VoIPninjas vs Gradwell: Which Is Right for Your Business?

Both VoIPninjas and Gradwell are direct UK VoIP providers. Neither uses a reseller model. That already puts them in a different category from a large part of the UK market.

But they suit different types of business. This post lays out the genuine differences — including where Gradwell has the edge — so you can make the right call for your situation.

Who Is Gradwell?

Gradwell has been operating since 1998. That makes them one of the longest-established hosted VoIP providers in the UK. They're based in Bath and sell directly to UK businesses.

Their product range covers hosted VoIP, SIP trunks, broadband, and domain and email services. Over the years they've built a solid reputation, particularly with larger organisations migrating away from ISDN. If you want a provider with a long track record and established enterprise relationships, Gradwell can point to both.

They are a credible, experienced operator. That is worth stating plainly.

Who Is VoIPninjas?

VoIPninjas is a direct UK VoIP provider based in Christchurch, Dorset. We sell hosted business phone systems to UK businesses. No resellers, no middlemen.

Three plans, all with published pricing:

• Ronin — £5.99 per user per month. 100 UK minutes, DDI, voicemail, mobile app.
• Samurai — £14.99 per user per month. 750 UK minutes, call recording, auto-attendant, ring groups, DDI, voicemail-to-email, mobile app.
• Shogun — £24.99 per user per month. Everything in Samurai, plus unlimited UK calls and calls to 55 countries.

All plans run on 28-day rolling terms. No annual contracts. There's a free 14-day trial with no card required, and most businesses are live within 10 working days.

Both Sell Direct — Why That Matters

This is worth flagging because it genuinely changes your experience as a customer.

Much of the UK VoIP market runs on resellers. You buy from a third party, the third party buys from the network, and support queries travel back through that chain before reaching anyone who can actually fix anything. Providers like Gamma operate this way — you're a customer of the reseller, not of Gamma itself.

Both Gradwell and VoIPninjas cut that out. When something goes wrong, you deal with the people who run the platform. There is no middleman absorbing your call and logging a ticket with someone else.

That is a meaningful distinction, and it applies to both providers in this comparison.

Pricing Transparency

This is where the two providers start to diverge.

VoIPninjas publishes all standard pricing on the website. You can see exactly what each plan costs before picking up the phone or starting a trial. No quote process for the core hosted VoIP plans.

Gradwell's pricing is less consistent. Some products — particularly SIP trunks and larger deployments — require you to contact them for a quote. For a business that wants to compare options quickly, that adds a step. You may call and find the price suits you fine. But you cannot check without making contact first.

For enterprise deals with complex requirements, quoting makes sense — the variables are too many to publish a single price. But for a small or medium-sized business that wants a hosted phone system, published pricing saves time and removes friction from the buying decision.

Contract Terms

This is the clearest difference between the two providers.

Gradwell typically sells on annual contracts or longer. That is not unusual in business telecoms — many providers in the UK work the same way. If your business is established and comfortable committing for a year or more, an annual contract may not feel like a significant constraint.

VoIPninjas operates on 28-day rolling terms only. Every plan, every user count. You pay month by month. If your headcount changes, your needs shift, or the service doesn't work for you, you can leave with 28 days' notice and no penalty.

For a growing business, a start-up, or any company going through change, that flexibility is worth paying attention to. You are not committed to a contract written before you knew what the next 12 months would look like.

The trade-off is real: rolling terms mean less certainty for the provider, which is why some larger operators won't offer them for substantial deployments. VoIPninjas offers them across all plans, at every price point.

Features

At the standard business level, both providers cover the core features: DDIs, voicemail, call routing, and support for desk phones and software clients.

On the Samurai plan at £14.99 per user, VoIPninjas includes call recording, auto-attendant, and ring groups. The Shogun plan at £24.99 adds unlimited UK calls and outbound calling to 55 countries — suited to businesses with high call volumes or international contacts.

Gradwell's feature set extends further in scope. Alongside hosted VoIP, they offer SIP trunks, broadband, and domain and email management. If you want a single supplier handling multiple business communication services, Gradwell covers more ground.

For most small and medium businesses, the VoIPninjas plans include everything needed. For larger businesses that want a complete telecoms arrangement — trunks, connectivity, VoIP — Gradwell has the product range to support it.

Setup and Getting Started

VoIPninjas offers a free 14-day trial with no card required. You can test the system, get your numbers working, and confirm it does what you need before spending anything. Most businesses are live within 10 working days.

Gradwell doesn't advertise an equivalent free trial for their hosted VoIP product. Getting started typically means speaking with their team to scope the deployment.

For smaller businesses that want to test before committing, the VoIPninjas trial removes every barrier. For larger organisations where setup involves porting multiple numbers, configuring complex routing, and integrating with existing systems, a scoping call before anything is switched on is often the right approach anyway.

Who Should Choose Gradwell?

Gradwell suits certain businesses well, and it would be wrong to suggest otherwise.

If you are a larger organisation migrating from ISDN and need hands-on support through the transition, Gradwell has genuine experience with that process. If you want a supplier who can manage SIP trunks, broadband, and hosted VoIP under one account, they have the product range to do it. If annual contracts are not a concern and you want a provider with close to 30 years in the UK market, Gradwell is a credible option.

Their track record is real. Their support is UK-based. They know what they are doing.

Who Should Choose VoIPninjas?

VoIPninjas is built for businesses that want a direct, honest service without long commitments.

Published pricing from day one. A free trial with no card required. A quick setup that gets most businesses live within 10 working days. Plans on 28-day rolling terms so you're never locked in to something that no longer fits.

We're a small team based in Christchurch, Dorset. When you call us on 0330 043 2388, you reach people who run the platform — not a support queue that passes you somewhere else. For small and medium-sized UK businesses that want a reliable phone system at a fair, published price, with flexibility built into every plan, VoIPninjas is the simpler choice.

Start your free 14-day trial — no card required. VoIPninjas is a direct UK VoIP provider based in Christchurch, Dorset. No resellers, no middlemen, no contracts. Plans from £5.99 per user per month on 28-day rolling terms. Most businesses are live within 10 working days. Call us on 0330 043 2388 or go to voipninjas.co.uk/get-started/ to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is VoIPninjas a reseller of Gradwell?

No. VoIPninjas and Gradwell are entirely separate, independent UK VoIP providers. VoIPninjas is based in Christchurch, Dorset, and operates its own platform directly. The two companies have no commercial relationship.

Can I switch from Gradwell to VoIPninjas and keep my existing numbers?

Yes. VoIPninjas supports number porting, so your existing business numbers can transfer across. Most ports complete within a few weeks. We manage the process — you don't need to coordinate between providers yourself.

Which VoIPninjas plan includes call recording?

Call recording is included on the Samurai plan (£14.99 per user per month) and the Shogun plan (£24.99 per user per month). It is not included on the Ronin plan. If call recording is essential to your business, Samurai is the entry point.

What happens when the 14-day free trial ends?

If you want to continue, you move on to whichever 28-day rolling plan suits your business. No contracts, no lock-in, no automatic commitment. If VoIPninjas isn't right for you, you don't owe anything. There is no card on file from the trial period.