The 5 best virtual landline providers for small businesses in 2025 We’ll take you through the five best options for a virtual phone number, and which one is the best fit for your business. Written by Eddie Harris Reviewed by James Macey Updated on 25 July 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. Through industry-specific research, we have determined that bOnline’s Starter plan is the best Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) package for business owners who want to get set up quickly with a virtual phone line. It’ll get you unlimited inbound calls, as well as over 40 calling features, at a competitive price point. Top 5 Virtual Landline Providers at a glance bOnline Starter – best for your first virtual landlineVonage Express – best for great features at a low costDialpad Standard – best for unlimited minutesNBC Cloud Voice Call Centre Basic – best budget option for call centres Google Voice Starter – best choice if you use Google WorkspaceDon’t overspend – you can click any of the links above to receive quotes on virtual landline provider fees so you can begin comparing costs. A virtual landline is a great cost-effective solution for businesses that are looking for VoIP-based calling, but who don’t necessarily need a full phone system. All it needs is a virtual number, and you can start taking calls through a mobile or desktop app from anywhere you want.Virtual landlines are ideal for micro-businesses with roughly ten employees or fewer, so we’ve geared our recommendations towards small teams like this. These are all entry-level plans that provide a basic virtual landline at an affordable price, but might lack some features needed by smaller to medium-sized businesses. 💡Key takeaways bOnline Starter has been voted the best value for money, offering a range of features at just £7 (per user/month).By January 2027, all traditional landlines will be phased out in the UK.Other costs for virtual landlines can range from £9.99 to £12 (per user/month).Please note that these packages do not integrate with CRM or helpdesk software.Some stand-out features include customisable call greetings, call flips, virtual receptionist and spam filtering. The best virtual landline providers: comparison table Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Best first virtual landline Great low-cost features Unlimited minutes Budget call centre plan For Google Workspace users Provider bOnline Provider Vonage Provider Dialpad Provider NBC Cloud Voice Provider Google Voice Pricing from £7 per user, per month Pricing from £10 per user, per month Pricing from £12 per user, per month (billed annually) Pricing from £9.99 per user, per month Pricing from $10 per user, per month (Google Voice is only priced in US dollars) We last updated this page on 25/07/2025 All pricing and information in this article was verified as accurate as of 25/07/2025. However, we recommend confirming any pricing or features directly with VoIP providers before making any purchasing decisions for your small business. 1. bOnline Starter: best for your first virtual landline bOnline Get Quotes Starting price from: £7, per user, per month Unlimited Calling plan is good for startups doing lots of cold calling Great for new businesses who need lots of features for a small cost Low cost starter plan is solid option for micro-businesses 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’re looking to keep to a strict budget This is your first VoIP-based virtual landline You need a virtual receptionist feature Not suitable if: You want to scale up your VoIP system in the future You want multi-factor authentication as an extra layer of security You want to use deskphones other than Yealink or Poly How much does it cost?Monthly cost £7 per userbOnline’s Starter plan is a fantastic value for money service, the lowest monthly cost on the roundup, that’s ideal for micro-businesses that want a virtual number for a low-cost investment. For just £7 per user, per month, you’ll receive an amazing perk of unlimited inbound calls.bOnline is an easy to set up system that’s great for first time users / Image source: bonline.comIs this the right virtual landline plan for me?bOnline Starter is solid low-cost solution for businesses that just need to get up and running with a virtual number and mobile app. It’s a no-frills plan, but you’ll get the core features you’d expect from a virtual landline, including:VoicemailCustomisable call greetingCaller ID and blockingCall queues Call forwardingDo bear in mind that it is missing some extra features, like ring groups, and call routing. But if you’re a solopreneur or have a skeleton staff, you shouldn’t find yourself needing these as they’re geared towards bigger teams.Who wouldn’t we recommend it for?We wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for businesses with plans for quick growth, as they’ll need to scale up their VoIP system to keep up, and bOnline only has a limited number of plans. Vonage will be a better bet for scalability, as it provides a further range of plans that will support long-term upgrades. Business owner Nathan Thorne's experience with bOnline Nathan Thorne is the owner of Handy Flowers, a London-based floral delivery business serving 50+ UK venues since 2019. He is a bOnline user.“At Handy Flowers, our delivery team struggled with customers unable to reach our main landline during peak Mother’s Day periods. Switching to bOnline’s VoIP allowed us to keep our existing 020 London number while adding five seasonal lines in under 48 hours“, which he praised as a game changer for peak holiday times.“The call queue feature reduced abandoned calls by 40%, though we did notice call quality dip slightly when all lines were active.“I’d recommend bOnline for UK seasonal businesses needing quick scalability, provided you upgrade to their premium support during high-volume periods.” Integrations and advanced features As this list is for micro-businesses primarily, none of the packages we have ranked on this page allow for integrating CRM and helpdesk software, like Salesforce. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive set-up, you can jump over to our dedicated breakdown of the best small business phone systems here. 2. Vonage Express: best for great features at a low cost Vonage Get Quotes Starting price from: £10, per user, per month Good low entry price plans for micro and small businesses Can integrate with Salesforce and Hubspot Solid suite of calling features at a competitive price Summary A subsidiary of Ericsson, Vonage is headquartered in New Jersey and has been providing VoIP services since 1998. Currently over 100,000 businesses worldwide use Vonage. Show moreless Suitable if: You want a mobile and desktop app You want solid security features You want call flip to seamlessly transfer VoIP calls Not suitable if: You want a virtual receptionist function You want inclusive minutes with your subscription You want to use SMS How much does it cost?Monthly cost£10 per userWhile its price isn’t quite as rock bottom as bOnline’s Starter plan price, at a tenner a month it still provides a low-cost entry into the world of virtual landlines.Just keep in mind that you won’t have any minutes included in your contract, so calls will be charged on a metered basis.Vonage has many advanced features, but its softphone is laid out simply with a recognisable and organised dialpad interface / Image source: vonage.co.ukIs this the right virtual landline plan for me?Vonage’s low-cost Express plan will get you set up with all the features you need to start making and receiving VoIP business calls. Despite the competitive price, you’ll still get access to:Desktop and mobile app: that you can use to start making and receiving VoIP business calls.Features like call forwarding and call flip: a VoIP feature that allows you to seamlessly transfer calls without putting anyone on hold. Premium security features: like user permissions and password rules.So, if you’re security conscious and need to be able to control what sensitive info your employees can see on the system, Vonage Express can give you some helpful tools.Who wouldn’t we recommend it for?Just be aware that Vonage Express doesn’t come with any virtual receptionist functions. This might not be ideal for businesses like call centres or technical support teams, which receive lots of inbound calls. You’ll have to check out Dialpad’s Standard plan for a package that includes this feature. Business owner Saj Munir's experience with Vonage Saj Munir, owner of Chorlton Fireworks in Manchester, has over 20 years of business experience, and uses Vonage.“We started using Vonage a few years ago when we realised we were missing a lot of calls in the run-up to Bonfire Night.“With Vonage, we were able to set up a virtual landline that routed calls to whoever was available, whether we were at the warehouse or out doing site checks. Our customers thought we had a full office setup, when really we were just running it from our mobiles.”He explains that, “for a business like ours, where we need flexibility but still want to appear professional, Vonage ticked most of the boxes.“ The Big Switch Off: why you need VoIP By January 2027, all traditional landlines will be phased out in the UK as part of the Big Switch Off. Every small business will need to switch to a VoIP provider. If you’re not clear on what VoIP is, you can read our dedicated guide to learn more. 3. Dialpad Standard: best for unlimited minutes Dialpad Get Quotes Starting price from: £12, 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 want unlimited calling You need a virtual receptionist function You need to use ring groups Not suitable if: You need a cheaper option You want the option for call queues You want the reassurance of an uptime guarantee How much does it cost?Paid monthly£22 per user, per monthPaid annually£12 per user, per monthDialpad’s Standard plan isn’t a budget option, and if you opt to pay monthly, it’s very expensive for an entry-level tier. However, it does offer one extremely standout feature: unlimited domestic calling.This alone will be well worth the price of admission for some, but you also get some excellent call management features to boot.For a small fee, Dialpad users can instantly add a new business number and create a new line to direct customer queries to / Image source: dialpad.comIs this the right virtual landline plan for me?We consider Dialpad’s Standard plan to be the best choice on this roundup for managing calls. Primarily because of its impressive list of call management features, including:Virtual receptionist function: bOnline is the only other provider on the list to offer this at no extra cost.Ring groups: if customers ask or dial to be put in touch with a specific team, then every phone of that team’s will ring.Customisable call routing: alongside Google Voice Starter, it’s also one of the few providers on this list to offer this.Range of communication channels: including SMS.Built-in AI features: like real-time analytics and reporting.When you factor in the unlimited domestic minutes and excellent call management features, Dialpad’s Standard plan is an excellent choice for ambitious customer service teams. All it’s missing is a call queue, but aside from this, it’s pretty much got everything you’ll need.Who wouldn’t we recommend it for?The slightly higher cost might put off some solopreneurs who are trying to keep overheads as low as possible. We’d recommend bOnline Starter as the best wallet-friendly virtual landline. Tech expert and data analyst Mohbeen Qureshi's experience with Dialpad Qureshi chose Dialpad for a customer-support business based in South London. The business had 20 employees, and he says the project required a lot of functions. But he stresses that Dialpad coped with the demand.“We could create 020 numbers rapidly and direct phone traffic to their devices, and view instant call text records within HubSpot without programming instructions,” he says.“The company achieved consistent call performance when team members operated from public WiFi locations in restaurants, and the analytics dashboard enabled the founder to the detect busiest support hours.” 4. NBC Cloud Voice Call Centre Basic: best budget option for call centres NBC Cloud Voice Get Quotes Starting price from: £9.99, per user, per month Low-cost entry level tier for businesses just starting out Unlimited calling with the Enterprise and Mobility plans Can help small businesses manage large call volumes Summary National Business Communications is a UK based telecoms company that is specifically geared towards helping small businesses. Cloud Voice is its VoIP technology, and is backed by the BroadSoft solution by Cisco. Show moreless Suitable if: You want a competitively priced virtual landline You have call centre staff that need low-cost handsets You want to keep your existing number Not suitable if: You need a mobile app You need caller ID You need communication channels other than phone calls How much does it cost?Monthly cost£9.99 per userAt less than £10 per user, per month, the Call Centre Basic package of NBC’s Cloud Voice system is a cost effective solution for managing calls without stretching your budget. It’s the second-cheapest package on this list – after bOnline – but you do get something of a budget service for the budget price.NBC Cloud Voice Call Centre Basic is a great budget option for VoIP calling / Image source: nbccloud.co.ukIs this the right virtual landline plan for me?As the name might suggest, with Call Centre Basic you get the basic features you’d expect from a virtual landline provider, like:Voicemail (and voicemail-to-email)Call forwardingOut-of-house managementCustomisable hold musicIf you need to set your employees up with a no-frills package that does the basics and won’t break the bank, then this is a solid option for you. NBC can also provide handsets starting from £5 per month as part of your package.Who wouldn’t we recommend it for?This plan doesn’t come with any caller ID, which could be a big problem for companies that want to build good relationships with repeat clients. A potential issue for some team-based businesses is that this package doesn’t provide any internal communication channels, such as messaging and video conferencing, other than phone calls.There’s also no mobile app. This is strictly for desk-bound teams, not employees on the move. 5. Google Voice Starter: best choice if you use Google Workspace Google Voice Get Quotes Starting price from: $10, 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 Suitable if: You're a Google Workspace user You're making frequent calls to the US Spam calls are slowing your business down Not suitable if: You don't already subscribe, and don't plan on subscribing, to Google Workspace You need the system for a customer service team You receive high volumes of calls How much does it cost?Monthly cost$10 per user, per month (Google Voice pricing is only presented in US dollars)You need a Google Workspace plan to access Voice (with plans starting from £5.90 per user, per month) but we wouldn’t recommend signing up for an account just to use it. For non-Workspace users, we’d recommend bOnline instead for a budget option.If you’re already using Google Workspace for your business, Google Voice is a simple solution / Image source: voice.google.comIs this the right virtual landline plan for me?Provided you’re already using Google Workspace to streamline your workflow, using Google Voice as your virtual landline will be a smooth and simple addition. For Google Workspace users, Google Voice is a low-cost way of accessing some solid features such as:Free calls to the US from any Google Voice numberSeamlessly integrating with Google Meet and Google CalendarIf your business is getting overrun with nuisance calls, Google Voice has some great spam filtering technology to keep those unwanted enquiries at bay, leaving you with more time to answer legitimate calls.Who wouldn’t we recommend it for?At the Starter plan level, it lacks any form of virtual receptionist functionality. There’s also no option to add custom hold music, and no call flip, which makes it less suitable for customer service teams.If staying on top of heavy volumes of incoming calls is your key priority, you’re better off going with Dialpad Standard. Business owner Laura Skilton's experiences with Google Voice Laura Skilton, the founder of Baby Squids UK and owner of Baby Squids Winchester, used Google Voice for her business.“We implemented Google Voice at Baby Squids to begin with because we only needed a simple yet low-cost solution to route phone calls, and we also needed to port our existing numbers which it supported.”She highlighted that “Google Voice was really simple to set up and integrate with our existing Google Workspace accounts“, and that the “voicemail transcription feature was particularly handy for staying on top of missed calls”.She did flag that a drawback was that “Google Voice isn’t fully supported in the UK” with some limited functionality, and that “there’s no official UK number to call when you need help”, which she found frustrating. Our methodology: how we test virtual landline plansOur research team conducted an intensive survey of the Startups audience, with the specific goal of finding out more about their communication needs and pain points.We used the results of this survey to determine and identify the six most important criteria for a successful business virtual landline, and analysed a variety of popular packages in each of these key areas, in order for us to give you helpful recommendations based on the factors that matter most: Our areas of investigation were: Price: Is it a good deal? This can be make or break for a micro-business, so we assessed whether you’re getting your money’s worth or not. Call management: How well does the software manage incoming calls, and what tools does it come with to achieve this? Customer support: What help and support options are available to help you maintain your virtual landline? Hardware integrations: Which desk phone and headset brands can be used with the virtual landline? Communication channels: How many other communication channels are provided, such as video conferencing and SMS messaging? Security options: What security measures are in place to protect you and your clients’ sensitive data? Our buying guide: how to choose a virtual landlineYour virtual landline is the bridge between you and your clients, so it’s a critical thing to get right. Here are the key factors to look for in your new virtual landline package:Cost effectiveness: make an assessment of the ‘must-haves’ for your virtual landline. Confirm what you need before you buy (a mobile app, for example), and don’t just go for what’s cheapest on paper.Call management features: these are the backbone of your virtual landline. While you might not need advanced features, it’s still important to have the basics like voicemail, call screening, and localised and toll free numbers.Mobile and desktop apps: virtual landlines will often be used by remote – or at least hybrid – workers, and those who are on the go. Ensure you have access to a mobile and desktop app that you and your employees can download to your devices.Reliability and customer support: look for platforms that offer a range of reliable support options so you can seek help quickly. You should also check to see whether your platform has an uptime guarantee.Security: look for providers that offer airtight security, and check that they have all the correct compliance certifications and can offer fail safes like multi-factor authentication.Minutes: most entry-level packages won’t include unlimited minutes. You’ll likely be subject to a metered rate, similar to a traditional phone bill. Keep in mind that this won’t be included in your per-user monthly cost,Scalability: you might be a micro-business now, but what about in five years from now, when you need a more sophisticated small business phone system? Make sure you’ve chosen the best phone line provider that will allow your VoIP system to grow along with your business. Next steps: business phone numbers The next step will be to choose your virtual phone number (or port over your existing one). You can learn all about this in our comprehensive guide to business phone numbers. Jump back up to any of our reviews: Virtual landlines: comparison table bOnline Starter: best for your first virtual landline Vonage Express: best for great features at a low cost Dialpad Standard: best for unlimited minutes NBC Cloud Voice Call Centre Basic: best budget option for call centres Google Voice Starter: best choice if you use Google Workspace Our methodology: how we test virtual landline plans Our buying guide: how to choose a virtual landline 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.