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Business phone systems compared — prices and features 2026

All prices per user per month + VAT on a 12-month term. Features correct as of January 2026.

How to choose the right business phone system

Choosing a business phone system in 2026 comes down to four things: how many users you have, whether you already use Microsoft 365, what contract length you can commit to, and whether you need physical desk phones or are happy going app-only. Get those four answers right and the shortlist becomes obvious.

For most small businesses up to around 20 users, a hosted VoIP system like GoYap or Gamma Horizon gives you everything you need — a UK number, desktop and mobile apps, voicemail, call recording and hunt groups — at a fraction of the cost of a traditional PBX. Pricing typically starts around £8–12 per user per month on a 12-month contract, with no capital outlay on hardware unless you want desk phones.

If your business already runs on Microsoft 365, Teams Calling is worth serious consideration. Rather than running a separate phone system, you add calling directly into the Teams interface your staff already use every day. Microsoft Teams Phone Standard costs around £7 per user per month on top of your existing Microsoft licence, and a calling plan or direct routing provider adds the line rental. We supply Teams licences at annual rates billed monthly — cheaper than buying monthly direct from Microsoft.

Gamma Horizon is consistently popular with UK businesses that want a robust hosted PBX with strong SLAs and UK-based support. It supports a wide range of desk phones and integrates with Microsoft Teams via a connector. Contract terms run from 12 to 36 months and pricing scales well for businesses with 10 to 100 users.

BT Cloud Voice is worth a careful look before committing. The product is solid, but the standard contract is 60 months with an annual £1 per user price increase each April. Over five years that adds up considerably compared to alternatives on shorter fixed-price contracts. If you're an existing BT customer it may still make sense, but it's worth running the numbers first.

What features do you actually need?

Every modern hosted VoIP system includes the basics — UK number, voicemail, call forwarding, mobile app, and a web-based admin portal. Where they differ is in the detail: call recording storage limits, auto-attendant complexity, CRM integrations, number of hunt group levels, and whether desk phones are included or extra.

For most businesses the standard feature set is more than sufficient. Where it gets more nuanced is if you run a contact centre or reception-heavy operation — in those cases look closely at queue management, wallboard options, and whether the system supports supervisor monitoring and whisper coaching.

The PSTN switch-off and what it means for your phone system

BT is switching off the traditional copper PSTN and ISDN network on 31 January 2027. After that date, analogue phone lines will stop working. Every UK business that hasn't already migrated to VoIP or a digital alternative will lose their phone service. If you're on ISDN or a traditional PBX connected to analogue lines, the clock is running.

The good news is that migrating is straightforward. All the hosted VoIP systems on this page are PSTN switch-off ready. Your existing phone numbers can be ported across, and if you want to keep using analogue desk phones in the short term, a voice-ready router or ATA adapter will bridge the gap. We handle the full migration — number porting, hardware configuration, and staff training — on a single monthly bill.