How Much Does a Business Phone System Cost in 2026?

A cloud business phone system in the UK typically costs between about £8 and £28 per user per month, depending on the platform and package. Most small businesses land between £10 and £17 per user. For a 10-person office that means roughly £100 to £170 a month, plus the internet connection it runs on. Handsets, number porting, installation and out-of-bundle calls can add to that, though some packages include them. The headline price is never the full picture, so this guide shows what each system costs and what the price actually covers.

All prices below exclude VAT and are the figures published on the T2K system pages in October 2026. Always get a written quote before you commit.

What does each system cost per user?

Per-user pricing is the easiest to budget for. Licence-based systems such as 3CX can work out cheaper for larger teams, but they are priced around your call volume rather than headcount.

What do you get at each price?

Gamma Phoneline+: the budget option.

• Standard (£7.95): PC, Mac and mobile apps, number retention, voicemail to email, call transfer, presence and unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles (fair usage policy applies).
• Office (£9.95): adds basic hunt groups, an auto attendant (IVR), trio calling and call pull.
• Anywhere (£11.95): adds virtual mobile numbers and eSIMs, two-way SMS, WhatsApp integration and free international calls.
• Number retention is free on 12, 24 and 36-month terms. On monthly terms, inbound porting is a one-off £25 plus VAT. Extra SMS bundles are available: 100 for £7.50 a month or 250 for £15.00.

VoiceFlex Flow: pay only for the level each person needs.

• Basic (£7.99): standard voicemail with 500 national/local and 500 mobile minutes a month. Apps and call recording are extra.
• UC (£11.99): 2,000 minutes of each, advanced voicemail, apps, presence, conferencing, messaging and Teams, Outlook, Gmail and Azure AD integrations.
• CC Pro (£16.99): adds live dashboards, delayed hunt groups with call-back and wrap-up controls for contact-centre style teams.
• Flow Operator (£27.99): an operator console for receptionists and switchboard staff handling every call and queue.

Gamma Webex: for teams that live in meetings.

• Voice (£11.95): softphone app, call queuing, call recording, Microsoft Teams integration and unlimited UK minutes (fair usage applies).
• Calling (£13.95): adds executive assistant features, calendar integration, presence and meetings of up to 100 participants.
• Suite (£17.95): adds free international calls, meetings of up to 1,000 participants and cloud meeting recording with transcription.

Gamma Horizon: our most popular package-based system.

• Essential (£12.95): apps for PC, Mac and smartphone, unlimited UK local, national and mobile calls (fair usage applies), auto attendant, hunt groups, out-of-hours routing, voicemail to email, music on hold, call barring and UK-based support.
• Office (£16.95): adds call queuing and call recording with three months' retention.
• Enterprise (£24.95): adds the Horizon Call Centre Agent.
• Every package includes one handset, a Yealink T73W or W73P, when you sign a 36-month term.

3CX: pay for capacity, not seats. 3CX has no per-user or per-extension licence fee. Licences are billed annually and sized by simultaneous calls, with a typical starting point of about one licence per three to four users. Sales, support and contact-centre teams usually need more. T2K builds 3CX quotes as a single bundle covering the licence, hosting, SIP trunk call bundles and support. Most hosted systems charge £10 to £20 per user, so 3CX can be a strong value choice as headcount grows. Our guides to 3CX features, benefits and pricing and the ultimate 3CX guide go deeper.

Mitel MiVoice Business: designed around you. Mitel doesn't have a standard tiered price. Quotes follow a technical scoping exercise and cover servers, gateways, licences, installation, SIP trunks and calls. You can choose perpetual or subscription licensing, and CapEx or OpEx, across on-premise, cloud or hybrid setups.

What else are you paying for?

Every quote is built from the same blocks. Knowing them lets you compare like for like.

1. Calls. All the Gamma packages (Horizon, Webex and Phoneline+) include unlimited UK landline and mobile calls, subject to Gamma's fair usage policy. VoiceFlex includes monthly allowances instead (500 or 2,000 minutes depending on the licence). Premium-rate numbers and international destinations outside any included list are usually charged on top.

Fair usage is meant for normal business use. Under T2K's fair usage policy, Phoneline+ packages include unlimited calls to UK landlines (01 and 02), UK mobiles, and Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the USA. There's no monthly minute cap, but the service shouldn't be used for auto-dialling, bulk call campaigns or excessive call forwarding. If usage looks like misuse, the account can be reviewed, restricted or moved to a metered plan. Each user must have their own account, so sharing a login isn't allowed. A high-volume outbound team should check the policy before choosing a package.

2. Phone numbers. Moving your existing numbers across is normally free or low cost. New numbers, DDIs and non-geographic numbers may carry a monthly fee. See what a DDI number is and our guide to how long porting takes.

3. Handsets and headsets. Gamma Horizon includes one handset per package on a 36-month term, and Webex lists a fixed or cordless handset choice. On other systems, and for additional handsets, expect to pay. As a guide, typical market ranges are:

• Entry-level desk phone: around £50 to £100
• Mid-range desk phone with colour screen: around £100 to £200
• DECT cordless handset: around £60 to £200 plus a base station
• Quality headset: from about £30 to £200

These are indicative market ranges, not T2K prices. Our guide to softphone vs desk phone shows where you can save by using apps instead of handsets.

4. Internet connectivity. VoIP needs a reliable connection, and some package prices depend on taking an internet connection from the same provider. Business FTTP is typically far cheaper than a leased line, which can run to a few hundred pounds a month. Our guides to FTTP vs a leased line and what a leased line costs help you choose, and how much internet speed you need stops you overpaying.

5. Installation and setup. Cloud systems often have little or no installation fee. On-site installs, network surveys, cabling and multi-site rollouts are usually charged. Our guide to preparing your network for a VoIP install shows what to sort out first.

6. Contract length. Terms matter. Phoneline+ and Horizon prices are based on 36 months, Webex on 24. Check the minimum term, and what happens if you want to add or remove users.

What does it cost in practice?

These examples use the published per-user prices, excluding VAT, before internet, extra handsets and any out-of-bundle calls.

All figures are per month. For a 10-user office on Horizon Essential, that's £1,554 a year before VAT, with unlimited UK calls (fair usage) and a handset included on a 36-month term. Add internet on top.

The cheapest line isn't always the cheapest system. A package without call queuing, recording or the right integration can push you into a higher tier, or into add-ons, later. Match the package to what the business really does.

A Teams-based setup for the same 10 users usually lands at about £160 to £250 a month once the Microsoft 365 licence, Teams Phone licence and calling are included. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, the real extra cost is lower. The blog comparisons of 3CX vs Gamma Horizon, 3CX vs Microsoft Teams Phone and 3CX vs Mitel put the options side by side.

Why do prices vary so much?

• Pricing model. Per user, per simultaneous call and bespoke quotes give very different totals as you grow.
• Included extras. Call recording, queues, wallboards, CRM integration and analytics are standard on some packages and paid upgrades on others. See CRM phone system integration.
• Contract length. Longer terms usually mean a lower monthly price or a free handset.
• Number of sites and users. Multi-site businesses can often consolidate onto one system, as shown in our multi-site care home case study.
• Hosting. Self-hosted 3CX needs a server or cloud instance, covered in the blog on choosing the right host for 3CX.

What are the hidden costs?

• Early termination fees on your old lines or phone system contract
• Number porting charges and the cost of running two services while a port completes
• Network upgrades, such as a new router, PoE switch or extra cabling
• Power and internet backup, such as a UPS or 4G failover. See our guide to setting up a failover connection
• Extra users or channels when you grow
• Call recording storage, where retention is a compliance requirement. See how long to keep recorded calls
• Fair usage rules on "unlimited" calls, which matter if you run auto-dialling, bulk campaigns or a high-volume outbound team

Many of the problems that push costs up after go-live are avoidable. Our guide to common VoIP installation mistakes lists them.

Is VoIP cheaper than a traditional phone system?

Usually, yes. You avoid the line rental on each ISDN or analogue line, the on-site hardware and the maintenance contracts, and you get cheaper calls. Many businesses also see savings from fewer missed calls and less travel. Our blog on 9 ways VoIP saves your business money goes through them, and how to calculate VoIP ROI shows how to build the business case.

There's also a deadline to factor in. If you're still on ISDN or analogue lines, they're being withdrawn, so the real cost of doing nothing is a forced move later. See what happens if you don't migrate before the PSTN switch-off and the blog on the big switch-off in 2027.

How can you keep costs down?

1. Match the package to the person. Mix tiers where the system allows it, as with VoiceFlex, rather than putting everyone on the top one.
2. Count your real users. Not everyone needs a handset. Part-timers and field staff can use an app. Our guide to using your business phone system on a mobile explains how.
3. Right-size your internet. Avoid a leased line unless you need one.
4. Bundle where it helps. Connectivity and telephony from one supplier can lower the price.
5. Check what's included before you add extras. The blog on which Gamma Horizon package suits your business can help.
6. Compare at least three quotes on the same specification. Use our phone system finder and the list of best business phone systems in the UK as a starting point, and the best business VoIP providers page to compare suppliers.

How should you choose between cloud, software and on-premise?

Cost is only one factor. The blog on cloud PBX vs on-premise vs hybrid explains the trade-offs, and how to choose a VoIP system covers features, support and contract length. You can also read our reviews of each system, including 3CX and VoiceFlex Flow.

If you're in Dorset or Hampshire, T2K can quote for offices in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Southampton and Portsmouth, with a free site check on the network before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a phone system cost for a small business? For a team of five to ten, expect roughly £40 to £170 a month for a hosted VoIP system, depending on the platform and package, plus internet. Handsets may be included or may be a one-off cost.

What is the cheapest business phone system? Gamma Phoneline+ Standard at £7.95 and VoiceFlex Basic at £7.99 per user per month are the lowest published prices. Cheapest isn't always best, so weigh it against call handling needs, support and growth.

Is VoIP cheaper than a landline? In most cases, yes. VoIP removes line rental and usually cuts call costs, especially for mobile calls. Savings are larger for businesses with several lines.

Do I pay per user or per call? It depends on the platform. Gamma Horizon, Webex, Phoneline+ and VoiceFlex charge per user; 3CX is priced on simultaneous calls. Per-call pricing can suit businesses with many users who rarely call at once.

Are there any setup fees? Often not for simple cloud systems. Complex installs, site surveys, cabling and multi-site deployments are typically charged. Ask for the fee up front.

Does the price include VAT? No. Business prices are shown excluding VAT. Add 20% unless you are told otherwise.

Are "unlimited" calls really unlimited? For normal business use, yes. There is no monthly minute cap on Gamma packages, but they're covered by a fair usage policy. It rules out things like auto-dialling and bulk call campaigns, so outbound-heavy teams should check it first.

Can I keep my existing phone numbers? Yes, in most cases. See what happens to your number when you switch provider.

What costs more than people expect? Internet, extra handsets, network changes and overlapping contracts are the usual surprises.

The right system is the one that costs less over three years, not the one with the lowest headline price. Request a quote for a clear, itemised price from T2K, or use our phone system finder to compare systems first.