yes | |
Call Hold | Yes | |
Call Transfer | Yes | |
Conference Calls | Yes | |
Message Alerts | Yes | |
Dial by Name Directory | Yes | |
Call Screening | Yes | |
Web Management | Yes | |
800 number | Free | |
Local Number |
Free | |
866, 877, or 888 Number |
Free | |
800 Vanity Number |
$25.00 | |
Transfer 800 Number |
$25.00 | |
Multiple Dial-In Numbers |
$10.00 | |
Additional extension |
N/A |
Plan Reviewed: VPBX-10
Pros
- Free number with plan
- Extensive list of features
- Online tutorial to help new users get accustomed to the service
Cons
- No additional extensions
- 500 included minutes (50% of our "market standard")
Conclusion
Virtual PBX's VPBX-10 plan is very robust for a mid-level plan. The service has every feature that one could want from an online PBX service, including inbound internet faxing, conference calling, message alerts, and call screening. They also offer features unique to Virtual PBX including custom routing, unique greetings for each phone number and call preview detail.
The online interface for the PBX system is great and there are some tutorials which can help you learn how to use all the features of the system. The two downsides to the VPBX-10 plan is the inability to add extensions and the low number of included minutes. However, if you are a small business who values features, then this plan is worth looking at.
Virtual PBX: Corporate Plan
Plan | VPBX-50 | |
Free Trial | 14 days | |
Monthly Fee | $94.99 | |
Activation Fee | None | |
Extensions | 50 | |
Inbound Minutes | 2000 | |
Inbound Minutes Rate | 4.39¢ | |
Outbound Minutes Rate | 4.39¢ | |
Follow Me | Yes | |
Internet Fax | Yes | |
Cost Per Fax | 4.39¢ | |
Voicemail | Yes | |
Voicemail to email | Yes | |
Call Forward | Yes | |
Call Hold | Yes | |
Call Transfer | Yes | |
Conference Calls | Yes | |
Message Alerts | Yes | |
Dial by Name Directory | Yes | |
Call Screening | Yes | |
Web Management | Yes | |
800 number | Free | |
Local Number |
Free | |
866, 877, or 888 Number |
Free | |
800 Vanity Number |
$25.00 | |
Transfer 800 Number |
$25.00 | |
Multiple Dial-In Numbers |
$10.00 | |
Additional extension |
$50.00/month |
Plan Reviewed: Corporate
Pros
- No activation fee
- Extensive list of features
- Toll-free number included
Cons
- 50 Extensions (50% of our "market standard")
- You can only buy additional extensions in blocks of 25
Conclusion
The VPBX-50 has inbound internet fax, conference calling, message alerts, and call screening included for free. You also get a toll free number with the plan. There is no activation fee, a 14-day free trial, and several features unique to Virtual PBX including supervised call transfers, voicemail interrupt and smart caller id.
A downside to the VPBX-50 plan is the pricing structure for adding extensions. The plan comes with 50 extensions, but if you want to add more, you have buy them in blocks of 25 for $50/month. Also, if you are a large company, you might need more than 2000 included minutes. However, despite these two downsides, the VPBX-50 plan offers a plethora of features for a competitive monthly price.