The 5 best business telephone line providers: compare top deals for 2025 Making the switch to VoIP? Discover the best provider for your needs with our breakdown of the top business phone lines. Written by Eddie Harris Reviewed by James Macey Updated on 14 October 2025 Our research To recommend the best phone systems for small businesses, our team of expert writers and researchers hone in on the most important factors. We rate providers on value for money – including initial setup costs, any equipment costs, and ongoing service fees; an ability to scale as your team grows; depth of features, plus the help and support options that are available. Written and reviewed by: Eddie Harris Senior Reviews Writer James Macey Senior Researcher Startups.co.uk is reader supported – we may earn a commission from our recommendations, at no extra cost to you and without impacting our editorial impartiality. Following extensive analysis, conducted by our research team across eight providers, we’ve selected bOnline (specifically its Unlimited Calling package) as the best business phone line provider. It’s the most cost effective package we evaluated, offering unlimited minutes with a decent range of calling features. Best Phone Line Providers at a glance bOnline Unlimited Calling – Best for your first VoIP telephone lineRingCentral Standard – Best for giving your customers a smooth experienceDialpad Pro – Best for managing high volumes of callsGoTo Connect Phone System – Best for keeping communication simpleGoogle Voice Standard – Best for Google Workspace usersYou can click any of the links above to receive a zero obligation quote from top providers, so you can begin comparing costs. Experience bOnline – our top pick for unbeatable value and unlimited calling. Get more for less with bOnline – 45+ features and unlimited calling at £13.95/user. Compare Quotes It only takes a minute. Traditional landlines are now being phased out, to be completely replaced by VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) by 2027. Essentially, all calls will be made via virtual landlines instead of traditional copper wire lines, so there’s no better time to switch to a VoIP-based provider.bOnline is the best phone line provider overall. However, the right provider for you will depend on what your unique needs are, from virtual receptionists to international calling. Read on for our full roundup of the five best business telephone line providers and what each of them can offer you. 💡Key takeaways bOnline is our top choice for a business telephone line as it provides over 45 calling features and unlimited calling at a competitive cost of £13.95 per user, per month.RingCentral is a good choice for growing businesses, as the individual per user cost decreases the more users you add to your plan.GoTo Connect is a strong fit if you’re making lots of overseas calls, as select plans include free international calling to over 50 countries.You should expect to pay roughly between £13.95 and £19.99 per user, per month, for a business telephone line provider.Traditional landlines are set to be replaced by VoIP in 2027. The best business phone line providers: comparison table 0 out of 0 backward forward Provider Pricing from Inclusive minutes BEST OVERALL bOnline Unlimited Calling RingCentral Standard Dialpad Pro GoTo Connect Phone System Google Voice Standard £13.95 + VAT per month (currently running a 6-month promo for £9.95 + VAT per user, on a 12-month contract) £19.99 per user, per month £20 per user, per month Quote-based $16 per user, per month (Google Voice is only priced in US dollars) Unlimited inbound callsUnlimited UK landline & mobile calls 250 inbound minutes and 750 outbound minutes per month Unlimited calling 1,000 minutes shared across account Unlimited domestic minutes and free calls to the US from any country Get Quotes Get Quotes Get Quotes Get Quotes Get Quotes We last updated this article on 14/10/2025 All pricing and information in this article was verified as accurate as of 14/10/2025. However, given the competitive nature of the VoIP industry, we recommend confirming any pricing or call package details directly with the providers before making any purchasing decisions for your company. Video: what you need to know about the best business phone linesShort on time? Watch our reviews writer explain what you need to know about our favourite options in under two-and-a-half minutes: Loading 1. bOnline Unlimited Calling: best for your first VoIP telephone line bOnline Unlimited Calling Get Quotes Price from: £9.95, per user, per month (six-month promo) Good for startups doing lots of cold calling Lots of features for a small cost Quick to set up Summary bOnline is a UK-based telecommunications company that specializes in providing solutions specifically with a small business marketplace in mind. With a focus in low-cost, easy solutions, bOnline make the claim to be “the most awarded business VoIP phone for UK businesses with 1-5 employees”. Show moreless Suitable if: You want a budget-friendly phone line It’s your first time using VoIP as a telephone service You run a small customer service department Not suitable if: You want the most advanced call management tools available You want the option to scale up to more advanced plans You want the most advanced security possible Why should I choose bOnline as my telephone line provider?Here are three reasons to consider bOnline:1. Great for first time usersbOnline Unlimited Calling makes an ideal first VoIP system, not just because it’s good value, but because it’s fast and easy to set up. It takes about two minutes to get set up, there are no installation fees and no technical know-how needed.2. Lots of options to chatbOnline provides a diverse range of communication methods you can use internally, or to contact your customers. With the Unlimited Calling plan you get a text-based team messaging function, video conferencing and call conferencing.3. Control over your callsYou’ll also get other features you’d expect from a business-grade phone system, like call queue, caller ID and call blocking, as well as customisable routing. This lets you set your own rules and give you control over how incoming calls are managed.How much does bOnline Unlimited Calling cost?Price per month (paid annually)£13.95 + VAT per user (currently running a 6-month promo for £9.95 + VAT per user, on a 12-month contract)Inclusive minutesUnlimited inbound calls, and unlimited UK landline and mobile callsbOnline Unlimited Calling emerged as the best VoIP telephone line provider because of its great value for money. You’ll get unlimited calls and a host of great calling features built into the price.What are the downsides?It does lack some of the more advanced features that other providers include (such as call flip). We’d recommend RingCentral as a more suitable option for businesses that are scaling upwards.Read more: if you’re looking for a fully-equipped business telephone system including handsets, check out our guide to the best small business phone systems. 2. RingCentral Standard: best for giving customers a smooth experience RingCentral Standard Get Quotes Starting price from: £12.99, per user, per month Good for growing businesses that need streamlined internal communications Great for customer-service focused businesses A range of plans that can support scalability Summary Based in California, RingCentral provides cloud-based communication and collaboration products and services, including a cloud-based business phone system. Founded in 1999, it has grown to serve over 400,000 customers worldwide and is available in 46 countries. Show moreless Suitable if: You want to simplify your internal communication You get high volumes of inbound calls You want to introduce a bring your own device (BYOD) policy Not suitable if: You want unlimited calling time You want to use SMS You want the cheapest plan available Why should I choose RingCentral as my telephone line provider?Here are three reasons to consider RingCentral Standard:1. Give your customers a positive call experienceWith the standard plan you get tools like multi-level auto attendant, meaning all your calls will be answered automatically with a customised greeting. This helps every caller successfully get to the right person or department.2. Smoother internal communicationsRingCentral will also help improve your communications between colleagues with options for calendar sharing, team messaging and video meetings (with up to 100 participants). This can all be done intuitively from the single RingCentral interface.3. Support your “bring your own device” policyCompanies are more frequently asking their staff to use their smartphones for work, to avoid paying for expensive handsets. RingCentral has an excellent mobile app which means your employees can take the VoIP system on the move.How much does RingCentral Standard cost?1 user2-19 users20-99 users100+ usersPrice per month (paid annually)£19.99 per user£14.99 per user£13.99 per user£12.99 per userPrice per month (paid monthly)£23.99 per user£18.99 per user£17.99 per user£16.99 per userInclusive minutes250 inbound and 750 outbound minutes per month250 inbound and 750 outbound minutes per month250 inbound and 750 outbound minutes per month250 inbound and 750 outbound minutes per monthWith plans starting from £19.99 for one user (when paid anually), RingCentral Standard’s pricing is competitive, though not quite as affordable as budget-focused options like bOnline. That said, a benefit of RingCentral’s pricing structure is that the individual per-user cost gets cheaper as you add more users.What are the downsides?The limited number of included minutes is definitely RingCentral’s weak link. If you’re looking for a package that includes unlimited calling at no extra cost, consider either bOnline or Dialpad instead. Still not clear on what VoIP is? If you have more questions on how the system works, why your business needs it, and what the pros and cons are, you can find all that information in our guide to answering the question: what is VoIP? 3. Dialpad Pro: best for managing high call volumes Dialpad Pro Get Quotes Starting price from: £20 per user, per month Good for small businesses who need help managing high call volumes Compatibility with four types of desk phone Can integrate with Salesforce, HubSpot and Zendesk Summary Dialpad is aimed at both small and large companies, and is using communications AI to provide unified products. They have a global reach, with 11 offices around the world, and serve 30,000 customers, including big names like Xero. Show moreless Suitable if: You have a small customer service team You want to use SMS to contact your customers You get high volumes of calls Not suitable if: You want a simple, budget system You want advanced training features You want an uptime guarantee Why should I choose Dialpad as my telephone line provider?Here are three reasons to consider Dialpad Pro:1. Expertly manage high call volumesAlongside GoTo Connect, we consider Dialpad Pro to have the most impressive range of call management tools on the roundup. This is great if you’re running a small but busy customer service team, and you can also use the built-in AI and analytics tools for real-time transcriptions.2. Keep in contact with your customers and clients with SMSDialpad also provides a range of methods for communicating beyond just voice calling, with a multimedia messaging service, team messaging and even SMS. So you have some great options for directly messaging co-workers, customers and clients.3. Supports four types of desk phonesDialpad Pro supports selected Obihai, Poly, Yealink and Cisco brand phones, and it can offer support supplying and setting them up if you need it.How much does Dialpad Pro cost?Price per month (paid annually)£20 per userPrice per month (paid monthly)£28 per userInclusive minutesUnlimited callingDialpad Pro’s excellent features do come with a slightly higher price tag than some competitors. But if you need top-class call management tools, it could be worth the cost.What are the downsides?Dialpad lacks some more sophisticated training features, especially compared with a provider like GoTo Connect. There’s also no uptime guarantee at the Pro level, so you’ll need to pay for Enterprise, the most expensive tier. 4. GoTo Connect Phone System: best for keeping communication simple GoTo Connect Phone System Get Quotes Starting price from: Quote-based Good for medium-sized businesses to unify their communications Helps communication between businesses in different locations Compatible with over five brands of desk phone Summary Based in Boston, Massachusetts, GoTo is a software as a service company that launched its cloud-based phone system and customer engagement software, GoTo Connect, in 2022. Show moreless Suitable if: You’re based around different areas You want to simplify your internal communication You’ve got existing desk phones you want to use Not suitable if: You want the option for scalability You want unlimited calling at no extra cost You have a big customer service team Why should I choose GoTo Connect as my telephone line provider?Here are three reasons to consider GoTo Connect:1. Help your colleagues find each other, wherever they’re basedGoTo Connect allows your staff to contact each other from anywhere thanks to the web, desktop and mobile apps. The call routing and ring group tools also help direct your staff to the right person, even in different locations.2. AI-powered assistanceGoTo Connect provides several AI tools to help you stay on top of your business communications. You’ll get access to AI meeting summaries, text-to-speech sound clips and Admin GoPilot (that’s AI assistance with your system configuration). GoTo Connect's AI Receptionist In 2025, GoTo Connect rolled out AI Receptionist. As a paid extra to any of GoTo’s plans, including Phone System, AI Receptionist can handle all incoming calls and automate processes like call routing.GoTo Connect users can easily purchase add-ons through the new portal, GoTo Admin.AI-powered support will continue to be a growing trend for small businesses into 2026. While you may not require the help of AI right now, you want to know your VoIP provider can provide it when you scale to the point of needing it. 3. Options for international callingGoTo Connect provides an excellent feature for businesses making overseas sales: free international calling that includes over 50 countries. Just be aware this is only included with selected plans.How much does GoTo Connect Phone System cost?Price per monthQuote-basedInclusive minutes1,000 minutes shared between all usersGoTo Connect doesn’t have set pricing, instead they’ll provide you with a bespoke quote. Our recommendation is to compare the quote against the pricing of its competitors, to help provide some context for how much you should pay.What are the downsides?GoTo Connect doesn’t include unlimited calling. Dialpad Pro is a better option for this, while those who want a more beginner-friendly telephone line provider would prefer bOnline. 5. Google Voice Standard: best if you use Google Workspace Google Voice Standard Get Quotes Starting price from: $16, per user, per month (Google Voice pricing is only provided in US dollars) A low-cost option for Google Workspace users Solid spam prevention tools Free calls to the US Summary Google Voice is a VoIP solution provided by Google that was previously only available in the US. Now businesses in the UK can access Google Voice as a paid add-on to Google Workspace. Show moreless Why should I choose Google Voice as my telephone line provider?Here are three reasons to consider Google Voice:1. Protects against spam callersGoogle Voice can help put a stop to bad-faith callers and bots thanks to some strong spam filtering tech, to help your business defend against annoying scam calls.2. Free calls to the USGoogle Voice allows for free calls to the United States from anywhere in the world. This could end up saving you a tonne if you’re already making frequent calls to the US.3. A redesigned interface in 2025In May 2025, Google announced that Voice was receiving an updated in-call user interface. It provides a more intuitive call layout, as well as the addition of a three-way calling feature.How much does Google Voice Standard cost?Monthly cost$16 per month (Google Voice pricing is only presented in US dollars)Inclusive minutesUnlimited domestic minutes and free calls to the US from any countryYou need Google Workspace to access Google Voice, which is a paid add-on. So, it’s a simple choice if your business already has a Workspace account, but less appealing for those that don’t (as you’ll have two separate outgoings).These are the costs of a Google Workspace subscription:StarterStandardPlusEnterprisePrice per month£5.90 per user£11.80 per user£18.40 per userContact sales for pricesWhat are the downsides?Google Voice isn’t particularly well-equipped for dealing with a high volumes of calls. Dialpad has a stronger set of features for dealing with high call volumes, which is a better fit for call centres. How do I choose a phone line provider for my small business?When comparing business phone line providers, focus on these eight key areas to find the best fit for your business:Audio quality: look for providers that have an uptime guarantee. This is an SLA (service level agreement) that promises a certain standard of connection. A feature worth keeping an eye out for on slightly higher priced tiers is call quality monitoring.Minutes: whether you opt for a phone line contract or a small business mobile phone contract, providers will include a certain amount of inbound and outbound minutes in your plan. If you exceed these you will be charged usage costs, so make sure your plan includes the amount of minutes you think your users will need. You should also keep in mind that international calls will have higher rates.Communication methods: with your VoIP plan you should also get access to channels like team messaging, video conferencing and SMS. Keep this in mind when choosing a provider, as some offer wider ranges of communication options than others.Basic calling features: the absolute basic calling features your VoIP package should include are voicemail, call handling, call forwarding and call screening.Advanced calling features: there are also more sophisticated features that you should be hoping to get from a business-grade telephone line provider, such as a virtual receptionist (which is comprised of customisable greeting and call routing functions), ring groups, call queue and call flip.Contract length: running an SME can be an unpredictable affair, especially in the current economy, so our recommendation is to choose a short contract if you can, as you don’t wait to be liable for a contract you’re not going to end up needing.Scalability: look for plans that can support more users being added and provide advanced features (like analytics and reporting) so you’re not just locked into a basic system.Help and support: make sure you have a telephone line provider that has strong help and support, and prioritise those that offer 24/7 assistance. This will be critical if you run an all-hours business yourself, like a helpdesk.Upgrading your telephone line to a VoIP-based provider is a non-negotiable for all current small business owners thanks to the big PSTN switch off. Overall, this will only improve your daily operations, as you’ll be able to bring all your business communication tools under one (digital) roof.Is VoIP secure?Thanks to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a signalling protocol, VoIP is more secure than traditional copper wire phone systems. However, like all software, VoIP can be vulnerable to hacking and bad-faith attacks.How secure your VoIP phone line is depends on how robust your internal IT infrastructure is, and how your VoIP system has been installed. For example, ensure your sensitive data is fully encrypted, which prevents third-party’s from accessing it. You should also carry out regular testing on your IT network, to identify vulnerabilities.Different phone line providers will have different sets of security measure in place. Look for providers that have compliance certificates and third-party accreditations that demonstrate adherence to specific regulations and standards, like SOC 2 and SOC 3 reports.You should also look for VoIP phone lines that come with:Password rulesMulti-factor authenticationAdmin permissions Our methodology: how we evaluate business phone linesOur research department surveyed UK small businesses about their communication methods and preferences to better understand their needs, wants and pain points.We used the results of this survey to refine and enhance our testing methodology, identifying the eight most important criteria to assess when analysing the quality of a phone line for small businesses. We then gave each criteria an appropriate weighting to make sure our scores and rankings reflect what’s truly important to you.Our research specialists tested eight popular UK business phone line providers and evaluated them against each of these criteria to develop the list and ranking on this page. The criteria were:Call management featuresPricingHandset and desk phone compatibilityWhat third-party software it can connect withThe range of communication channels providedTraining features to help onboard your staff and teach phone etiquetteThe security in place to protect sensitive informationHelp and support optionsVerdict: the best business phone line for your businessWe ranked bOnline’s Unlimited Calling as our number one business phone line package, the major reasoning being its unlimited minutes and wide range of calling features at an affordable price point. It’s also fast and easy to set up.Other providers could boast niche benefits for your business, though. For example, Google Workspace users will find Google Voice to be a cost-effective, easier fit.Whichever business phone service you’re looking at, though, remember to consider the key factors: the number of minutes provided, audio quality, the calling features, contract length, support options and the other communication channels provided. Jump back up to any of our reviews: Business phone lines: comparison table Video: best business phone lines – need-to-knows bOnline Unlimited Calling: best for your first VoIP telephone line RingCentral Standard: best for giving customers a smooth experience Dialpad Pro: best for managing high call volumes GoTo Connect Phone System: best for keeping communication simple Google Voice Standard: best if you use Google Workspace How do I choose a phone provider for my small business? Our methodology Startups.co.uk is reader-supported. If you make a purchase through the links on our site, we may earn a commission from the retailers of the products we have reviewed. This helps Startups.co.uk to provide free reviews for our readers. It has no additional cost to you, and never affects the editorial independence of our reviews. Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Written by: Eddie Harris Senior Reviews Writer Eddie is resident Senior Reviews Writer for Startups, focusing on merchant accounts, point of sales systems and business phone systems. He works closely with our in-house team of research experts, carrying out hours of hands-on user testing and market analysis to ensure that our recommendations and reviews are as helpful and accurate as possible. Eddie is also Startups video presenter. He helps create informative, helpful visual content alongside our written reviews, to better aid customers with their decision making. Eddie joined Startups from its sister site Expert Reviews, where he wrote in-depth informational articles and covered the biggest consumer deals events of the year. And, having previously worked as a freelancer providing screenplay and book coverage in the film and television industry, Eddie is no stranger to the demands of the sole trader. Reviewed by: James Macey Senior Researcher James draws on his 5+ years' research experience to offer specialised advice for our product reviews, covering a wide range of categories, from CRM to telephone systems. By speaking to and surveying business owners, he uncovers the current challenges facing start-up organisations. He then examines and tests products to understand which ones are up to the task of supporting these challenges. This mixed-methods approach generates the insight that is used to inform our on-page product recommendations. James holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Social Research. Prior to joining Startups.co.uk, he worked as a researcher in the construction industry.