Yes, Google Voice is now technically available in Australia — as of March 2025. But before you get excited, there’s a significant catch. It’s only available via SIP Link, which means you can’t just sign up and get an Australian phone number like users in the US can. For most small and mid-sized businesses, the setup is complex, expensive, and frankly overkill.
If you’ve been searching for “Google Voice Australia” hoping to find a simple cloud phone system for your business, this guide will save you hours of research. We’ll explain exactly what’s changed, what SIP Link actually means in practical terms, what it costs, and what we recommend instead for Australian SMBs.
Google Voice Is Now Available in Australia — With a Catch
In March 2025, Google quietly expanded Google Voice to Australia. This was welcome news for businesses that had been waiting years for a native Google phone solution. For a long time, the answer to “is Google Voice available in Australia?” was a flat no — so any progress was encouraging.
But the implementation is very different from what US customers get, and that distinction matters.
In the United States, Google Voice is straightforward: sign up for a Google Workspace plan, add a Voice license, pick a local or toll-free number from Google’s pool, and you’re making calls within minutes. The entire setup can be done by a non-technical office manager in under an hour.
In Australia, it doesn’t work that way. Google Voice is only available via SIP Link.
In plain English, SIP Link means Google won’t give you an Australian phone number. Instead, you need to bring your own numbers from a separate carrier and connect them to Google’s infrastructure through specialised hardware. Here’s what the full setup requires:
- A Google Workspace subscription (Business Starter or above) — this is the baseline requirement for any Google Voice deployment
- A Google Voice license ($10–$30 per user per month, depending on your plan tier — Starter, Standard, or Premier)
- A SIP Link license — this is an additional per-user cost, separate from the Voice license, and required for any non-US deployment using your own carrier
- Your own SIP trunk provider — a local Australian carrier (like Telstra Calling for Office 365, Vonex, or similar) that provides your phone numbers and handles call routing to and from the public telephone network
- A certified Session Border Controller (SBC) — this is a piece of hardware or a virtual appliance from Audiocodes, Cisco, Oracle, or Ribbon that acts as a bridge between your carrier’s SIP trunk and Google’s Voice network. Think of it as a translator that ensures your calls flow correctly between the two systems.
For a large enterprise with hundreds of employees, an existing PBX system, and a dedicated IT team that already manages telephony infrastructure, SIP Link can make sense. It lets you keep your current carrier contracts and phone numbers while routing calls through the Google Voice interface, giving your team a modern softphone experience.
But for a 5 to 50-person business that just wants a professional phone system? It’s a massive amount of complexity and cost for what should be a simple cloud phone solution. Most small businesses don’t have a SIP trunk provider, don’t know what a Session Border Controller is, and shouldn’t need to.
What Google Voice via SIP Link Actually Costs
One of the most common questions we get from Australian businesses is about pricing. The headline cost of Google Voice — $10 to $30 per user per month — sounds very reasonable, especially compared to traditional business phone systems. But when you’re using SIP Link in Australia, that number is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
Here’s a realistic cost breakdown for a typical 10-person Australian business:
- Google Workspace licenses: $8.40–$25.20 per user/month (Business Starter to Business Plus) — you likely already have this if you’re considering Voice
- Google Voice licenses: $10–$30 per user/month (Starter tier for basic calling, Standard for multi-level auto attendants, or Premier for advanced reporting)
- SIP Link license: Additional per-user cost on top of your Voice license (pricing varies — you’ll need to contact Google Sales or a Google partner for a quote)
- SIP trunk provider fees: $5–$15 per user/month depending on your carrier, call volumes, and whether you need local, national, and mobile numbers
- Session Border Controller: $2,000–$10,000+ upfront for physical hardware (Audiocodes or Ribbon are the most common), or $50–$200/month for a hosted or virtual SBC solution
- Professional setup and configuration: Unless you have in-house telephony expertise, you’ll likely need a consultant to configure the SBC, set up the SIP trunk, and integrate everything with Google Voice. Budget $2,000–$5,000 for initial setup.
All in, you’re looking at roughly $30–$50+ per user per month in ongoing costs, plus $4,000–$15,000 in upfront infrastructure and setup costs. For a 10-person team, that’s $300–$500/month ongoing after spending $5,000–$10,000 to get started.
Compare that to the US experience: pay $10/user/month, pick a number from Google’s pool, and you’re done in 15 minutes. The gap between the Australian and American experience is substantial — and it’s the main reason we don’t recommend Google Voice for Australian SMBs.
A Simpler Option: Dialpad
For Australian small businesses that want a cloud phone system without the SIP Link complexity, we recommend Dialpad.
Dialpad gives you everything Google Voice promises — and in many areas, more — without needing a carrier, SBC, or any specialised telephony infrastructure. You sign up, choose a native Australian phone number, install the app on your phone and computer, and start making calls. That’s the entire setup process.
Here’s what makes Dialpad a strong fit for Australian SMBs:
- Native Australian phone numbers — pick a local number in your area code or choose a 1300/1800 number. No need to bring your own carrier or manage number porting yourself.
- Google Workspace integration — syncs natively with your Google Contacts, Calendar, and Meet. Click-to-call from Gmail, see caller info pulled from your contacts, and have call events logged to your calendar automatically.
- Voice Intelligence (Vi) — Dialpad’s AI engine provides real-time call transcription, post-call summaries, sentiment analysis, and action item extraction. It’s one of the most advanced AI calling features on the market.
- Call queues and routing — set up departments, ring groups, and auto-attendants to handle inbound calls professionally, even with a small team. Route calls based on business hours, team availability, or custom rules.
- Voicemail transcription — read your voicemails as text instead of listening to audio recordings. Transcriptions are delivered via email and in-app notifications.
- Mobile and desktop apps — work from anywhere with a consistent experience across iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, and web browser. Your business number travels with you.
- Zapier integration — automate workflows between Dialpad and hundreds of other tools your business already uses, from CRMs to helpdesks to project management platforms.
itGenius is the exclusive Dialpad small business partner for Australia and New Zealand. We’ve helped dozens of businesses make the switch from legacy phone systems, mobile-only setups, and overseas VoIP providers to a proper cloud phone solution.
Two real examples from our clients:
- LocumCo, a recruitment company, needed to answer business calls 24/7 across multiple time zones. Their previous system couldn’t handle the routing complexity. With Dialpad’s call routing, mobile app, and department-based ring groups, they now catch every call — whether their team is in the office, at home, or on the road.
- An Australian education company was paying over $10,000 per year more than they needed to with their legacy phone provider. After switching to Dialpad, they cut that cost entirely — and gained better features, better reliability, and zero hardware to maintain.
Google Voice vs Dialpad for Australian Businesses
Here’s a side-by-side comparison to help you evaluate the two options for your Australian business:
| Feature | Google Voice (AU via SIP Link) | Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| Native Australian numbers | No — bring your own carrier | Yes — included |
| Setup complexity | High — carrier + SBC + SIP Link license | Low — sign up and get a number |
| Google Workspace integration | Yes | Yes (native) |
| AI transcription | Yes | Yes (Voice Intelligence) |
| Monthly cost (10 users) | ~$300–$500+/mo (Voice + SIP Link + carrier) | ~$200/mo |
| Upfront costs | $4,000–$15,000 (SBC + setup) | $0 |
| Local AU support via itGenius | No | Yes |
| Best for | Enterprises with existing SIP infrastructure | SMBs wanting a simple cloud phone |
The comparison speaks for itself. Unless your business already has SIP infrastructure in place and a team to manage it, Dialpad is the more practical choice for Australian businesses of all sizes.
Get Started with Dialpad
If you’re an Australian business looking for a cloud phone system that actually works out of the box, Dialpad is the way to go. And with itGenius as your local setup partner, you’ll be up and running fast — with Australian-based support whenever you need it.
Book a free consultation with itGenius to get Dialpad set up for your business. We’ll handle the number provisioning, user setup, call routing configuration, and training so you can focus on running your business.
Or learn more about our Dialpad professional setup service to see exactly what’s included and how we make the transition seamless.
Already using a cloud-based phone system and thinking about switching? We can help with that too — including number porting from your existing provider and training your team on the new platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Voice available in Australia?
Yes, since March 2025 — but only via SIP Link for Google Workspace customers. This means you can’t simply sign up and get an Australian number from Google. You need your own SIP trunk provider (a local carrier), a certified Session Border Controller (SBC) from Audiocodes, Cisco, Oracle, or Ribbon, and a SIP Link license on top of your Google Voice license. It’s a viable option for enterprises with existing telephony infrastructure, but overkill for most small businesses.
Can I get an Australian phone number with Google Voice?
Not directly from Google. Google Voice in Australia requires SIP Link, which means you bring your own phone numbers from a local Australian carrier. Google doesn’t issue or manage Australian phone numbers the way it does for US customers. You’ll need to contract with a SIP trunk provider separately, and the numbers will be managed by that carrier — not through the Google Admin console.
What is the best Google Voice alternative in Australia?
For small businesses, Dialpad is our top recommendation. It offers native Australian numbers without needing a separate carrier, full Google Workspace integration, AI-powered Voice Intelligence for call transcription and insights, and a straightforward setup that takes minutes rather than weeks. itGenius is the exclusive Dialpad partner for small businesses in Australia and New Zealand, providing local setup and ongoing support.
How much does Google Voice cost in Australia?
The total cost includes several layers: a Google Workspace subscription ($8.40–$25.20/user/month), a Google Voice license ($10–$30/user/month), a SIP Link license (additional cost, contact Google for pricing), SIP trunk carrier fees ($5–$15/user/month), and a Session Border Controller ($2,000–$10,000+ upfront or $50–$200/month hosted). All in, expect $30–$50+ per user per month in ongoing costs, plus $4,000–$15,000 in upfront setup and infrastructure.
Does Dialpad work with Google Workspace?
Yes, natively. Dialpad integrates directly with Google Contacts, Calendar, and Meet. You can click-to-call from Gmail, have incoming caller information automatically pulled from your Google Contacts, and call events logged to your Google Calendar. The integration works out of the box — no additional configuration or third-party connectors required.
