Ooma vs magicJack: two cheap ways to put a business phone on a desk.

magicJack's $15.99 line ($9.99 promo for 12 months) is the lowest headline here, but a business usually adds the $10 auto attendant, and fax ($5) or toll-free ($5) push a loaded line to about $36 after the promo. Ooma Essentials is $19.95 with the menu, toll-free number and fax already in, plus a one-time $29.95 activation. Both add regulatory fees; magicJack's include a reported 9% administrative fee and an annual E911 assessment. Beyond a bare line, Ooma is the cheaper package.

Where Ody lands: Ody Starter is $19 per user with a number, calling, texting and the AI receptionist included, and taxes are the only extra.

Both are built around handsets. magicJack sells Yealink desk phones at $59.99-229.99 one time plus shipping, arriving in 3-5 days and plugging straight in. Ooma sells Ooma and Yealink desk phones with a base station, set up in about 15-60 minutes. Both also offer mobile apps, though magicJack has no desktop softphone and Ooma's desktop app requires Pro. If you want a physical phone on a desk at low cost, either delivers.

Where Ody lands: Ody ships no hardware; it runs in the browser and on iOS, so it is not the pick for a desk-phone shop.

magicJack's texting is basic one-to-one SMS from the mobile app only: no MMS, no group texts, nothing from the desk phone. Ooma Essentials has no texting at all, but Pro ($24.95) adds 250 texts a month per account and Pro Plus ($29.95) 1,000, then $0.0095 each. Neither is generous, and Ooma's cap is shared across the account, but Ooma at least offers a business texting tier. magicJack does not.

Where Ody lands: Ody includes per-user US and Canada texting on every plan, with 10DLC registration handled during onboarding.

Ooma includes a virtual receptionist menu, ring groups, a toll-free number with 500 inbound minutes and fax on Essentials, and adds recording, voicemail transcription, video and the desktop app on Pro, with CRM integrations and AI transcriptions on Pro Plus. magicJack offers forwarding, voicemail and a conference bridge, sells the single-level auto attendant for $10 a month, and has no transcription, recording, video or integrations at any price. Ooma is a small phone system; magicJack is a line.

Where Ody lands: Ody includes voicemail transcription, a shared inbox and 43 integrations on Starter, with IVR and recording on Growth.

Both are month to month with no early-termination fee, and both make you cancel by phone: magicJack at least 72 hours before the next billing date, Ooma through Customer Care. magicJack's fine print includes a reported 9% administrative fee, USF, a separately billed annual E911 assessment and 200+ BBB complaints in three years, many about auto-renewals. Ooma charges a $29.95 activation fee and roughly $3-6 per user in regulatory charges, with 30-day money-back. Neither has a free trial. Even.

Where Ody lands: Ody bills monthly or annually, with a 7-day free trial and plan changes in the app.