Top 10 best business phone providers in 2025: an insider’s comparison of VoIP services

Businesses are flocking to virtual phone systems, with Technavio projecting the VoIP market in the UK to grow by $4.3 billion from 2024-2028. But why is there so much growth?

One big reason is cloud-based phone services give businesses greater flexibility and access to advanced capabilities, such as call transcriptions, recordings, and more.

Plus, the UK government is transitioning from public switched phone networks (PSTN) to VoIP. Why wait for the forced switch down the road when you can take control of your communications destiny right now?

Choosing exactly which provider to go with is an important decision. Below, we’ll explore 10 of the best business VoIP services providers including Dialpad Connect, GoTo, and 8x8.

But before we get started, let’s look at what a business phone provider is and what the benefits of having a business phone line are.

What is a business phone provider?

A business phone provider offers—as you might expect—telephony services tailored for businesses. Many major consumer phone providers such as O2, Virgin, and EE have offerings that businesses could use, but true virtual business phone services offer a range of features and custom subscription plans that are designed specifically for commercial use.

Typically, cloud, virtual, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers offer the key advantage of working over the Internet instead of needing copper wire lines and expensive hardware to make phone calls. On top of that, they also offer core business functionality such as interactive voice response (IVR) menus and custom call routing, along with more innovative features like integrations with your favorite business apps. They also allow for scaling on your own terms, without the need for extra hardware or provider input.

For example, with Dialpad Connect, the installation of extra phone lines isn't necessary. Simply log on, go to your admin panel, navigate to the extension section, and set up a new business phone number or extension for a current or incoming team member:

Why do you need a business phone line?

A business phone line gives you a dedicated method for talking with clients. It also enables your team to easily connect and collaborate with each other. As of January 2025, 16% of the UK workforce is fully remote while 25% works a hybrid schedule. Business phone solutions are key to letting your global and remote teams communicate with each other as if everyone were in the office.

What are the benefits of a business phone line?

Business phone providers enable companies to manage their communications more easily than traditional phone systems. Here are a few of the major benefits.

1. Raise credibility

A business phone line presents a more professional image to customers and prospects. Setting up custom greetings and IVR menus is a good way to look organized, provide clarity to new customers, and build confidence in your brand from the very first phone interaction someone has with you.

2. Improved customer experience

Intelligent call routing, forwarding, voicemail, and other customizable features can help businesses provide speedier customer service and help callers get to the right agent or departments more quickly, which improves first contact resolution (FCR) rates.

3. Increased productivity

Many business phone platforms can automate repetitive tasks like data entry and manual routing. Ai-powered solutions like Dialpad Connect can even record and transcribe every call, reducing post-call work.

4. Better scalability

Business phone systems are built to scale as you grow. Any size business can add phone lines in minutes without the pain of installing copper wires and equipment, while large enterprises can deploy remote teams and virtual contact centers in no time.

5. Higher call quality

The best business phone line providers use the latest technology for HD video and audio on every call. You can also use analytics capabilities to monitor metrics such as Quality of Service (QoS) and ensure consistent call quality.

6. Greater reliability

Sometimes copper phone lines fail or the telecom company is having issues. VoIP lines use redundant data centers so calls are rarely dropped. If one server goes down for maintenance or other reasons, callers seamlessly connect to a working server elsewhere.

7. More flexibility

Your teams can use cloud-based phone lines to meet and work from anywhere in the world. All that’s needed is an internet-capable device and a reliable network connection. With 90% of the world now covered by 4G, this means your business can operate with true flexibility.

8. Security and compliance features

The best business phone lines come with the latest technology to secure every conversation. For example, Dialpad features automatic call blocking and spam prevention to protect your business from social engineering and other scams. Protecting sensitive caller information is particularly important for UK businesses, as it ensures you’re compliant with laws such as the GDPR.

Top 10 best business phone providers in 2025

Here are 10 of the best business phone providers for UK businesses.

1. Dialpad Connect

Yes, we may be a bit biased, but allow us to show you why we believe Dialpad takes the top spot. As an all-in-one unified communications platform, Dialpad gives you much more than just your typical business phone features. Not only can you make phone calls, you can also have video calls, send SMS/MMS + team messages, and more—all from a single app.

Key features

Besides allowing your team to communicate on any channel from one platform—no matter where you are—Dialpad also comes with other unique features like call flip, which lets you switch a call seamlessly from your mobile phone to your laptop (or vice versa) during a conversation.

Choose from mobile apps for iOS and Android, a desktop app, or a Chrome web extension—no matter what device your team prefers to use, Dialpad will work on it.

Plus, you can keep your existing UK phone number with easy number porting and add toll-free or international numbers to gain a local presence and make it easier for customers to reach you.

Dialpad comes with custom call routing and auto attendant rules. The IVR menu is straightforward to configure, allowing you to design a frictionless calling experience for your customers in just a few clicks.

Everything can be set up and modified in the admin portal, including custom call forwarding and transfer rules. You can also scale up and down from here, adding team members and extensions as needed:

One of the truly unique things about Dialpad is its proprietary Ai, Dialpad Ai. Trained on over eight billion minutes of business conversation data, Dialpad Ai can transcribe calls and video meetings in real-time, and even create automated meeting summaries and highlights—meaning your team can focus on the conversation, not taking notes:

It improves team productivity in other ways besides automated transcriptions with a comprehensive app marketplace which includes integrations with popular tools such as Salesforce, Zendesk, Zapier, and Microsoft 365.

There’s a full call analytics suite to help you keep an eye on inbound calls, handle times, and call quality—and you can unearth deeper customer insights from Ai-driven live sentiment and speech analysis:

Pricing

Dialpad Connect’s Standard package starts from as low as £12 per user per month and includes unlimited calling, unlimited Ai meetings for up to 10 participants, Ai-powered call and voicemail transcriptions, a multi-level auto attendant, and more.

2. GoTo Connect

GoTo Connect is an Ai-powered cloud communications system that lets you communicate over phone calls, video meetings, and chat from one place.

Key features

The main core of the phone system itself comes with many of the expected features such as video meetings, number porting, and free international calling to 50 countries.

There’s a softphone app and an auto attendant with recorded greeting functionality, while ring groups and call queues help you handle higher volumes of inbound calls.

The voicemail-to-email feature can be useful when you’re working in noisy environments or don’t have time to answer a call, while team messaging and file sharing help remote and on-site teams collaborate.

Pricing

GoTo unfortunately doesn’t share any pricing information on their website. The standard package also doesn’t have any Ai features.¹

3. 8x8

8x8 is a cloud PBX provider with business phone alongside other unified communications features, similar to Dialpad and GoTo. It can handle internal and external communication, routing, and virtual faxes.

Key features

8x8 delivers voice and video calls, presence detection, team messaging, and document sharing. Unfortunately, SMS capabilities only work in the USA and Canada, so you’ll need to find an additional provider for UK business text messaging.²

8x8 does come with typical business phone functionality like conference calls and call handling features include caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting, and call parking. A multi-level auto attendant lets you design multiple call flows based on set rules.

Pricing

8x8 offers several business phone packages. However, you will need to get in touch with the sales team for a quote.

4. bOnline

bOnline is a VoIP business phone system made for small businesses in the UK—while it is quite affordable, this does mean it’s lacking some advanced options.

Key features

The bOnline platform does give you a local phone number but unlike other options on this list, you don’t get unlimited phone calls across the pond to the US and Canada. Any calls outside of the UK will cost you extra.³

You can set up custom greetings and an IVR menu to give your business a professional first impression, and bOnline also enables you to design call flows to route incoming calls to specific numbers, extensions, or teams.

It offers convenient business phone calling apps for iOS and Android which make it easy for you to place and receive calls from your preferred devices on the go, and bOnline also supports over 200 CRM integrations such as Pipedrive, HubSpot, and Zoho.

Pricing

bOnline VoIP plans with unlimited calling to UK phone numbers start from £13.95 per month (regular price). However, this doesn’t include SMS messaging or more advanced features you’ll find with other providers such as live call transcriptions.⁴

5. RingCentral

Similar to other top options on this list, RingCentral RingEx is a unified communications platform with a built-in business phone system that operates in the cloud and includes Ai personal assistant features.

Key features

RingCentral offers comprehensive unified communications for businesses with basic features including team messaging, video, SMS, and collaboration tools such as document sharing.

The Ai personal assistant works similarly to Dialpad Ai, being capable of taking notes and transcribing calls, and though RingCentral does say its Ai is trained on proprietary data sets, it is unclear how large these training data sets are.⁵

RingCentral offers apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and its app marketplace features over 400 app integrations and customizable APIs.

Pricing

The RingEX Essentials package starts from £17.99 per user per month (regular price) and includes 100 minutes per user, team messaging, and use of the desktop and mobile app.⁶

6. Vonage

Vonage Business Communications is a cloud-based unified communications solution, though it was once mainly known for its telephony.

Key features

Vonage’s Business Communications plans offer unified communications, covering your messaging, calling, and video needs. Like many other providers on this list, it offers a mobile and desktop app, along with integrations such as Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.

You can configure call routing with the virtual receptionist (not to be confused with an Ai-powered assistant) and design a dynamic IVR menu that aligns with your business’ schedules and departments.

Vonage also has meetings functionality which lets you host video meetings with colleagues and clients.

Pricing

The Core package includes unlimited Vonage Meetings. Pricing starts from £18 per user per month but doesn’t include call recording or a virtual receptionist—you’d have to go up one pricing tier for those features.⁷

7. Intermedia Unite

Intermedia Unite is a cloud PBX designed for SMBs who want enterprise-grade communications features.

Key features

Intermedia Unite’s business phone system comes with unlimited domestic calling in the UK. HD video conferencing includes features such as screen sharing and interactive presentation tools, and you can also streamline team collaboration with file sharing protected with real-time backups.

Call management features include hold, voicemail to email forwarding, and an auto attendant. Use hunt groups to direct incoming calls to the right representative for the query.

Intermedia archiving is a capability that automates data capture, recording voice and chats from meetings for training and compliance purposes. However, you don’t get the insightful meeting notes and summaries that you do with Ai-powered platforms like Dialpad.⁸

Pricing

You’ll need to contact the team at Intermedia to find out about cloud PBX pricing.

8. Microsoft Teams Phone

Microsoft Teams Phone is a cloud communications solution that gives you business phone functionality embedded in Microsoft Teams. If your business is already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft Teams Phone may make sense as an option.

Key features

Microsoft Teams Phone comes with call management features such as call groups, which let you set rules to handle processes such as call forwarding, simultaneous ring, and call transfers. Calls can be recorded and transcribed and include Ai-generated meeting notes.

Team members can call and message other colleagues who use the app. However, these calls aren’t using a true virtual phone number. Unlike with a solution like Dialpad, calling domestic and international numbers is not included in the standard plan. You’ll need to sign up for an add-on such as a pay-as-you-go calling package, which makes it more difficult to keep track of costs.⁹

Pricing

Microsoft Teams Phones with just a domestic calling plan start from £11.50 per user per month, while the domestic and international calling plan starts at £24.60 and includes 3,000 outbound domestic or 600 outbound international calling minutes.¹⁰

9. Ooma Office

Telecoms provider Ooma has partnered with WeWork to offer a VoIP phone system for small businesses in Great Britain.

Key features

Ooma Office comes with basic call features as a gateway to the world of professional communications. For starters, you get unlimited calling to landlines and mobile phones in the UK and the USA. You also get unlimited calls to 12 other countries including France and Germany (landlines only).

The platform comes with a virtual receptionist, extension dialing, conference lines, and virtual faxing. While it’s relatively easy to get signed up and start making calls, Ooma does lack more advanced features such as an Ai assistant or call analytics like other solutions, which is why it’s further down on this list.

There's also no SMS messaging or video chat, so it’s not quite as friendly to remote team members.¹¹

Pricing

Ooma Office for WeWork pricing starts from £33 per user per month.¹²

A quick comparison of UK business VoIP phone providers

What to consider when choosing a business phone provider: A buying guide

As you can see, there are countless options when it comes to business telephone providers. So how do you choose the right solution for your business? Here are a few factors to consider:

Unified communications

If you’re just entering the VoIP world, unified communications is non-negotiable. If your company uses phone calls, SMS business texting, video conferencing, and team chat, why not use one platform for everything?

Managing all communications from one digital space empowers your team to work more efficiently without having to constantly switch between applications. It also means you don’t need to subscribe to additional services, saving money.

Built-in Ai

Using one app for all of your communications helps increase productivity, but you can go several steps further. Choose a platform like Dialpad Connect, which is powered by proprietary Ai that’s designed to help you work smarter. For example, Ai Recaps saves you from having to take notes during audio and video conferences, increasing engagement in team meetings and important client calls.

Ease of set up

When you sign up for a business phone system, you can’t afford to waste weeks or months on deployment and onboarding. Compared to legacy PBX phone systems, a cloud or VoIP platform will make your life easier, including a straightforward setup.

For example, with Dialpad you simply have to sign up, download the app, and activate your account. Follow the instructions in the self-start deployment guide, and you’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.

If you want to customize things, you can easily set up and manage phone numbers, extensions, and user permissions from the admin panel.

App integrations and flexibility

Opt for a solution that connects to your existing business tools. Good cloud business phone systems should come with native integrations for the most popular apps on the market.

Dialpad, for example, integrates with many popular business tools including:

• Salesforce

• Google Workspace

• Zoho CRM

• ServiceNow

• Slack

• Microsoft Outlook

• Miro

Reliability

Not all VoIP business phone providers have the same call quality and reliability of service. Check and compare uptime guarantees and service level agreements (SLAs) for potential options. Where are the nearest data centers located? What about backup data centers?

It’s not only about uptime. What kind of speed and quality is guaranteed? Don’t forget to check review sites and testimonials to find more information on the user experience (UX).

Security and compliance

Your conversations involve sensitive information about your business and its customers. The average cost of a data breach in 2024 was 4.8 million USD. Make sure to choose a platform that encrypts conversations, includes security features like single sign-on, and helps you stay GDPR-compliant.

What type of businesses are VoIP phone lines suitable for?

VoIP phone lines are suitable for businesses of any size and from any industry.

Here are a few example use cases for business VoIP phone lines:

• Startups planning for rapid growth

• Solopreneurs want to improve their credibility

• Businesses with remote and hybrid teams

• Companies with multiple offices and locations

• Businesses that want to improve productivity

• Organizations looking to save on communications costs

How does a VoIP phone line work?

Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that sends voices over virtual networks. A caller uses their VoIP desk phone or mobile softphone to dial a call as usual. The call is connected over the internet, rather than copper wires.

When the caller speaks, their voice is converted into digital packets, moving across the web along the most efficient route. When arriving at the recipient’s device, the hosted phone system turns digital data back into audible speech.

Improve communication, productivity, and customer satisfaction with Dialpad

When it comes to business phone line providers, UK businesses have many options at every price point.

Dialpad Connect enables your business to call, video chat, and text, without toggling between different apps. More importantly, it’s powered by Dialpad Ai to ensure you get the most out of your meetings and calls with transcriptions, summaries, and highlights.

Start making VoIP calls with Dialpad in minutes. See why UK businesses like CR England use Dialpad for their everyday communications! Sign up for a demo to learn more about Dialpad today.

¹ goto.com/pricing/connect

² 8x8.com/products/business-phone/unlimited-calling-sms-fax

³ bonline.com/international-package-destinations/

⁴ bonline.com/pricing/

⁵ assets.ringcentral.com/us/whitepaper/navigating-ai.pdf

⁶ ringcentral.com/gb/en/office/plansandpricing.html

⁷ vonage.co.uk/unified-communications/pricing/

⁸ intermedia.co.uk/unite/

⁹ microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone#model7

¹⁰ microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone#Pricing

¹¹ ooma.co.uk/wework/

¹² ooma.co.uk/wework/