Senior Writer: Rohit Rajpal
Date: March 28, 2024Italy is one of the most popular European countries. If your business has customers in Italy, you’d need a cost-effective way to reach out to them over the cell phone. And what’s a better way than using virtual phone numbers?
An Italian virtual number allows you to make phone calls to Italy at local rates, irrespective of where you’re located. Since you’ll have a local number, customers in Italy will be more likely to pick up the phone.
But what is a virtual phone number? Who are the top phone number providers in Italy? And how will it benefit your business? Let’s answer these questions in detail.
What Is a Virtual Number?
A virtual phone number, also known as an inward dialing number, is not connected to a fixed line or sim card. Instead, you can access the virtual phone number via a mobile app or web browser and make phone calls to Italy.
In other words, you don’t need to buy an Italian sim card to buy a local Italian phone number. Instead, you can use VoIP services to get an Italian number and strengthen your local presence in the country.
"No matter where your business is located, if you want to expand your business in Italy or provide customer services to existing customers in Italy, then getting a virtual number is the most viable option for you. As it is cost-effective and offers seamless connectivity, and most importantly, you don’t require traditional telephony systems to get in touch with the customers. "
What Are the Benefits of an Italian Phone Number?
The benefits of an Italian phone number go beyond cost savings. It helps you build trust with local customers, allows you to run location-specific ad campaigns, maintains professionalism, provides 24/7 connectivity, and supports integration.
Let’s look at these benefits in detail.
1- Makes Getting Started Easier
To begin with, setting up a virtual Italian phone number requires a robust internet connection and a device (mobile, desktop, laptop, or iPad). VoIP vendors take care of maintenance and support, eliminating the need for in-house IT resources.
2- Reduces Phone Bills
Phone bills can significantly affect your budget, whether you make a few international or thousands of local calls. However, you can dramatically reduce the overall bill with virtual phone numbers. That’s because, unlike traditional phone lines, virtual numbers use the internet to make calls. This reduces the charges per minute, allowing you to save money.
3- Provides Flexibility
As discussed above, an Italy virtual phone number is not tied to a desk phone. This allows you to carry your business number anywhere (virtually) and make calls. So, even when your sales rep is out in the field, they can use the Italian phone number to call the client and maintain professionalism. This is also helpful for remote teams as they can access the same benefits as those in the office.
4- Strengthens Local Presence
Purchasing Italian sim cards require a local ID card or passport information. And even with that, you cannot make calls to Italy without paying for international roaming if you’re not in the country. But, with virtual numbers, you can be anywhere and still make calls to Italy using an Italian number at local rates. This enables you to build rapport with local customers and strengthen your presence.
5- Helps Run Location-Specific Campaigns
Most businesses run paid ads to attract customers. However, one part of running those ads is making it easier for prospects to reach you. And they’re less likely to call you unless it has an Italian number. Furthermore, if you run multiple ads, you can assign a unique number to each campaign and better track what works best.
Different Types of Italian Phone Numbers
Now that you know what a virtual phone number is, let’s understand the different types of virtual numbers in Italy.
1- Area Numbers
Local or area numbers are location-based and have the area code prefix. Depending on the region and zone, you can get local Italian numbers for your business. If your target audience is in Vatican City, you can purchase numbers with the area code 06. You can even buy virtual numbers in Italy for multiple cities.
Italy is divided into nine zones, each having multiple dialing codes based on the region. Make sure you pick the most relevant ones for your business.
- Zone 1: Liguria, Piedmont, and Aosta Valley
- Zone 2: The City of Milan and nearby areas
- Zone 3: Eastern Piedmont and the Rest of Lombardy
- Zone 4: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Veneto
- Zone 5: Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany
- Zone 6: City of Rome, Vatican City and nearby areas
- Zone 7: Marche, Lazio, Umbria and Sardinia
- Zone 8: Abruzzo, Molise, Campania and Apulia
- Zone 9: Calabria, Sicily, Basilicata, rest of Apulia
2- Toll-Free Numbers
Give your customers the privilege to make free calls to your business via toll-free numbers. A toll-free virtual phone number in Italy generally starts with 800, 833, 844, 855, and similar. Although the customer isn’t charged for the call, you’ll have to pay for every minute you talk.
The primary benefit of toll-free numbers is that it gives customers the peace of mind that they can reach out to you for any problem without incurring any charges.
3- Vanity Numbers
Vanity numbers are catchy, memorable numbers like 1-800-BURGER. You might want to add your brand name or the product you sell. However, not all virtual number providers sell vanity numbers, so check it out before finalizing one. You can also purchase a vanity number to make it easier for customers to remember you and set up call forwarding to your generic number.
It is worth noting that although you can get a sim online, you will need a VoIP provider to purchase vanity numbers.
Who Can Use Virtual Numbers in Italy?
Unlike an unlocked phone, anyone with a mobile phone can use virtual numbers in Italy. You can also use your laptop, desktop, or iPad to make calls through virtual phone numbers. The only prerequisite is a robust internet connection.
| Brand Name | Rating | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| CallHippo | Call forwarding Call recording Voicemail Text messaging | Basic: $0 Bronze: $16 /month Silver: $24 /month Platinum: $40 /month | |
| Nextiva | Auto attendant Hold music Mobile app and desktop app Video conferencing Audio-only conferencing Advanced IVR systems Caller ID | Essentials: $18.95 Professional: $22.95 Enterprise: $32.95 | |
| RingCentral | Business phone or toll-free numbers Unlimited calling within the US and Canada Business SMS IVR | Core: $20 Advanced: $25 Ultra: $35 | |
| Dialpad | Text, audio, and video calling Speech analytics Caller ID Mobile app and desktop app IVR systems | Standard: $15 Pro: $25 Enterprise: Contact sales |
List of Top 15 Virtual Phone Number Providers in Italy
1- CallHippo
CallHippo is one of the most popular virtual phone number providers in Italy. It allows you to purchase local and toll-free numbers to strengthen your local presence while allowing customers to reach out to you at no cost. Built for businesses of all sizes, CallHippo offers the best coverage and makes it easier to scale your operations with advanced features.
Key Features of CallHippo
- Smart call forwarding
- Call transfer
- Call conferencing
- Call barging
- Call analytics
- Call monitoring
- Automatic call distribution
- Gamification
- Interactive voice response (IVR)
- Post-call surveys
- User role system
CallHippo Pros
- Has a forever-free version
- Proactive customer support
- Grows with your business
- In-depth analytics and reports
CallHippo Cons
- The mobile app isn’t very intuitive
- Add-ons are expensive
- The interface needs improvement
- Robot voice for the voicemail technology
CallHippo Pricing
CallHippo has four plans.
- Basic: $0
- Bronze: $16 per user per month
- Silver: $24 per user per month
- Bronze: $40 per user per month
2- Nextiva
Nextiva is a popular provider of virtual numbers in Italy. It comes with advanced features at affordable rates. Apart from the multi-party call, you can also start video conferencing with a single click. You can also receive voicemails over email to ensure you don’t miss anyone’s concerns. It also has a robust mobile app that makes business communication seamless.
Key Features of Nextiva
- Call recording
- Essentials quality management
- Enterprise workforce management
- Unlimited voice and video calling
- Auto attendant
- Salesforce and HubSpot integrations
- Voicemail transcription
Nextiva Pros
- Unlimited calling to certain countries
- Brings business communication to one place
- Highly customizable auto-attendant
- Advanced call management feature
Nextiva Cons
- The mobile app could be improved
- Integration options are quite limited
- You cannot check anyone’s status until you add them to your contacts
- The contract renews automatically without informing you
Nextiva Pricing
Nextiva hasn’t made the pricing of its Contact Center plan public. Contact the company for a quote.
3- RingCentral
RingCentral is a highly flexible and scalable VoIP solution for growing businesses. It makes business communication easier by bringing audio, video, and chat to one place. It also has an advanced analytics dashboard that helps you analyze your team’s performance and optimize it for a better user experience.
RingCentral Features
- Audio conferencing
- Quality of service reports
- Hot desking
- Real-time analytics
- Voicemail to text
- Team messaging
- Document sharing
- Automatic call recording
RingCentral Pros
- HD call quality
- Highly scalable
- IVR and call routing are easy to set up
- Supports complex business rules
RingCentral Cons
- Expensive add-ons
- No 24/7 support in the basic plan
- Single Sign-on is only for premium users
- It could be costly if you have lots of users
RingCentral Pricing
RingCentral has four plans.
- Essentials: $19.99 per user per month
- Standard: $27.99 per user per month
- Premium: $34.99 per user per month
- Ultimate: $49.99 per user per month
4- Lyber
Lyber is a relatively new yet powerful company that offers virtual numbers in Italy. It comes with a virtual assistant that helps you handle calls while you’re occupied with other customers. In addition, you can ring multiple lines at once to improve your resolution time.
Lyber Features
- Call customers from your mobile without affecting your privacy
- Virtual Assistant
- Answering machine and voice announcements
- Opening and closing times
- Call forwarding
Lyber Pros
- Affordable for small businesses
- Allows you to port your existing number
- Guarantees privacy of your numbers
- Has a free trial
Lyber Cons
- Cannot scale with your business
- Limited features
- No 24/7 support
- Doesn’t provide a 99.99% uptime guarantee
Lyber Pricing
Lyber has only one plan. It costs €12 per month for the first user and €6 per month for additional users.
5- Knowlarity
Knowlarity is a popular cloud-based communications platform that allows you to purchase virtual numbers of different cities. Designed for businesses of all sizes, Knowlarity brings voice, video, and chat to one place. You can also integrate it with your CRM to offer a personalized experience to users.
Knowlarity Features
- IVR
- Call recording
- Call routing
- Concurrent calls
- Multi-lingual support
Knowlarity Pros
- Number masking to improve privacy
- Skill-based routing improves overall efficiency
- Real-time insights to help you enhance customer experience
- Proactive customer success team
Knowlarity Cons
- Mobile app could be better
- Limited integration options
- Many customers report frequent server issues
- Few basic features are offered as an add-on
Knowlarity Pricing
Knowlarity offers custom pricing.
6- Dialpad
Built on the Google Cloud platform, Dialpad unified contact center, calling, and conferencing at no extra cost. It ensures your phone works as a business communication tool to help you assist customers around the clock. It also comes with unlimited calling, messages, and document sharing.
Dialpad Features
- Unlimited calling
- HD Voice
- One free local number
- Multi-level auto attendant
- Toll-free number support
- Custom call routing
- Three-way calling
- Automatic spam call detection
Dialpad Pros
- Great coverage across Italy
- Allows you to call any phone in Italy at pocket-friendly rates
- AI transcription makes tracking calls easier
- Allows you to search team messages using keywords
Dialpad Cons
- Porting out is difficult
- Choppy calls are quite common
- Stopping a service (e.g., removing phone lines) is complex
- Limited role-based access features
Dialpad Pricing
Dialpad has three plans.
- Standard: $15 per user per month
- Pro: $25 per user per month
- Enterprise: Contact the company for a quote
7- Vonage
Vonage is another VoIP provider that lets you purchase virtual numbers in Italy. It offers 50+ integrated features, making it a perfect choice for rapidly growing businesses. In addition, it provides a 99.999% uptime guarantee in SLA, ensuring maximum productivity for your business.
Vonage Features
- Announce place in the queue
- Analytics, reporting, and dashboards
- Screen pops, call recordings
- Disaster recovery, emergency call routing
- IVR, skills-based routing, SLA optimizer
- Post-call quality rating
- Priority call handling, personal queues
- Single Sign-On
- Contextualized notifications
- Post call survey
Vonage Pros
- Exceptional sound and video quality
- Low international call rates
- Easy-to-use, intuitive interface
- Supports up to three phones on a single extension
Vonage Cons
- No option to delete messages
- Even a minor issue in your internet could cause calls to drop suddenly
- Customer service isn’t good
- Voicemail transcription isn’t accurate
Vonage Pricing
Vonage has not made its pricing public. Please contact the company for a quote.
8- GoToConnect
GoToConnect is a powerful phone system that allows you to purchase virtual phone numbers in Italy. In addition, you can use it throughout the European Union by paying international calling charges. Like Vonage, it has a 99.999% uptime guarantee, ensuring you are always available for your customers.
GoToConnect Features
- Local, toll-free, and vanity numbers
- Call forwarding
- Unlimited extensions
- Auto attendant
- Customizable dial plans
- Ring groups
- Call queues
- Hot desking
GoToConnect Pros
- Simple and clean interface
- Free recording storage for one year
- Contacting customer service is easy
- One number can be assigned to unlimited users via extensions
GoToConnect Cons
- Audio quality can sometimes be poor
- Limited integrations
- Reporting can be improved
- The mobile app often crashes
GoToConnect Pricing
GoToConnect has three plans.
- Basic: $27 per user per month
- Standard: $32 per user per month
- Premium: $43 per user per month
9- Zoom Phone
Zoom became famous during the pandemic. It became the go-to video conferencing tool for everyone, including companies and educational institutions. However, it also offers virtual phone numbers in Italy. Its robust technology and scalability options make it one of the top choices for companies looking to grow rapidly.
Zoom Phone Features
- Unlimited international calling
- Metered outbound calling
- Voicemail with transcription
- Unlimited auto attendants
- Automatic call distribution
- Call barge/whisper/takeover
- 3-way ad hoc conference calls
- Emergency calling
- Plug-and-play VoIP phones
Zoom Phone Pros
- Has a chatbot to answer your questions 24/7
- High audio and video quality
- Team messaging is available in every plan
- Voicemail transcription is quite accurate
Zoom Phone Cons
- The user interface is not clean, thus making it difficult to navigate
- Reporting capabilities are not robust
- No advanced switch features
- Doesn’t allow you to set business hours through the webpage
Zoom Phone Pricing
Although Zoom Phone offers four plans, it hasn’t made the pricing public. Contact the company for more information.
10- Phone.com
Built for small and large businesses, Phone.com offers affordable services and allows you to purchase local and international numbers. In addition, you can choose from local, toll-free, and vanity numbers from the virtual number provider.
Phone.com Features
- HD Voice
- Video meetings
- 24/7 support
- Text messaging
- Voicemail
- Fax
- Transcription
- Queues
- Voice tagging
- HIPAA compliance
Phone.com Pros
- Affordable packages
- Reliable calling services
- The support team is proactive
- Wide range of call routing options
Phone.com Cons
- Canceling your account can be cumbersome.
- The mobile app tends to be confusing.
- No detailed billing, increasing the risk of overpaying
- High learning curve
Phone.com Pricing
Phone.com has three plans.
- Basic: $11.99 per user per month
- Plus: $15.99 per user per month
- Pro: $23.99 per user per month
11- VoIPLy
Founded in 2012, VoIPLy is one of Italy’s most affordable virtual number providers. Although it might not cater to the vast needs of enterprise-level businesses, it does a good job for small and mid-sized companies. In addition, its round-the-clock customer service ensures global businesses get a quick resolution to their queries.
VoIPLy Features
- HD Voice
- Plug and play
- Call waiting
- Caller ID
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail to email
- Number porting
- Extra line app
- E911 app
VoIPLy Pros
- Unlimited calling to 50+ countries
- 99.99% uptime service-level agreement (SLA)
- 24/7 support to answer all your questions
- Compliant with global data standards
VoIPLy Cons
- No iOS app
- Limited features for large enterprises
- Porting numbers is time-consuming
- Limited integration options
VoIPLy Pricing
VoIPLy has two plans.
- Residential plan: $7.16 per month
- Business plan: $11.16 per month
12- CloudTalk
CloudTalk is a popular company offering a virtual phone number in Italy with a potentially better user experience than others in this list. It also comes with a smart dialer, power dialer, and predictive dialer to help increase your business efficiency. Furthermore, its advanced IVR makes the caller experience even smoother.
CloudTalk Features
- Call queuing
- Call recording
- Internal calls via extensions
- Voicemail
- Number porting
- Business hours
- Text messaging
- Three-way calling
- Personalized greeting
CloudTalk Pros
- Advanced features at affordable prices
- Designed to enhance agent productivity
- Numerous integration options
- In-depth analytics and reporting
CloudTalk Cons
- Call summary notes are not as comprehensive
- Administrative access could have more options
- Initial training is time-consuming
- Personalization could be quite challenging
CloudTalk Pricing
CloudTalk has four plans.
- Starter: $25 per user per month
- Essential: $30 per user per month
- Expert: $50 per user per month
- Custom: Contact the company for a quote
13- Voxloud
Built for small businesses, Voxloud is one of the popular virtual phone number providers in Italy. Whether you want to buy a new number or port your existing one, Voxloud has a solution for you. You can even take multiple calls simultaneously by routing them to your team members’ phones. It also lets you share personalized messages and set custom IVR.
Voxloud Features
- Call transfer
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail
- Call waiting
- Custom IVR
- Answering rules for each number
- Webhooks for real-time phone calls
Voxloud Pros
- Easy to set up and configure
- Excellent user onboarding experience
- Clean audio quality
- Knowledgeable customer service
Voxloud Cons
- Price is a little high
- Setting up off-hours could be tricky
- No visual dashboard for key metrics
- Limited third-party integrations
Voxloud Pricing
Voxloud has three plans.
- Digital: $30 per user per month
- All Inclusive: $33 per user per month
- Phone: $30 per user per month
14- DIDWW
DIDWW is one of the renowned phone number providers in Italy. They have a large inventory of mobile numbers, enabling you to find your preferred number easily. Besides, their strong telecom experience helps you comply with international regulations.
DIDWW Features
- Call queuing
- Ring groups
- Voice menus
- Voice mail
- Conference calling
- Call recording
- Caller blacklists
- Fax
- Audio playback
- Internal numbers
DIDWW Pros
- Advanced features for growing businesses
- Compatible with third-party SIP devices
- Robust analytics and reporting capabilities
- Multi-language support
DIDWW Cons
- Customers report receiving numerous spam calls
- Call drop issues are quite common
- Limited integration options
- Pricing isn’t very transparent
DIDWW Pricing
DIDWW has four pricing plans.
- Lifetime Free: $0 per user per month
- Enterprise: $10 per user per month
- Starter: $12.25 per user per month
- Operator: Contact the company for a quote
15- Traverse Telecom
Last but not least, Traverse Telecom is a leading VoIP company with over a decade of experience in cloud-based communications. You can purchase both local and toll-free numbers from Traverse Telecom to reach your customers in Italy. You can also purchase add-on services like voice broadcast, IVR, and text messaging.
Traverse Telecom Features
- HD voice
- Auto attendant
- Call waiting
- IVR
- Call forwarding
- Call barging
- Call monitoring
- Call whispering
- Fax to email
- Answering machine detection
- Predictive dialer
Traverse Telecom Pros
- Affordable international call rates
- Can be set up within 60 seconds
- Pay as you go model makes it cost-effective for startups
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
Traverse Telecom Cons
- Overall expensive plans
- Basic features like SMS is available as an add-on
- Support quality could be improved
- Limited integration options
Traverse Telecom Pricing
Traverse Telecom has three plans.
- Pay as you go: Depends on usage
- 1-2 user plan: $24.99 per month
- 3-8 user plan: $74.99 per month
Wrapping Up
Choosing the right phone number providers in Italy will enable you to strengthen your local presence while simultaneously reducing phone bills. Besides, virtual numbers in Italy give you the much-needed flexibility to work from anywhere and scale your operations at nominal costs. Analyze your virtual phone number providers in Italy to choose the one that suits your needs and gain an instant competitive advantage!
FAQs
How to get an Italian number for free?
Sign up with a free virtual number provider to get an Italian number for free. However, they come with basic features, making it difficult to offer a great user experience. Instead, you can choose the free version of CallHippo and pay only for the Italian number to access the VoIP system.
What are the features of an Italian virtual phone number?
The key features of an Italian virtual phone number include
- Smart call forwarding
- Call transfer
- Call conferencing
- Call barging
- Call analytics
- Call monitoring
- Automatic call distribution
- Gamification
- Interactive voice response (IVR)
- Post-call surveys
- User role system
What is the cost of a virtual number in Italy?
The cost of a virtual number in Italy depends on the vendor you choose. For instance, CallHippo starts from $0 per month. However, there are other providers like Dialpad that start from $15 per user per month.
Rohit Rajpal is an accomplished content writer with nearly 5 years of experience in the SaaS industry. He is passionate about staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in the field. In addition, Rohit’s expertise in SEO enables him to craft blogs, case studies, and whitepapers that not only drive traffic but also generate leads.
