Call Centric Review

Sunday, May 18th

2025 VoIP Service Reviews

Call Centric

• Cost: Separate incoming/outgoing plans starting at $5.95/month, setup fees $3.95 to $19.95, additional taxes and fees apply
• Call waiting, voicemail, caller ID, E911 service, call forwarding, 4-way calling, call hunting, IVR auto-attendant
• Extra features: conference room, fax reception, SMS messaging (at additional cost)
• Bring your own device (BYOD), third-party mobile apps, computer calling
• "A+" BBB rating

You might be interested in Call Centric if you're looking for a VoIP phone service that's been around the block - they've been offering internet calling since 2005. Using their service, you can make calls through your computer, mobile device, or specialized VoIP phones, bypassing traditional phone carriers to potentially save money on your calls. While they offer both residential and business services worldwide with features like high-quality calls and flexible plans, be prepared for some dated technology and metered SMS features that might test your patience with fine print.

Pricing structure is more complex than it needs to be

Call Centric splits their service into separate incoming and outgoing plans, which can get confusing (and expensive) pretty quickly. For example, if you want both unlimited incoming calls ($5.95/month) and unlimited outgoing calls to North America ($29.95/month), you're looking at nearly $38 monthly, plus the initial setup fee (between $3.95 and $19.95), and undisclosed "additional taxes and fees”. That's significantly higher than most competitors' all-in-one unlimited plans.

What's the deal with Dirt Cheap DIDs?

If you're looking to get a phone number without committing to a full VoIP service, Call Centric's Dirt Cheap DID might be worth considering. A DID (Direct Inward Dialing) number is basically just a phone number that can receive calls - think of it as the "phone number" part of phone service without all the extras. At the time of our visit to their site, Call Centric was offering these numbers at a discounted rate of $2.95 monthly with no setup fee in certain areas where they have excess inventory. This could be great for residential users who just need a basic phone number with unlimited incoming calls, but there are some important limitations: you can only use it for personal (not business) purposes, and you're limited to receiving just two calls at once.

Get ready to DIY your equipment and setup

Unlike many VoIP providers, Call Centric is a bring-your-own-device service. This means you'll need to purchase your own VoIP-compatible phone or software application upfront. While this gives you more flexibility in choosing your equipment, it also means higher initial costs and more setup work on your end.

Feature-rich, but maybe a bit complex

Call Centric has plenty of calling features, from basics like call waiting, voicemail, and caller ID to more advanced capabilities like 4-way calling, call hunting, and an automated attendant (IVR). Security features include IP whitelisting, two-point authentication, and the ability to set maximum call rates. Other features include spam filtering, telemarketer blocking, and the ability to create sub-accounts. Call Centric even supports SIP trunking and unlimited SIP URI calling for more advanced implementations. (Though with great power comes great complexity - you might need a PhD in VoIP to navigate all these settings.)

SMS available, but costs extra

Call Centric's residential VoIP plan also includes fax reception and SMS capabilities, though text messaging comes with separate pricing tiers - basic SMS runs $0.010 per message with a $1 monthly fee, while pro SMS costs $0.008 per message with a $2 monthly fee. (And surprisingly, they don't make it clear what extra benefits you get for going pro). One notable limitation is that Call Centric doesn't offer its own softphone app - instead, they provide guides for third-party apps, though these appear somewhat outdated. (For example, the iPhones they use in the example images still have home buttons, not to mention the app interfaces they display.)

"A+” from the BBB

What do Call Centric's existing customers think of them? While they have an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, finding recent customer feedback online is trickier than with bigger VoIP providers. What we did find about their mobile app experience isn't doing them any favors.

The SMS app is buggy

Some long-term users praise Call Centric's reliable, basic VoIP features and consistent performance. However, if you're expecting to use their mobile app, you're in for a bad time. Users report frustrating issues with the SMS app, including missing message notifications and the complete absence of MMS support. (Want to receive pictures from friends and family? You're out of luck - and worse, you won't even know you missed them.) Customer support response times also seem to be hit-or-miss, with some users waiting days for help with basic issues.

Not recommended for most users

If you're a tech-savvy user who doesn't make many calls and enjoys tinkering with settings, Call Centric might work for you. But for most people looking for home VoIP service, we can't recommend it. The confusing plans and pricing structure could leave you paying more than necessary, and you'll need to be comfortable with a DIY approach to setup and troubleshooting. Unless you enjoy spending your weekends configuring VoIP settings, you might want to look elsewhere.