Business VoIP Phone Systems UK 2026: Compare Costs, Providers & Quotes
Quick answer
A business VoIP phone system lets your company make and receive calls over an internet connection instead of relying on a traditional analogue phone line.
Most UK businesses comparing VoIP in 2026 will choose between hosted VoIP, Microsoft Teams Phone, SIP trunking or a contact-centre phone system .
VoIP system
Typical UK cost guide
Best for
Hosted VoIP / Cloud PBX
Around £10–£25 per user/month
Most small and medium-sized businesses
Microsoft Teams Phone
Usually licence plus calling/service costs
Businesses already using Microsoft 365
SIP trunking
Around £5–£25 per channel/month
Businesses keeping an existing PBX
Contact-centre VoIP
Around £35–£100+ per agent/month
Sales, support and call-heavy teams
The best system depends on your number of users, call volumes, existing phone setup, broadband, Microsoft 365 usage, call-routing requirements, handsets and integrations.
Need a business phone system?
This comparison service is for UK businesses comparing hosted VoIP, business phone systems, handsets, call routing, Microsoft Teams Phone, SIP and multi-user telephone systems . It is not designed for personal VoIP apps or consumer calling services.
Free quotes • No obligation • Compare UK business phone system providers
How do we work?
Transparent, impartial, and data‑driven reviews made by a team of expert humans, never AI generated – here’s exactly how Compare Your Business Costs helps you find the best deals from trusted UK providers: click here
Authored by: Ally Cox (Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist 10+ Years’ Experience)
Reviewed by: James Ward (Telecoms Specialist, 12+ Years Experience)
Last Updated: September 2026
Key Takeaways
Hosted VoIP is usually the simplest option for small and medium-sized businesses replacing traditional landlines.
Microsoft Teams Phone can suit businesses already using Microsoft 365 and Teams extensively.
SIP trunking is usually more appropriate if you want to retain an existing PBX.
Sales and support teams may need a contact-centre platform rather than basic VoIP.
VoIP costs depend on users, handsets, calls, integrations, number porting, setup and support.
Your broadband and internal network affect VoIP call quality.
Businesses still relying on analogue services should prepare for the UK PSTN switch-off by 31 January 2027.
Compare the total monthly cost and service level, not just the advertised per-user licence.
Contents
Which Business VoIP System Should You Compare?
How Much Does Business VoIP Cost in the UK?
What Is a Business VoIP Phone System?
Hosted VoIP vs Microsoft Teams Phone vs SIP Trunking
Hosted VoIP
Microsoft Teams Phone
SIP Trunking
Contact-Centre VoIP
Compare UK Business VoIP Providers
Best VoIP System by Business Type
Is Your Broadband Ready for VoIP?
Hidden VoIP Costs to Check
VoIP Features Worth Paying For
What to Prepare Before Comparing VoIP Quotes
Business VoIP Migration Checklist
Get a VoIP quote based on your business
Use this page if you are comparing:
business VoIP phone systems
VoIP costs UK
hosted VoIP
cloud PBX
business phone systems
office phone systems
Microsoft Teams Phone
SIP trunking
VoIP providers UK
VoIP for small businesses
VoIP for remote teams
VoIP for call centres
VoIP for sales teams
VoIP with call recording
VoIP with CRM integration
VoIP number porting
VoIP before PSTN switch-off
digital phone line replacement
landline replacement for business
business phone system quotes
Business VoIP Calculator UK
Estimate your monthly VoIP cost, annual spend, hardware and setup costs, first-year cost and potential savings.
VoIP solution
Hosted VoIP / Cloud PBX Microsoft Teams Phone SIP trunking UCaaS Contact centre VoIP Not sure
Choose the phone system your business is considering.
Current phone system
Traditional landlines ISDN Existing VoIP Mostly mobile phones No current business phone system Not sure
Used to tailor the migration recommendation.
CRM integration
No Basic CRM integration Advanced CRM integration Not sure
CRM integrations can increase monthly cost.
Contact centre features
No Basic queues and reporting Advanced contact centre Sales dialler / advanced outbound Not sure
Advanced agent and reporting tools usually cost more.
Need improved broadband or connectivity?
No Yes Possibly Not sure
Poor broadband can affect VoIP call quality.
Contract length
12 months 24 months 36 months 60 months
Used to estimate total contract cost.
Your estimated business VoIP costs
Estimated monthly VoIP cost
£0
One-off setup / hardware cost
£0
Estimated first-year cost
£0
Estimated total contract cost
£0
Potential monthly saving
£0
Enter your business phone requirements to estimate your VoIP costs.
Recommendation will appear here.
This calculator is an estimate only. Actual VoIP costs vary by provider, number of users, licences, call usage, hardware, number porting, integrations, broadband requirements, support level, contract length and optional features.
Which Business VoIP System Should You Compare?
Your situation
Best starting option
Why
1-5 users
Hosted VoIP
Simple cloud-based setup and predictable monthly cost
5-50 users
Managed hosted VoIP
Supports routing, queues, apps and central administration
Already use Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams Phone
Brings external calling into an existing Microsoft environment
Want to keep an existing PBX
SIP trunking
Replaces external traditional lines without replacing the whole PBX
Sales team
Advanced VoIP/contact centre
Useful for CRM integration, recording and reporting
Customer support team
Contact-centre platform
Designed for queues, analytics and supervisor tools
Remote/hybrid company
Hosted VoIP or Teams Phone
Supports desktop and mobile calling
Multi-site business
Managed cloud VoIP or SIP
Centralises numbers and call routing across locations
Not sure which type fits your business? A provider can quote against your number of users, existing setup and required features.
Compare Suitable Business VoIP Systems
How Much Does Business VoIP Cost in the UK?
Business VoIP commonly uses a per-user or per-channel pricing model, but the advertised licence price is only part of the cost.
VoIP option
Typical cost guide
Best suited to
Basic hosted VoIP
£8-£15 per user/month
Sole traders and small teams
Standard hosted VoIP
£15-£25 per user/month
Most SMEs
Advanced hosted VoIP
£25-£40+ per user/month
Customer-facing or feature-heavy teams
Microsoft Teams Phone
Licence plus PSTN calling/support costs
Microsoft 365 businesses
SIP trunking
£5-£25 per channel/month
Existing PBX systems
Contact-centre VoIP
£35-£100+ per agent/month
Sales and support departments
Desk phones
£50-£200+ each
Businesses wanting physical handsets
Headsets
£30-£150+ each
Softphone and call-heavy users
Number porting
Varies
Businesses retaining existing numbers
Setup and migration
£0-£500+ depending on complexity
More complex installations
For a more detailed breakdown, see our business VoIP costs guide .
Compare VoIP Costs From UK Providers
What Is a Business VoIP Phone System?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol – so, instead of sending calls over traditional analogue telephone lines, VoIP converts voice into digital data and carries calls through an internet connection.
Employees can usually make and receive business calls through:
VoIP desk phones
desktop applications
laptops
mobile applications
headsets
Microsoft Teams
A hosted business VoIP system can also provide call-routing and PBX features without requiring a traditional telephone exchange at your premises.
Hosted VoIP vs Microsoft Teams Phone vs SIP Trunking
Feature
Hosted VoIP
Microsoft Teams Phone
SIP trunking
Pricing
Usually per user
Per user plus calling/service setup
Usually per channel
Best for
Most SMEs
Microsoft 365 businesses
Existing PBX systems
PBX
Cloud PBX included
Teams-based cloud phone system
Uses your existing PBX
Desk phones
Optional
Optional
Depends on existing setup
Mobile/desktop apps
Usually included
Teams app
Depends on PBX
Setup complexity
Low–medium
Medium
Medium–high
Provider management
Usually managed
Microsoft/provider/internal admin mix
Often more technical
See our guides to hosted VoIP solutions , Microsoft Teams Phone and UK SIP providers for more detailed comparisons.
Hosted VoIP
Hosted VoIP is normally the simplest starting point for an SME replacing traditional business landlines.
Your chosen provider hosts the phone platform in the cloud, while your users connect using desk phones, applications or headsets – they often will offer:
business phone numbers
call forwarding
voicemail-to-email
hunt groups
call queues
auto-attendants
IVR menus
mobile and desktop applications
call recording
reporting
CRM integrations
number porting
See our full hosted VoIP guide if this is the system type you are considering.
Microsoft Teams Phone
Microsoft Teams Phone adds external telephone calling to the Teams environment and worth comparing if your business already uses Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 heavily and wants calls, meetings and collaboration inside the same ecosystem.
The total cost will usually include:
Teams Phone licensing
calling plans or operator services
number porting
configuration
call recording
contact-centre tools
provider support
Microsoft currently lists Teams Phone Standard at £7.70 per user/month excluding VAT, while its UK domestic-calling package is currently £13.10 per user/month excluding VAT and includes the Teams Phone service plus its calling-plan allowance.
See our Microsoft Teams Phone System guide for more detail.
SIP Trunking
SIP trunking connects an existing PBX to internet-based calling so is normally most relevant if:
you already own a PBX
you do not want to replace your whole phone system
you handle many simultaneous calls
you operate several sites
you have telecoms or IT support
A SIP channel typically represents one simultaneous external call path – see our UK SIP provider comparison if you plan to keep your existing PBX.
Contact-Centre VoIP
Basic VoIP is not always enough for a high-volume sales or customer-service team. Having a contact-centre system can add:
advanced queues
IVR
call recording
monitoring
CRM integrations
agent analytics
call whisper and barging
outbound diallers
supervisor dashboards
See our guides to VoIP for call centres and VoIP for sales teams if calls are central to your operation.
Compare UK Business VoIP Providers
Once you know which type of system you need, compare providers against the same requirements.
Provider/platform
Worth comparing for
What to check
RingCentral
Feature-rich cloud communications
Licensing, integrations and international requirements
8×8
Analytics and multi-site teams
Feature tier, contact-centre requirements and support
Gamma Horizon
UK SMEs and managed hosted VoIP
Reseller support, licences and call bundles
Vodafone Business
Businesses combining mobile and connectivity
Bundle structure, support and contract terms
BT Cloud Voice
Businesses wanting a major UK telecom provider
Features, hardware, support and connectivity
Aircall
Sales and support teams
CRM integration, user minimums and advanced features
Dialpad
Cloud-first and AI-enabled communications
Feature tiers, integrations and calling requirements
Microsoft Teams Phone
Microsoft 365 organisations
Calling method, licensing, support and implementation
For a deeper provider comparison, visit our best business VoIP providers UK guide.
Compare Business VoIP Provider Quotes
Free quotes • No obligation • Hosted VoIP, Teams Phone, SIP and business telephone systems
Best VoIP System by Business Type
Business type
Setup to compare first
Why
Sole trader
Basic hosted VoIP
Professional business number without complex hardware
Small office
Hosted VoIP
Simple replacement for landlines
Remote/hybrid team
Hosted VoIP or Teams Phone
Desktop and mobile apps
Microsoft 365 business
Teams Phone
Calling within Microsoft Teams
Sales team
CRM-enabled VoIP/contact centre
Recording, analytics and integrations
Support team
Contact-centre platform
Queues and supervisor tools
Multi-site company
Managed cloud VoIP
Centralised routing
Existing PBX user
SIP trunking
Keep existing equipment
Hotel
Hosted VoIP or specialist SIP solution
Reception, rooms and internal routing
Call centre
Contact-centre platform
Agent management and reporting
Why Businesses Should Review VoIP Before January 2027
The UK’s traditional analogue phone network is being retired – Openreach states that the existing analogue network will be switched off by 31 January 2027 . Businesses still using traditional phone lines should therefore review digital alternatives before the deadline.
This can affect more than desk phones, so check whether you still have:
analogue telephone lines
legacy PBX equipment
fax services
alarm lines
lift phones
door-entry systems
payment terminals using telephone lines
other equipment connected to analogue services
If you still rely on traditional lines, start planning now rather than waiting for your existing service to be migrated automatically.
Compare Digital Business Phone Systems
Is Your Broadband Ready for VoIP?
VoIP depends on a stable internet and network connection – you should check:
upload and download capacity
latency
jitter
packet loss
router capability
Wi-Fi quality
Ethernet availability
voice traffic prioritisation
backup connectivity
As a broad planning guide, a standard voice call may require roughly 100 kbps of stable bandwidth per simultaneous call, although codec and service requirements vary.
The key point is that simultaneous calls matter more than total headcount .
For example, a 50-person company where only five people are normally on calls simultaneously has different bandwidth requirements from a 20-person sales team with 15 concurrent calls.
Read our guide to VoIP bandwidth requirements and VoIP call quality for more detail.
Businesses with connectivity-sensitive requirements can also compare business leased lines .
Hidden VoIP Costs to Check
The advertised per-user licence is not always the full monthly cost.
Ask whether your quote includes:
call bundles
desk phones
headsets
number porting
setup and configuration
call recording
CRM integrations
contact-centre features
international calls
support
broadband upgrades
routers
early termination charges
Compare the total first-year and contract cost , not just the cheapest licence.
VoIP Features Worth Paying For
Feature
Useful for
Call forwarding
Most businesses
Voicemail-to-email
Small and remote teams
Auto-attendant
Professional inbound call routing
Call queues
Sales, support and reception
Hunt groups
Teams sharing inbound calls
Desktop/mobile apps
Hybrid and remote employees
Call recording
Sales, service and some compliance workflows
CRM integration
Sales and support departments
Analytics
Managers and call-heavy teams
Time-based routing
Businesses with opening hours
Number porting
Businesses keeping existing telephone numbers
Failover routing
Businesses where incoming calls are critical
Do not automatically buy every available feature. Match licences to different employee roles to avoid paying for advanced functions that most users will never use.
What to Prepare Before Comparing VoIP Quotes
Good quote comparisons start with a clear specification, so prepare:
number of users
number of simultaneous calls
current telephone system
existing telephone numbers
number of desk phones required
remote and hybrid users
Microsoft 365 usage
call recording requirements
CRM integrations
call queues or IVR
international calling
current monthly phone bill
contract end date
broadband connection
number of business locations
This makes it easier for providers to quote against the same requirement and helps you compare like-for-like.
Compare VoIP Quotes Based on Your Requirements
Business VoIP Migration Checklist
Audit your existing lines and numbers.
Identify how many users and simultaneous calls you need.
Check broadband and network readiness.
Choose hosted VoIP, Teams Phone, SIP or a contact-centre platform.
Plan number porting before cancelling existing services.
Configure call routing, opening hours, queues and voicemail.
Test inbound, outbound and failover calls.
Train staff before the final migration.
Business VoIP FAQs
What is a business VoIP phone system?
A business VoIP phone system lets your company make and receive calls over an internet connection instead of relying on traditional analogue telephone lines. It can include business numbers, call routing, voicemail, mobile and desktop apps, call recording and other phone-system features.
How much does business VoIP cost in the UK?
Most UK business VoIP systems cost around £10-£30 per user per month for standard hosted setups, although costs vary by provider, number of users, call bundles, handsets, integrations, support and contract length.
What is the best VoIP system for a small business?
Hosted VoIP is usually the simplest starting point for small businesses because the provider hosts the phone system in the cloud and users can make calls through desk phones, computers or mobile apps. Compare phone systems for small businesses if you need a more focused comparison.
What is the difference between hosted VoIP and SIP trunking?
Hosted VoIP provides a complete cloud-based phone system, while SIP trunking connects an existing PBX to internet-based calling. Hosted VoIP is usually simpler for businesses replacing old landlines, while SIP trunking is more relevant if you want to keep an existing telephone system.
Is Microsoft Teams Phone the same as VoIP?
Microsoft Teams Phone is a cloud-based VoIP phone system that adds external business calling to Microsoft Teams. It can suit organisations already using Microsoft 365, although the full setup may also require calling plans, Operator Connect, Direct Routing or provider support. See our Microsoft Teams Phone guide .
Do I need new desk phones for VoIP?
Not always. Employees can often use desktop softphones, mobile apps and headsets instead of physical desk phones. Businesses that prefer traditional handsets can also use compatible VoIP desk phones.
Can I keep my existing business phone number?
Usually, yes. Most VoIP providers support number porting so you can move existing business telephone numbers to the new service. Do not cancel your old service until the number transfer has completed successfully.
What internet connection do I need for VoIP?
VoIP needs a stable broadband connection with enough bandwidth for your simultaneous calls. Small teams can often use standard business broadband or FTTP, while call-heavy or multi-site businesses may need stronger connectivity, traffic prioritisation or backup broadband. See our VoIP bandwidth guide .
What causes poor VoIP call quality?
Poor VoIP calls are commonly caused by high latency, jitter, packet loss, congested Wi-Fi, weak routers or an overloaded internet connection. See our VoIP call quality guide if call reliability is a priority.
Does VoIP work if the internet goes down?
VoIP depends on internet connectivity, but businesses can improve resilience using call forwarding to mobiles, secondary broadband, 4G or 5G backup connections and failover routing.
Is VoIP cheaper than a traditional business landline?
VoIP can reduce costs, particularly for businesses with several users or locations, but savings are not guaranteed. Compare licence fees, calls, handsets, setup, number porting, integrations, support and connectivity before deciding.
Is VoIP suitable for remote and hybrid teams?
Yes. Hosted VoIP is well suited to remote and hybrid working because employees can use their business number through desktop and mobile applications from different locations.
Is VoIP secure?
VoIP can be secure when it is configured properly. Compare providers that support encryption, multi-factor authentication, secure administration, fraud monitoring, user permissions and appropriate call-recording controls. You can also use our VoIP security checklist .
Which VoIP providers should UK businesses compare?
UK businesses can compare providers and platforms such as RingCentral, Gamma Horizon, 8×8, BT Cloud Voice, Vodafone Business, Aircall, Dialpad and Microsoft Teams Phone. The best option depends on your users, call volumes, features, integrations and support requirements. See our best business VoIP providers UK comparison.
What should I compare in a VoIP quote?
Compare the number of users, monthly licence cost, call allowances, desk phones, number porting, call recording, CRM integrations, support, setup charges, contract length and any broadband upgrades required.
Do I need to move to VoIP before the PSTN switch-off?
If your business still relies on traditional analogue phone lines, ISDN or other legacy telephone services, you should review digital alternatives before the UK analogue network is retired. Also check whether alarms, lift phones, fax lines or other equipment still depend on old telephone connections.
How do I compare business VoIP providers?
Start with your number of users, existing phone system, simultaneous call volume, required features, Microsoft 365 usage, broadband connection and support needs. Then compare several providers against the same specification.
Compare Business VoIP Quotes
Free quotes • No obligation • For UK businesses comparing hosted VoIP, phone systems, handsets, call routing and multi-user setups
Compare Business VoIP Guides
Explore our guides to business VoIP costs, hosted VoIP, Microsoft Teams Phone, call quality, remote-team phone systems and VoIP security.
James Ward is the CEO & Founder of Compare Your Business Costs — a UK-verified comparison platform helping SMEs save money on business broadband, leased lines, phone systems, mobile telecoms, managed services and IT support. With over 10 years of experience in telecoms and technology procurement, James is a trusted UK business expert featured in national media and verified on Companies House.
Co Authors : Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.
With 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 .
Before joining CompareYourBusinessCosts, I worked across various industries, gaining hands-on experience in HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .
My goal is simple: to help UK businesses make informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.