Best UK VoIP providers for small businesses in 2024

All traditional UK landlines will become unusable due to the Big Switch Off in January 2027 – SMEs will only be able to buy a phone system that uses IP (Internet Protocol). So if you’re already considering purchasing a VoIP phone system, you’re in the right place.

Even though you may feel as though your hand is being forced, the choice of which provider you pick remains yours. It’s a competitive field, with multiple VoIP providers offering solutions for small and growing businesses – and there are many benefits to switching to a VoIP system.

Based on our expert research, the best VoIP provider for small businesses is 8×8 as it offers a generous user and feature allowance that is a cost-effective solution for SMEs seeking to reduce calling expenses. Of course, 8×8 is just one of the options to consider. We’ve identified the following as the best VoIP services to sign up for in 2024:

The top 7 best VoIP providers – comparison table

In the table below, we’ve listed our top choices for the best VoIP providers that UK businesses can choose between:

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BEST ALL ROUND
Provider 8×8	Provider Vonage	Provider bOnline	Provider Dialpad	Provider GoTo	Provider RingCentral	Provider Nuacom
Best for 🥇 Connecting with every caller	Best for 🥇 Training staff	Best for 🥇 Keeping costs low	Best for 🥇 Important meetings	Best for 🥇Remote sales teams	Best for 🥇 Streamlining customer service	Best for 🥇Ecommerce businesses
Pricing from £19 per user per month (estimated)	Pricing from £10 per user, per month	Pricing from £7 per user per month (pay as you go)	Pricing from £12 per user per month (billed annually)	Pricing from £10 per user, per month	Pricing from £12.99 per user per month (paid annually)	Pricing from £14.99 per user, per month (estimated)
Free trial	Free trial	Free trial	Free trial	Free trial	Free trial	Free trial

You can compare leading UK VoIP providers using our free custom built comparison tool Compare Costs

1. 8×8: best overall VoIP provider

8×8: best for connecting with every caller

4.7

8x8 excels in ensuring seamless connectivity with every caller through its extensive software integrations and advanced communication features.

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• Free Trial 30 Days
• Cheapest Plan £19 per user, per month

• Extensive software integrations to streamline workflow and productivity, ensuring seamless communication across various platforms.
• Advanced communication features empower businesses to enhance customer interactions and streamline internal processes effectively.

Summary If you're a small business looking for an easy-to-use phone system that integrates with your existing software, consider 8x8. They offer features like video conferencing, team messaging, and even voicemail transcription, which can help save you time and streamline communication with both customers and colleagues. For example, imagine being able to receive a transcribed voicemail on your phone while you're on the go. This means that instead of having to listen to a voicemail recording, the service uses speech-to-text technology converts the audio message into text, allowing you to quickly understand the message and respond efficiently.

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Following extensive research into the top VoIP systems, we awarded 8×8 the top score for scalability. Boasting generous feature and user limits, this platform can grow alongside your business. The ability to place international calls also makes it an unparalleled option for global firms.

💡 Which type of small business is 8×8 most suitable for?

8×8 is an expert in creating VoIP phone systems for a huge array of industries – particularly for those with offices abroad. 8×8’s huge variety in hardware leasing options also means it can keep up with your requirements for both physical and virtual technology, making it the best scalable VoIP solution for growing small businesses.

Features

• 📲 High call volume: 8×8 offers scalable solutions that are suitable for handling high call volumes with features like advanced call routing.
• 💻 Integrations: 8×8 seamlessly integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Zendesk, as well as email platforms like Microsoft Outlook and Google Workspace. It also offers CRM integrations that can enhance productivity and streamline workflows.

Businesses using 8×8 VoIP services can take advantage of features like auto-attendant, voicemail to email, and unlimited video conferencing – all available on the X2 plan.

The X2 plan is ideal for businesses in the early stages of growth. It permits unlimited domestic calls and call conferencing with up to 500 employees. Plus, call recording is also available for training staff on the system. Those who are looking for a unified communications platform are well serviced by every X2 package, with a mobile app available and free integrations with CRM software available.

8×8 also received the top score for scalability during our research. This is an aggregated score which assesses a product’s ability to scale with business growth and is based on specific features such as user limit, call queue, and local numbers.

Businesses that opt for the X2 and X4 packages could also benefit from contact centre integration, which is great for small, customer-centric businesses with the potential to scale.

💰 Pricing

Since March 2023, 8×8 no longer shares its pricing tiers publicly. However, historical pricing data tells us that users should expect to pay around £19 per user, per month for the platform’s lowest-tiered plan.

That would make it one of the most expensive options on this list, and is why we only recommend 8×8 to scaling firms with large cash reserves.

8×8 has five plans available for business users, encompassing the X2, X4, X6, X7, and X8 plans. SMEs are best off sticking to the low end of the scale with the X2 plan. However, if you do wish to upgrade:

• Teams with international clients should upgrade to X4 for access to 48 markets
• The X6 plan boasts more sophisticated management features
• The X7 plan is the best option for marketers wanting to outreach across multiple channels
• Sales teams will find X8 the most useful plan to access its power and auto dialer features.

Having recently dropped its microbusiness plan, 8×8 Express, the brand has also obscured its business costs for its remaining five tiers. However, we know from previous research that prices likely range from £19 per user, per month for the X2 plan, to £132 per user, per month for the X8 plan.

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Provider 8×8 X2	Provider 8×8 X4	Provider 8×8 X6	Provider 8×8 X7	Provider 8×8 X8
Pricing from Not shared publicly	Pricing from Not shared publicly	Pricing from Not shared publicly	Pricing from Not shared publicly	Pricing from Not shared publicly
Inbound communication features: Call recording Customisable call routing Analytics/reporting features	Inbound communication features: Call monitoring Call transcripts (additional cost)	Inbound communication features: Customisable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Ability to set up multiple teams and departments Task management	Inbound communication features: Multi-channel support for social media, chat, email, and SMS	Inbound communication features: Quality management Speech and text analytics
Outbound communication features: Set custom ID Customise call lists	Outbound communication features: SMS chat (US and Canada only)	Outbound communication features: Power, predictive, and auto dialer (all available for additional £)	Outbound communication features: Everything in X6	Outbound communication features: Power dialer Predictive dialing Auto dialer

2. Vonage: best for training your staff

Vonage: best for training staff

4.6

Vonage stands out as the top choice for training staff due to its comprehensive call recording and monitoring features, facilitating efficient evaluation and improvement of employee performance.

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• Free Trial Free trial with $10 in credits
• Cheapest Plan £10 per user, per month

• Flexible pricing options cater to the diverse needs and budgets of businesses, allowing for scalability and cost-control as operations grow.
• Scalability for growing businesses ensures that the virtual landline system can adapt and expand alongside the company's needs, supporting long-term growth and development.

Summary As a small business owner, training your staff effectively is crucial. Vonage offers features like call recording and monitoring, which can help you review calls and provide feedback to your team. This can be particularly useful for customer service representatives, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and ensure your team is providing excellent service. Additionally, Vonage's flexible pricing plans allow you to choose a solution that fits your budget and grows with your business.

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While Vonage may not be the cheapest provider on this list (this honour goes to rival, bOnline), it’s still solid value for money. Its customer support offering is unmatched, while a sophisticated messaging app and quick setup is ideal for companies based offline that want a phone system that isn’t difficult to use.

💡 Which type of small business is Vonage most suitable for?

Vonage has excellent features for training staff, which makes it a great choice for call centres and customer service teams.

For instance, its call whisper feature lets a manager listen in on a call and speak privately to the call handler to coach them or provide feedback on how they’re handling a customer. There’s also a call barge feature for taking a direct approach when a call isn’t going well.

Features

• 📲 High call volume: Vonage provides business phone systems that are designed to manage high call volumes efficiently, offering features like call queuing and virtual receptionists.
• 💻 Integrations: Vonage integrates with various business software solutions, including Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Zoho CRM, as well as email platforms like Microsoft Outlook and Gmail. Its CRM integrates with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk, enabling businesses to streamline customer interactions.

Setting up is quick, and its mobile app platform makes it simple to message your team.

UK users can also speak to helpful Vonage advisors via a user forum, online knowledge base, email, phone, and live chat. This is why we recommend it to startups or firms without major VoIP requirements that are after clear call quality and a simple setup.

However, many sophisticated features are missing from the Vonage feature list. The Basic plan won’t allow users to set up a customisable greeting for inbound calls. Meanwhile, nearly all of the advanced tools (integrations, hold music, voicemail to text) are only available for an added fee, which is a reflection of Vonage’s affordable pricing plans.

These talents contribute to Vonage’s overall customer satisfaction ratings, according to our research, which beats our top contender 8×8.

💰 Pricing

Pricing for Vonage’s lowest-priced tier, Vonage Express, starts from £10 per user, per month. However, this does cap the number of calls you can make from your desktop. We recommend small businesses invest in Vonage Core instead, for £18 per user, per month.

For those looking to upgrade, Vonage has three pricing tiers available for UK businesses. These are Vonage Core, Vonage Pro, and Vonage Max. Here’s a quick run through of how they differ:

• Vonage Core (£18 per user, per month) has unlimited domestic calling available, best for teams with more than one sales rep
• Vonage Pro (£20 per user, per month) is best for managers, with call recording and call monitoring available
• Vonage Max (£25 per user, per month) is best for marketers, with CRM integrations available

With prices starting from just £10 per user, per month and rising to £25 for Vonage Max, Vonage is cheaper than 8×8 and also more transparent with its upfront costs than the latter. However, Vonage does come with a significant number of hidden fees.

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Provider	Provider Vonage Core	Provider Vonage Pro	Provider Vonage Max
Pricing from	Pricing from £15 per user, per month	Pricing from £20 per user, per month	Pricing from £25 per user, per month
Inbound communication features:	Inbound communication features: Customisable call routing Ring groups (for multiple teams)	Inbound communication features: Call monitoring Call recording Virtual receptionist	Inbound communication features: Integrations with CRM software Company wide call recording
Outbound communication features:	Outbound communication features: Unlimited domestic calling	Outbound communication features: Unlimited call queue Call group	Outbound communication features: Same as Vonage Pro

3. bOnline: best budget service for keeping costs low

bOnline: best for keeping costs low

4.4

bOnline is the optimal choice for cost-conscious businesses seeking affordable solutions.

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• Free Trial 7 days
• Cheapest Plan £7 per user, per month

• Enables businesses to keep costs low with its budget-friendly pricing plans and transparent fee structures.
• Provides essential communication features without compromising quality, offering a cost-effective solution for businesses aiming to maintain affordability without sacrificing functionality.

Summary If you're looking for a virtual phone system that's easy on the wallet without sacrificing quality, bOnline might be a good fit: they offer affordable plans with essential communication features like call forwarding and voicemail, allowing you to stay connected and professional without breaking the bank. Potential customers will always be able to call and reach the right person in your small business, leaving a positive first impression that customers are sure to talk about, all while keeping your phone costs manageable.

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bOnline is the ultimate option for service desks. It allows an unlimited number of inbound calls for just £6.50 per user, per month. It is the cheapest provider on this list, and we recommend it to companies that get numerous customer enquiries, such as small IT helpdesks.

💡 Which type of small business is bOnline most suitable for?

bOnline is built specifically for smaller helpdesk operations. In the larger picture of telecoms companies, it doesn’t have the operational capacity and technical ability of 8×8 or RingCentral. However, its low-cost Starter plan makes it an excellent choice for SMEs wanting to accept customer calls, not make them.

Features

• 📲 High call volume: bOnline offers phone services tailored for small businesses, but the scalability for handling high call volumes may vary based on specific needs and package options.
• 💻 Integrations: bOnline integrates with Microsoft Office 365, G Suite, and Slack for software solutions, along with email platforms such as Microsoft Outlook and Gmail. Its CRM integrations with Zoho CRM and HubSpot CRM facilitate improved sales and marketing processes.

bOnline’s lowest-priced tier (bOnline Starter) is decidedly generous, offering 50+ features – including unlimited calling, a reporting dashboard, a digital phone line, and a mobile app. You’ll also be able to try out the service free for 30 days.

The reporting dashboard is a unique bOnline feature that some providers don’t offer – or only offer on a premium plan (which isn’t cost effective for small businesses). It also uses infographics and processes real-time data, so you can interpret insights and make business decisions based on call volumes and durations.

You can also use preset call flows to customise call flows to your business, directing customers through the appropriate contact channels. This feature is especially handy if you don’t have an existing PBX system, auto-attendant, or receptionist.

You can set up the bOnline VoIP hosted system in just two minutes, with no engineers, installations, or IT buffs required. Plus, bOnline is one of the first providers to start selling broadband in additional to its virtual phone system. This means you have the option to bundle your digital phone line, calls, and broadband.

💰 Pricing

bOnline pricing starts from £7 per user, per month. With this, you’ll get unlimited inbound calls – but you’ll only be able to make 100 minutes of calls per month. Users can upgrade to the bOnline Unlimited Calling plan for £13.75 per user, per month, to get around this.

bOnline offers a range of call features to support your business needs, including CRM integration, call recording, and HD video conferencing. However, when compared to 8×8, bOnline might not be as generous in terms of the variety or depth of call features available. Many of the features mentioned are only available as add-ons for an extra fee of around £5 a month.

International calling is also paid-for, but it’s still very cheap. £6 +VAT per month will get you 500 minutes to 100 destinations.

Unlike 8×8, bOnline is not the most scalable option on the market. SMEs can choose from just three plans: bOnline Starter (£7.00 per user, per month),  bOnline Unlimited Calling (£13.95 per user, per month), and bOnline Unlimited Calling with a physical desk phone included for an additional £1.55 per user, per month.

Put simply, the main reason to upgrade to bOnline Unlimited Calling is to access more outbound minutes. Whereas bOnline Starter gives you just 100 minutes of outbound calls, bOnline Unlimited is, as the name suggests, uncapped.

This makes it an easy decision on whether you need to upgrade. If you need to contact customers for more than one hour and 40 minutes per month: upgrade. If not, stick to bOnline Starter. Luckily, both plans are still cost effective.

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Provider bOnline Starter	Provider bOnline Unlimited Calling	Provider bOnline Unlimited Calling + IP Phone
Pricing from £7 per user, per month	Pricing from £13.95 per user, per month	Pricing from £15.50 per user, per month
Inbound communication features: Call routing for out of hours calls Call forwarding Music on hold	Inbound communication features: Call recording Call monitoring Call queues	Inbound communication features: Same as bOnline Unlimited
Outbound communication features: 100 UK minutes per user High definition (HD) voice Extension dialling	Outbound communication features: Unlimited UK minutes per user 1-1 onboarding	Outbound communication features: Includes VoIP Desk Phone

4. Dialpad: best for built-in AI features

Dialpad: best for important meetings

4.4

Dialpad is ideal for critical meetings due to its reliable features and user-friendly interface.

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• Free Trial Yes
• Cheapest Plan £18 per user, per month

• Facilitates smooth and productive important meetings through its intuitive interface and advanced collaboration tools.
• Offers crystal-clear voice and video quality, ensuring seamless communication during crucial business discussions and conferences.

Summary If crystal-clear audio and video and user-friendly features, are important to you, Dialpad is worth considering. Their platform boasts superior voice and video quality, making remote meetings feel more like you're all in the same room. Plus, they offer advanced collaboration tools like screen sharing and real-time document editing, allowing your team to work together seamlessly, regardless of location. Imagine brainstorming ideas with your team, sharing presentations, and taking notes with ease, all together in one platform – that's the kind of collaborative experience Dialpad can offer.

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Every business is racing to adopt AI, and Dialpad’s AI-assistant can generate instant transcriptions of your phone calls. Dialpad is an excellent choice service for businesses that host important meetings, or companies that deal with calls where getting the details right is essential, such as legal and financial services that need to send transparent follow-ups to clients.

Dialpad’s extensive onboarding and recording tools make it ideal for new starter orientation. Helpful features like call recording can help new starters understand the sales script and identify ways for improvement – offering HR and business benefits.

💡 Which type of small business is Dialpad most suitable for?

Dialpad is particularly well-suited for small businesses that prioritise coaching and training their sales and customer service teams. It offers a unique feature called live call coaching (for an additional fee) that allows managers to listen in on calls and intervene in real-time to offer guidance and suggestions to their agents. This can be extremely valuable for improving communication skills, identifying areas for improvement, and ultimately boosting team performance.

Features

• 📲 High call volume: Dialpad’s cloud-based communication platform is equipped to handle high call volumes effectively, with features such as AI-powered call routing and analytics.
• 💻 Integrations: Dialpad integrates with G Suite, Microsoft Office 365, and Slack for software solutions, as well as email platforms like Gmail and Microsoft Outlook. Its CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk empower businesses to centralise customer data.

When we talk about software innovation, Dialpad’s entire cloud-based platform is powered by AI. The voice intelligence software that comes with Dialpad captures action items, provides coaching, takes notes, and even analyses sentiments in real time.

This voice intelligence is great for call centre managers or sales managers, who, using the VI Call Summary feature, can quickly find specific “coachable moments” to focus their attention on when providing performance feedback.

Dialpad comes with all the standard call management features, plus integrations with Slack, G Suite, and Office 365. It also comes with a 14-day free trial, which is useful if you want to sample what’s on offer.

What lets Dialpad down is its reporting, which lags way behind competitors – but this provider is currently adding more features and working on improvements. Unlike 8×8, RingCentral, and bOnline, you can’t analyse the quality of calls with Dialpad, nor can you schedule reports for future release. Instead, you have the option to print or export old reports in a CSV format – which is a fiddly delimited text file exported into excel.

💰 Pricing

With prices starting from just £18 per user, per month, Dialpad gives users unlimited calling and video calling – a premium offering that outpaces rivals like Vonage. However, it has limited software integrations with popular CRM systems like Salesforce or HubSpot, project management tools like Asana or Trello, and communication platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. In contrast, rivals such as Vonage offer more extensive integrations with a wider range of third-party applications.

Dialpad offers two plans to small business users: Dialpad Standard (£18 per user, per month) and Dialpad Pro (£28 per user, per month). There is also an Enterprise option (which we wouldn’t recommend to SMEs) that provides priority agent support to global corporations.

The Standard plan is a great foundation for SMEs to begin with. Teams of 20+ that are based in multiple locations may want to upgrade to the Pro plan to avoid any allowance caps on Dialpad’s Standard plan.

While the Pro plan may cost more, it will also make your team considerably more productive with the ability to attach multiple phone numbers per account and create up to 25 ring groups.

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Provider Dialpad Standard	Provider Dialpad Pro
Pricing from £18 per user, per month	Pricing from £28 per user, per month
Inbound communication features: Custom call routing Call forwarding to other devices AI-powered call and voicemail transcriptions Automatic spam call detection	Inbound communication features: Call queues 24/7 agent support Supports up to 10 office locations
Outbound communication features: Set personal working hours Set caller ID SMS chat	Outbound communication features: CRM integrations (Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, Zoho & more) Multiple phone numbers per account

5. GoTo: best for unifying communications to foster better teamwork

GoTo: best for boosting team work

4.3

GoTo is an excellent choice for enhancing teamwork within your business, offering collaborative features that streamline communication and foster productive collaboration among team members.

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• Free Trial 14 days
• Cheapest Plan £10 per user, per month

• GoTo provides a suite of tools like video conferencing, screen sharing, and messaging that facilitate seamless collaboration among team members, boosting teamwork and productivity.
• With GoTo's user-friendly interface and compatibility with various devices and platforms, teams can effortlessly integrate the system into their workflow, promoting efficient teamwork regardless of location or device.

Summary GoTo offers a suite of tools designed to bridge the gap and boost teamwork. Imagine being able to brainstorm ideas virtually with a whiteboard tool, share documents and presentations in real-time, and hold video meetings with clear audio and video to feel like you're all in the same room. Additionally, GoTo integrates with popular project management and communication tools, allowing you to seamlessly switch between tasks and discussions without jumping between different applications. This can save your team valuable time and help them stay focused and productive, no matter where they're working from.

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Goto provides video calling, team messaging, and VoIP all in one platform. This makes it an effective platform to unify your business’s messaging for simple, effective collaboration.

GoTo’s huge library of features has all the tricks needed to help remote-based sales reps connect with colleagues and customers. Crucially, GoTo Basic can route calls to multiple phones, so you or someone on your team is always reachable. This way, you can handle large volumes of customer enquiries without having to port your phone number.

💡 Which type of small business is GoTo most suitable for?

For those firms spread across the country and needing to constantly communicate (like construction companies), GoTo is a flexible VoIP provider that can be used across all devices. It is the only option on our list to offer unlimited call conferencing and video call features for only £10 per user.

Features

• 💻 Integrations: GoTo seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Google Calendar for software solutions, along with email platforms such as Microsoft Outlook and Gmail. Its CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk enable businesses to streamline customer interactions.

GoTo is a cloud-based VoIP system that can be accessed by any device, so you can make calls from both your desktop and smartphone. It also bundles SMS and video calling as part of its package deal.

Supporting over 180 different models of desktop phones and conference room systems, GoTo is the ideal VoIP solution for internal communicaiton. The lowest-priced plan, GoTo Basic, offers advanced call conferencing for up to 150 attendees to keep remote workers connected. It also includes unlimited meeting hours, screen sharing, and breakout rooms.

Enterprise-grade security is a big perk of GoTo. Users can create virtual meetings knowing that nobody will be turning up uninvited to hijack your conferences or leak your video link. You can also join meetings securely from any device thanks to GoTo’s flexible mobile application.

💰 Pricing

GoTo’s Basic pricing starts from £10 per user, per month. For this fee, you’ll get a wealth of call features (predominantly video), certainly enough to satisfy SME customers.

As with Dialpad, GoTo users can choose between two payment plans: GoTo Basic (£10 per user, per month) and GoTo Standard (£21 per user, per month). With both plans, you’ll be able to make an unlimited number of domestic calls, plus the option to add a toll-free business number for your customers’ convenience.

The main difference between the two plans is in their average user size. GoTo Standard boasts some advanced features that will make life much easier for large teams, like the ability to create an unlimited number of ring groups. This benefit won’t mean as much to smaller firms receiving fewer inbound calls.

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Provider GoTo Professional	Provider GoTo Business
Pricing from £10 per user, per month	Pricing from £21 per user, per month
Inbound communication features: Smart call routing Unlimited extensions Existing number porting Call queues	Inbound communication features: Call recording Real-time analytics (including Caller Hold Time Report) Hotdesking (allow users to share access to their accounts)
Outbound communication features: Customisable dial plans Ring groups	Outbound communication features: Same as GoTo Basic

6. RingCentral: best for making customer service simple

RingCentral: best for streamlining customer service

3.9

RingCentral is ideal for businesses looking to streamline their customer service processes by providing comprehensive communication solutions.

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• Free Trial Yes
• Cheapest Plan £12.99 per user, per month

• Offers seamless integration with popular CRM platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Zoho, enhancing customer relationship management.
• Boasts intelligent communication features, ideal for efficiently handling a large volume of incoming calls, thereby streamlining customer service.

Summary RingCentral's system seamlessly integrates with popular CRM software, meaning customer information is readily available for your agents, allowing them to personalise each interaction. Additionally, RingCentral offers features like call routing and voicemail transcription, which can help your team respond faster and more efficiently to customer needs. Imagine having all your customer information readily available when a call comes in, allowing your agent to greet the customer by name and address their inquiry quickly. This can lead to happier customers and a smoother running support operation.

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RingCentral is a great VoIP system for companies that use business mobile phones for the majority of their operations. This is thanks to its simple mobile app that lets you take business calls anywhere, from the same phone number you’d use at your desk. The app has all the features you’d need for customer service teams or sales reps to manage calls, voicemails, faxes, and texts from clients or customers.

It also has seamless integrations with CRM software and Helpdesk platforms, putting all of your customer information at your fingertips while you’re on the call, and helping you to ticket calls in your CRM platform.

💡 Which type of small business is RingCentral most suitable for?

We recommend RingCentral to companies that do most of their business via mobile phone. The platform works brilliantly as a mobile app, and it’s available on iOS and Android. RingCentral users can make and receive calls, faxes, and texts; all with a gentle learning curve that won’t require lots of desk training.

Read our RingCentral review for more.

Features

• 📲 High call volume: RingCentral is known for its scalability and can accommodate high call volumes with features like auto-attendant and call queuing, making it suitable for businesses of various sizes.
• 💻 Integrations: RingCentral integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft Office 365, and Google Workspace for software solutions, as well as email platforms like Microsoft Outlook and Gmail, as well as CRM integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk.

Features on the standard RingCentral Essentials plan include call management (auto-attendant), high-definition voice, and quality of service reports that are great for measuring employee performance. 24/7 customer support is included with all four plans, and the premium plan even comes with a dedicated account manager.

RingCentral Essentials comes with all your basic, core inbound communication features, like the ability to create a customisable greeting, take voicemails, and add a virtual receptionist. It even has spam prevention, flagging any suspect callers you feel might be bad actors.

However, despite RingCentral boasting 24/7 support on all of its plans, customer satisfaction levels are relatively low on review sites like Trustpilot, as technical support isn’t the best and resolution times are often slow.

But that’s only if you can’t grasp the app and we’d be surprised if learning curve was even an issue. RingCentral’s easy-to-use interface and simple functionality means you won’t need much support anyway.

💰 Pricing

RingCentral has three plans available to business users: RingCentral Standard, RingCentral Premium, and RingCentral Ultimate. It does have a smaller plan called RingCentral Essentials, but we don’t believe it would be relevant or useful to small business owners due to its very limited capacity. Here’s how each plan differs:

• RingCentral Standard (£23.99 per user, per month): best for teams of 10+ needing an internal collaboration tool
• RingCentral Premium (£28.99 per user, per month): best for sales teams, with 2,000 inclusive minutes permitted
• RingCentral Ultimate (£33.99 per user, per month): best for security, offering both device status reports and alerts

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Provider RingCentral Standard	Provider RingCentral Premium	Provider RingCentral Ultimate
Pricing from £23.99 per user, per month	Pricing from £28.99 per user, per month	Pricing from £33.99 per user, per month
Inbound communication features: Voicemail-to-email Call recording Call monitoring	Inbound communication features: Advanced call handling including call whispering Voicemail-to-text Multi-site admin and management	Inbound communication features: Device alerts Unlimited storage Device status reports
Outbound communication features: 750 minutes of domestic outbound comms Call conferencing	Outbound communication features: 2,000 outbound minutes Automatic call recording CRM integrations with Salesforce and Zendesk	Outbound communication features: 4,000 outbound minutes

7. Nuacom: best for managing in-bound customer calls

Nuacom: best for consumer features

3.9

Nuacom is a top pick for its great consumer features, offering various tools like group SMS and Bullhorn VoIP Integration to meet the diverse communication needs of both your team and your customers.

Compare costs

• Free Trial 14 days
• Cheapest Plan Contact sales

• Nuacom provides convenient features like Bullhorn VoIP Integration, making communication smoother for staffing and recruitment agencies and enhancing candidate experiences.
• Your team can easily keep customers engaged with customisable announcements and on-hold features.

Summary Nuacom offers a variety of features that can benefit your small business. For example, their group SMS feature allows you to easily send quick messages to your entire team, keeping everyone on the same page. Additionally, if you're a staffing or recruitment agency, Nuacom integrates with Bullhorn, a popular software used in your industry, streamlining communication and data flow. Managers can also benefit from the dynamic wallboard, providing real-time updates on staff performance. But Nuacom doesn't forget about your customers either. They offer customisable announcements and on-hold features, keeping callers informed and engaged while they wait. With its diverse features, Nuacom can help you improve communication across the board, both internally and externally.

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💡 Which type of small business is Nuacom most suitable for?

Nuacom is particularly well-suited for small businesses that rely heavily on communication for their operations. This includes businesses recruitment agencies or ecommerce firms in need of a VoIP system that offers numerous customer insights, and where effective communication with candidates and clients is crucial.

Features

• 📲 High call volume: Nuacom Unlimited offers flexible VoIP solutions, but the ability to handle high call volumes may depend on the specific plan and configuration chosen by the business.
• 💻 Integrations: Integrates with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Trello for communication and collaboration. It supports Microsoft Outlook and Gmail for email management, and offers integrations with platforms such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk for CRM – as well as its own recruitment integration, BULLHORN, which was released in October 2023.

Nuacom excels at inbound communication. Its feature list enables customisable greetings, voicemails, and customisable hold music.

The brand’s virtual receptionist can direct callers based on their inputted responses. For small business owners who are often stretched and low on resources, this is a must-have tool. Virtual assistants dramatically reduce time-consuming admin tasks without comprising customer interaction – important for brand engagement.

Nuacom’s call recording feature also lets businesses capture and review customer interactions, providing valuable insights for training, quality control, and dispute resolution. Call analytics provide detailed data on call volume, agent performance, and customer trends, enabling businesses to optimise their operations.

Still, team management tools, such as collaborative features and instant messaging, don’t fall under Nuacom’s remit. It’s also not great at returning calls. Unlike 8×8, Nuacom does not have an external video call function, and does not permit power or predictive dialling on any plan. It’s better for responding to customers, rather than outreach.

💰 Pricing

Like 8×8, Nuacom has recently hidden its pricing tiers. Small businesses must contact the platform directly for a quote. However, historical pricing data tells us you can expect to pay around £14.99 per user, per month for Nuacom.

Nuacom has two pricing plans available: Nuacom Unlimited and Nuacom Enterprise. We recommend Nuacom Unlimited exclusively to SMEs. It includes all the essentials SMEs need to manage their calls (unlimited domestic calling, call recording, and CRM integration) and even has AI capability to help automate fiddly call admin tasks.

The Enterprise plan, as its name would suggest, is an advanced VoIP solution that is designed for larger firms with complex needs. It offers a wider range of features, but none of these are fundamental enough to tempt a small business owner.

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Provider Nuacom Unlimited	Provider Nuacom Enterprise
Pricing from Contact sales	Pricing from Contact sales
Inbound communication features: Virtual receptionist Call queue and ring groups Toll-free numbers	Inbound communication features: Queue position announcement 420 hours storage for advanced call recording Live call coaching for newbie sales reps
Outbound communication features: Call tags and notes Smart call transfer Time-based call routing	Outbound communication features: Auto dialer CRM integrations with Zoho and Pipedrive

How much do VoIP providers cost in 2024?

In 2024, VoIP providers typically offer a wide range of pricing plans to suit various business needs. Generally, you can expect fees ranging from £10 to £50 per user, per month, depending on the features and quality of service you require. However, it’s essential to consider additional costs and fees, such as setup fees, equipment costs, and charges for international calls.

We’ve assessed their different offerings, highlighting the features, prices, and pros and cons of each. Here’s a quick overview of what each platform provides based on each option’s lowest-tiered plan:

Contracts with VoIP providers usually vary in length, ranging from month-to-month agreements to multi-year contracts. Opting for a longer contract term may sometimes offer discounted rates or additional perks. When comparing pricing structures, it’s essential to evaluate whether paying monthly or annually makes more financial sense for your business.

Switching or porting your existing phone numbers to a VoIP system may incur additional costs, such as porting fees charged by your current provider or administrative fees from your new VoIP provider. Be sure to factor in these expenses when budgeting for your transition to a VoIP phone system.

If you’d like a more specific idea of how much a VoIP phone system could cost your business, you can check out our dedicated VoIP costs page.

Buying guide: how to choose the best VoIP system

Traditional phone lines will be eradicated by the end of January 2027. As the UK business landscape shifts to a digital-first approach, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)  has emerged as the clear choice for businesses that want to modernise their communication infrastructure.

VoIP offer crystal-clear voice quality, seamless integration with business tools, and advanced features that include call forwarding, video conferencing, and mobile extensions. This is in addition to the cost savings enjoyed by eliminating expensive landline charges and international call fees.

Whether you’re making the switch to VoIP, or are in need of a new provider, you need to tread carefully. The necessity to move away from landlines means competition is fierce, with many new brands popping up to pedal big promises.

We’ve put together five key points to consider that will help you navigate the decision-making process when it comes to switching to VoIP.

🤔 1. Consider the most important features you’ll need

The most crucial aspect of any software decision is features. This is where most providers distinguish themselves with specific niches, so you need to ensure that the brand you sign with isn’t missing any must-have perks. Marketing firms wouldn’t need the ability to create a call queue as much as a service desk would, for example.

Support is an important aspect that is often ignored. If you’re hiring new staff members who aren’t familiar with the system, how can they access assistance? Think about the time zone that support agents are located in, and how you can contact them (e.g. phone, email, or live chat). You may want additional features such as call screening to ensure that only priority calls come through.

Here are some of the VoIP system features you should consider:

• Mobile apps: these allow you to take VoIP calls on a mobile phone, whether that’s by installing an app on your staff’s personal phones, or on business specific device. It means teams can field calls from anywhere and they will all be routed securely through the same business number they’d use at their desk.
• CRM integrations: if you’re running a helpdesk, sales business, or customer service team, then integrating your CRM software with your VoIP solution can be invaluable. This creates instant ticketing for new queries; tracks customer or client communication, sales, or order history; and you can access the necessary information quickly.
• Multiple communication channels: many VoIP providers offer solutions for calls, instant messaging, and video conferencing in the same package, helping keep all of your business communications together.
• Training tools: getting your staff up to speed is essential, and VoIP systems can offer excellent training and support features for managers, including the ability to listen in on calls, or even interject to privately communicate with the call handler.
• Call screening: smart call screening tools can ensure that your teams only deal with important queries, and that other calls are deflected or blocked.

💰 2. Evaluate your budget

Your budget will affect which providers you can choose from. However, this does not necessarily mean most expensive is the best choice for your business. SMEs that don’t need to place a lot of calls should invest in a low-priced tier, but larger firms may need to spend more to access bigger feature allowances.

Also think about hidden fees. bOnline is cheaper at first glance, but it does charge an additional £5 fee for international calling and CRM integration – two benefits that 8×8 offers as part of its X2 plan.

☎️ 3. Choose between an on-premise or hosted solution

Choosing either an on-premise or hosted VoIP solution will impact communication efficiency, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, and there are pros and cons to each.

On-premise VoIP solutions are more expensive than cloud-based VoIP solutions and usually require either an in-house or outsourced IT team for maintenance. This does mean that a phone system can be designed to fit your exact requirements, which is a great option for niche communication setups. With your own dedicated server, on-premise solutions are even more secure than cloud-based, shared server solutions.

Hosted VoIP solutions offer lower upfront costs and reduced maintenance responsibilities because the service provider manages the infrastructure remotely, which makes them particularly appealing for businesses with limited IT resources or budget constraints. Additionally, hosted VoIP solutions often provide automatic updates and scalability, allowing businesses to adapt to changing needs without the hassle of managing hardware or software upgrades.

However, reliance on a third-party service provider means businesses have less control over the system’s customisation, and may be subject to potential service disruptions or downtime if there are issues with the provider’s network or servers.

📏 4. Think about contract length

Today’s economy is prone to certain downturns or upswings that can play havoc with the cash flow of SMEs. Be sure to consider the contract period of the provider you’re looking at to ensure you can afford to make the payments.

For example, are you happy to be tied into a contract for 24 months? Or do you want a lot more flexibility? bOnline sells its services on a pay-as-you-go basis, while other providers like GoTo require a minimum 12-month commitment.

🌎 5. Remember your customers

Think about where your customers are based. If you need to sell to clients in Europe but choose a provider that doesn’t permit any international calls to be made on any of its pricing tiers (like Vonage), you’ll end up forking out additional funds to rectify the problem through another provider.

Consider how your customers are contacting you. It might be a good idea to offer a toll-free number (free for the caller) to improve the customer experience if you are operating in the service industry, for example.

📱 6. Audit your communication channels

Most companies now contact their clients via several mediums, not just over the phone. The good thing about using cloud-based VoIP software to manage communication is it can be integrated with CRM or sales software, helping to keep all of your call data and operations in one place.

Internal usage is another factor. Most employees now use their phones on the go, such as when working from home. Does the phone provider you’ve picked have a mobile app they can use on their own devices? Is it best for sales reps, or are there admin tools as well? These are all things to consider when purchasing a VoIP system.

VoIP systems come into three different formats: hardware-based, software-based, or ATAs. We explain what each one means below.

1. Hardware-based VoIP phones

A hardware-based VoIP phone transmits calls over the internet by connecting to a VoIP server. They can do this in one of three ways:

• Using an Ethernet connector. These VoIP phones plug into the Ethernet port on a router, enabling them to connect directly to a VoIP server. This is the most popular and widely-used type of hardware-based VoIP phone.
• Using a built-in modem. These phones have a built-in modem that can connect to a VoIP server remotely – meaning they don’t require a broadband connection.
• Using WiFi. These phones have built-in WiFi transceivers which can connect to a WiFi access point, and in turn the internet. Some of these phones also come with Ethernet ports.

2. Software-based VoIP phones

All that’s needed to get a softphone up and running is the correct software.

If you’re installing your softphone onto your computer, you can make calls using the computer’s built-in microphone and speakers.

However, if you’d prefer better sound quality and more privacy, you should look to get headsets with microphones – which is important if you’re looking to kit out your small business’s office with multiple softphones for your staff to use.

If you’re interested in VoIP for personal use, or would like your staff to remain on the ball while on the go, many smartphone apps can also act as softphones.

You’ll usually only be able to VoIP call someone who also has the app you’re using. Some apps do enable you to call a normal landline or mobile number, but this may cost you extra.

It’s worth noting that some landline providers have also created apps that allow you to make VoIP calls, such as BT’s SmartTalk and TalkTalk’s Talk2Go.

The key thing to remember here is that while using these apps to make VoIP calls, it’s a good idea to be connected to WiFi – unless you don’t mind them eating into your data allowance.

3. Analogue telephone adapter (ATAs)

Instead of purchasing physical VoIP phones, it’s possible to keep your conventional phones and use an ATA to transform them into VoIP phones.

ATAs take the analogue signal from your phone and convert it into digital data. The ATA also connects your phone to the internet, so the digital data can be transmitted over it.

Instead of plugging your phone into a wall socket, simply plug it into your ATA and you’re good to go.

Will my VoIP provider supply phone handsets?

Not every VoIP service provider can supply VoIP phone handsets. Having to spend extra on finding this hardware yourself can be a pain, especially when you’re already spending a lot of money per user for the software itself. Depending on your business’s needs, you’ll need to check this before purchasing.

Always research the VoIP software provider first, as you’ll often find the software is only compatible with certain VoIP phone models. Once you’ve chosen the right software, you’ll be able to work with your provider to find compatible VoIP phones that match the needs of your business.

Most VoIP providers will give you the option to lease your handsets (great for upgrading) or purchase them outright (more cost-effective in the long run). If not, there are many VoIP handset providers out there you can purchase from directly.

Some of the best VoIP phones are made by Grandstream, Yealink, and Cisco. Check out our best phone system for small business review to learn more about specific VoIP handsets.

Our methodology

At Startups, all of our research is completed by an independent analyst alongside our team of expert writers. Over several months, we carried out a thorough examination of the top 11 VoIP software market leaders.

To begin, we selected seven key areas of investigation to score each software provider against:

1. Value for money – initial setup costs, equipment costs, and ongoing service fees
2. Depth of features and allowances – software specialisms, capabilities and limits
3. Customer support – help and support options available
4. External connections – number and range of integrations
5. Security options – compliance and certifications, as well as security integrations
6. Scalability – longevity of platform (user limitations, feature limitations, etc.)
7. Customer score – aggregate of consumer review scores across G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Trust Radius

Via extensive user testing, online investigation, and interviews with real-life business users, we were able to discern how the software works in application and where each platform excels/underperforms.

Once we awarded a score to each brand, we could then generate an overall ranking of the top seven software platforms for small businesses.

Verdict

Each VoIP provider comes with its merits and strengths, and you should always compare before signing on the dotted line – the last thing you want is to be stuck in a contract with a service that doesn’t fulfil the needs of your business, even if it is a generally great product.

We’ve partnered with the VoIP professionals listed throughout to provide you with our free 🔍VoIP comparison tool for the best free quotes to help you get started today.