Best VoIP Phone Systems for Small Business In The UK

This article showcases the best VoIP phone systems for small businesses in the UK. If you're looking to find a new business phone system, you're in the right place. In our recently updated guide, we detail the 10 best VoIP systems available in 2024 and give you a high-level introduction to what VoIP is and how it works.

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Best VoIP for small business (2024)

Here is our shortlist of the best VoIP providers for small businesses in the UK. Click the links to read more about each of them or request a comparison quote to find the best VoIP service provider for your business quickly.

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Top 4 VoIP systems for small businesses in the UK

If you are a UK based small business, four VoIP systems stand out from the crowd. In this section, we highlight those, but to identify the best one for your business, please request a comparison quote - and we'll send you personalised recommendations.

ImageProductRatingPrice
Best VoIP overall
Gamma Horizon
Gamma Horizon

Gamma Horizon is an excellent small business VoIP system that caters for companies of all sizes. One of the great things about Gamma Horizon is that it is a fully-managed cloud-based VoIP service and, therefore, requires little to no management on your side. To read our full review of Gamma Horizon, please click this link, but here is a summary.

  • Feature-rich fully-managed business VoIP service
  • Generous free call bundles
  • Unlimited VoIP phone numbers
  • Work from anywhere with mobile and desktop apps
  • Excellent choice of VoIP handsets
  • Integrates with other business software
  • First-class support via partners
9.7
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For growing businesses
3CX
3CX

3CX is a different type of VoIP service than others we're showcasing in that it's not a fully-managed system. 3CX is a software-based business phone system that you can install anywhere. Because of that, you get a lot more flexibility and control. In many cases, it's cheaper than all other VoIP for small business services.

  • Excellent pricing, especially if you have more than 10 users
  • Freedom to choose your own SIP provider
  • More control over your phone system
  • Make calls from your mobile devices
  • Works with any VoIP phone
  • Integrates with other tools
  • Excellent support via UK partners
  • Includes video conferencing
  • Free live chat for your website
  • Team messaging comes as standard
9.5
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Phoneline+ Phoneline+

Phoneline+ is aimed at businesses with only a few employees, such as tradespeople, small retailers, and service providers. It's marketed as a phone line replacement service, as it effectively converts your existing landline into a VoIP system. The only drawback with Phoneline+ is that you don't get too many features, and it isn't scalable if you grow.

  • Business VoIP for tiny businesses
  • Replaces existing business telephone lines
  • Supports multiple phone numbers
  • Simple to manage and easy to use
  • A good option for those that don't anticipate growing
  • Quick to get setup
  • Low cost with some useful features
9.4
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bOnline bOnline

bOnline is the only small business VoIP service on this shortlist that isn't provided via a partner network. That is because most of the more prominent business VoIP providers tend to have poor customer support. However, that's not the case with bOnline. They have an excellent phone system and high levels of customer satisfaction, so if you're looking to work directly with a provider, they are a good choice.

  • High levels of customer satisfaction
  • Excellent phone system aimed at small business
  • Lots of useful call management features
  • Option to have unlimited calling on a 12-month contract
  • Quick to get setup
9.4
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Before we get into our more detailed review of the best small business VoIP services in the UK, we want to explain more about it and how it works. If you already know all of this or aren't interested, skip ahead to our reviews or request a comparison quote. We'll help you find the best business VoIP service for your company.

Small business owner using VoIP phone system
Small business VoIP systems can deliver huge savings in comparison to traditional phone services.

What is a VoIP phone service?

In another of our recent posts titled "What is VoIP", we go into a good amount of detail about what it is and how it works, but if you're new to our website, let's give you a summary.

VoIP is an acronym for voice over internet protocol, which is a technical way of saying telephone calls taking place over the internet. With a VoIP service, you typically need some handsets, a laptop, or a mobile phone to make calls. As long as you are connected to the internet, you can make and receive business phone calls.

In the past, you would likely have had a traditional phone system in your office, which connects out to the public branch exchange, but that's not the case with VoIP. All of the call management is done online.

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What do you need to make VoIP phone calls?

You need relatively little to be able to make and receive VoIP phone calls, with the only requirement being that you have a VoIP provider.

What is required will depend on whom you choose to provide your business VoIP service. Still, typically you will need some VoIP phones and a reliable broadband connection. In fact, with most small business VoIP services, you don't even need handsets; you could just use mobile phones or even your laptop for calls.

One of the great things about VoIP systems compared to traditional technologies is that small business get access to a vast range of advanced features previously reserved for much bigger companies.

Chances are you already have a suitable device to make calls, and with over 95% of us in the UK having internet access, it's more than likely you have an internet connection too - you're reading this article, after all! So the only thing you're missing is a small business VoIP service, which, as we've mentioned, you can get for a very affordable monthly investment.

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Is VoIP good for small business?

Yes, VoIP is brilliant for small businesses - in our opinion, it's a game-changer. Similarly to the evolution of other cloud technologies such as Dropbox or Microsoft Office 365, cloud-hosted VoIP gives small businesses access to enterprise-grade technology for a low monthly cost.

Most of the best VoIP services come with a vast amount of useful functionality to make your business more efficient and reduce costs.

Small business owner on VoIP phone smiling
Improved voice quality is just one of the benefits of VoIP for small businesses

What are the benefits of a VoIP phone system for a small business?

There are many benefits associated with getting VoIP phones for your small business, but perhaps most important is that you'll reduce your costs. This section outlines most of the benefits you can expect when you move to one of the small business VoIP services we've covered.

Your business will save money with a VoIP service.

Small businesses are always keen to minimise costs, so the good news is that by implementing a VoIP phone system, many of your telephony related expenses will be reduced. Firstly, there is no longer the need for expensive ISDN business phone lines, which BT is phasing out by 2025 anyway.

Secondly, as the system is hosted in the cloud, there's no expensive equipment to buy or finance; it's all included in your monthly service subscription fee.

Thirdly, as your voice calls are routed over the internet, they are almost always cheaper than calls made via traditional phone services. Also, many business VoIP providers, even the cheapest VoIP services, include a generous amount of free calls with your subscription.

Finally, you don't have to have VoIP phones as you can make calls with your existing mobile phones or laptops. Many small business owners will have a mixture of physical handsets for those who need them and use softphones for employees who aren't frequently on the phone or spend are remote workers.

Flexibility over where you work

Aside from the cost savings associated with VoIP, the ability to work from anywhere in the world, as long as you have internet connectivity, has to be one of the primary benefits.

With traditional phone systems, switching from office to home isn't easy and ultimately results in call forwarding and extra costs. With business VoIP services, you can work from anywhere; all you need is a device that can make and receive calls while you're away.

Central to this is taking your phone number with you wherever you are. Your office may have a geographic or non-geographic number, but with VoIP, it doesn't matter; you can pick up your number from the comfort of your own home or even on your mobile device while you're out and about.

The best VoIP providers have both Android and iOS apps and desktop soft clients. Some even offer web-based calling, so you can access your telephone system even if you're on someone else's laptop or phone.

Improved Portability

We touched on portability in the last benefit, but essentially by having a cloud VoIP system, you can use the same telephone number anywhere. You can give the impression you're in the office while sitting in a far-flung exotic location, or perhaps just your home office.

VoIP phone systems are scalable.

For start-ups and small businesses, you want to ensure that the telephony solution you choose today fits you tomorrow and far beyond. The last thing you want to do is change your phone system after only a couple of years. The great thing with internet hosted VoIP phone systems is that they are scalable. Most of the leading platforms can scale up to thousands of users, so you can rest assured that your phone system will keep up as your business grows.

VoIP for small businesses provides mange features.

We'll get into the detail of some of the features you can expect in the next section of this guide, but it's safe to safe they are extensive. If you're used to having a traditional phone service, you'd either need to pay for an expensive controller to access advanced features or suffer from limited and basic controls. With cloud-hosted VoIP, you can do everything from call recording to music on hold with a few clicks of a button. Yes, certain features come at a premium, but rather than buying the latest and greatest hardware, you'd merely need to upgrade your subscription to access them.

Today, small businesses can present a professional impression and belie their size using cloud-based technologies such as VoIP.

Improved voice quality

When VoIP was first developed, and internet connections were slower and less reliable, calls often suffered from dropouts and poor quality, but in the last few years, as internet speeds have improved, the quality of VoIP calls has surpassed that of PSTN and ISDN calls.

That said, we always recommend a separate broadband line is installed for your phones to keep everyone's internet browsing activity from affecting voice call quality.

Of course, with many of us now working from home, we tend to have a dedicated connection anyway. It's only when the kids get back from school that it becomes shared between your work and their Fortnite.

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Disadvantages of VoIP

While VoIP provides a plethora of significant benefits for many small businesses, there are, of course, disadvantages, and we must share those with you. Crucially, none of these issues is insurmountable. If you suffer from any of the problems mentioned, there is usually a simple way to solve them.

A reliable internet connection is essential.

To use VoIP, you need a reliable connection to the internet. If your connection drops out or is very slow, you'll find that calls get cut off, and the quality is poor. It's, therefore, crucial that before you embark on getting a VoIP system, you solve any ongoing issues with your broadband. Usually, where people are working from an office location, we'd recommend installing a separate connection purely for calls to minimise the problems relating to people using the internet for other purposes.

Power outages

To make VoIP telephone calls from your handset or desktop/laptop, you'll need power, and if it drops, you won't be able to make and receive calls. Fortunately, with your mobile apps, you would still be able to make calls from your smartphone. That's the great thing about VoIP; there are still options if power is cut to your office or home.

Team in a small business meeting via conferencing
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Most useful VoIP features

Before we get into our detailed reviews of the best small business VoIP services, we want to highlight some of the fantastic features you can expect from most systems. You, of course, don't need to use all of these, but we think it's useful for you to understand what to look out for before you choose your telephone system.

Auto Attendant

Do you know the automated menu options you get when you ring a large company, i.e. "press 1 for sales or 2 for customer services"? That's an auto-attendant in action, routing your call to the correct destination.

Yes, if it's configured poorly, it can be annoying for customers who can find themselves stuck in loops or the wrong place, but set up well, it's a time saver for both the caller and the recipient.

Even if there are only a couple of people in your business, by routing the call to the correct destination, you avoid the other person becoming your temporary secretary and ultimately save time. It presents a professional image and can give the impression that you're bigger than you are. An auto-attendant is an enterprise-grade call management feature that most business phone services include.

Hunt Groups

Hunt groups are helpful when your team becomes a little larger. Still, we usually wouldn't recommend using them unless you have more than four people using your VoIP Service.

Hunt groups are another call routing feature that sends calls to several people rather than a single destination. So rather than one phone ringing, you can have a whole team's phones ring and whoever picks up first takes the call. That's the simplest way to explain it, but you can make more complicated ring patterns, such as ringing phones in a set order with hunt groups.

Again, this functionality would usually be reserved for companies with expensive telephone systems. Still, with a VoIP system, businesses of all sizes can benefit.

Call Park

We find that the Call Park feature is one that many users value- it not only allows you to put a call on hold, but you can then pick it up on another phone or even your smartphone. This is perfect if you've been on a call for a while and need to move away from your desk. Simply ask the customer if they mind going on hold, park the call and then pick it back up on your mobile, and you're free to leave your desk. You can do the same in the other direction, too. If you pick up a call on your mobile via your provider's app and return to your desk, you can park the call and pick it up on your handset, freeing your mobile phone up again.

Call Waiting & Music On Hold

Another small business favourite is Call Waiting - using it means you needn't ever miss a call again. With Custom Music On Hold, you can choose between playing some music to the waiting person, or why not record bespoke promotional messages they can hear while they wait? Best yet, you don't even need to be the one that answers the call -with the Call Pickup feature, other people in the team can answer each other's calls, whether their phone is ringing or if they're queued.

CLI Flexibility

CLI Flexibility sounds complicated, but all it means is that you can make calls from various numbers - you don't always need to dial out on the same one. This can be useful if you're running a regional marketing campaign and want to present a local image or if your company has several brands or sub-companies and you want to keep them separate. Again, big businesses use this and will call out on the VoIP phone number they want you to see, so why shouldn't you have the ability too?

Call Recording

Call recording used to be an advanced feature that would require additional hardware and software. Fortunately, today you can access it with a simple software license. Even small businesses can benefit from call recording, and it's essential if you work in financial services from a compliance perspective.

Instant Group Call

Once you have your cloud-based business VoIP system, you and your colleagues can have both planned and ad-hoc group conference calls. You can invite people to your call at any time, which is particularly useful while we're all working remotely from each other.

One number anywhere

We mentioned this earlier, but a significant benefit of a business VoIP system is that it has a single telephone number. This feature makes it simple for customers to reach you. It gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere without missing important calls. You no longer need to tell clients you're working from home - it doesn't matter - your calls will be routed directly to you wherever you are.

Other VoIP features

This is only a relatively small snapshot of what we think are the best features of business VoIP systems. There are lots more that we haven't mentioned that are worth your consideration.

  • Automatic callback
  • Busy lamp keys
  • Call forwarding
  • Call rejection
  • Click to dial
  • Company directory
  • Diversion inhibitor
  • Do not disturb
  • Last number redial
  • Video conferencing
  • Website live chat
  • Internal team messaging
  • Sites, groups and departments
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Best VoIP systems for small business - Top 10 Reviewed

Our in-house telephony experts have reviewed the best small business VoIP services currently available in this part of our guide and ranked them accordingly. As we mentioned earlier, to find the best VoIP service for your business, we strongly recommend you request a comparison quote from us. A member of our technical team will review your requirements and then match you with your company's best business phone service.


Best all-round
Gamma Horizon
9.7/10 Our Rating

1. Gamma Horizon

Gamma Horizon represents the best VoIP system for small businesses in the UK. It's cost-effective, comes with all the features you might need and is super simple to manage.

Pros
  • Starts at just £9.95 per user per month
  • 2000 free UK landline minutes per user
  • 2000 free UK mobile minutes per user
  • Unlimited VoIP phone numbers
  • Take business calls on your mobile
  • Voicemail-to-email
  • Music-on-hold (can be used for prerecorded marketing messages)
  • Virtual receptionist
  • Video conferencing
  • Call waiting and queuing
  • Excellent choice of IP handsets
  • Call recording
  • CRM integration
  • Excellent support via authorised partners
  • Plus many more features and benefits
Cons
  • Less control over your system in comparison to 3CX
  • Can be more expensive than 3CX for medium-sized business
  • Limited handset choice

Flexible system
3CX
9.5/10 Our Score

2. 3CX

3CX is, without doubt, the most flexible telephone system on our list as you have complete control over where it is installed. It could be that it's set up on your premises on a computer or server, or perhaps in the cloud, the choice is yours. If you're looking for a customised solution for your small business and don't mind having to pay separately for things like SIP trunks, then 3CX could be a good fit.

Pros
  • Pricing is dependent on where you host the system
  • Host onsite with Linux or Windows
  • Host in the cloud with Amazon, Google, or Azure
  • Choice of SIP trunk provider
  • Good choice of call routing options
  • Excellent virtual receptionist
  • Extensive feature-set
  • It supports ALL IP phones
  • Modern Android and iOS apps
  • Make calls from the web and Windows
  • Includes instant messaging
  • Excellent video conferencing
  • Highly rated system
  • Excellent support from 3CX partners
Cons
  • Requires technical assistance to get set up
  • More complicated to manage than other systems

Virtual Landline
Phoneline+
9.4/10 Our Score

3. Phoneline+

Phoneline+ is brilliant for micro-businesses looking to replace their existing landline or want a virtual number that they can answer anywhere. It doesn't have all of the features of the others on this list. Still, its brilliance is its simplicity and ease of use for businesses that only have one or two users. 

Pros
  • From only £9.99 per user per month
  • Unlimited calls to UK landlines
  • Unlimited calls to UK mobiles
  • Time of day call routing
  • Contact management
  • Desktop softphone
  • Mobile app to take calls anywhere
  • Voicemail to email
  • Free setup and number transfer
  • Award-winning phone system
  • Excellent support from UK partners
Cons
  • Not scalable
  • Limited functionality and features

bOnline
9/10 Our Rating

4. bOnline

bOnline's VoIP phone system is an excellent choice if you're a UK based small business. It's competitively priced and packed full of features. Perhaps the only disappointing part is that they currently only offer their service direct, which means you can't benefit from the excellent service levels often provided by local telecom companies.

Pros
  • From £12.95 per user per month (Unlimited plan)
  • Excellent business communication tools
  • Call menus / virtual receptionist
  • Call forwarding and call routing
  • Call Recording
  • Voicemail to email
  • Contact Syncing
  • Business hours routing
  • Video conferencing
  • Local or national number
  • UK based company
Cons
  • Limited choice of handsets
  • Can only be bought directly from bOnline

Lily Comms
8.5/10 Our Rating

5. Lily Comms

Lily Comms' cloud VoIP phone system is another top choice for businesses in the UK. It's got plenty of features, and the company has an excellent track record. 

Pros
  • Per-user pricing
  • Audio and video conferencing
  • Web collaboration
  • Unlimited calling
  • Instant messaging
  • Outlook integration
  • Call recording
  • Auto-attendant (virtual receptionist)
  • Easy configuration
Cons
  • Not as established as other VoIP providers
  • Auto-attendant can be over complicated

Gradwell
8.2/10 Our Rating

6. Gradwell

Gradwell is similar to T2k in that they partner with larger providers to deliver services to their customers. In the past, Gradwell had built a solid reputation amounts small businesses in the UK; however, in recent years, most likely due to growth, their service levels have slipped, which can be seen in the customer reviews they've received. They're still a good choice and rightfully on this list.

Pros
  • Mature VoIP system, suitable for most businesses
  • Extensive call management features
  • Unlimited calling is available on some plans
  • Per-user per month pricing
  • Automatic call routing
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Low-cost international calling
  • A unified communications solution
  • Includes video call
Cons
  • Customer service levels have decreased in recent times

Gradwell
7.7/10 Our Rating

7. Vonage Business

Vonage is the first global VoIP provider we've chosen to include in this guide, and for a good reason. Generally speaking, when we talk to customers, they place customer service close to the top of their must-haves when looking for a new business VoIP service. Unfortunately, due to their size, many international companies operating in the UK providing services to small businesses aren't good enough at customer service. That said, Vonage is one of the better.

Pros
  • Global company and platform
  • Enterprise-grade system
  • Unlimited voice calls
  • Integrates with CRMs (customer relationship management systems)
  • One of the best VoIP services for international businesses
  • Easy to manage calls
  • Pricing on a per user per month basis
  • Excellent if you have a lot of remote workers
  • Includes comprehensive call reporting
  • Suitable for both internal and external calls
Cons
  • Relatively low levels of customer satisfaction
  • Expensive compared to other solutions
  • Overkill for most small companies

Microsoft Teams
7.5/10 Our Rating

8. Microsoft Teems

Many of our customers already use Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Teams for internal team messaging. Still, you can also use it as your company's private branch exchange (PBX). By signing up for a calling plan with Microsoft, you and your team can communicate with the outside world, enjoy video calling and more. The only downside is the cost and support level you will get from Mircosoft; aside from that, it's a good solution.

Pros
  • Easy to use interface
  • All the functionality you'd expect from a PBX
  • Often already in use within a business
  • Pricing on a per-user per-month basis
  • Built-in audio conferencing and video conferencing
  • Lots of business features
Cons
  • Not the cheapest VoIP service
  • Microsoft aren't a traditional VoIP provider
  • No dedicated account manager

8x8
7.4/10 Our Rating

9. 8x8

8x8 is another global player in the unified communications market, boasting customers worldwide. Their business communications services are undoubtedly up there with the best, as is the underlying VoIP technology their platform runs on. However, unless you're a more significant business that needs to do lots of international calling, choosing between the UK-based VoIP providers may be better.

Pros
  • Excellent VoIP systems
  • Arguably the best VoIP provider for large businesses
  • Includes automatic call recording
  • Per-user per month pricing
  • Take your digital phone line anywhere with you
Cons
  • Expensive in comparison to other platforms
  • Designed for larger companies looking for unified communications

Zoom
9.4/10 Our Rating

10. Zoom

Zoom has become synonymous with video calling, but they also provide business VoIP services? Similarly to some of the other international companies we've featured, we don't think they're an excellent fit for most small companies, but their technology is still impressive.

Pros
  • People are familiar with their software
  • Excellent call handling features
  • Video calls as standard
Cons
  • Patchy support
  • Not as much functionality as other VoIP systems

Lee Clarke
Sales Director

Having worked for T2k for nearly 25 years, it's fair to say that Lee is an expert when it comes to all things telephony and business communications. Overseeing the commercial side of the business, he has helped the company evolve and grow through the decades. In recent years, and with the advent of VoIP and hosted telephony, Lee has made sure that T2k is at the forefront of technological developments. With a firm interest in helping businesses navigate the world of telecoms, Lee is responsible for the majority of the content on this website.

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