There are actually two types of VoIP providers - those who offer their services for free and those who charge a monthly fee or need you to pay on the pay-per-call basis. What provider to choose depends on your calling needs.

If you plan to use VoIP to communicate with your family and friends, free services may be exactly what you need. However, if you are looking for something to substitute your regular phone service, a paid package may be adequate.

To make the right choice you should first determine the services you need for the package to satisfy your needs. Deciding to quit using ordinary telephone service is a tough task and all possible pitfalls should be carefully considered.

Usually VoIP providers offer packages that include free calls to a certain area. Almost every provider includes additional features like call display, call waiting and conference call services in every package for free.

We can now observe a serious rivalry between VoIP service providers, as each of them tries to offer something to beat the competitors. That is why almost everyone can find the package he needs.

For instance, if you make lots of international calls, you should definitely consider a package offering low rates on overseas calls. If people from a certain city do frequently call you, it is wise to set up a package offering a special phone number so that they will be able to contact you at the local rate.

You should also definitely consider the bandwidth issue. Usually 128 kbps on upload is quite enough to use VoIP comfortably, but it would be safe to find out all the requirements from your provider.

Sorting out the money-back issue is also vital. Usually VoIP service providers should be able to offer you a test period so that you could decide whether this package meets your requirements or not.