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Zoom Phone is one of the most recognizable names in the VoIP phone system space.
It operates inside the broader Zoom Workplace ecosystem alongside Zoom Meetings, team chat, and video conferencing.
On paper, it looks like a complete business phone system, complete with calling, messaging, and collaboration rolled into one platform.
But here's what the pricing page doesn't tell you.
Zoom Phone runs on a modular pricing model.
The base phone plans look affordable at first glance. But the moment your business needs unlimited calling, call recording, voicemail transcription, or HIPAA-compliant voice calls, you're looking at upgrades, add-ons, and fees that push your monthly costs well beyond the advertised rate.
Zoom Phone starts at $10.50 per user per month (billed annually) for a metered plan that charges you for every outbound call. Taxes and surcharges add another 15–25% on top.
And if your business needs the Zoom Phone Power Pack for call center operations or advanced call handling, that's an extra $25 per user per month.
For small businesses watching their budget, those numbers add up fast.
iPlum is a VoIP phone system and an affordable Zoom Phone alternative that publishes its pricing openly, absorbs taxes and surcharges internally, and offers HIPAA-compliant plans from $14.99 per user per month.
Read on to see exactly what Zoom Phone charges, what you get for that money, and why iPlum is worth considering.
Also read: iPlum vs Zoom Phone—Which One Should You Choose for Business Texting and Calling?
Table of Contents
1. How much does Zoom Phone cost?
2. What do you get with Zoom Phone pricing plans?
3. Hidden fees you need to know about Zoom Phone pricing
4. iPlum: the best Zoom Phone alternative for small businesses
5. iPlum pricing plans and what you get
6. How does Zoom Phone pricing compare to iPlum?
How much does Zoom Phone cost?
Zoom Phone has a somewhat complicated pricing structure. More specifically, it has five Zoom Phone plans. Three standalone options and two bundle options that combine Zoom Phone with Zoom Workplace.
The structure alone makes it harder than it should be to compare Zoom Phone pricing and land on the right number for your budget.
Here's a breakdown of what each plan costs when billed annually.
Standalone Zoom Phone plans
Here’s an overview of Zoom Phone pricing and plans.
The US and CA Metered plan starts at $10.50 per user per month (billed annually).
It comes with a direct dial number, voicemail transcription, call routing, and auto attendants. But every outbound call to the public phone network costs extra, billed at around $0.03 per minute. For businesses that make a high volume of phone calls, those per-minute charges pile up fast.
The US and Canada Unlimited plan costs $16 per user per month when billed annually.
It covers unlimited domestic calling across the US and Canada, plus unlimited SMS and business texting. It's the most popular standalone option for US-based small businesses that mostly call within North America.
The Global Select plan gives you unlimited international calling to one of 40+ supported countries. It's built for businesses with international employees or customers outside the US and Canada. Pricing requires contacting the Zoom Phone sales team directly.
Zoom Workplace bundles
The Zoom Phone Pro Plus bundle costs $20.50 per user per month when billed annually, or $21.99 per user per month on a monthly billing cycle.
It combines unlimited domestic calling with Zoom Workplace, giving you video meetings, team chat, an AI Companion, and 10GB of cloud storage for call recordings.
The Business Plus bundle costs $24.50 per user per month when billed annually or $26.99 per user per month on monthly billing.
It adds higher Zoom Meetings participant limits, advanced features, and unlimited online fax. It's aimed at larger teams and enterprises with more complex communication needs. HIPAA compliance and a Business Associate Agreement are available at this tier.
Note: If you opt for monthly billing, your phone costs go up — the Pro Plus bundle increases from $20.50 to $21.99 per user per month, and the Business Plus bundle increases from $24.50 to $26.99 per user per month.
What do you get with Zoom Phone pricing plans?
Zoom Phone packs a reasonable set of VoIP features into its plans.
But what you get depends heavily on which plan you pick, with some critical features locked behind upgrades and add-ons.
US and Canada metered plan — $10.50 per user per month (annual)
The metered plan is the entry point. You get a Zoom Phone number, voicemail transcription, auto attendants, call routing, and call management tools. You can receive calls at no extra charge. But every outbound call costs money.
For a business making 500 outbound phone calls per month, that's an extra $15 per user on top of the base plan price.
US and Canada unlimited plan — $16 per user per month (annual)
The US and Canada Unlimited plan removes the per-minute charges for domestic calling. You get unlimited domestic calling, unlimited SMS, business texting, and basic features like voicemail transcription and call routing.
It's a workable plan for small businesses operating primarily in North America. International calling, cloud storage, and call recording are not included.
Global Select plan
The Global Select plan includes unlimited international calling to 40+ countries. You also get a direct dial number and the same call management tools as the lower plans.
It's the right fit for companies with an international presence. But if you need advanced call handling, call center operations, or collaboration tools, you'll still need to upgrade further.
Pro Plus bundle — $20.50 per user per month (annual)
The Zoom Phone Pro Plus bundle adds Zoom Meetings, Zoom Chat, and AI Companion to the unlimited plan. You also get 10GB of cloud storage for call recording and video meetings.
For businesses already using Zoom Meetings, the bundle makes sense on paper. But the advanced features most businesses need — like enhanced call queue analytics and call center tools — still require the Zoom Phone Power Pack add-on at $25 per user per month.
Business Plus bundle — $24.50per user per month (annual)
The Business Plus bundle is the most complete Zoom Phone option. It adds higher participant limits for video meetings, advanced features, unlimited online fax, and HIPAA compliance with a Business Associate Agreement.
At $24.50 per user per month (annual) or $26.99 per user per month (monthly), it's the most expensive standard Zoom Phone option before add-ons. For enterprises and organizations in regulated industries, the Business Plus bundle is the minimum viable plan.
Hidden fees you need to know about Zoom Phone pricing
The advertised Zoom Phone cost is rarely what your business ends up paying.
Before you commit to a plan, here are five things that will have a real impact on what you pay every month.
The base plan doesn't include unlimited calling
Zoom Phone starts at $10.50 per user per month (billed annually). However, that entry-level plan doesn't come with unlimited calling.
The CA metered plan charges you for every outbound call at roughly $0.03 per minute. For a business making 500 outbound phone calls per month, that's an extra $15 per user on top of the base plan price.
If you want unlimited domestic calling, you need to upgrade to the US and Canada Unlimited plan at $16 per user per month, a 52% price jump from the entry-level plan before you've added a single add-on. It’s even higher when you pay monthly.
For small businesses that assumed unlimited calling came standard, that's a frustrating discovery to make after signing up.
The hidden fees and add-ons stack up
Zoom Phone uses a modular pricing model. The base plan covers the basics. Everything else costs extra.
The Zoom Phone Power Pack, also known as the Customer Engagement Pack, costs $25 per user per month.
It's a required add-on for businesses running call center operations that need real-time analytics, enhanced call queue analytics, and advanced call handling.
Extra phone numbers for different departments cost $5 per phone number per month. Toll-free numbers cost an additional $5 per month per number, and incoming calls to those numbers carry per-minute charges of $0.02 to $0.04 per minute.
Cloud storage for call recording files costs from $10 per month as a standalone add-on on lower plans.
For a team of 10 running the Unlimited plan with the Power Pack and two extra phone numbers, you're looking at over $420 per month before taxes, not the $160 the base plan suggests.
Zoom Phone taxes and surcharges
On top of the base plan price and add-ons, Zoom Phone passes taxes and surcharges directly to the user. These include local, state, and federal taxes such as the Federal Universal Service Fund. According to user reports and independent research, these taxes and surcharges add 15–25% to your base phone cost, depending on your location.
On the $ 16-per-user-per-month Unlimited plan for a team of 10, that's an extra $24 to $40 in taxes every month.
On the Business Plus plan at $24.50 per user per month for the same team, taxes alone add between $36.75 and $61.25 per month.
HIPAA compliance isn't available on standard plans
Zoom Phone does offer HIPAA-compliant VoIP services, but not on its standard plans.
To get a Business Associate Agreement and HIPAA-compliant voice calls, you need the Business Plus bundle at $24.50 per user per month or an Enterprise account.
For healthcare professionals, therapists, and medical virtual assistants who need HIPAA-compliant business texting, call recording, and voicemail transcription, that's a significant cost commitment.
A team of five in a medical practice pays $122.50 per month before taxes and add-ons just to remain compliant.
iPlum offers HIPAA compliance from $14.99 per user per month on its Professional plan. That's a Business Associate Agreement, secure encrypted messaging, and unlimited calling, at a fraction of what Zoom Phone charges for the same level of compliance.
Unlimited calling has fine print
Zoom Phone markets unlimited calling as a core feature of its plans.
But unlimited domestic calling only covers phone calls within the US and Canada on the Unlimited and bundle plans. It doesn't cover international calling unless you're on the Global Select plan or purchase the $ 10-per-month international calling add-on.
Toll-free numbers aren't included on any plan.
You purchase them separately at $5 per number per month, and incoming calls to those numbers carry per-minute charges. For businesses whose customers call from mobile devices using toll-free numbers, those charges add up quickly. And if you need unlimited international calling beyond a single country, you'll need to purchase additional add-ons or upgrade to a higher plan entirely.
iPlum: the best Zoom Phone alternative for small businesses
If your business needs a reliable VoIP phone system with transparent pricing, HIPAA-compliant voice calls, and predictable monthly costs, iPlum is a good choice.
iPlum is a mobile-first VoIP app built for professionals and growing businesses in regulated industries.
It gives your employees a dedicated second business phone number on their personal device, with full calling, business texting, sms messaging, and HIPAA-compliant communication built in from the start.
Unlike Zoom Phone, there's no bundle confusion, no modular add-on maze, and no sales call required. You can see exactly what each plan costs and what VoIP features you get before you sign up.
iPlum also absorbs taxes and surcharges internally.
The price on the website is the price you pay. And that's a noteworthy difference for small businesses that need a predictable budget and straightforward billing.
The platform runs on iOS and Android, so your employees can make and receive calls, send business texting messages, and manage their business phone from anywhere.
It works on both wi-fi and cellular networks, giving you dual reliability on every call. With access in over 200 countries and support for 23 languages, it's a solid VoIP system for businesses that operate internationally.
iPlum is particularly well-suited for healthcare professionals, legal practitioners, financial advisors, and other regulated-industry businesses that need HIPAA-compliant communication at a price that makes sense.
iPlum pricing plans and what you get
iPlum offers three straightforward plans.
The Standard plan costs $8.99 per user per month.
It comes with a US or Canada phone number, unlimited calling, SMS messaging, a phone tree, voicemail, spam blocking, business hours setup, and auto-text reply.
It's a solid base plan for professionals who need a dedicated business phone number.
The Professional plan costs $14.99 per user per month.
It adds HIPAA compliance, a Business Associate Agreement, secure, encrypted messaging, voicemail transcription, group and broadcast messaging, text archiving, and web calling and texting.
For healthcare and other regulated industries, the Professional plan is where the real value lies.
The Enterprise plan costs $25.99 per user per month.
It adds call recording, recording-consent announcements, and 10-year archiving for recordings and texts. It's built for businesses in heavily regulated sectors that need long-term compliance documentation.
How does Zoom Phone pricing compare to iPlum?
iPlum and Zoom Phone both offer VoIP calling, sms messaging, and mobile apps. The difference in pricing, transparency, and total monthly costs is significant.
Zoom Phone starts at $10.50 per user per month (annual) for a metered plan that charges per outbound call. To get unlimited domestic calling, you need the $16 plan (annual).
To get HIPAA compliance, you need the Business Plus bundle at $24.50 per user per month, before taxes and add-ons. Pay monthly, and those numbers climb higher.
iPlum's most affordable plan starts at $8.99 per user per month with unlimited calling included. HIPAA compliance costs $14.99 per user per month. Taxes and surcharges are absorbed internally. No add-ons are required to get compliant.
Here's a side-by-side look at how the two VoIP providers compare:
iPlum offers more for less
For small businesses and professionals in regulated industries, the numbers make a strong case.
iPlum's Professional plan at $14.99 per user per month gives you HIPAA compliance, a BAA, secure, encrypted messaging, voicemail transcription, and unlimited calling.
Zoom Phone charges $24.50 per user per month for comparable compliance, and that's before the 15–25% tax markup and any add-ons.
iPlum's Enterprise plan at $25.99 per user per month adds call recording and 10-year archiving.
That's still less than what Zoom Phone charges for its Business Plus bundle, and the Business Plus bundle doesn't include the Zoom Phone Power Pack needed for call center operations or enhanced call queue analytics.
For a team of 10 on iPlum's Professional plan, you pay $149.90 per month. The same team on Zoom Phone's Business Plus bundle pays $245 per month annually, before taxes.
Factor in the 15–25% tax markup and the difference grows to over $130 per month, or more than $1,500 per year.
iPlum also doesn't lock you into a long-term contract.
You pay month to month, giving growing businesses the freedom to scale their plans as their needs change.
For enterprises with complex global call center needs and large budgets, Zoom Phone offers collaboration tools and advanced features that match.
But for small businesses, solo practitioners, and regulated-industry professionals who need reliable VoIP, HIPAA compliance, and honest billing, iPlum is the smarter, more affordable choice.
The bottom line
Zoom Phone is a good cloud phone system.
It's got unlimited domestic calling, video conferencing, team chat, call recording, and a long list of VoIP features that suit large businesses and enterprises already invested in the Zoom Workplace ecosystem.
But capable doesn't mean affordable.
Zoom Phone starts at $10.50 per user per month (annual) for a metered plan that charges you for every outbound call. To get unlimited calling, you're at $16 per user per month (annual).
To achieve HIPAA compliance, you need the Business Plus bundle at $24.50 per user per month (annual) or $26.99 per user per month (monthly).
Add the Zoom Phone Power Pack at $25 per user per month for call center operations, factor in toll-free number fees, extra phone numbers, cloud storage, and taxes that add 15–25% to your base phone cost, and your actual monthly billing looks nothing like the advertised rate.
For growing businesses that need to make quick, informed decisions, that kind of pricing complexity is a real problem.
iPlum takes a different approach.
It absorbs taxes and surcharges internally.
Meanwhile, you get unlimited calling for $8.99 per user per month. HIPAA compliance costs $14.99 per user per month, well below what Zoom Phone charges for the same level of compliance.
And call recording with 10-year archiving is available at $25.99 per user per month, less than the Business Plus bundle alone.
For small businesses, healthcare professionals, legal practitioners, and regulated-industry organizations that need dependable VoIP services, billing, and HIPAA-compliant communication, iPlum gives you all at an affordable price.
Zoom Phone is built for enterprises with big budgets and existing Zoom Workplace investments. iPlum is built for businesses that want to operate efficiently, pay a fair price, and avoid the hidden fees that inflate their monthly costs.
Want an affordable mobile-first business phone system built for compliance, reliability, and scale?
Click the link below to sign up for iPlum.
