Choosing the right business phone system depends on how many people need to use it, where they work, how calls should be handled and which features your business actually needs. This guide explains the main options and what to consider before choosing a system.
A traditional phone line typically allows a business to handle one call at a time. While for many small businesses this might be enough, most businesses need a phone system to allow them to manage more than one call at once. A business phone system allows for the management of multiple phone calls, with routing plans and services such as auto attendants, allowing calls to be managed by teams and calls to be internally transferred throughout a business.
There are many options when it comes to routing layouts for a business phone system, with the most common being using an auto attendant with key services split into different sections. This routing allows teams to know what the subject matter of the call is before answering it. It also allows for different staff to answer the call depending on the nature of the enquiry.
Popular features within this setup would be voicemail for each of the departments, using the voicemail to email feature so teams can follow up on the voicemail at their own time.
Everything is going cloud based these days for business and your phone system is no exception. Below are some key reasons why going cloud instead of traditional PBX for your phone system can help your business.
A cloud-based phone system can eliminate the need for expensive hardware, such as PBX systems (which you will usually find in your office cupboard), and remove the cost of maintenance and upgrades, as your supplier will maintain your business phone system for you. This allows you to always have the latest technology and security without the hassle of onsite hardware.
Cloud phone systems are scalable and can accommodate the growth or reduction of your staff each month. It's easy for your business to add or remove users as needed giving you full control over your phone system costs.
With a cloud business phone system, employees can access the phone system from anywhere, at any time, as long as they have an internet connection. This makes it easy for your business to have a remote team or for your employees to work from home easily, or have your staff hybrid work. The system just works however you need it to.
Cloud phone systems can be highly reliable because the core platform is managed by the provider rather than relying on an onsite PBX. While it does run using your internet connection, it can also run on 4G, so it allows your business to be more resilient when it comes to your failover plans.
Advanced features, such as call forwarding, scheduling, voicemail to email, click to dial, CRM integration, and auto attendants, that can improve the efficiency of your business.
A cloud phone system can be integrated with your other business tools, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, making it easier for your business to monitor customer interactions, allowing your business to collate useful information and make sure staff can log communications correctly.
Business cloud phone systems are easy to set up and maintain, as they don't require the installation of on-site hardware. If you want physical phones, they can be shipped fully configured and all you need to do is plug them in.
The number of users you need depends on the size of your business and the number of employees who require access to the phone system, or the rooms in which you need phones. Generally, each extension counts as one user, so if you have 10 employees who need phones, you would need 10 user extensions. Likewise if you have 10 users, but have a warehouse where you want an additional phone, you might need an extra extension for that location as well.
When choosing between desk phones and mobile/desktop apps, consider your team's working style. Desk phones provide a traditional experience and are ideal for office environments, while apps offer flexibility for remote work and on-the-go communication. Most people pair a headset with their app for better audio quality and hands-free operation.
Desk phones come with a fixed location and are generally more reliable for office use, especially as they are wired, which can ensure there is less interference and better call quality, while apps offer the convenience of mobility and can be used from anywhere with an internet connection.
If you want to keep your existing telephone numbers when switching to a cloud phone system, this is actioned through a process called porting. You get assigned a specific porting date and time when your numbers is ported from one supplier to another, with usually only a few minutes of downtime.
There are many optional features you can add onto a business phone system, such as call queues, CRM integration, reception management, voicemail, call recording, and more.
The features you choose will depend on your business needs and how you want to manage your communications, this is often heavily influenced by the number of employees you have. Features such as live wall boards showing concurrent calls are only useful for businesses that have a large number of calls.
Whatever the size of your business, there are core features that are essential for streamlining everyday operations.
Call handling: auto attendant, ring groups, queues.
Management & insight: analytics, call logs, call recording.
Automation: schedules, forwarding, voicemail to email.
Integration: CRM, click-to-dial.
Flexible working: Hot desking, mobile and desktop apps
Prices vary depending on the supplier, plan, and features included, but below is example pricing for comparison based on simliar plans.
| Supplier | Comparable plan | Price per user/month* | UK landline & mobile calls | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TelephoneSystems.Cloud | Standard cloud phone system | £11.00 | Unlimited | No contract |
| bOnline | Unlimited Calling | £13.95 | Unlimited | 12/24/36-month options |
| The VoIP Shop | Standard Voice | £13.95 | Unlimited | Not clearly stated on pricing page |
| CircleLoop | Unlimited | £15.00 | Unlimited | No contract |
*Prices shown excluding VAT where applicable; checked October 2026.
Some phone providers advertise lower introductory prices which increase later or require a fixed-term contract. We take a different ethical approach.
Our standard price is £11 per user per month, including unlimited UK landline and mobile calls, with no contract. More importantly, existing customers continue to receive exactly the same pricing we offer new customers, so you don't have to keep renegotiating your phone bill to get our best rate.
No contracts. No hidden fees. No sneaky price hikes. Just honest, ethical billing - and pay the same price as a new customer forever!
With your £11 user fee, get Unlimited minutes a month per user of calls to UK 01/02/03 numbers and UK mobiles*, FREE with any system ordered!
Count on our friendly UK support team to answer your call within 10 rings, so you’re never left waiting when it matters most.
Fed up of a deal always looking too good to be true? Since we are contract free, you always pay the price on our website, ensuring no hidden price rises. Pay the same as a new customer every month!
We guarantee 99.9% uptime backed up by our SLA on our robust UK dedicated hosted platform in conjunction with CISCO & Openreach. Monitored and managed 24/7.
All calls are answered in less than 10 seconds here in the UK, why not call us now and find out how friendly our team are!
All our Hosted systems are configured in the cloud, so there are no configuration, installation or support charges. Our phones simply auto install when plugged in. Learn More
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What type of business phone system do I need?
When choosing a business phone system, it's important to consider your company's specific needs and growth plans. Modern business phone systems are typically cloud-based, offering flexibility, scalability, and advanced features compared to traditional on-premise systems. You can easily add or remove users, integrate with other business tools, and manage your system from anywhere with an internet connection.