VoIP Phone System Costs UK: Complete Pricing Breakdown 2025
Switching to VoIP is one of the most straightforward ways a UK business can cut its phone bill — but only if you know what you're actually paying for. Monthly licences, hardware, setup fees, number porting, call charges: the costs can look very different depending on which provider you're comparing.
This guide breaks down every cost component, shows you exactly what VoIPninjas charges (and doesn't charge), and gives you real worked examples so you can put a number on the saving before you pick up the phone.
Short answer:
- Monthly user licence: £5.99–£24.99/user/month
- Hardware: £0 if you use a softphone app; £40–£150 per desk phone if you want one
- Setup fees: £0 with VoIPninjas; some providers charge £50–£200
- Number porting: free with VoIPninjas; some providers charge £15–£30 per number
- Call charges: included in your plan bundle; excess billed per minute
- Contract: 28-day rolling — no exit penalties
What You Actually Pay For
VoIP pricing has a few distinct components. Understanding each one stops you getting surprised by a bill that's twice what you expected.
Monthly user licence. This is the main cost. Every user on the system pays a monthly fee that covers their phone number, access to the platform, and a bundle of outbound call minutes. Unlike ISDN, there's no separate line rental on top. The licence is the line.
Hardware. You don't have to buy any hardware at all. A softphone app on a laptop or mobile works perfectly well and costs nothing extra. If you want a physical desk phone, IP handsets typically run from around £40 for a basic model to £150 for a full-featured handset. That's a one-off cost, not a recurring one.
Call charges. Every VoIPninjas plan includes a minutes bundle for UK landline and mobile calls. Once you exceed your bundle, calls are billed at a low per-minute rate. International calls are either included (Shogun plan) or charged per minute.
Everything else. With VoIPninjas: nothing else. No setup fee, no number porting charge, no maintenance contract. You pay your monthly licence and that's it.
VoIPninjas Pricing Breakdown
Three plans. All on 28-day rolling contracts. No card required for the free 14-day trial.
| Plan | Price | UK Minutes | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronin | £5.99/user/month | 100 minutes | Phone number, call forwarding, voicemail to email |
| Samurai | £14.99/user/month | 750 minutes | + Call recording, auto-attendant, ring groups, mobile app |
| Shogun | £24.99/user/month | Unlimited | Everything in Samurai + calls to 55 countries |
Ronin — £5.99/user/month. The entry-level plan for businesses that don't make many outbound calls. Good for sole traders or staff who mostly receive calls rather than make them.
Samurai — £14.99/user/month. The most popular plan for small businesses. 750 UK minutes per user covers most teams comfortably. Includes call recording, IVR auto-attendant, ring groups, and team features that make a multi-user system actually useful.
Shogun — £24.99/user/month. Unlimited UK calls and calls to 55 countries included. Right for businesses with high call volumes or regular international contact. Also the plan to pick if your team hates watching their minutes.
Hidden Costs to Watch For When Comparing Providers
Not every VoIP provider is as transparent on pricing as they look. Here are the charges that can quietly inflate your monthly bill elsewhere.
Per-number DDI charges. Some providers charge a monthly fee for each direct dial number on top of the user licence. At £1–£5 per number per month, this adds up fast if you have multiple departments or geographic numbers.
Activation and setup fees. A one-off charge of £50–£200 to get your system live. VoIPninjas charges nothing. If a provider quotes you a setup fee, factor it into your first-year cost comparison.
Number porting fees. Moving your existing numbers to a new provider should be straightforward. Some providers charge £15–£30 per number to do it. VoIPninjas includes porting free.
Overage charges. Your minutes bundle runs out and suddenly calls are being charged at a noticeably higher per-minute rate than the provider advertised. Always check the overage rate, not just the bundle.
Call recording storage. Some providers charge separately for storing recordings — either per recording or per GB of storage. VoIPninjas includes call recording and storage within the Samurai and Shogun plans at no extra cost.
Exit penalties. Annual or multi-year contracts with early termination fees. If you're on a 12-month contract and the service isn't working for you, leaving can cost hundreds. A 28-day rolling contract removes that risk entirely.
How VoIP Compares to ISDN on Cost
ISDN is being switched off across the UK in January 2027, so this is increasingly academic — but the numbers are worth seeing.
A typical small business running five ISDN channels pays around £30/month per channel in line rental — that's £150/month before a single call is made. Add call charges on top and you're looking at £200–£250/month minimum.
The same five users on VoIPninjas Samurai pay £74.95/month total — and that includes 750 minutes per user, call recording, IVR, and team features that ISDN never had.
| 5-user ISDN | 5-user VoIPninjas Samurai | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly line rental | £150 | Included in licence |
| Call charges | Extra | 750 min/user included |
| Call recording | Extra hardware | Included |
| Auto-attendant | Extra hardware | Included |
| Estimated monthly total | £200–£250+ | £74.95 |
The saving is roughly £125–£175/month — over £1,500/year for five users.
Total Cost for a Typical Small Business
5-user business
| Cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 5 x Samurai licences (£14.99/user/month) | £74.95/month |
| Hardware (softphones — desk phones optional) | £0 |
| Setup fee | £0 |
| Number porting | £0 |
| Total ongoing monthly cost | £74.95/month |
| Total year one | £899.40 |
If two users want a desk phone, add £80–£200 as a one-off cost in month one.
10-user business
| Cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 10 x Samurai licences (£14.99/user/month) | £149.90/month |
| Hardware | £0 |
| Setup fee | £0 |
| Number porting | £0 |
| Total ongoing monthly cost | £149.90/month |
| Total year one | £1,798.80 |
For a 10-user business previously on ISDN, that's a saving of well over £2,000 in the first year.
Ready to see what VoIP would cost your business specifically? Start your free 14-day trial — no card required, live in 10 working days. Or call us on 0330 043 2388 and we'll give you a straight answer on pricing. Get a Free Quote → No tie-in, no setup fees. Most businesses are fully live within 10 working days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a VoIP phone system cost per month in the UK?
For most small businesses, expect to pay £5.99–£24.99 per user per month. At VoIPninjas, that covers your phone number, call bundle, and all system features. There's no separate line rental or maintenance fee on top.
Is VoIP cheaper than a traditional landline for a small business?
Yes, significantly. A traditional ISDN line costs around £30/month per channel — just for the line, before call charges. VoIPninjas Samurai at £14.99/user/month includes line, number, 750 minutes, and features like call recording and IVR that would cost extra on legacy systems.
Are there any setup costs for VoIP?
With VoIPninjas, no. There's no setup fee and no charge to port your existing numbers. Some providers charge £50–£200 as a one-off activation fee — confirm this before you commit to anyone.
Do I need to buy new phones to use VoIP?
No. A softphone app on a laptop, desktop, or mobile phone works perfectly well and costs nothing. If you prefer a physical desk phone, IP handsets are available from around £40. Most businesses start without any hardware and only add desk phones if specific staff need them.