The 8 Best Virtual Landline Services UK, Tested and Compared in 2024

• Mobile app — Ooma’s free mobile app provides the flexibility necessary to receive calls when you’re not at your desk or in the office. The Call Park feature takes this one step further, allowing you to ‘park’ phone calls and switch devices without dropping the call, enabling you to stay connected while in transit.
• Video conferencing — Ooma provides video conferencing for 25-100 participants, which is necessary for hybrid and remote teams. Advanced collaboration tools like screen sharing, online whiteboards, and recording make virtual meetings less painful.
• Team chat — It’s not always convenient or necessary to pick up the phone and speak to your colleagues or customers. For simple matters, a text message is sufficient. Luckily, Ooma has its own text messaging feature that works across your smartphone, tablet, desktop, or laptop. This removes the need to use your own mobile phone, phone number, and message allowance for work messaging.

Ooma offers three pricing plans for business VoIP customers. Below, I’ve outlined what you can expect in each plan.

• Essentials — 50+ standard calling features, IVR, one free toll-free number, main company number, and desktop and mobile apps.
• Pro — Everything in Essentials, plus 250 monthly text messages, video conferencing for up to 25 participants, call recording, and a desktop app.
• Pro Plus — Everything in Pro, plus CRM integrations, 1,000 text messages per month, video conferencing for up to 100 participants, team chat features, hot desking, and call queuing.

*Pricing has been converted from USD to GBP via the live exchange rate on 18 July 2024.

Ooma is the ideal phone system for remote teams that need to stay connected due to geographic distance. Its support of omnichannel communication, which includes voice, video, and messaging, makes it ideal for this purpose.

Ooma also has plenty of features for communicating both internally and externally with clients, so I recommend it as an affordable UK business phone system that can also be used by receptionists or small businesses in need of a system that lets their clients book appointments.

Ooma does not offer a dedicated enterprise-level plan, and its video conferencing capacity is much lower than that of RingCentral, so larger corporations may find this limiting.

There’s also not much advertised regarding security, HIPAA compliance, or encryption, so it may not be the ideal phone system for UK business that deal with sensitive data, such as in healthcare or finance.

• Security — RingCentral has measures to protect your data and that of your customers. It supports HIPAA and GDPR compliance, giving you peace of mind when dealing with sensitive data in the UK. You can also encrypt your video calls and data when they are in transit and at rest.
• Multi-level IVR — Otherwise known as the multi-level auto-attendant, this feature is ideal for when you have more incoming calls than available agents. Customers will be directed to an automated business phone menu to filter their requests to the relevant agent. This saves time for both customers and agents.
• Analytics — Use helpful features such as post-call highlights, call recordings, and sentiment analysis will give you insights into how your team performs on customer calls.

RingCentral offers four pricing plans. I’ve outlined each plan in the table below and explained what’s included.

• Essentials — 100 minutes, mobile and desktop apps, team messaging, file sharing, call logging, and 24/7 support available.
• Standard — Everything in Essentials, plus 750 minutes, call recording, 100 participant video calling, unlimited audio conferencing, multi-level IVR, and integrations including Microsoft, Google, and Slack.
• Premium — Everything in Standard, plus 2000 minutes, 200 participant video calling, SSO, hot desking, call handling, whisper, barge, and CRM integrations.
• Ultimate — Everything in Premium, plus, 4000 minutes, unlimited storage, and device status reports and alerts.

*Pricing has been converted from USD to GBP via the live exchange rate on 18 July 2024.

I recommend RingCentral for customer service teams that deal with a vast amount of incoming calls each day. Its GDPR-compliant virtual phone line system is equipped with all the advanced call management features you need to make calling support as pain-free as possible for your customers.

The 300+ built-in CRM integrations, plus Google and Microsoft compatibility, allow you to use your CRM while you make and receive customer calls so you can stay updated with customers’ existing records and provide stellar customer service.

• Unlimited calling — From the Core plan and up, you can access unlimited calling to stay connected with customers without worrying about hefty phone bills
• Encryption — One concern with virtual phone systems is VoIP security. For this, Vonage offers robust encryption capabilities. Your calls are also completely private, making it an ideal choice for UK business owners who need to keep their discussions safe and secure.
• Toll-free numbers — In addition, Vonage’s toll-free numbers make it easy for customers to reach you without paying long-distance charges. Plus, the numbers are easy to remember, making it convenient for customers to contact you.

Vonage offers four plans. I’ve broken down what you can expect from each plan below.

• Express — Metered use, 30+ calling features, mobile and desktop app.
• Core — Unlimited domestic calling and Vonage meetings, mobile and desktop app, and 30+ calling features.
• Pro — Everything in Core, plus on-demand call recording, monitoring, unlimited call queue, IVR, and call groups.
• Max — Everything in Pro, plus company-wide call recording, Vonage integration suite, and CRM integrations.

*Pricing has been converted from USD to GBP via the live exchange rate on 18 July 2024.

If you’re hesitant to switch to a virtual phone number due to concerns about data security, Vonage may be the right solution for you. Vonage adheres to GDPR and holds numerous compliance certifications, making it a great choice for businesses where data privacy is important, such as doctors’ or dentists’ offices.

It’s slightly more affordable than RingCentral, which also excels in the security department, but its cheapest plan does not offer unlimited calling, so it may not be ideal if you’re planning on making numerous outbound calls.

• Text messaging — Phone.com offers conversational text messaging in real-time with colleagues and clients alike. This is extremely useful for busy UK freelancers who want to stay in touch without disrupting their workflow with a phone call that could have been a text.
• HIPAA-compliant video — Plus, you’ll also be covered when it comes to HIPAA-compliant video conferencing. This is ideal for those who need to conduct sensitive meetings or conversations. With end-to-end encryption and server-side security protocols, you can rest assured knowing your data is secure.
• Desk phone compatibility — Phone.com is IP desk phone compatible. This makes it an excellent choice for businesses that require reliable hands-free communication directly from your desktop.

Phone.com offers three plans. Below, I’ve explained what you can expect with each plan and how much each costs monthly.

• Basic — 500 pooled minutes, 1 number per account, video conferencing with 10 participants, mobile and web apps.
• Plus — Everything in Basic, plus unlimited minutes, text messaging, HIPAA-compliant video conferencing with 25 participants, IP desk phone compatibility, and voicemail transcription.
• Pro — Everything in Plus, and call recording, call analytics, CRM integration, and video conferencing with 100 participants, live streaming, and virtual whiteboard.

*Pricing has been converted from EUR to GBP via the live exchange rate on 18 July 2024.

Phone.com is the ideal virtual phone solution for solo freelancers, thanks to its affordable pricing plans, which suit those sticking to tight budgets.

Its mobile and web app compatibility gives you the flexibility to work remotely while staying in touch with clients and colleagues over text, phone, or video – whatever suits you.

I wouldn’t recommend Phone.com for enterprise-level communications or call centre use due to the lack of a dedicated enterprise plan, larger video conferencing capacity, and the absence of advanced call-handling features like call queuing.

• Voicemail transcription — Nextiva’s transcription feature saves voicemail messages in a readable format for you to access at your convenience This ensures that no voicemails are missed if you can’t answer the phone immediately.
• 24/7 live support — While it offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee, there’s always a chance you may have trouble with your phone lines. It’s good to know that Nextiva offers 24/7 live support in case of any hassle.
• Messaging — Nextiva’s Message Pro texting platform offers a solution for customer texting that involves the whole team, ensuring no messages are overlooked.

Nextiva offers three pricing options. Below, I’ve outlined the cost of each and what features are offered.

• Essential — Desktop and mobile app, Microsoft and Google integrations, conversational analytics, 1,500 toll-free minutes, standard auto-attendant, 24/7 live support, unlimited HD video, voicemail, and multiple phone numbers per account.
• Professional — Everything in Essential, plus 3,000 toll-free minutes, unlimited multi-site management, call flow builder, SMS/MMS, video meetings with 40 participants, CRM integration, AI voicemail transcription, and screensharing.
• Enterprise — Everything in Professional, plus 12,500 toll-free minutes, premium integrations, unlimited audio/video recording, unlimited video meetings, and single sign–on.

*Pricing has been converted from USD to GBP via the live exchange rate on 18 July 2024.

Nextiva is great for UK businesses dealing with a high volume of inbound communication, such as customer service teams. During testing, I highlighted Nextiva as a modern solution for customer communication that excels in integrating with various communication channels.

It supports multiple communication modes, allowing you to chat with customers in the way that is most convenient for them, thus improving customer satisfaction. You can also seamlessly switch between modes without losing track of information.

Due to its flexibility, it can be successful across various use cases, but it might be too complex for those looking for a simple voice calling solution without all the bells and whistles.

• Multi-level auto-attendant — When you’re dealing with lots of inbound calls, a multi-level auto-attendant can help filter the calls and direct them to the right department to efficiently solve customer queries.
• CRM integration — Customer support is much easier when your CRM is linked with your virtual phone system. You can reference customer support history and be informed about previous communications to avoid repetition.
• Call recording — An important feature for both compliance and training purposes, call recording allows you to ensure your customer support agents are performing to the best of their ability and also protects them in any cases of dispute.

8×8 Connect offers five plans but does not openly advertise its pricing online. You’ll have to get in touch directly to find out how much each plan costs, but I can tell you what you’ll get as part of each plan below.

• X2 — Unlimited calls to 14 countries, video conferencing for up to 500 participants, SMS, MMS, team messaging, and Microsoft Teams integration.
• X4 — Everything in X2, plus unlimited calls to 48 countries, Frontdesk tool for call handlers and receptionists, supervisor analytics tools, and call monitor, whisper, and barge.
• X6 — Everything in X4, plus IVR, call recording CRM, reporting, customer experience mapping, and a choice of metered or unmetered call bundles.
• X7 — Everything in X6, plus cross-platform support for social media, chat, email, SMS, and video, and co-browsing. Omni-channel support for social media, chat, email, SMS, and video
• X8 — Everything in X7, plus call quality management and additional analytics features.

I’ve shortlisted 8×8 as a UK call centre phone system due to its suitability for dealing with external communications. It offers advanced auto-attendant, call recording, visual voicemail, hold music, caller ID, call blocking, call forwarding, and call transfer – all key features for teams that need to keep track of multiple calls each day.

Due to its extensive call management features, it may not be the most obvious virtual phone system for smaller UK businesses looking for a straightforward system to receive a few calls per day, such as booking appointments.

• AI video calls — To maintain team collaboration within smaller teams, DialPad also offers 5-hour-long online video meetings for up to 10 participants, complete with in-meeting chats and waiting rooms. If you prefer audio calls, you can also join a three-way call directly through DialPad. You can also record the entire conversation in case you want to refer back to some of the points made during the call.
• Advanced call management — For customer calls, DialPad offers countless advanced call management features such as call routing, call forwarding, and creating multiple ring groups. All these features ensure that you can attend to every caller as soon as possible, connect them to the best-suited agent, and offer them a wonderful experience. This especially helps small businesses, who may have more customer calls than agents available.
• Post-call summary—To help you understand your customer satisfaction, you’ll also receive an automated post-call summary that includes all the details of your caller, recordings (if any), and other call details. This benefits smoother team communication, especially within overstretched small teams where agents are sharing customer cases.

Dialpad offers three pricing plans. In the table below, I’ve outlined the cost and explained what features are included in each plan.

• Standard — Unlimited calling and AI-assisted meetings for up to 10 participants, AI-powered call and voicemail transcription, Google and Microsoft integration, real-time analytics, and chat support.
• Pro — Everything in Standard, plus CRM integrations, including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho, multiple phone numbers per account, open API, local numbers for 70+ countries, 25 ring groups, 10 office locations, and 24/7 live agent support.
• Enterprise — Everything in Pro, unlimited office locations and ring groups, dial-by-extension, integrations with SSO, data retention policies, priority support, and a 100% uptime guarantee.

With its range of AI-assisted features, Dialpad offers a time-saving VoIP solution for small business owners in the UK. Its affordable price tag also places it within reach of startups and solo entrepreneurs who may just be starting out and need to watch their budgets.

While I predominantly recommend it for smaller businesses, it offers great scalability and also international flexibility, with local number support for 70+ countries, giving you a familiar presence with your global audiences. That said, it only offers video capacity for up to 10 participants, which won’t suit larger businesses looking to host company-wide conferences.

• Call recording — Call recording is a key feature for external communications as it allows supervisors to analyse call quality, coach call agents, identify customer needs, and improve performance and customer satisfaction. It also helps safeguard your call agents in case of any customer disputes.
• Number flexibility — MightyCall offers toll-free numbers to provide customers with a way to reach you without long-distance charges. In addition, it also allows businesses to create a local presence in other parts of the country, opening up new markets and opportunities. Plus, MightyCall provides an extra phone number for companies that want to keep their personal and business calls separate. Finally, with an international phone number, businesses can establish a presence in other countries.
• Call forwarding — MightyCall allows you the freedom to divert calls to any device, ensuring that you can be reached when on the go.

MightyCall offers four pricing options. Below, I’ve explained each plan’s features and cost.

• Core — Unlimited domestic voice calling and messaging, advanced calling features like routing, forwarding, and transferring, two business phone numbers included as standard, API access, and integrations.
• Pro — Everything in Core, plus supervisory features like call barging, listening, whispering, and recording, a supervisor workspace, live call monitoring, and analytics and reporting features.
• Power — Everything in Pro, plus progressive and preview dialer and dedicated account management.
• Enterprise — Everything in Power, plus custom integrations, SIP trunking, and predictive dialling.

*Pricing has been converted from USD to GBP via the live exchange rate on 18 July 2024.

I selected MightyCall as one of the standout virtual phone providers for external communications. It suits small and large businesses that predominantly use their phone systems to make and receive calls to customers. It also covers all bases when it comes to inbound and outbound call management and monitoring.

However, I found it’s less suitable for internal communications as it lacks video conferencing capabilities, which are key for hybrid and remote team collaboration.