Founded in 2007, magicJack was considered a leader in cloud communication even before its 2010 merger with VocalTec, the brand credited with the invention of voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technology and softphones. With magicJack holding more than 30 patents and seeing millions of downloads, it later expanded its focus to professional customers by offering magicJack for Business.
Customers of magicJack for Business get unlimited calling across the United States and Canada, enhanced call forwarding, internet fax support, three-way calling, and more. In this article, we look closely at magicJack for Business’s service plan, available features and add-ons, and the types of companies for whom it would be an ideal fit.
All rates and fees are current as of July 2024 and are subject to change.
magicJack for Business
| Price: | Starting at $15.99 per line per month |
| Features: | Unlimited calls to numbers within the U.S. and Canada, caller ID and call blocking, voicemail, enhanced call forwarding, and extension dialing |
| Best add-ons: | Auto attendant, internet faxing, and toll-free numbers |
| Noteworthy integrations: | None |
MagicJack for Business service plan overview
There isn’t much confusion or complexity around magicJack for Business as its VoIP features are all included in a single service tier. The plan provides many of the basics for VoIP services, although we would not consider it as scalability-friendly as some competing options. Please read the chart below for better insight into what you should expect when signing up for magicJack for Business.
MagicJack for Business VoIP Plan
MagicJack’s business VoIP plan centers around providing professional calling services for small businesses. The service comes with essential call-handling features, such as auto attendant or interactive voice response (IVR), call queuing, forwarding, and transferring, we noted that other features are limited or absent. For instance, while customers can send and receive texts through the mobile app, it’s not available through the desktop version of the service.
The plan costs $15.99, which is competitively priced. However, there are similarly priced VoIP options that come with a greater range of tools for collaboration and support popular third-party integrations.
Pros
- Cost-effective service plan
- Unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada with low rates for international calls
- Transparent and upfront pricing
- Service and hardware costs should suit the budget of most small businesses
Cons
- Not a scalable service option
- Texting capability is slightly limited
- Toll-free number not included with plan; must be purchased as an add-on
- No third-party integrations
Other services magicJack for Business offers
- Auto attendant: The auto attendant or IVR system is for managing incoming calls. You can set the system up to guide them to specific departments, employees, or extensions. The service is available for $10 monthly.
- Virtual fax: For $5 per month, MagicJack for Business lets you send faxes as attachments to any fax number. You can receive faxes as an emailed attachment.
- Toll-free number: MagicJack toll-free numbers cost $5 per month. While there’s no setup fee, you will be charged between 4 cents and 6 cents per minute for calls based in the U.S. and Canada.
- International calling: MagicJack for Business supports worldwide calling, although rates will vary by location.
The magicJack for Business platform and customer support
The website isn’t too difficult to navigate, but it would be nice to have a search function to locate specific information or support pages more quickly. When signing up for service, you must first share your state and area code. From there, magicJack for Business lets you choose a new number. transfer an existing one or pay for a toll-free number. One caveat is the service expects you to purchase a phone. If you opt not to buy one, you must sign up for the service with the help of a sales assistant.
We found magicJack’s sales team to be professional and help get through the signup process as quickly as possible. Likewise, the customer service team was knowledgeable and professional. Still, it is unusual that signing up for digital service alone requires extra steps. If you need support, agents are available by phone between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time. You can also access help via chat, email, or sending a website request. Email and website requests are answered within one business day.
Is magicJack for Business secure?
MagicJack for Business’s level of security is somewhat simplistic; you can password-protect your accounts, but there isn’t much proactive or reactive protection beyond this. In the event of an account security issue, you can contact support and receive help resetting your password. There are no real guarantees of security and protections beyond this.
MagicJack for Business user reviews
We found that magicJack for Business user reviews were mixed, skewing negative. While there were customers satisfied with magicJack’s flexibility, particularly when on the move, there were many who had complaints about loss of service, a dip in call quality, and difficulty working with the support team to properly address these issues. We noted that many of these complaints are fairly recent.
Compare magicJack for Business alternatives
 magicJack for Business |
 Grasshopper |
 Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| Starting pricing | Starting pricing | Starting pricing |
| $15.99 | $18.00 | $23.00 |
| Unlimited domestic calling and texting? |
Unlimited domestic calling and texting? |
Unlimited domestic calling and texting? |
| Calling, yes. Texting is limited to mobile app only. |
Yes | Yes |
| International calling supported? |
International calling supported? |
International calling supported? |
| Yes, for a fee | Yes, for a fee | Yes, for a fee |
| Learn more | Learn more | |
| Read our review of Grasshopper |
Read our review of Dialpad |
Learn more: read about the best cheap VoIP services.
Is magicJack for Business right for you?
MagicJack for Business is best for small companies new to VoIP that want an uncomplicated service option. It is flexible enough to suit companies that only need its mobile and desktop apps or businesses that intend to pair the software with new VoIP phones. These qualities aside, magicJack for Business probably won’t be a good fit for midsize to large businesses that require a more complex phone system, contact center support, or advanced visual collaboration tools.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between magicJack and magicJack for Business?
The primary difference between magicJack and magicJack for Business is that while the latter VoIP service is aimed at companies, magicJack is available for personal use by nonprofessional customers. MagicJack has two pricing plans: $43 for a one-year agreement or $109 for a three-year contract. Meanwhile, magicJack for Business charges $15.99 per month, per line, which equals $191.88 per year.
Can I use magicJack for my business?
It might be possible to use magicJack for business as it does come with useful features, such as unlimited calling, call forwarding, call blocking, and voicemail. However, it lacks business-friendly options, such as auto-attendant, three-way calls, music on hold, and extension dialing.
MagicJack for Business also allows companies to buy VoIP-compatible phones, many of which are affordable. If you only require a few basic features, magicJack could work, but if you want service features that enhance your professional communication options, magicJack for Business is the better option.
What is the downside of magicJack for business?
MagicJack, while providing various voice-related features, would not necessarily be a good choice for companies that want unified-communications as a service (UCaaS) as some key collaboration tools, such as video conferencing and app integrations, aren’t available. Another downside is that you can’t send text messages using the desktop app.
Is magicJack obsolete?
MagicJack for Business works well for companies seeking basic voice/text calling solutions. As such, it isn’t “obsolete,” and can be a suitable choice for small businesses that want a simple and easy cloud-based calling service.
