Best home phone service in 2023
You may think traditional landlines are obsolete, but they offer several advantages. In most cases, home phone service still operates if there is a power outage, and you have a backup in case your cell phone breaks or gets lost.
Roughly 40% of American households still have landline home phone service, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Shopping for home telephone service? Keep reading for our comprehensive overview, including the best landline providers plus a look at popular call features.
Best landline phone service providers
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $0-12
Ooma offers landline service with plans starting at $0.
Ooma Landline Plans
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Unlimited | $0.00 | |||
Unlimited | $0.00 | |||
Unlimited | $11.99 |
Ooma home phone
| Package | Phone Plan | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ooma Telo Air | Unlimited | $0 |
| Ooma Telo | Unlimited | $0 |
| Ooma Telo LTE with Backup | Unlimited | $11.99 |
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $39Full coverage guarantee - no internet required
Community Phone offers landline service with plans starting at $39.
Community Phone Landline Plans
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Unlimited | $39.00 |
Benefits
100% US based customer service.
Works when the power goes out by using a backup battery.
Get a new local number or keep existing.
Five minute set up.
Does not require an internet connection or Wifi to function.
30 day money back guarantee.
Spam call protection, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID included.
No contracts, always month to month.
Community Phone
| Package | Phone Plan | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Community Phone Unlimited landline service | Unlimited | $39 |
Traditional landline providers
There's a wide range of providers to choose from for your landline service. Here are some of our favorite contenders for best home phone service:
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $85-180
AT&T offers internet, TV & landline services with plans starting at $85. To order service call: (866) 484-0465
AT&T Landline & Internet Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Internet 300 + Phone | 300 Mbps | Unlimited | $84.99 | |
Internet 500 + Phone | 500 Mbps | Unlimited | $94.99 | |
Internet 1000 + Phone | 1000 Mbps | Unlimited | $109.99 |
AT&T Triple Play Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Internet 300 + Entertainment TV + Phone | 300 Mbps | 160 Channels | Unlimited | $154.98 |
Internet 300 + Choice TV + Phone | 300 Mbps | 185 Channels | Unlimited | $159.99 |
Internet 300 + Ultimate TV + Phone | 300 Mbps | 250 Channels | Unlimited | $179.99 |
Pros
Flexible bundling options
Quickly expanding fiber network
DSL service available
Extensive rural availability
Cons
Data caps on some plans
Contract required for best deals
Benefits
Fiber optic availability
30,000+ Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide
Flexible options for bundles
AT&T Smart Wi-Fi - Stay connected room to room
Combine your services with phone, TV and Internet bundles
Availability in some rural areas
24/7 Technical support
Customer service available 8am to 7pm local time
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $64.98-122.97
Spectrum offers internet, TV & landline services with plans starting at $64.98. To order service call: (888) 511-4264
Spectrum Landline & Internet Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Voice + Internet | 200 Mbps | Unlimited | $64.98 |
Spectrum Triple Play Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
TV Select + Internet Ultra + Voice | 400 Mbps | 125 Channels | Unlimited | $94.97 |
TV Silver + Internet Ultra + Voice | 400 Mbps | 175 Channels | Unlimited | $102.97 |
Voice + Internet + TV Select | 200 Mbps | 125 Channels | Unlimited | $114.97 |
TV Gold + Internet Ultra + Voice | 400 Mbps | 200 Channels | Unlimited | $122.97 |
Pros
Fast speeds
No contracts
No data caps
One-hour installation appointment window
Plenty of bundles
Cons
Negative customer service reputation
No fiber option
Benefits
High speed wireless network away from home with wi-fi hotspots
24/7 Tech support
30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Unlimited download available
No contract required
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $75-180
Verizon FiOS offers internet, TV & landline services with plans starting at $75. To order service call: (888) 512-3395
Verizon FiOS Landline & Internet Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Internet 300 + Home Phone | 300 Mbps | Unlimited | $74.99 |
Verizon FiOS Triple Play Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Your Fios TV + Internet 300 + Home Phone | 300 Mbps | 125 Channels | Unlimited | $139.99 |
More Fios TV + Internet 300 + Home Phone | 300 Mbps | 300 Channels | Unlimited | $159.99 |
The Most Fios TV + Internet 300 + Home Phone | 300 Mbps | 425 Channels | Unlimited | $179.99 |
Pros
100% fiber network
Speed options up to Gigabit
Equal upload and download speeds
No contracts
Good customer service reputation
Cons
Limited availability
Fees can add up
Benefits
Service is run on 100% fiber optic network
No annual contracts
Plans with speeds up to Gigabit
Reliable service
Fast upload and download speeds
Live online chat support
24/7 Facebook messenger support
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $34.95
Xfinity offers internet, TV & landline services with plans starting at $34.95. To order service call: (888) 474-1137
Xfinity Landline Plans
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Voice | Unlimited | $34.95 |
Xfinity Triple Play Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Extra TV + Internet 400 + Voice | 400 Mbps | 125 Channels | Unlimited | $99.99 |
Preferred TV + Internet 1000 + Voice | 1000 Mbps | 185 Channels | Unlimited | $109.99 |
Pros
Lightning fast options
Multiple speed choices
Large bundle selection
Contract and no-contract options
Widespread availability
Hotspot access away from home
Cons
Less than stellar customer service ratings
Known for its occasional outages
Benefits
Good variety of bundles available
No-cost equipment upgrades
Advanced Security to block online threats
30 Day money back guarantee
24/7 support
4K streaming device available
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Unlimited
- Monthly Price
- $20
Cox offers internet, TV & landline services with plans starting at $20. To order service call: (888) 474-3280
Cox Landline Plans
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Voice Preferred | Unlimited | $20.00 |
Cox Triple Play Bundles
Package | Internet | TV | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Internet Preferred 250 + Contour TV Preferred + Voice | 250 Mbps | 140 Channels | Unlimited | $167.99 |
Internet Essential 100 + Contour TV Preferred + Voice | 100 Mbps | 140 Channels | Unlimited | $167.99 |
Internet Ultimate 500 + Contour TV Preferred + Voice | 500 Mbps | 140 Channels | Unlimited | $187.99 |
Internet Gigablast + Contour TV Preferred + Voice | 1000 Mbps | 140 Channels | Unlimited | $217.99 |
Pros
Wide range of speed options
Panoramic wi-fi to cover weak spots
Hotspot access away from home
No commitment required
Cons
Available in limited number of states
Slow upload speeds on some plans
Benefits
30 day money back guarantee
1 Gigabit connection available
65,000+ wifi hotspots nationwide
Panoramic wi-fi to cover the whole house
24/7 tech support
Customer service - Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm
- Download
- Channels
- Calls
- Monthly Price
- $0
Optimum offers internet & TV services with plans starting at $0. To order service call: (888) 494-1240
Pros
No data cap
No contracts
Price for life option
Speed choices up to Gigabit
Access to over 2 million hotspots
Cons
Services only a few states
Limited plan selection
Benefits
Wi-Fi hotspots access
Free virus and malware detection from McAfee
No contract required
Smart Router included
Good range of plans to choose from
No data caps
Customer support available Monday to Sunday 8am to 6pm
Landline phone providers by ZIP code
Best home phone plans
| Provider | Minutes | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|
 Ooma | Unlimited | $0.00-11.99 |
 Community Phone | Unlimited | $39.00 |
| Cox | Unlimited | $20.00 |
 Armstrong | Unlimited | $29.99 |
| Xfinity | Unlimited | $34.95 |
 Mediacom | Unlimited | $39.99 |
Home phone and internet bundles
One of the most effective ways to save on monthly fees for your landline is by bundling. You can get a better price by shopping for TV, internet and phone bundle deals. Some, like Xfinity, also offer service for your mobile phones in their plans. Other options include home security systems and smart-home automation integration.
Cheap landline phone service for seniors
It's vital for senior citizens to have a reliable connection in case of an emergency. Some phone service providers, like AT&T, offer specific discounts to older people. Be sure to ask because not every phone company advertises their senior discounts on phone service.
It's also a good idea to ask about AARP discounts on landline service. AARP works with a range of companies to give seniors a better deal on their essential communications needs.
Home phone service features
Another major consideration in your choice of home phone service should be the features the providers offers. These days there is a large selection of popular calling features that prove useful in everyday life:
- Caller ID: This is a given, and almost every provider offers it.
- Call waiting with caller ID: Find out who's calling before interrupting your current call.
- Three-way calling: This is helpful for group conversations with family and friends, or for work conference calls.
- Speed dial: Allows you to enter phone numbers in an instant, even if you don't have them memorized.
- Call forwarding: Have calls routed to your cell phone or another landline so you never miss an important call.
- Call return: Commonly known as *69, allows you to dial back the last number that phoned you.
- Call blocking: Automatically reject unwanted incoming calls from specific numbers.
- Anonymous call blocking: Rejects calls with no caller ID information.
- Distinctive rings: Know who's calling just by the sound of the ring.
- Landline texting: Some providers, like Xfinity, allow you to text from your home landline.
- Voicemail to text transcription: This feature isn't available from all providers, however, a few - like AT&T - give you the option to have your voicemails sent to email in text format.
International calling
If you frequently call outside of the United States you'll want to look at each provider's international call plans to make sure they have the features you need for the countries you call the most.
- Per-minute rate vs. international call plan: You can typically get a plan that gives you either free calling to a set of countries or reduced rates on all your calls. For less frequent users, a by-the-minute rate might be more practical.
- Additional fees: Did you know it can cost more to call an international cell phone number than a landline? Make sure you know the terms and conditions of the countries you call before choosing a plan.
- Unlimited calling to some countries: Providers like Spectrum, for example, give you unlimited calling to Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico with their standard landline plans.
Cheap landline alternatives
Sold on the idea of mobile phones and the internet completely replacing landline service? No problem - there are plenty of options for using your existing services as a substitute for traditional home phone service.
VoIP home phone
Voice over Internet Protocol - or VoIP - is another affordable option for landline substitution. VoIP allows you to make calls using your internet connection instead of the phone line. Benefits of VoIP technology include:
- It's much cheaper: VoIP providers aren't bound to all of the fees and charges traditional phone companies must pay. You'll typically pay a low monthly fee.
- Get the same features: VoIP services usually includes the things you're used to - caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, etc. - at no extra charge.
- Flexibility: You can make VoIP calls no matter where you are, as long as you have access to an internet connection.
- International calls: International call rates are very low to free with VoIP home. You can typically buy a monthly plan, or pay a very affordable per minute rate, depending on the countries you need to call.
- Get a phone number anywhere: Another useful VoIP feature is the ability to choose your area code. This allows you to turn long-distance calls into local phone service.
Cell phone plans
Cheap cell phone service keeps you connected, gives you all the features you love from the big guys, and keeps you on the major wireless networks. All this at a fraction of the cost you're used to and without the added expense of a landline.
MVNOs - Mobile Virtual Network Operators - are smaller cell phone providers that run on the big three nationwide wireless networks. They sell their service for up to 50% less because they don't have the high overhead costs of the big guys. They also offer everything you're accustomed to - from unlimited data to mobile hotspot usage.
Cheap cell phone plans
| Carrier | Data | Network | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tello 1GB plan | 1GB | T-Mobile | $10/mo |
| Mint Mobile 4GB plan | 4GB | T-Mobile | $15/mo |
| Lycamobile 12GB plan | 12GB | T-Mobile | $5/mo** Only $5 for First 3 Months |
| US Mobile 15GB plan | 15GB | Verizon & T-Mobile | $20/mo* FREE 10-Day Trial |
| Mint Mobile Unlimited plan | Unltd | T-Mobile | $30/mo |
Landline providers by state
Landline phone providers FAQs
What is a landline?
A landline provides phone service in your home.
How much is landline phone service per month?
Home phone plans can range from $9.99 to $39.99 per month.
What companies still offer landline service?
Ooma and Community Phone offer very good value landline phone plans.
Recap
By now you should have a good idea of whether or not landline home phone service is right for you. Review the benefits of landlines, find the best phone service providers by ZIP code in your area, and check out their home phone features.
Don't forget to take into account whether you just need local phone service, international call rates, or are also looking for cheap cable and internet packages as well.
Finally, take into consideration landline alternatives like cheap cell phone plans and VoIP service providers. These options may just make it more affordable and sensible to replace your landline altogether.
