The price comparison tools on this website require you to disable Adblock for full functionality. Please consider disabling your ad blocker on our website in order to best take advantage of our tools.
Internet Phone is another word for "VoIP" (Voice over Internet Protocol) or "Internet calling". Internet Phone is a great way for people to save money on their monthly phone bill.
magicJack is an extremely cheap VoIP provider that works by using your existing Internet connection to make and receive calls. magicJack provides a plug-and-play device (like a USB drive) that you can connect to your computer or high-speed modem to start making local and long-distance calls. You can use magicJack for as little as $19.95/year per line.
With the newest magicJack Plus system, you don't have to have your computer on at all times in order to receive a call.
Is magicJack worth it?
We recommend that anyone interested in buying a magicJack read the user reviews here first.
I was a Telephone Technician for 38 years and encountered MagicJack years ago. My first impression was not good, the first models were unreliable and poor sound quality, part of that was due to slow internet connections at the time. Recently, I got a MagicJack for a second home and didn't expect much. I was blown away by the sound quality and reliability, which was as good, and sometimes better than my copper fed landlines. I had 2 free phone lines (100% concession) from CenturyLink for my years of service to the company (Qwest/USWest), but had to pay for Long distance and fees. I recently ported my home phone lines over to MagicJacks. With all the extra features and free long distance, I now pay for a year what a month was costing me on the so-called free landlines, and with the MJ app on my cell phone I can take my home phone number with me when I travel. I'm not sure where all of the negative reviews are coming from, and I have never (5 years) needed customer service, so I can't speak to that, but these things are awesome.
free long distance US/Canada, good sound quality, use my own phones, portability
none
Yes
Now No customer service!
Clarence Penticuff
My magic jack stopped working two weeks ago. I have not been able to reach anyone in any customer service capacity since then. If you call the customer service phone number it tells you to go to magicjackcares.com where a computer puts you on hold until the computer finds an agent to assist you. I have been on hold for over an hour 4 times and have never spoken to a human. Obviously, no one from magic jack can call me so I have left my cell phone number and my email address everywhere in hopes there may be a human working for this company.
NOT ONE!
to many to mention!
No
Alex M
AlexM
Customer service is simply horrible. You are like a soccer ball kicked from one corner to another. unreasonable waiting time to reach anyone. some customer rep. have very have accent and its hard to understand.
cheap
call drop, and to fix it takes a lot of time. often on a long distance call, the sound distorted even internet connection is good
No
work fine
elmahboul
Using it for 7 years and work fine for me. I used the mobile app when traveling in Europe and really fantastic
Price
why need to pay for the mobile app Why need to pay every year for my Canadian phone number
Yes
MagicJack - Not worth it!
Newfiein
Initially I used it for a few years without too many issues. Calling back to the number was iffy and we would periodically have outages and not know it. Finally my unit died so I purchased a replacement and the real fun began. The first challenge is that they make it very difficult to get any kind of support as they try to steer you to paying for the "Concierge" service. Once you clear that hurdle, getting someone on the support chat (this is the only way to get technical support) is very time consuming and as they attempt to communicate they are definitely ESL and trying to handle many, many calls at once so you will usually wait from 3 - 10 minutes for a response between questions. After going through this not once, but twice, my unit still would not perform reliably and would continue to drop my call after 5 - 10 minutes. Then, when I called to cancel the service and get a refund on the unit, they refused to refund anything because I had it for two months. They held this position even when I pointed out the issues and lack of resolution. When I requested to just cancel my account, the representative was totally indifferent. If you are considering MagicJack, run - do not walk - the other direction!
Initially low cost, but outweighed by lack of reliability.
Reliability, lack of technical support, poor customer service, etc.
No
magicJack dishonest about rates
MiFi6620L
they send an email "It’s never too early to renew your home phone service Renew today Your magicJack subscription will expire on 11/17/2018, but you can add to your existing balance by renewing your home phone service early. Click “Renew Now” to lock in the current low rate (less than $2 per month) and continue to enjoy all the great features that magicJack offers." but when you go to renew, their price for 3 years is $97.01 which works out to $2.69 per month 3 Year Renewal Plan for magicJack $89.00 Order Subtotal $89.00 Admin Fee $8.01 Order Total $97.01 They are dishonest and all their personnel are in India and they have no customer support.
nothing
everything
No
MagicJack is crap
ed lewis
cheap China stuff.....Will not last long....Poor customer service. Why don't they use parts made in the USA?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Work good for a while until cheap China parts fail
Cheap China parts
No
MagicJack - GO VoIP Adapter
Unhappy Camper
We are very disappointed with our experience with MagicJack. For over half the calls that we receive, the only caller ID info we receive is the words, "incoming call". Hello!!! I "know" I have an incoming call, because- wait for it- my phone is ringing!! ;-) We chatted through the MJ chat line, only to be told that what we are experiencing is "a known issue" and that "the engineering department is working really hard to fix this matter". The call log, for incoming and outgoing calls, isn't uploaded until the following day, so we can't even look at the log to see what calls we have missed. Using MJ is like being transported back to the early 1990s. Save your money and more importantly your SANITY and don't buy a MJ unit.
None
Everything from customer service, to lack features (no caller ID), to call log that isn't updated until the following day.
No
Dropped Calls
Thomas Gregg
After about a month of good service, MagicJack started to drop calls after about 2 to 6 minutes. The online chats were worse than useless. One chat said that MagicJack requires 30 ms latency with 3 ms jitter. But the VoIP guidelines are 150ms latency max (one way) with 40 ms jitter max for good quality. It shouldn't ever drop calls unless the connection goes away for a 'long' time. OK. So, I measured ping times to google and also to a magicjack IP address (104.20.33.77),and got 14 to 19 ms using my smartphone, but my laptop got 10 to 12 ms. So, on my next online chat, I told that to the chat person, and it told me that that was not good enough (they lowered the bar) and that I should complain to my ISP. It also told me that magicjack was a superior service that required very low latency and jitter. But, it's really the other way around. The more latency and jitter tolerant a VoIP provider is, the better the service is. Obvious, right? So, these guys just hide when their stuff gets overloaded and does not work. Very poor service. And they have a deal where you pay extra for 'better' service. Now, that's a real scam. Ten times nothing is still zero.
None
Out of control. No customer service when their stuff fails.
No
Scam - software non-operational
desertdweller
I have spent hours on the phone with the Magicjack support people, and still have a device that will not work with my operating system. It appears that they sell devices to Mac users knowing full well that it is incompatible with the latest Mac software. You will not find this disclosure on their website, and they will not refund your money when you find that it does not work with your system. Instead, they will put you on hold, transfer you to another department without warning, and obfuscate rather than admitting that the problem is on their end. After hours on the phone, they will then tell you that a fix is in the works, you just need to be patient while they are working on it. This company scams people, plain and simple.
Absolutely none.
See above. Device does not work with Mac software from the current century. Magicjack knows this, and sells the device as if it does.
A magicJack is a small device that allows you to make Internet phone calls for cheap prices.
As of 2016, magicJack Express costs $39.95 plus shipping and handling. You get 3 months of free unlimited calling to the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Additional years cost $35.
How does magicJack work?
One of magicJack's top selling points is its ease of installation.
Plug your phone into the magicJack
Plug the magicJack into your computer
Start making calls
Is there a special magicJack phone?
Nope! The magicJack device is what's known in the industry as an analog telephone adapter (ATA). You won't need a special phone in order to use magicJack.
What do you think of magicJack?
Many users have had a variety of issues with magicJack (as evidenced by the reviews). However, here are a couple of advantages of magicJack:
1. Lowest Monthly Rates
Setting aside the fact that the first 6 months of phone service with magicJack are absolutely free, monthly rates are available for as little as $3.00 per month. Prices like that are extremely hard to complain about, and even some of our most scathing magicJack reviews still rate magicJack with 5 stars in the price category.
2. Cheap Equipment
Any way you slice it, $39.95 is a great price to pay for the complete setup of a VoIP phone service that uses your existing phones. Other VoIP companies require specialized IP phones that can cost over $100, and an ATA adapter alone is often more than $50.
Even if the device runs into a problem and needs to be replaced, the low cost takes most of the sting out of a new purchase. In fact, with the money you'll save with magicJack's low monthly rate, the device practically pays for itself.
3. Easy to Use
MagicJack is designed for people who have never heard of VoIP in the first place, and want a simple plug-and-play device that works right away. That's exactly what magicJack offers, and the new magicJack PLUS offers even more options. The old device required a constant connection to a computer to work, but the new one only needs to do so once to register. After that, just plug it into the wall and feel free to shut the computer off. The video below outlines how to use magicJack without a computer.
Previously the magicJack software was been reported by some as very difficult to remove. MagicJack software now comes with an easier to access uninstall option, so this point is no longer valid.
MagicJack Customer Service
Unfortunately, magicJack does not have a customer service hotline. That means that the only way to resolve a service issue is through a high-traffic chat room, which occasionally has a slow response time as a result. Fortunately, the device is easy to install, so you'll likely never need the support. If you run into trouble, our best advice is to be patient with the chat, and see if the issue lies with your router configuration or Internet speed in the meantime.
If everything checks out and the chat system seems frustrating, just try doing something else for a while and wait for the chat system to get back to you. You can watch one of the many fan-made YouTube videos for magicJack support, try one of the links below to see if your issue is answered there, or even take care of checking your email while you wait. Sometimes, the best option is to simply wait a few hours for the peak traffic to die down, so that the support team has more time to dedicate to your needs. Either way, spending an hour or two researching and fixing any issues with the magicJack adapter is definitely worth the amount of money that you're saving with .
Third-party magicJack Support
There are also some helpful blogs out there on the web that cover how to use magicJack if you still encounter trouble.
Overall Analysis
In the end, and despite the issues that customers raise about magicJack service, we feel that magicJack offers a very low priced Residential VoIP service, especially for someone new to VoIP. However, there are a lot of negative customer reviews you should take into consideration. The extremely low monthly rate for unlimited phone calls is impossible to ignore, and the ease of installation further makes the case that magicJack's barebones VoIP service is one of the best in the industry.!
Don't take our word for it. We've got over 100 magicJack reviews for real magicJack customers. See what magicJack users have to say.
If you have used magicJack, here's you should do: Write a review. We could use your voice on our website.
Have something to say? Leave a comment about magicJack.
Have you used magicJack's service? Write a review. You can help other prospective customers make a good decision.
In the age of smartphones and digital communication, vanity phone numbers have become increasingly popular among businesses and individuals alike. These unique, memorable numbers, often comprising a...
In an era where digital communication reigns supreme, businesses must stay on the cutting edge of technology to maintain their competitive edge. One area that often requires careful scrutiny is Voice...
