Kelir vs Google Voice
Google Voice ships the business phone system as a softphone tied to Workspace. Kelir ships the same system on a cellular line.
Google Voice has two funnels people confuse. The Personal plan (free, tied to a Gmail account, single number) lacks every business feature that matters — no auto-attendant, no working hours, no IVR. The Business tier (Starter $10, Standard $20, Premier $30 per user/month) ships the full business phone system but requires a Google Workspace subscription (~$7+/user/month minimum), so the real entry price is ~$17/user/month. Kelir Solo is $24.99/month for the same system on a real cellular eSIM line, no Workspace dependency. Google Voice wins for businesses that already live in Google Workspace; Kelir wins on cellular delivery, no-Workspace coupling, and 2FA SMS that doesn't get flagged as virtual.
How they compare.
| Compared | Google Voice | Kelir |
|---|---|---|
| Network & delivery | ||
| Network type | Internet (VoIP) | Cellular VoLTE |
| Where calls ring | Inside the Voice app or forwarded to existing line | Native dialer (it IS the line) |
| Works without Wi-Fi | ||
| App must be open | ||
| Features | ||
| Voicemail transcripts | ||
| SMS to all US numbers | Yes, but often flagged as virtual | |
| MMS / group messages | ||
| Hunt groups / IVR | Standard tier+ | Team plans |
| CarPlay native routing | ||
| 2FA SMS accepted by banks | Often blocked | |
| Number portability | $3 one-time port-in fee | Free port-in/out |
| Pricing & terms | ||
| Personal | Free (Gmail, 1 number) | Not offered |
| Business minimum | $10 + Workspace ($7+) = ~$17/user/mo | $24.99/month Solo |
| Standalone (no Workspace) | ||
Google Voice information sourced from workspace.google.com/products/voice/ on 2026-05-03. Plans and prices change; check the source for the current state.
- Tight integration with Google Workspace — Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Contacts.
- Free for personal use (Gmail account required) — single number, basic voicemail.
- Available across web, iOS, Android, and Workspace browser tabs.
- Brand recognition — every US small business knows Google Voice.
- Spam call filtering powered by Google's network-wide signal.
- Real cellular line — calls ring on the native dialer, not in the Voice app.
- Works on bad Wi-Fi or no Wi-Fi.
- No Workspace dependency — not coupled to Google's $7/user/mo subscription floor.
- 2FA SMS reliably accepted — Google Voice numbers are widely flagged as virtual.
- VoLTE HD voice instead of VoIP-over-data.
- Native CarPlay, Apple Watch, lock-screen behavior.
- eSIM SIM-swap resistance.
Side-by-side, USD.
- Personal1 number, no business featuresFreeGmail tied
- Business Starter+ Workspace required$10/user/mo
- Business Standard+ Workspace required$20/user/mo
- Business Premier+ Workspace required$30/user/mo
- Solo$24.99/month
- Team Starter2–10 users$29.99/seat/mo
- Team ProUp to 50 users$39.99/seat/mo
Who should pick which?
Your business already runs on Google Workspace, your team is small and Google-integrated, and you primarily call from a desk on reliable Wi-Fi. The Personal tier is also a fair fit for a side-project number you're testing — free is a real advantage there.
You don't want your phone system tied to a Workspace subscription, you take calls on the move, you've had 2FA SMS reliability issues with virtual numbers, or you simply want a real cellular line that rings on the native dialer. The 'free' Google Voice tier doesn't actually serve a serious business.
The "free Google Voice" framing collapses on inspection. Personal has none of the business call-handling features (no auto-attendant, no working hours, no IVR). Business has them but requires Workspace, so the real entry is ~$17/user/month. At similar prices, the choice is between Google-ecosystem integration as a softphone vs the same business phone system on a real cellular line. Pick the trade your business actually needs — Kelir if cellular delivery and no-Workspace coupling matter, Google Voice if your team already lives in Workspace.
Common questions
The Personal tier is free and tied to a Gmail account — single number, basic voicemail, no business features. The Business tiers (Starter, Standard, Premier) cost $10–30 per user per month BUT require a Google Workspace subscription (~$7+ per user per month minimum), so the true business entry price is ~$17 per user per month, not $10.
Banks and many social networks tag VoIP-issued numbers as 'virtual' to prevent fraud — virtual numbers are easier to register anonymously than carrier numbers and have been used in account-takeover attacks. Google Voice numbers fall into this category and are routinely refused for 2FA SMS verification by major US banks. Kelir's eSIM number is a real US carrier line and passes these checks.
Yes. Google Voice supports port-out (a one-time $3 fee on Google's side; Kelir charges nothing). Submit your Google Voice account info through Kelir's port flow; the port typically completes in 2–4 business days. Kelir gives you a temporary US number during the port.
Calendar and Contacts integration via standard CalDAV/CardDAV — calls in Kelir respect your Google Calendar working hours and pull caller-ID from Google Contacts. Deeper integration (Gmail-side, Workspace admin sync) is on the Team Pro roadmap. Today the integration is competent but not native the way Google Voice is.
The Personal tier doesn't have working hours, hunt groups, IVR, business-grade SMS, or any of the features a real small business needs. Once you need those, Personal isn't the comparison — Business is, at ~$17 minimum. At that price level, Kelir Solo at $24.99 is a similar tier with a real cellular line instead of a softphone.