Best VoIP Provider Plans For UK Businesses In 2026

The UK’s legacy landline network (the PSTN) is being retired by 31 January 2027. In 2026, that puts most SMEs into the final transition window, where waiting any longer can turn a straightforward switch into a scramble, especially if you still need to port numbers.

For most UK businesses, RingCentral Ultimate is the best Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) plan in 2026.

It stood out in our hands-on testing of staff coaching tools (call whisper and barge), strong inbound call management (routing, screening and call flip), more than 500 software integrations, and robust security controls that matter when your phone system becomes business-critical.

Alternatively, there are five other widely used VoIP provider plans we’ve tested and researched to compare on this page, all scored across eight buyer-focused criteria. Below, you’ll find our ranked recommendations, a side-by-side comparison table, and practical buying advice on hidden costs, hardware and what to prioritise before the 2027 deadline.

Comparison of the Best VoIP Provider Plans

1. RingCentral Ultimate: Best All-Round Business VoIP Provider Plan in the UK

RingCentral Ultimate is our top-rated cloud VoIP plan for UK businesses in 2026, largely because it combines strong call handling, deep admin controls and a genuinely huge integrations library, all in one place.

It is best suited to medium-sized teams and busy customer service operations that need reliable routing and reporting, not just a cheap dial tone. Pricing starts at £29.99 per user, per month (with discounts for larger teams), but UK calling minutes are capped rather than unlimited.

How does RingCentral handle calls and integrations?

RingCentral’s best features are still the sleek performance of its crucial fundamentals in 2026: accurate routing, clean device switching and a deep integrations catalogue.

• Integrations: RingCentral supports more than 500 integrations, including major CRMs and support tools. That matters when your team needs call controls inside the software they already use, rather than a separate phone window that everyone ignores.

• Call handling: You get a virtual receptionist, call queues, routing rules based on teams and business hours, call screening, and call blocking.

• Call flipping: You can move a live call between devices. In our hands-on testing, switching between an iPhone and a Windows desktop app did not introduce drop-outs, which is exactly what you want if your team is hybrid or moving around a site.
• Coaching and oversight: RingCentral includes monitoring features such as call recording and live supervisor tools (including whisper and barge, where permissions allow). That helps when you need a consistent customer experience without adding a separate training platform.

Feature for feature, Dialpad can match RingCentral’s call management strength, while 8×8 and Vonage also compete on training tools. Where RingCentral wins is the breadth of its integrations and the overall maturity of its admin experience for larger teams.

However, it’s important to note that RingCentral Ultimate has capped calling minutes at 4,000 outbound, per user, and 2,000 inbound, per account, which can matter if you run high-volume inbound support. For predictable “all you can eat” UK calling to stabilise budgets, bOnline is usually the better fit.

What AI features do you get with RingCentral Ultimate?

RingCentral’s AI story is now split into two layers: AI that is included in RingEX plans, for note taking and summaries, and AI add-ons, aimed at call handling and conversation intelligence.

• RingCentral AI Assistant (included across RingEX plans): Designed to transcribe and summarise calls and meetings, so teams spend less time writing notes and hunting for details after the fact.
• AI Receptionist (add-on in the UK): A virtual front desk that can handle routine questions, capture leads, route calls, and cover after-hours or peak-time overflow without you hiring an extra person.
• AI Conversation Expert (formerly RingSense in the UK): Conversation intelligence that turns calls into searchable insights, can help keep CRMs up to date and surfaces coaching-style observations from customer interactions.

In practice, these AI features are most valuable when you are trying to protect margins in 2026: AI summaries reduce admin time after calls, AI Receptionist reduces the cost of unanswered calls, and conversation intelligence helps you justify spend by linking call handling to outcomes.

If you want real-time coaching prompts during live calls and don’t have the team to do so, Dialpad offers AI-coaching, while RingCentral restricts its AI coaching feature to its more expensive and distinctly separate RingCX contact centre product.

Who is RingCentral Ultimate best for in 2026?

RingCentral Ultimate makes the most sense if your phone system needs to sit inside your wider core stack (such as CRM, helpdesk and team collaboration tools like Slack) and you want measurable control over call quality.

• Teams that depend upon CRM and helpdesk tools: RingCentral’s integrations make it easier to call, log activity and follow up without bouncing between apps.
• Service desks that need structured call routing: Queues, rules based on hours or teams, and receptionist-style routing help you reduce missed calls when staffing is tight.
• Managers who need performance visibility: Monitoring and coaching tools support consistent handling across agents, especially when onboarding is constant.

Consider alternatives on this page if you want unlimited UK calling at a fixed cost (bOnline is better for budget certainty) or you need unlimited international calling included (8×8 Work is stronger for that use case).

2. 8×8 Work: Best Business VoIP Provider Plan for Unlimited International Minutes

8×8 Work is our best pick for UK businesses that make frequent overseas calls in 2026, because it includes unlimited inbound and outbound international calling to 48 countries (with no extra international add-on fees on the plans we reviewed).

It is a premium, quote-based platform rather than a low-cost UK calling plan but, for globally distributed teams, it can be one of the simplest ways to stabilise telecoms spend while adding proper coaching and analytics.

How does 8×8 Work handle calls and international minutes?

8×8 Work is strong on the fundamentals (calling, forwarding and day-to-day handling) and it stands out for supervisor tooling. In our hands-on testing, making calls and using call management features like call forwarding felt intuitive, and the platform’s analytics dashboards make it easier to track call trends over time.

• Unlimited international calling: Inbound and outbound to 48 countries, including destinations UK SMEs commonly need (for example the US and major European markets).

• Training and coaching: Call monitoring, whisper and barge help supervisors support agents in real time.

• Analytics: Performance dashboards support ROI decisions by showing patterns in volume and handling over time.

There are trade-offs: 8×8 does not include automatic nuisance call screening, which matters if your inbound line is constantly hit by spam. On this page, Dialpad is better positioned for that problem. 8×8 also lags RingCentral on customer-service live chat integrations within the same stack.

What AI features do you get with 8×8 Work?

8×8’s AI is best thought of as a layer you can switch on as your needs mature: some AI features sit inside the everyday 8×8 Work experience (particularly around meetings), while the “serious” AI for call insight and self-service typically arrives via add-ons (or 8×8’s contact centre tooling).

• AI meeting help (8×8 Meet): 8×8 supports AI meeting summarisation (admin-enabled) so teams can capture decisions and action points without someone playing unpaid stenographer.
• AI call insight (Conversation IQ add-on): Adds AI-driven call transcription and summarisation plus speech analytics/quality management, which is useful if you need to justify spend by showing what actually happens on revenue-generating calls.
• AI “receptionist” style self-service (Intelligent Customer Assistant): 8×8’s virtual agent product can handle routine enquiries and route calls across voice and digital channels, acting as a scalable front desk for after-hours or peak-time overflow (albeit, like RingCentral, this is usually deployed as part of a wider customer experience/contact centre setup.).

If you want AI that actively coaches agents during live calls, Dialpad is typically the more direct AI-first alternative on this page. 8×8’s strength is using AI to summarise, analyse and standardise performance at scale, once you enable the relevant tools.

Who is 8×8 Work best for in 2026?

8×8 Work makes the most sense when international calling is not an occasional edge case, but a daily operating reality. It is also a strong fit for SMEs that need to squeeze more output from a small service team, because it pairs call handling with training and performance tools.

• Teams with international customers or suppliers: Unlimited calling to 48 countries is the main reason to choose 8×8 over fixed-price UK-first plans.
• Customer service teams that need coaching tools: Features like monitoring, whisper and barge support live training without pulling agents off the phones.
• Businesses juggling channels: 8×8 bundles phone, video calling and team chat in one workspace, so staff are not bouncing between tools all day.

Consider alternatives on this page if your priority is the lowest predictable UK calling cost (bOnline is designed for fixed-cost certainty) or you rely on customer-service live chat integrations in the same comms stack (RingCentral is stronger for that).

3. GoTo Connect Phone System: Best Business VoIP Provider Plan for Hardware Integration

GoTo Connect is best for UK SMEs heading into the final run-up to the January 2027 PSTN switch-off who want to move to VoIP without binning perfectly good desk phones.

In our research, it offers broader hardware compatibility than the other providers on this page, and it pairs that with strong day-to-day calling tools (including SMS) at a typically lower cost than premium plans like RingCentral Ultimate.

How does GoTo Connect handle calls and integrations?

On the Phone System plan, GoTo Connect includes the operational basics most SMEs actually need day to day: unlimited auto attendants and call queues, customisable dial plans, and apps for desktop and mobile so staff can take business calls anywhere (without giving out personal numbers).

Compared with many cheaper UK options, GoTo’s channel coverage is a standout: it supports unlimited SMS (not a given in the UK VoIP scene) alongside unlimited calling, and also includes team chat and video meetings (up to 250 participants). That can matter in 2026, when teams are lean and you’re trying to reduce tool sprawl.

If you need deep CRM-style workflows and a huge marketplace of third-party integrations, RingCentral is usually the safer bet. However, GoTo has plenty of ready-to-go integration options covered too, plus API access for any custom solutions.

Overall, GoTo tends to win when the priority is reliable routing, plus hardware flexibility and straightforward unified comms.

What AI features do you get with GoTo Connect?

GoTo’s AI offering is now much more than basic transcription. GoTo Connect AI includes call transcriptions and one-click call summaries, plus meeting summaries for video calls and sentiment analysis for chat-based interactions (useful if you run CX channels alongside phones).

The headline add-on is AI Receptionist: a 24/7 digital front desk that can greet callers, understand intent, route them to the right place and capture key details for follow-up. It’s designed to be set up quickly inside GoTo’s Dial Plan Editor, with reporting so admins can see how it’s handling real conversations.

Quick reality check: If you want the most “AI-native” phone experience (where AI is the product, not an add-on), Dialpad is still the benchmark on this page. But if your priority is keeping hardware while adding practical automation around call handling, GoTo’s AI direction is now genuinely relevant and increasingly expanding, according to our research.

Who is GoTo Connect best for in 2026?

GoTo Connect is best for cost-conscious teams that want to preserve existing hardware while still getting modern routing and collaboration tools. If you have a mixed estate of desk phones (or multiple sites that have built habits around handsets), GoTo’s broad support list can reduce the upfront “rip and replace” cost of switching before 2027.

It also suits customer-facing SMEs that need to handle enquiries efficiently without adding headcount. Unlimited auto attendants and call queues help you route calls without relying on a full-time receptionist, and the built-in comms stack (voice, messaging and meetings) can reduce the need for separate apps.

4. Vonage Max: Best VoIP Plan for UK Startups That Need Coaching Tools Without Enterprise Pricing

Vonage Max is a strong pick for UK startups in 2026 that want to get off legacy phone lines ahead of the January 2027 PSTN switch-off, while keeping costs predictable.

In our review, it offered better day one functionality than cheaper UK options like bOnline, thanks to built-in call recording, CRM integrations and a genuinely useful set of live coaching tools for new sales or support hires.

How does Vonage Max handle calls?

In practice, Vonage Max is strongest when you’re trying to reduce call chaos in a growing team. In our testing and review, its day-to-day value came from the combination of reliable call handling and unusually good coaching controls for the price.

• Call routing and queueing: Route calls to the right person or team, add queues and reduce “idle time”, where calls bounce around unanswered.
• Virtual receptionist controls: Vonage’s auto attendant (virtual receptionist) lets you toggle routing options per number/location, which is handy when you’re expanding, adding a new line or covering holidays.

• Recording and coaching: Includes call recording plus live coaching tools like monitoring, whisper and barge, which is rare at this price point.
• Spam prevention: Vonage is one of the few providers we’ve reviewed in the UK that highlights spam-prevention as a built-in capability, which matters when every junk call steals real staff time.

Common gaps to be aware of: Vonage is not the best choice if you rely heavily on texting workflows or want the deepest integration ecosystem. In our review, it also lagged behind premium plans (like RingCentral Ultimate and 8×8 Work) on advanced dialling and more configurable reporting.

What AI features do you get with Vonage Max?

Vonage Max’s “virtual receptionist” is best thought of as a traditional IVR and routing layer (press-key menus, time-based routing, rules), rather than an out-of-the-box AI voice agent. Where Vonage does push into AI is via add-ons and adjacent products:

• AI transcription for recorded calls (add-on): Vonage offers an AI transcription add-on for Company Call Recording that can generate searchable transcripts and structured outputs, like key points and action items. This can be useful for tiny teams that need “instant notes” without manual admin.
• AI voice agents (separate capability): Vonage also sells AI Virtual Assistant/AI Studio tooling for conversational self-service, but that sits outside a standard “buy Max and you’re done” UC plan. If your priority is a plug-and-play AI receptionist, compare how much of that experience is included by default in other top-tier plans on this page.

Who is Vonage Max best for in 2026?

Vonage Max makes most sense for small teams that handle lots of inbound calls and need to train staff quickly, without paying for a top-tier platform from day one.

• Startups hiring their first support or sales reps who need call monitoring plus whisper/barge coaching to standardise call quality early.
• Lean teams that need solid routing and queueing so calls don’t die in someone’s personal mobile voicemail.
• Mobile-first businesses that want a business mobile number and don’t want to over-invest in desk phones in a tight cash-flow year.

5. Dialpad Enterprise: Best VoIP Plan for AI Call Handling and Business Texts

Dialpad’s Enterprise plan climbed our 2026 UK rankings because it focuses on two things SMEs are actively buying for right now: reducing call admin with built-in AI and keeping customer conversations flowing through SMS as well as voice.

If you are in the final PSTN transition window and you are also running lean, Dialpad is one of the more “do more with the same headcount” options on this list.

How does Dialpad handle calls and integrations?

In our review process, Dialpad’s call handling felt designed for high-volume reality: you can build structured routing through departments and ring groups, and you can add guardrails, like spam blocking, so teams are not interrupted by junk calls.

The messaging experience is also genuinely usable, since calls, texts and voicemails live in one timeline across desktop and mobile.

On integrations, Dialpad is not trying to be connected to everything. However, it covers the big operational tools most UK SMEs care about, including major CRMs and helpdesk platforms.

If integrations are your primary buying criterion, RingCentral is the deeper ecosystem on this page. If you mainly want calling plus fast, consistent follow-ups, Dialpad’s AI-first approach may be the better fit.

What AI features do you get with Dialpad Enterprise?

Dialpad’s core AI value is practical rather than flashy. In day-to-day use, it is built around real-time transcription while you are on the call, then an AI recap afterwards that pulls out the key points, so staff are not writing summaries from memory.

For lean teams, that is an efficiency multiplier: less admin per call, more consistent follow-ups, and fewer details lost between the conversation and the CRM.

Dialpad also positions its AI Agent as a way to handle routine questions and basic triage. If you are trying to cover phones outside hours, or you simply cannot hire a receptionist in 2026, that kind of AI front door can take pressure off the humans. Just treat it as a managed entry point rather than a magic replacement for proper customer service.

Who is Dialpad Enterprise best for in 2026?

Dialpad Enterprise makes the most sense for UK teams that need to take lots of inbound calls but cannot justify adding more staff in 2026. Think small customer service desks, appointment-led services, field service businesses and sales teams that need to turn conversations into clean follow-ups without someone manually typing notes all day.

It is also a strong pick if texting matters. Dialpad is one of the few mainstream VoIP platforms that treats SMS and MMS like a first-class channel inside the same desktop and mobile app your team uses for calls. That matters for reminders, quick confirmations and customer interactions where sending a photo is required.

6. bOnline Unlimited Calling Plus: Fixed-Cost UK calling (With Desk Phones Included)

bOnline Unlimited Calling Plus is one of the cheapest VoIP system plans we’ve come across for UK teams.

Our research highlights its value for money above all else, making it a great choice for UK micro-businesses and small teams that want a predictable monthly phone bill ahead of the January 2027 PSTN switch-off, plus a simple way to keep (or reintroduce) desk phones without spending big on new hardware.

How does bOnline handle calls and integrations?

In hands-on testing, bOnline’s setup felt genuinely fast: after verifying my email, I was in a clean web portal with a quick start guide pointing to the key areas (Phone Settings, Call Flows, User Management). Number selection was straightforward too, with the option to search for a local number by town, postcode or area code.

Day-to-day call handling is where bOnline tends to shine for the price. You can build call flows for business hours, holiday closures, queues and dial menus, so customers aren’t left hanging when you’re understaffed. For SMEs that live and die by responsiveness, that matters more than flashy extras.

For integrations, bOnline supports CRM connections (positioned as 200+ CRM/ERP integrations). This can help with click-to-call, syncing contacts, and keeping call context close to customer records. If integrations are a top priority and you want deeper core stack links, RingCentral and 8×8 typically go further, but you’ll usually pay more for that depth.

What AI features does bOnline offer?

bOnline’s AI tools are mainly designed to reduce admin and help small teams stay on top of customer conversations. Depending on what you enable, this can include AI-powered call recording that transcribes and summarises calls, plus keyword search so you can find the right conversation later, without scrabbling through audio.

It also offers AI call scoring, which rates calls by sentiment (for example, “happy”, “neutral” or “unhappy”). In practice, that’s useful as a triage tool: you can quickly flag calls that may need a follow-up or highlight great interactions for training.

For front-of-house pressure, bOnline also promotes an AI virtual receptionist (for handling calls, FAQs, messages and potentially bookings). If this is central to your buying decision, it’s worth confirming exactly what’s included in your plan versus what’s an add-on, because AI features can vary by package and configuration.

Who is bOnline Unlimited Calling Plus best for in 2026?

In 2026, bOnline makes the most sense for SMEs feeling financial pressure and trying to modernise quickly without turning their phone system into a complicated project. The Unlimited Calling Plus plan bundles unlimited UK landline and mobile calls with an IP desk phone, so you can preserve a more traditional office setup while still moving onto VoIP.

It’s also a good pick for owner-managed businesses that need calls answered reliably while running lean. Compared with pricier platforms, like RingCentral Ultimate, bOnline is less about deep workflow automation and more about getting the fundamentals right at a fixed cost.

Are There Any Hidden Costs or Set-Up Fees With VoIP Providers?

While most VoIP providers do not charge setup fees, common hidden costs include user volume tiers, international minute caps, handset purchases and add-ons for call recording. Things to consider include:

• How the price changes with user numbers, since some providers offer discounts for larger team sizes (e.g. RingCentral) and by how often you pay (paying upfront yearly, rather than month-to-month, is sometimes a cheaper option).
• Whether international minutes are included or charged per minute.
• If handsets are included or must be purchased separately.
• What add-ons are possible with your chosen plan and how much they are (call recording, video conferencing, international calling and integrations are some common add-on packages).

While not a direct cost consideration in the short term, we also suggest you look at what opportunities to scale a plan and provider offers your team.

For instance, if your chosen package is the most feature-rich available on a VoIP provider, but you’re likely to want more capacity or extra features down the line, it might not make sense for your team. You may save money today, but find yourself with the hassle and potential cost of transferring phone systems in the future.

Why Are All Businesses Switching to VoIP Before 2027?

The main reasons people are switching to VoIP providers are:

• The upcoming analogue shutdown: The UK’s legacy phone network (the PSTN, or Public Switched Telephone Network) is being retired industry‑wide by 31 January 2027, also known as The Big Switch Off. The first copper exchange has already closed in late 2025, making switching to IP technology an inevitability for all UK businesses.
• Increased scalability: As your business grows, new VoIP ports can be easily bought and installed with zero interruption to your business operations.
• Cost savings: VoIP can save your business a lot of money on phone calls, especially if you make them frequently, with some even making inter-site communication entirely free
• Easier long-distance calling: If you run a business with multiple sites or home workers who are frequently on the phone, VoIP will ensure easy communication as long as there is a Wi-Fi connection

We recommend reading our full breakdown of whether VoIP is reliable if you still aren’t convinced about whether VoIP is as good as a regular landline.

What Internet Speed Is Required for VoIP?

VoIP calls don’t require a large amount of bandwidth for reliable, high-quality audio. On average, a VoIP call uses around 100kbps, although many providers recommend allowing up to 1,000kbps to guarantee audio clarity. The requirement multiplies for the number of people on the phone at once, however. For example, five active calls would require around 500kbps.

Aside from internet speed, it’s also important to factor in factors like latency, jitter and router quality, as these can have a bigger impact on call stability and quality.

Can Current VoIP AI Features Effectively Handle Automated Appointment Scheduling?

In short, sometimes. Most VoIP AI features in 2026 are excellent at transcription and summarisation, and increasingly good at call routing and intent capture (an AI receptionist that can ask questions, collect details and pass the call to the right place). Fully automated appointment booking is a higher bar.

Where VoIP AI works well for scheduling:

• Capturing appointment intent: Natural language requests can be recognised and logged as a structured enquiry.
• Collecting the essentials: Name, number, service type, preferred days and urgency, then handing this to a human or creating a follow-up task.
• Routing to the right person: Sending bookings to the correct team (or the on-call engineer) based on rules.

Where it still falls short compared with native appointment platforms (such as Calendly):

• Live availability logic: Booking tools are purpose-built around calendars, buffers, service durations and conflict handling. Many VoIP AI receptionists can integrate with calendars, but they are not always as robust as dedicated scheduling platforms.
• Complex booking rules: Multi-staff services, variable appointment lengths, deposits, or “only book if X is available” logic is often better handled in a booking system.
• Error tolerance: If a booking mistake costs you a customer, you want the most reliable system in the chain to be the one controlling availability.

The best approach for most UK service businesses is hybrid: use VoIP AI to reduce call handling load (answer, triage, capture details and route), and keep the actual slot booking in a dedicated scheduling tool or an online booking system.

If your VoIP provider offers calendar integration, it can be worth trialling for simple appointments, but for anything high-volume or rule-heavy, a booking platform is still the safer “source of truth”.

How Should Small Teams Handle Seat-Based Pricing To Avoid Spiralling Costs?

Seat-based pricing is the default for business VoIP today, but you can stop costs creeping by matching licences to how people actually use the phone system.

• Split users into “heavy”, “standard” and “light” seats: Heavy users are your sales and support staff who live on calls. Standard users need a business number, voicemail and occasional outbound calls. Light users might only need call forwarding to a mobile, voicemail-to-email or the ability to answer overflow once in a while. The trap is giving everyone the same premium plan capabilities. Albeit, sometimes you don’t have the choice to split this up, so contact your preferred provider to find out.
• Use add-ons selectively instead of upgrading the whole company: Features like call recording, advanced analytics and AI tools are often priced per user. If only two people need coaching tools or call recording for compliance, licence those users rather than upgrading every seat.
• Ask providers about flexible licensing before you sign: Some providers make it easy to add and remove users month-to-month, while others lock you into a minimum seat count or an annual commitment. If your headcount fluctuates seasonally, flexible licensing is usually more valuable than a slightly cheaper per-seat rate.
• Plan for shared roles instead of extra seats: If you have part-timers or shift workers, check whether the provider supports shared devices, hot desking or call queues that route to whoever is available without requiring a separate “named” licence for every person.
• Build a simple 12-month cost model: Before switching, estimate the number of heavy seats you truly need, then run the rest as standard or light users. This prevents the common pattern where a small team grows from four to 10 users, and the phone bill silently doubles because everyone is placed on the same top tier.

If you want the simplest version of this strategy, give premium seats to the people who generate revenue on calls and keep everyone else on the lowest tier, that still protects call answering and business continuity.

How Did We Find the Best Business VoIP Providers?