Ooma vs magicJack
To determine the better choice between magicJack and Ooma, you need to first take a closer look at both of VoIP service providers and compare them. magicJack and Ooma are the two most popular residential VoIP service providers, and this is mainly attributed to their pricing.
The two, unlike many other VoIP services, do not charge a monthly fee. Basically, you just pay a flat rate fee and receive the VoIP services. There are other small monthly charges, but even with those included, Ooma and magicJack are significantly cheaper than the competition.
To know which VoIP service provider is best for you, let us compare between magicJack and Ooma.
magicJack Review
Over five years ago, magicJack started as a simple computer add-on. You needed to have your PC on for uninterrupted operations. With time, magicJack expanded and launched MagicApp, magicJack Plus, magicJack Go and magicJack EXPRESS. The magicJack EXPRESS is an analog telephone adapter (ATA) which supports direct calls when used over the internet. It is used with devices that have internet access such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
Ooma Telo review
Ooma is about five years older than magicJack. This gives it an advantage when it comes to the consumer share in the telecommunications market. The main source of revenue for Ooma is from premium subscriptions of the service and the purchase of the Ooma box. Ooma was also the first to offer services such as virtual receptionist, fax support, and business telephony.
Comparing magicJack and Ooma
What to consider when deciding between Ooma and magicJack?
Comparing magicJack and Ooma requires you to have an in-depth look at some aspects. This ultimately will help decide which VoIP service provider suits you and your business best.
magicJack vs Ooma: How much do they cost?
Ooma premier service and magicJack both have free trials. The one from Ooma is a permanent upgrade if you subscribe while the one from magicJack is only the latest service device.
There are no monthly charges for the Ooma basic plan. There are, however, government taxes and other fees that are required because of the phone service regulations. These charges are calculated according to your region. Ooma lets you calculate a monthly estimate of these charges after inputting your ZIP code and other factors. The monthly charges are usually around $4, which tallies to less than $50 a year.
magicJack also claims they have no monthly charges. They, however, do have an annual fee of $35 per year or for a longer commitment, you pay $99.75 that will run you for five years. The strength of magicJack is seen in its hardware and device costs. The magicJack ATA device only costs $59.95; this is less than half what the Ooma Telo box costs, which is $129.99.
magicJack also stands out when it comes to the retainer service. If you have a five-year plan with magicJack, you might find yourself paying as little as $19.95 per month as a service charge. This saves you considerably more than Ooma considering their taxes accumulate to about $50 per annum.
magicJack has yet another financial advantage over Ooma. When it comes to number porting, the figures are far apart. magicJack offers the service at $19.95 while Ooma charges more than double that, $39.99. It should be noted that Ooma premier subscribers are exempted from paying the number porting charges.
Therefore, when it comes to pricing the taxes charged by Ooma can total or most likely surpass the annual fees charged by magicJack.
magicJack vs Ooma: Services and features offered
There are common features offered by both magicJack and Ooma, and there are features only offered by one of them. There are also services that one offers with better terms compared to the other. At the end of the day, value for money is what matters.
Some of the common services offered by both Ooma and magicJack include caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting, E911, and voicemail. They also offer unlimited calling in the USA and Canada.
magicJack offers more superior services when it comes to international calling and portable ATA devices. The international calling rates for both services are low, but with magicJack, you get a free device-to-device option with inbound international calls. As for portable ATA devices, the ones from magicJack are more portable.
When it comes to sound quality, Ooma, for a long time, was superior. Now, the quality of the two is more or less the same. Ooma further redeems itself with providing online call history.
An area where Ooma really scores points is with its VoIP services. Ooma allows users to have a truly wireless connection to their Ooma Telo device because it works with the Telo phone devices and many different Wi-Fi adapters. The Bluetooth adapter that comes with Ooma allows users to use their mobile phones to make calls through Ooma while at home. This is also possible with the magicApp.
Moreover, Ooma has the option to buy the international minute bundle with premier users getting a second line, a backup number, multi-ring functionality, and extensions with Google Voice. There are also numerous voicemail options such as call screening, voicemail transcription, voicemail forwarding, blacklisting, and do-not-disturb function.
In a nutshell, these are the features offered by magicJack and Ooma.
magicJack Plus features:
Unlimited calling (Canada and the United States)
Uses ATA and works without a computer
Call forwarding
Emergency 911 services
Voicemail and voicemail to email
Call waiting
Caller ID
Three-way calling
Number porting
iPhone app
When abroad, you can call back to the United States and Canada for free
Ooma features:
Caller ID
Call waiting
Unlimited calling (Canada and the United States)
Voicemail
Emergency 911 services
Number porting
Online call history
Take your device anywhere. What you need is access to a high-speed internet connection.
magicJack vs Ooma: The technology and hardware required
In this field, magicJack is head and shoulders over Ooma. The magicJack app is known to be very user-friendly and does not require a strong internet speed to be operational. Ooma, on the other hand, requires high-speed internet. In fact, it is recommended to use Ooma over cable, DSL, or fiber optic cable. In optimal conditions, Ooma is significantly faster with fewer issues.
magicJack also works with any telephone while Ooma Hub and Telo need a handset. This way, users need to purchase an extra device for Ooma.
When it comes to the ATA devices, the one for magicJack is much smaller and has a simpler installation process. magicJack also offers the option to start conference calls, directory assistance, and three-way calling. And they are all without a charge. The same services are available in Ooma but are charged a premium rate.
magicJack vs Ooma: Customer support
The history of magicJack gives it a poor reputation when it comes to customer support. It does have elaborate support information online, but the problem comes in when you want to the customer support. magicJack does not have a customer support number, which is required if a user needs to reach them.
Ooma, on the other hand, was known to have exceptional customer service. Users raved about the short waiting time when connecting to the customer service numbers and how good the agents were. At the end of the call, the clients were always satisfied and helped. All this hard work was ruined in a spell around 2010 that dented this good reputation. Ooma kept facing massive outages and disruption of services for hours or even days. The damage control from their end was not great either.
magicJack vs Ooma: Upgrading
When it comes to upgrading, this is a no brainer. Ooma takes this round. Devices from magicJack do not actually upgrade. If you want more features with magicJack, you have to buy a new device with the specific features you are looking for.
With Ooma Hub and Ooma Telo, every new feature becomes available after you subscribe to the Premier Service.
magicJack vs Ooma: The verdict
Which VoIP is right for you?
Ooma is definitely more expensive, but it comes with features that will interest some group of people. For example, those who are always on the road and want to connect to phones.
On the other hand, with magicJack, you get to save some cash and at the same time enjoy very good features. It has a free Android and Apple app; it is smaller and works over Wi-Fi. A connection can also be made to a computer via USB and with the help of a softphone can be used to make calls.
The major deal breaker with magicJack is the upgrading issues. If you want to enjoy the extra services that come with a premium subscription, then you have to buy a new device. Unlike Ooma, you cannot upgrade your current device.
Overall, the contest between magicJack and Ooma is a very close one. It boils down to the individual customer needs. When you consider the arguments above, you may find yourself leaning slightly towards magicJack.
