Best VoIP for Remote Teams UK 2026 Quick Answer
The best VoIP system for a remote team lets employees use the same business phone system from the office, home or while travelling. Your staff should be able to make and receive calls through desktop and mobile apps while keeping the company’s business numbers, call routing and voicemail.
For most UK remote and hybrid teams, the main systems worth comparing are:
Hosted VoIP – best general starting point for most small and medium-sized remote teamsMicrosoft Teams Phone – worth comparing if your company already uses Microsoft 365 and Teams heavilyUCaaS platforms such as RingCentral, 8×8 or Dialpad – useful where calling, messaging, integrations and analytics need to work across multiple locationsContact-centre VoIP – better for remote sales and customer-service teams handling high call volumes
Standard cloud VoIP commonly starts from around £10-£30+ per user per month , although handsets, calling plans, integrations, recording, support and contact-centre features can increase the total cost.
Comparing phone systems for a remote or hybrid team?
This quote service is for UK businesses comparing hosted VoIP, cloud phone systems, mobile and desktop calling, Microsoft Teams Phone, call routing and multi-user setups . It is not for personal VoIP apps or consumer video-calling services.
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Authored by: Ally Cox (Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist 10+ Years’ Experience)
Reviewed by: James Ward (Telecoms Specialist, 12+ Years Experience)
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Takeaways
Remote teams normally need cloud-hosted VoIP rather than a phone system tied to one office.
Desktop and mobile apps are among the most important features for remote employees.
Hosted VoIP is usually the simplest starting point for SMEs.
Microsoft Teams Phone can make sense where staff already work in Teams every day.
Remote sales and support teams may need CRM integrations, call recording and advanced queues.
Call quality depends on each employee’s internet connection as well as the VoIP provider.
Security, user offboarding and central administration become more important when staff work from multiple locations.
Compare total cost, support and feature fit rather than choosing the cheapest licence.
Which VoIP System Is Best for a Remote Team?
Your team System to compare first Why
1-10 remote users
Hosted VoIP
Simple setup, business numbers and desktop/mobile apps
10-50 hybrid users
Managed hosted VoIP or UCaaS
Better central administration, routing and integrations
Already heavily using Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams Phone
Combines external calling with Teams
Remote sales team
CRM-enabled hosted VoIP or contact centre
Recording, analytics, integrations and outbound tools
Remote customer-service team
Contact-centre VoIP
Queues, supervisor tools and reporting
Multi-site and home-working business
Managed cloud VoIP
Centralises users and business numbers
Existing PBX with remote users
SIP/managed hybrid solution
May allow existing infrastructure to be retained
If you are still deciding between these system types, our main business VoIP phone systems guide compares hosted VoIP, Teams Phone, SIP trunking and contact-centre systems in more detail.
Compare Remote-Team VoIP Systems
What Features Do Remote Teams Actually Need? A remote VoIP system should solve the practical problem of employees working away from one physical office.
Feature Priority Why it matters
Desktop softphone
Essential
Lets employees make business calls through a laptop
Mobile app
Essential
Keeps business calls available away from a desk
Business number
Essential
Employees do not need to publish personal mobile numbers
Call forwarding
Essential
Routes calls to staff wherever they work
Voicemail-to-email
Very useful
Makes messages easier to manage asynchronously
Presence/status
Very useful
Helps distributed teams see colleague availability
Call queues
Useful for customer-facing teams
Routes inbound calls across remote staff
CRM integration
Useful for sales/support
Links calls to customer records
Call recording
Role-dependent
Useful for training, sales and some compliance workflows
Analytics
Role-dependent
Helps managers monitor distributed teams
AI transcription/summaries
Optional
Can reduce manual note-taking
Video meetings
Optional
May already be provided through Teams, Zoom or another platform
Do not pay for every advanced feature across every licence. A remote salesperson may need recording and CRM integration while an operations employee may only need basic calling and voicemail.
Best VoIP Providers to Compare for Remote Teams No single VoIP provider is best for every remote business and your specific right choice depends on your software stack, user count, call volume, integrations and support requirements.
Provider/platform Worth comparing for Remote-working strengths What to check
RingCentral General remote and hybrid teams
Desktop/mobile calling, messaging and broad communications features
Licence tier, integrations and total cost
Microsoft Teams Phone Microsoft 365 businesses
Calling inside the Teams environment
Teams licence, PSTN calling method and support model
8×8 Multi-site and analytics-focused teams
Cloud communications and reporting
Feature tier and contact-centre requirements
Dialpad Teams interested in AI-enabled calling
Desktop/mobile use, transcription and AI tools
AI features, integrations and user requirements
Aircall Remote sales and support teams
CRM-centric workflows and distributed calling
User minimums, integrations and advanced features
Gamma Horizon UK SMEs wanting managed hosted VoIP
Cloud extensions, apps and reseller support
Support provider, call bundles and contract terms
For a broader provider comparison, see our best business VoIP providers UK guide.
Compare Remote VoIP Provider Quotes
Microsoft Teams Phone for Remote Teams Microsoft Teams Phone is particularly relevant if employees already spend much of their working day in Teams and they can allow your remote staff to:
make and receive external calls in Teams
use the same business number across devices
transfer calls between devices
combine meetings, chat and calling
work from laptops, mobiles and compatible phones
See our full Microsoft Teams Phone guide for more detail.
How Much Does VoIP for Remote Teams Cost? Remote VoIP usually follows the same per-user pricing structure as standard hosted VoIP, although the features required by distributed teams can affect costs.
Remote VoIP setup Typical cost guide Best for
Basic hosted VoIP
£8–£15 per user/month
Small remote teams
Standard hosted VoIP
£15–£25 per user/month
Most remote SMEs
Advanced VoIP/UCaaS
£20–£40+ per user/month
Businesses needing integrations and analytics
Teams Phone
Licence plus PSTN calling/service costs
Microsoft-based businesses
Contact-centre VoIP
£35–£100+ per agent/month
Remote sales and support
Headsets
£30–£150+ each
Employees making regular calls
Desk phones
£50–£200+ each
Home workers who prefer physical phones
The total cost can also include:
number porting
call recording
CRM integrations
international calls
headsets
desk phones
setup and training
support
contact-centre features
See our main business VoIP systems guide for a full cost breakdown.
Do Remote Workers Need Desk Phones? No. Many remote teams can use softphones and mobile apps instead of physical desk phones – a typical remote employee can work with:
a laptop
a VoIP desktop app
a suitable headset
a mobile app as backup
Desk phones can still make sense if employees:
make calls throughout the day
prefer traditional telephone controls
have a permanent home-office setup
work in reception or call-handling roles
Can Remote Employees Use Their Business Number Anywhere? With a cloud-hosted VoIP system, employees can normally use their business number through supported desktop or mobile applications from different locations.
This means customers can call the same business number without needing to know whether the employee is:
in the office
working from home
travelling
using a laptop
using a mobile phone
This is one of the biggest advantages VoIP has over traditional desk-based telephone systems.
How Does Call Routing Work for Remote Teams? Cloud VoIP can route calls based on users, teams, locations and availability rather than one physical telephone line.
Useful remote-working features include:
hunt groups
call queues
auto-attendants
time-based routing
simultaneous ringing
mobile forwarding
voicemail-to-email
out-of-hours routing
For example, an incoming sales call could ring three remote salespeople simultaneously, while support calls could enter a queue shared across employees working in different locations.
VoIP for Remote Sales Teams Remote sales teams usually need more than basic calling.
Features worth comparing include:
CRM integration
call recording
click-to-call
call analytics
automatic transcription
call notes
outbound diallers
manager coaching tools
See our dedicated VoIP for sales teams guide if this is your main use case.
VoIP for Remote Customer-Service Teams A remote support team may need a full cloud contact-centre platform rather than standard hosted VoIP.
Compare:
advanced call queues
IVR
supervisor dashboards
call monitoring
call whisper and barging
customer history
CRM/helpdesk integrations
quality monitoring
agent reporting
See our VoIP for call centres guide for more specialised options.
How Good Does Remote Workers’ Internet Need to Be? Remote VoIP does not require an exceptionally fast internet connection, but it does need a stable one and important factors include:
latency
jitter
packet loss
upload bandwidth
Wi-Fi quality
router performance
As a broad guide, allow around 100 Kbps or more per simultaneous standard voice call plus capacity for the employee’s other internet activity.
Our VoIP call quality guide explains how to diagnose robotic audio, delays, dropped speech and other common problems.
You can also see our guide to how much bandwidth VoIP needs .
Wi-Fi or Ethernet for Remote VoIP? Good Wi-Fi can support VoIP, but Ethernet is generally more predictable for employees who make calls throughout the working day.
If an employee regularly experiences poor calls:
test the same call using Ethernet
check Wi-Fi signal strength
check latency, jitter and packet loss
test at busy times
review other household or office internet traffic
How Can You Keep Remote VoIP Reliable? Businesses have less control over employee home networks than they do over an office LAN, so resilience needs more planning so consider:
mobile-app backup
call forwarding to mobiles
4G or 5G connectivity for important users
business broadband for high-call-volume home workers
secondary connectivity for critical roles
central support and troubleshooting
If calls are business-critical or concentrated at one site, stronger connectivity such as business leased lines could also be worth comparing.
VoIP Security for Remote Teams Remote working expands the number of devices and networks connecting to your business phone system so you should compare providers that support:
multi-factor authentication
secure admin portals
role-based permissions
encryption
fraud monitoring
secure number porting
user offboarding
call-recording controls
audit logs
Also make sure employees use strong passwords, secured devices and approved applications.
Our VoIP security checklist provides a more detailed business review.
BYOD vs Company Devices for Remote VoIP Remote employees can often use VoIP on personal phones and laptops, but businesses should decide how much control they need over those devices.
Approach Advantage Watch out for
Company-owned devices
Greater security and standardisation
Higher hardware and management cost
Employee-owned devices
Lower hardware cost and flexibility
Security, support and privacy considerations
Mixed approach
Can suit different employee roles
Requires clear policies and administration
See our guide explaining BYOD for businesses if employees will use personal devices.
What Should You Compare in a Remote VoIP Quote? Before approaching providers, record:
number of users
number of remote users
office and home-working split
business numbers you need to keep
desktop and mobile app requirements
desk phones required
headsets required
Microsoft 365 usage
CRM integrations
call recording
call queues
sales/support team requirements
international calling
current phone-system cost
contract end date
This makes it much easier to compare providers using the same specification.
Compare VoIP Quotes for Your Remote Team
Pros and Cons of VoIP for Remote Teams
Advantages Disadvantages
Employees can use business numbers from multiple locations
Depends on internet connectivity
Desktop and mobile calling
Home Wi-Fi quality can vary
Easier to add remote employees
Security needs proper administration
Centralised call routing
Advanced features can increase costs
Reduced dependence on office desk phones
Employees may need headsets or equipment
CRM and cloud integrations
Migration and number porting still need planning
Our Verdict: What Is the Best VoIP for Remote Teams? For most UK remote and hybrid SMEs, hosted VoIP is the best starting point because it provides business numbers, cloud call routing and desktop/mobile applications without tying employees to one location.
However:
Microsoft 365 businesses should compare Teams Phone.Remote sales teams should prioritise CRM integration, recording and analytics.Support teams should compare full contact-centre platforms.Multi-site businesses should prioritise central administration and resilience.Small teams should avoid paying for advanced features they do not need.
Do not choose a provider simply because it appears on a generic “best VoIP” list – always compare the system against your actual number of users, remote-working setup, software stack, call volume and support requirements.
For a broader comparison, see our main business VoIP phone systems and best VoIP providers UK guide.
Free quotes • No obligation • Compare hosted VoIP, Teams Phone and remote business phone systems
Frequently Asked Questions What is the best VoIP system for remote teams?
Hosted VoIP is usually the best starting point for most remote SMEs because employees can use the business phone system from desktop and mobile apps. Microsoft Teams Phone is particularly worth comparing for organisations already using Microsoft 365 heavily.
How much does VoIP for remote teams cost?
Standard hosted VoIP commonly costs around £10-£30+ per user per month. More advanced systems with CRM integration, call recording, analytics or contact-centre functionality can cost more.
Can remote employees use the same business phone number?
Yes. Cloud VoIP can allow employees to use business numbers through desktop and mobile apps from different locations.
Do remote workers need VoIP desk phones?
No. Many remote employees use a laptop, headset and VoIP application instead. Desk phones remain useful for people who make calls throughout the day or prefer dedicated hardware.
Is VoIP reliable for home workers?
Yes, provided the employee has a stable internet connection. Latency, jitter, packet loss and Wi-Fi quality matter more than raw download speed alone.
Can VoIP work over home Wi-Fi?
Yes. Good-quality Wi-Fi can support VoIP, but Ethernet is often more predictable for call-heavy users.
Is Microsoft Teams Phone good for remote teams?
It can be a strong option for organisations already using Teams and Microsoft 365 because staff can make external calls inside the same application they use for meetings and collaboration.
Is RingCentral good for remote teams?
RingCentral is worth comparing for distributed businesses because its cloud platform supports desktop and mobile calling, messaging and other communication features. Whether it is best depends on your required features and budget.
What features should remote VoIP include?
Prioritise desktop and mobile apps, business numbers, call forwarding, voicemail, call routing and central administration. Sales or support teams may also need CRM integration, recording and analytics.
Can remote VoIP integrate with a CRM?
Many business VoIP platforms integrate with CRM systems, although integrations and feature depth vary by provider and licence tier.
Is VoIP secure for remote staff?
VoIP can be secure when providers and businesses use controls such as MFA, encryption, secure administration, fraud monitoring and good user-offboarding procedures.
Can remote workers use their mobile phones for VoIP?
Yes. Many hosted VoIP systems provide mobile applications so employees can use their business number from a smartphone without exposing their personal number.
Should remote sales teams use standard VoIP or a contact centre?
Basic hosted VoIP may be enough for smaller sales teams, but teams needing advanced recording, CRM integration, outbound dialling, coaching and analytics should also compare contact-centre platforms.
How do I compare VoIP providers for a remote team?
Compare user numbers, desktop and mobile apps, business numbers, call routing, Microsoft 365 or CRM integration, security, support, call recording, contract length and total monthly cost.
Compare VoIP for Remote Teams If your business has remote or hybrid employees, compare systems based on where staff work, how they make calls and which applications they already use.
You can also explore our business VoIP systems comparison , VoIP call quality guide , Microsoft Teams Phone review and VoIP security checklist .
Free quotes • No obligation • Compare UK business VoIP providers
Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.
