Senior Writer: Sindhu Bharathi
With the evolution of VoIP phone systems, getting a virtual number has become easier than ever. Many VoIP providers offer a free Australia virtual phone number, and the best thing is you don’t have to buy a SIM card or be present physically in the location.
If you are running a business in Australia from outside the country, having a local phone number in Australia helps build trust and credibility in your customer’s minds.
Also, with local phone numbers, your calls are four times more likely to get answered. Read the blog to understand your steps to get a free Australia virtual number.
"If you have a customer base or professional network in Australia, having an Australian virtual number helps. Though several apps allow you to make international calls, having a local number helps build trust and credibility among customers. VoIP apps like CallHippo, DialerHQ, etc., help you get free Australia virtual phone numbers."
The best way to get a free Australia virtual phone number is to look for a reliable VoIP service provider. Following is the general sequence of steps to get an Australian virtual phone number.
Step 1: Choose a Reliable Service Provider
The first step in getting an Australian virtual number is to evaluate the VoIP service providers and choose one that goes well with your requirements. Compare their pricing, features, functionalities, subscription packages, and customer reviews to choose the best one.
You May Also Read : Best Australia Virtual Phone Number Providers
Step 2: Sign Up and Register Your Details
Once you have chosen a service provider, the second step is to visit the website and register the details like name, email, etc. Ensure that you choose a VoIP provider with quick registration and hassle-free setup.
Step 3: Choose an Australian Virtual Number
The next step is to choose Australia as the country of preference. You must enter the area code based on your preferred location. You must pick a number from the list of numbers available for your area. While doing so, ensure that the virtual number supports incoming calls, outbound calls, etc.
Step 4: Configure the Phone System
Most VoIP providers offer extensive call management features like call recording, call forwarding, call barging, voicemail transcription, intelligent routing, shared inbox, etc. Invest your time and efforts into exploring the platform, pick the features you need for your business, and configure the system based on your requirements.
Step 5: Choose a Pricing Plan
The final step is to check their pricing and choose a subscription package that fits your budget. Most VoIP providers offer free packages and free trials. But, if you are looking for advanced call management features, you may have to choose a subscription package.
Explore pocket-friendly options with us today!
Start Free TrialDifferent Types of Virtual Phone Numbers in Australia
To be able to choose the right virtual phone number in Australia, you must understand the different types and options available to you. There are four different types of virtual numbers, including,
- Mobile numbers
- Toll-free numbers
- Local area numbers
- International numbers
1. Mobile Numbers
As obvious as it may seem, these numbers look similar to mobile numbers, and they usually start with 4. If you are running a startup or a small-scale business in Australia, having a free virtual mobile number in Australia helps broaden your regional network.
2. Toll-Free Numbers
If you have a large customer base in Australia, then having a Toll-free Australia virtual phone number helps. Toll-free numbers in Australia usually start with 1800 or 1300. With toll-free numbers, the business pays the cost, and the customers do not incur any charges. This means customers can reach out to the business for free.
If you are running a large business and have a customer care center in Australia, having a toll-free virtual number helps.
3. Local Area Numbers
Local area phone numbers are associated with a specific area in Australia. This helps businesses build a local presence and brand without actually being located in an area. A lot of businesses prefer having a local phone number as it helps indicate their close proximity to customers and build trust in their minds.
With Australian phone numbers, local numbers come with 4-digit area codes, where the first two digits represent the region, and the next two digits indicate the area.
4. International Numbers
If you have a global presence or your business aims to target specific international markets, then having an international virtual number helps. Having an international number allows international customers to contact your customer care center at low costs.
What are the Benefits of Having an Australian Virtual Phone System?
Having an Australian virtual phone system offers many benefits, and we have listed some of them in the following section to give you an overview. Read the following to understand the importance of having a virtual phone number for free in Australia.
1. Conducive Business Environment
Australia is a rapidly evolving economy and offers a conducive climate for businesses. So, if you are looking forward to expanding your business and customer base or starting up a new entity, Australia offers enormous opportunities. In that case, having a virtual phone number helps you manage business calls from anywhere worldwide.
2. Reduced Costs
Virtual numbers do not require a SIM card, like mobile phones or copper wires and cables like landline phones. VoIP providers offer extensive subscription packages at discounted rates that help reduce international calling costs. Some service providers, like DialerHQ, offer a free package with basic features. If you are a startup or small business owner, then you can make free international calls using a VoIP phone system.
3. High Answer Rates
Research shows that people are four times more likely to answer calls from a local number than an international number. So, having a local phone number helps reach more customers and broaden your business base. Some VoIP providers like DialerHQ let you pick an area code within Australia. As you reach customers using the local region code, the chances of your call being answered are very high.
4. Build Credibility Among Customers
With a local number, it is easy to build trust and credibility among your customer base in Australia. It strengthens the image of your brand and promotes greater visibility for your business. This way, customers feel closely connected with your brand.
What are the Key Features of Any Virtual Phone System?
Virtual phone systems offer a plethora of features that help manage the calls and end-to-end communication requirements of a business. While choosing a business phone system, check for the following features.
1. Call Recording
Call recording is a crucial feature of a virtual phone system as it helps you keep track of the conversations. You can use the recording to train and educate the new agents. You can offer real-time feedback to help the agent improve their skills and competencies. Also, from the legal and compliance point of view, call recording is vital.
2. Call Conferencing
Most VoIP providers provide video and voice conferencing to connect multiple agents and customers. This helps streamline internal communications in a team.
3. Call Barging
If you are operating a call center, call barging helps drop in to live calls happening between the agents and customers. In case a customer asks a question that is difficult for the agent to handle, the supervisor or manager can barge in and pass on instructions and notes to help the agent.
You May Also Read : How to Call Australia from the US?
4. IVR Systems
Virtual phone systems have Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems that navigate incoming callers based on the inputs received from the customer. It uses pre-recorded messages or text-to-speech technology to interact with the caller and offer options for them to choose from. Based on the inputs received, the system then handles the call by itself or directs the caller to the best available agent.
5. Smart Call Routing
VoIP systems have an intelligent call routing feature that helps route incoming calls to the most relevant agent who has the skills to handle the caller’s queries. For example, if a customer requests information in French, then the system automatically routes the call to the French-speaking agent.
6. Call Queuing
VoIP phone systems help build caller queues based on the customer query. It places incoming calls in the queue if your customer support team is busy handling other calls.
7. Analytics and Reporting
Virtual phone systems provide call analytics and custom reports on a dashboard to get a glance at important metrics like call volume, average queue length, first call resolution, occupancy rate, net promoter score, etc., at any point in time. This helps make staffing and other important business decisions.
You May Also Read : How to Call New Zealand from Australia?
8. Flexible Devices
Traditional phone lines require that the agents be present at their desks to be able to make or receive calls. But with cloud-based phone systems, agents get the liberty to handle calls from wherever they are. Also, your team can handle calls through any device as long as they have access to the internet.
Best Free Australian Phone Number Apps
In this section, we have covered the top 6 best free Australia virtual phone number apps along with their features, pros, cons, and pricing. If you are exploring ways to get a free Australia virtual phone number, these options could be of great use.
1. DialerHQ
DialerHQ remains our best pick to get a free Australia virtual phone number. It is a cloud-based system and lets you select a number of choice. All that you need to do is to enter the country and region code. Beyond virtual numbers, DialerHQ offers advanced call management features like call blocking, call recording, call routing, and so on.
DialerHQ offers local Australian phone numbers, toll-free Australian phone numbers, and Australian mobile numbers. DialerHQ uses cloud-based architecture, and communication happens over the internet. So, it helps reduce communication costs for businesses. After selecting a virtual number, you can configure the system to match your business requirements.
- Free virtual numbers
- Role-based access control
- Power dialer
- Call forwarding
- Call queuing
- Call tagging
- Intelligent reports
- Shared inbox
- DialerHQ offers a wide pool of Australian free virtual numbers. You can choose one based on your business requirements.
- DialerHQ has mobile and desktop apps, so you can access the system on the go.
- DialerHQ plans are affordable, and even small businesses and startups find it economical to use the system.
- DialerHQ offers a free trial in all its packages so you can try out its features before subscribing.
- DialerHQ offers 24*7 customer support in all its plans.
- DialerHQ operates over the cloud and so requires a stable internet connection. In case the connection is poor, the call clarity is lost.
- You must configure DialerHQ appropriately to comply with legal requirements.
Pricing
As an enterprise-specific solution, DialerHQ caters exclusively to large teams or organizations. Connect with the DialerHQ sales team at [email protected] for personalized quotes, or start a free trial for first-hand experience.
2. CallHippo
CallHippo is a robust communication provider with extensive features and functionalities for internal and external collaboration. Using CallHippo, you can get a free Australia virtual phone number in less than 3 minutes. You can choose between a local number and a toll-free number.
CallHippo offers advanced call management features like call recording, call queuing, video conferencing, smart call forwarding, ring groups, on-hold music, call analytics, and so on. That CallHippo has garnered acceptance from leading businesses like Amazon, Paytm, TechMahindra, Shopify, etc., testify to its functionalities.
- Local and toll-free phone numbers
- Auto attendants
- Power dialer
- Caller ID
- Call recording
- Call forwarding
- Call tracking
- CallHippo offers free Australia virtual phone numbers and toll-free numbers.
- With CallHippo, the signup, and registration are very easy, and it only takes three minutes of your time.
- CallHippo provides a free plan which has all the basic features needed for small businesses and startups.
- It has excellent integration abilities and goes well with 85+ tools and platforms.
- CallHippo offers extensive analytics and provides custom reporting. Its dashboard is very intuitive and provides all the essential details.
- CallHippo provides a 10-day trial period with all its premium plans. The plans are affordable and do not involve hidden charges.
- As it follows a cloud-based architecture, you need to have a reliable internet connection.
- The voicemail features must be updated.
Pricing
- Bronze Plan: $16 per user per month
- Silver Plan: $24 per user per month
- Platinum Plan: $40 per user per month
- Enterprise Plan: $48 per user per month
3. Vonage
Vonage is a cloud-based phone system known for offering virtual phone numbers in 80+ countries, including Australia. Vonage provides advanced call management features, and the best part is that these features can be customized to meet specific business requirements.
Vonage offers long-distance, international calling features and functionalities. The Vonage phone system helps you manage the team from a single location, and this is more helpful to businesses that have customer teams functioning from multiple locations.
- Local phone numbers
- Toll-free numbers
- International numbers
- Visual voicemail
- Auto attendant
- Call blocking
- Caller ID
- Call recording
- Vonage offers free virtual phone numbers instantly. It also offers toll-free numbers.
- Vonage offers sector-specific communication solutions for healthcare, education, manufacturing, public sector, finance, etc.
- Vonage has 50+ features for call management, including call recording, call logs, call queuing, auto attendant, conferencing, etc.
- It offers a desktop app, a mobile app, and desktop business phones to support remote teams. The application is available for use on both Android and iOS platforms.
- Often the customer calls are handled by bots, so their abilities are limited. Customer care needs improvement.
- Video conferencing abilities are limited, and the voicemail features need upgrades and improvements.
Pricing
- Mobile: $19.99 per line per month
- Premium: $29.99 per line per month
- Advanced: $39.99 per line per month
4. OpenPhone
OpenPhone is a popular VoIP provider, and it helps businesses avail themselves of a second phone number for free. The best part is you don’t need a SIM card or an extra phone. It offers unlimited numbers, and businesses can customize the configuration of each number. Each number has its own inbox, and you can set business hours for each number.
You can also integrate your numbers with other call management tools to streamline and automate the flow of your communication system.
- Free virtual number in Australia & other countries
- Toll-free numbers
- Easy addition and removal of numbers
- Call recording
- Skill-based routing
- IVR systems
- International calling
- Customize business hours
- OpenPhone has an intuitive UI, and the dashboard is easy to use and navigate.
- OpenPhone offers toll-free numbers and local numbers for free.
- OpenPhone has advanced call management options like voicemail transcription, IVR support, auto attendants, call recording, etc.
- OpenPhone has both web apps and mobile apps and is available on Android as well as iOS platforms.
- The customer service is excellent, and it is easy to reach the team.
- OpenPhone subscription packages are affordable, and the service is worth the deal.
- Call clarity and sound quality with the OpenPhone system are sometimes low, and they need fixes.
- OpenPhone system does not offer conference calling, and this remains an important consideration for customer support teams.
Pricing
- Standard: $13 per user per month
- Premium: $25 per user per month
- Enterprise: Contact OpenPhone technologies
5. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a unified communication service provider and offers different types of virtual numbers, including local numbers, toll-free numbers, vanity numbers, etc.
It also allows you to port your existing phone number for free. So, if you are looking for a free VOIP number in Australia, explore the features of Grasshopper and see if it aligns with your business.
Grasshopper offers 24*7 customer support in all the plans, and you don’t need a new phone to add a new number. It has extensive features like a virtual receptionist, voicemail transcription, inbound and outbound calls, etc.
- Business phone number
- Call logs
- Auto receptionist
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail to text transcription
- Call transfers
- Auto attendant
- Custom greetings
- Grasshopper provides various types of virtual phone numbers, including local numbers, toll-free numbers, and vanity numbers.
- Grasshopper offers a free trial so you can experiment with the features of the platform before you sign up.
- Grasshopper offers a mobile and a desktop application and is available for download on AppStore and Google Play store.
- Grasshopper has affordable pricing plans, so it is affordable for small businesses and startups.
- Grasshopper can be integrated with cloud-based apps like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
- Grasshopper lacks advanced features like call analytics and custom reporting.
- Grasshopper lacks advanced collaboration tools.
Pricing
- Solo: $26 per month
- Partner: $44 per month
- Small Business: $80 per month
6. VirtualPBX
VirtualPBX telephone system offers different types of business phone numbers, including local numbers, vanity numbers, toll-free numbers, and international numbers. It is an award-winning phone system and offers advanced features like video conferencing, employee directories, call recording, texting functionalities, etc.
VirtualPBX offers real-time analytics and reporting, which shows the agent’s performance while handling a call, email, or chat. The setup takes only 5 minutes and offers extensive integration abilities.
- Local and toll-free phone numbers
- Auto attendant
- Call reporting
- Automated directory
- Outbound caller ID
- Customizable greetings
- On-hold music
- Ring groups
- VirtualPBX has excellent integration abilities and goes well with Salesforce, Dropbox, Google Sheets, Trello, Zapier, Amazon AWS, etc.
- VirtualPBX offers a free trial, and the subscription plans are affordable.
- VirtualPBX app is available on Android and iOS platforms and so can be downloaded on AppStore and Google Play.
- VirtualPBX offers 24/7 customer support, and as it operates on the cloud, the installation and maintenance costs are low.
- The interface of VirtualPBX is outdated and needs improvement.
- For call recording, it needs high-speed internet. So, it does not go well when you are using mobile and phone data.
Pricing
- Starter -$12 per month per user
- Flex – $19 per month per user
- Pro -$29 per month per user
So, if you are exploring ways to get an Australian virtual mobile number free, analyze the features, functionalities, pros, and cons of these applications.
You May Also Read : How to Call Australia from UK?
Conclusion
Whether you are a small-scale business trying to build professional connections in Australia or a large-scale enterprise with an exclusive customer care center, having a local number helps build a sense of trust and attachment in your customer’s minds.
Beyond that, making and receiving calls through virtual numbers is cost-effective as they operate over the Internet. So, if you run a business in Australia from outside the country, try to get a free Australia virtual phone number for your business.
FAQs
To get a virtual Australian mobile number, follow the steps.
- Choose a reliable VoIP service provider
- Sign up and register your details
- Choose Australia in location and specify the area code of your preference
- Specify ‘Mobile number’ in the type of virtual number
- Pick a number from the available pool of numbers
- Configure the phone system and start using it instantly.
Yes, you can get Australian virtual phone numbers for free with VoIP providers and cloud-based phone systems.
You can get the Australian virtual number using the following apps.
- Vonage
- OpenPhone
- Grasshopper
- CallHippo
- VirtualPBX
Sindhu Bharathi is an inquisitive learner and prolific B2B/SaaS writer with experience of working in diverse industries. She has a demonstrated history of delivering well-researched, original content. From generating long-form articles, blogs, and white papers to social media copies, she pivots her skills to resonate with the medium and deliver compelling content that has the power to captivate the audience.
Updated : March 5, 2024
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