You may already be aware that traditional landlines will be no more from January 31, 2027.
Perhaps you’ve been shopping around for virtual landline providers already and feel overwhelmed by the features on a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. This is especially true if you’re a sole trader who doesn’t need excessive embellishments. That’s where a virtual landline could come in handy. This is a pared back system which gives you the basics.
In this article we’ll be looking at five of the UK’s top virtual landline providers and what they offer.
Virtual Landline
bOnline
Vonage
Dialpad
RingCentral
What is the difference between a virtual landline and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)?
As we’ve touched on, VoIP systems tend to have more features than virtual landlines, such as video calls for unlimited users and meeting transcription.
Virtual landlines, meanwhile, are a type of VOIP that provide businesses with a virtual phone number that can be used to forward calls to any device, including smartphones and laptops. Your phone number is linked to your business account rather than your physical location and, in most cases, you can choose your own virtual number.
Here are five virtual landline providers that are a fine fit for smaller businesses.
Virtual Landline
Pricing
Local phone numbers and national numbers: Starting from £4.50 per month (excluding VAT)
0207 or 0208 London numbers: Starting from £6.50 per month (excluding VAT)
0800 freephone numbers: Starting from £11.95 per month (excluding VAT)
Virtual Landline specialises in virtual phone numbers and VOIP systems. It offers a range of virtual numbers, including London and freephone numbers, making it an ideal solution for business startups, businesses that want to relocate or businesses that employ remote working staff.
What’s more, you can port your existing number to Virtual Landline or choose a memorable number to enhance your branding. Make and receive calls with ease with Virtual Landline’s user-friendly app or just divert all calls to another landline or mobile number. And with prices starting from just £4.50 per month, Virtual Landline is one of the most affordable VoIP options on the market. As well as plans for individuals and single users, Virtual Landline has full featured, cloud-based systems for teams.
Key features
Port your existing fixed or virtual number to a Virtual Landline
Call forwarding, hunt groups, call queues, Call recording, transfer
Wide range of UK local landline numbers with 01 and 02 prefixes to establish a local presence
Unlimited UK minutes to landline and mobile, depending on calling plan (Starter and Basic plans have limitations on minutes)
Extremely competitive call rates that are out of plan
Free App ecosystem for desktop and mobile
Number porting: Retain your existing number by porting it to Virtual Landline
Memorable numbers: Option to select easy-to-remember numbers for branding purposes
Self-service portal
UK-based customer service
Integrations
CRM platforms such as HubSpot, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Zoho and more
Compatible with various devices, including smartphones and desktops, for unified communication
bOnline
Pricing
Pricing
Starter: £7/user/month
Unlimited + Desk Phone: £15.50/user/month
Unlimited Calling: £13.95/user/month (currently £9.95)
bOnline plans are full-featured, with even the Starter tier giving you access to over 45 VoIP features. HD voice and video conferencing, call queues, and training and support are all included, with call recording and reporting, messaging and video screen sharing available on higher plans. With 12 and 24-month contracts, you’re not tied in for the long term.
Key features
Unlimited inbound calls, even on the Starter plan
100 outbound landline minutes
Set business hours
Personalised voicemail greetings
Call flows
HD voice and video conferencing
Integrations
Salesforce
HubSpot
Vonage
Pricing
Express: £10 per user per month
Core: £15 per user per month
Max: £25 per user per month
Vonage’s offering is focused on phone calls, offering more than 96 world numbers – perfect for small businesses that operate around the globe. There are plenty of call features and hardware is available if you prefer using handsets to making calls rather than using a desktop app. All in all, you get more than 30 calling features, even on the Express plan.
Key features
30+ calling features, including call forwarding, transfer, and monitoring
Virtual receptionist
Desktop and mobile app
96+ world numbers
Integrations
Salesforce
Microsoft Teams
Slack
DialPad
Pricing
Standard: £12 per user per month
Pro: £20 per user per month
Enterprise: Contact sales
DialPad is a provider that’s really leaning into the potential of AI, and even on the basic package, you’re getting a bundle of features. You can host AI meetings for up to 10 participants, with real-time transcriptions and instant call summaries, you get unlimited calls, HD voice, call routing.
DialPad also gives you a number porting option and an automatic spam call detection system to stop time wasters in their tracks. What’s more, call routing and the ability to switch between devices results in a better customer experience.
Key features
AI features include real-time call, voicemail and meeting transcriptions
Unlimited calling within the UK, US and Canada
Customer caller ID verification
Use softphone app on any device
Scale user numbers up and down with your business
Integrations
Google Workspace
Microsoft 365
Zendesk
RingCentral
Pricing
Essentials: £12.99
Standard: £19.99
Premium: £24.99
Ultimate: £29.99
The Essentials package doesn’t include video meetings so you can really keep it to the bare bones.
Contact RingCentral 24 hours a day for support over live chat or over the phone. High quality calls will also improve your productivity and customer experience. Track your business interactions with call log reports that can be viewed by individual or by team. Higher-tier plans add more minutes, on-demand call recording, 100-200 person video meetings and custom roles and permissions.
Key features
At least 100 inclusive minutes per user
iOS and android apps
Team messaging
Call logs
Around-the-clock customer support
Integrations
Microsoft 365
Google Workspace
Slack
What should I do now?
From here, it’s up to you to assess which virtual landline package is best for you based on features, price, customer support, or anything else that’s important to your business. If you’re still unsure which one to go for, take advantage of free trials and check out company reviews to give you a better idea of what to expect.
You can start by heading over to Virtual Landline to find out how you can secure a virtual landline number for as little as £4.50.
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