Line vs Vonage Business: which suits a UK small business?
Vonage Business Communications is a traditional cloud phone system: unlimited UK calls, desk phones, extensions and Microsoft Teams, bought on a quote with a minimum term. Line is a mobile-first phone system you sign up to online: texts and WhatsApp on your UK number in a shared inbox, an AI receptionist, and no contract. Pick Vonage for desk phones and unlimited calls. Pick Line if customers text you.
Prices and features checked
Hi, is the 2pm appointment still OK? Running 10 mins late.
SMS · 13:41Shared inbox
Seen by Jo and Amir. Jo is replying.
No problem Mark, see you at 2:10.
SMS · Jo- Missed call17:55 · after hours
Thanks for calling Ellis & Co. We are closed now and open again at 9am. Reply here and we will pick it up first thing.
Out-of-hours text, sent automatically
Line or Vonage: the short answer
- You want to text customers from your business number inside the app, with replies the whole team can see
- You want to sign up online today and pay monthly, with no contract
- You want an AI receptionist to answer when nobody can
- You want to know the full price before you buy
- You want desk phones, extensions and call queues with monitoring
- You need company-wide call recording with AI transcripts
- You run Microsoft Teams and want it to be your phone
- You want unlimited UK calls and carry 999 on the same system
Line vs Vonage at a glance
Published UK prices and features, checked against Vonage's own pages.
| Feature | Line | Vonage |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From £4 a month with one UK number, plus 5p a minute for calls you make and 8p a text | Core £15 a user a month, plus a £3.50 RCIP fee for each user and each number. Quote only |
| Contract | Monthly. No contract and no setup fee | Minimum term set in your order, and 30 days' notice to cancel. Leaving early costs the rest of the term |
| Sign-up | Online, in a few minutes | Through sales. No online sign-up and no free trial |
| Texts on a UK number | Yes. Two-way SMS on UK 07 numbers, on every plan | Not in the Vonage app, which texts in the US and Canada only. Max adds a separate eSIM whose texts do not sync to the account |
| Yes, on the same number and in the same inbox | A WhatsApp channel for UK accounts since 2026. Plan and price not published | |
| Shared inbox | Calls, voicemails, texts, WhatsApp, web chat and email in one thread per customer | Team chat for staff. No shared inbox for customer texts |
| AI receptionist | AI receptionist answers calls in a British voice. Included on Pro and Business, an add-on on Starter | AI Virtual Assistant add-on through sales, billed in AI tokens. Price not published |
| Call handling | Opening hours, ring groups, forwarding and voicemail. No call recording, call transfer or call queues | Virtual receptionist, call groups, call queues, call recording and transfer. Several are paid add-ons |
| Apps and hardware | iPhone app and web app. No desk phones | iOS, Android, Windows and Mac apps. Yealink and Polycom desk phones. Microsoft Teams |
| Integrations | REST API and webhooks. Google and Microsoft calendars for the AI receptionist | CRM integrations including Salesforce, Dynamics, HubSpot and Zoho, from Core |
| Moving your number in | Request it in Settings. UK moves usually take a few weeks | A minimum of 20 business days |
| 999 calls | Does not carry 999 calls. Dial 999 from the phone's own dialler | Yes, in all four UK nations, with your address registered |
| Support | Live chat, email, WhatsApp and phone, in UK working hours | Chat only for business customers, Monday to Saturday. No support phone line |
Vonage Business pricing UK (2026)
Vonage publishes three UK plans, priced per user a month. Every plan is sold on a quote, with a minimum term set in your order.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Yearly contract | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express | £10 | — | Unlimited inbound calls. Outbound calls charged per minute, at a rate Vonage does not publish. Desktop app. |
| Core | £15 | — | Unlimited UK landline and mobile calls, CRM integration, Microsoft Teams, Wi-Fi desk phones. |
| Max | £25 | — | Core plus a Mobile Connect eSIM with a business mobile number and unlimited texts from that phone, which do not sync to the account. |
What the headline price leaves out
- A £3.50 a month Regulatory, Compliance and Intellectual Property fee for every user, every number and every conference bridge. It is not on the pricing page.
- Virtual receptionist, call groups, call queues, call recording and voicemail transcription are listed as add-on or premium services, with no published price.
- Desk phones are extra, paid by card or on a monthly payment plan.
- Leaving before the minimum term ends costs the remaining monthly charges.
Is Line cheaper than Vonage?
Line usually costs a small team less, and you see the full price before you buy. With the RCIP fee, Vonage Core costs £18.50 a user a month before add-ons, and its virtual receptionist and call groups can cost more again. Vonage's unlimited calls can work out cheaper for a team that is on the phone for hours a day. Line's Pro and Business plans have no per-user charge. Price your own team below.
Price your own team
200 minutes and 50 texts a month each
- Line£60.25 /mo£723 a year · Pro
- Vonage£96 /mo£1,152 a year
Seat prices are each provider's published price for the plan a small team would buy, with UK calls included up to the provider's fair use limit. Line charges a plan fee plus the calls and texts you use. Handsets, extra numbers and add-ons are not included.
Can Vonage Business send texts from a UK number?
Not from the Vonage app. Vonage's own support page says the app texts in the US and Canada only. Line sends and receives texts on a UK 07 number on every plan.
Vonage
On the Max plan, Vonage supplies a Mobile Connect eSIM with a business mobile number. It sends texts from the phone's own messages app, runs on the EE network with no mobile data, and its texts do not sync to the Vonage account, so the rest of the team cannot see them.
Line
Every Line plan includes a UK 07 number that calls and texts. Replies land in a shared inbox, in the same thread as that customer's calls and voicemails, and anyone on the team can pick them up.
- Inbound call, 4 minTuesday · answered by Dan
- Missed callWednesday 18:20
Voicemail transcript
Hi, it's Sarah. Can you call me back about the quote for the bathroom?
Also free Friday morning if that's easier.
WhatsApp · 18:24Thanks Sarah. Dan will call you at 9 tomorrow.
SMS · Jo
Does Vonage Business have a contract?
Yes. Your order sets a minimum term, cancelling needs 30 days' notice, and leaving early costs the rest of the term. Line is monthly with no contract.
Vonage
Vonage's own early termination example uses a 12-month term. It bills by direct debit only, gives you 7 days to dispute a bill, and moving your number away does not end the contract: you must cancel separately and keep paying until you do.
Line
Line has no minimum term and no setup fee. You sign up online, top up credit for calls and texts, and stop when you choose.
What happens to a missed call on Vonage?
It goes to voicemail, or to a virtual receptionist menu if you pay for one. On Line, a missed call can text the caller straight away, and the AI receptionist can answer instead.
Vonage
Vonage sends unanswered calls to voicemail, and the transcript is a paid add-on. Its AI Virtual Assistant is sold through sales, billed in AI tokens with automatic overage charges, at a price it does not publish.
Line
Add a Send Missed-Call SMS step and the caller gets a text from your number within seconds. Switch on the AI receptionist and it answers in a British voice, takes the details and leaves the transcript in the inbox.
- Missed call10:42 · the team rang for 20 seconds
Sorry we missed your call. This is Hartley Plumbing. Reply here with what you need and we will get back to you today.
Missed-call text, sent automaticallyHi, do you fit outside taps? Need one before the weekend.
SMS · 10:44We do. Dan can fit one on Friday morning. Shall I book you in?
SMS · Jo
Can you phone Vonage Business support?
No. Vonage supports business customers by chat, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5:30pm, and by case outside those hours. Line offers live chat, email, WhatsApp and phone in UK working hours.
Vonage
Vonage says its chat service is designed for micro and small business customers. Most of its 1-star reviews mention reaching a person, and most of its 5-star reviews thank a named chat agent.
Line
Line's team answers by live chat, email, WhatsApp or phone during UK working hours.
Does Line have the call features Vonage has?
Not all of them. Vonage has a virtual receptionist menu, call groups, call queues with monitoring, call recording and transfer, several as paid add-ons. Line covers opening hours, ring groups, forwarding, voicemail and a missed-call text, and does not record or transfer calls.
Vonage
Vonage's virtual receptionist sets menus, business hours and holiday overrides in the admin portal. Call groups hold up to 25 extensions, and call queues take 100 or more. Each is listed as an add-on.
Line
Line routes each call through a workflow: a Time Rule for opening hours, a ring group that rings only people set to Available, then a missed-call text and voicemail. If you need recording, queues or desk phones, Vonage fits better.
Rebuild your Vonage setup in Line
Each Vonage feature you rely on, and the Line workflow step that does the same job.
| In Vonage | In Line |
|---|---|
| Call groups | Ring Members/GroupsRings everyone set to Available, at once or in turn, for the time you choose. |
| Virtual receptionist schedules | Time RuleSends calls down an Open hours or an Outside hours branch, using your business hours. |
| Voicemail and visual voicemail | VoicemailRecords a message after your greeting, transcribes it and emails the team, at no extra cost. |
| Call forwarding | Forward CallsDials any number and shows your Line number as the caller ID. |
| Mobile Connect eSIM texts | Shared inboxTexts from your UK 07 number inside the app, seen by the whole team. |
| AI Virtual Assistant | AI receptionistAnswers calls on your number, takes the details and leaves the transcript in the inbox. |
| No equivalent | Send Missed-Call SMSTexts the caller from your number when nobody answers. |
- Inbound CallYour UK business number
- Time RuleMon–Fri, 8:00 to 18:00
- Open hoursRing Members/GroupsEveryone set to Available, for 20 seconds
- No answer, or outside hoursSend Missed-Call SMSTexts the caller from your number
- No answer, or outside hoursVoicemailTranscribed and emailed to the team
Templates to set up on day one
The messages and greetings most teams moving from Vonage set up first. Copy one, change the details in brackets, and paste it into the step shown.
Sorry we missed your call. This is [Business name]. Reply to this text with what you need and we will get back to you today.
Thanks for calling [Business name]. We are closed now and open again at [8am]. Reply here and we will pick it up first thing, or book online at [link].
You have reached [Business name]. We cannot take your call right now. Leave your name, your number and what it is about, and we will call you back today. You can also text this number.
Thanks for choosing [Business name], [first name]. If you were happy with the work, a quick review helps a small business like ours: [review link]. If anything was not right, reply here and [Name] will sort it.
You answer calls for [Business name], a [trade] in [area]. Take the caller's name, number, postcode and what they need. Offer a visit between [hours] on [days]. If the caller describes [an emergency, for example a leak], say [Name] will call back within 15 minutes and mark the call urgent. Do not quote prices. Say [Name] will confirm the price.
You can now text or WhatsApp us on [number], the same number you call. We reply during [opening hours], and we will see your message even if we are on a job.
How to switch from Vonage to Line
Most small teams finish in an afternoon, then wait for the number to move.
- 1
Open Line and choose a UK number
Sign up, pick a UK mobile number and make a test call. The new number works straight away, so you can run Line beside Vonage while you set it up. Nothing changes for your customers yet.
- 2
Rebuild your call flow from a template
Open Workflows and start from a template such as Business Hours Call Routing or Ring Then Voicemail. Set your opening hours in the Time Rule and choose who rings. The table above shows the Line step for each Vonage feature.
- 3
Invite the team and install the app
Invite each person by email. They install the Line app on iPhone, or use the web app on a laptop. Only people set to Available ring, so nobody gets calls on a day off.
- 4
Connect WhatsApp and switch on the AI receptionist
Connect WhatsApp to the same number from Channels, so texts, WhatsApp and calls land in one inbox. Then switch on the AI receptionist and give it your opening hours, your services and how you take bookings.
- 5
Move your number from Vonage
Go to Settings, then Porting. Enter the number, the account holder and the address Vonage holds, upload a recent bill and sign the letter of authority. Our team sends the request and tells you the switch date. UK moves usually take a few weeks. Calls keep reaching Vonage until that date, and Ofcom rules limit any loss of service on the day to one working day.
- 6
Cancel Vonage after the move completes
Wait until calls to your number ring in Line, then cancel Vonage. Cancelling first can release the number before it moves.
- Company and on-demand call recordings, using the bulk export
- AI transcripts and call metadata, if you pay for them
- Contacts as CSV
- Voicemails you need to keep. Vonage deletes them when the service ends
- Your virtual receptionist menus and call group settings, as screenshots to rebuild from
What Vonage customers say
Recurring themes in public reviews, paraphrased and linked to the source.
No phone support
UK reviewers say a phone company offers business customers chat only, and that chats are slow or lose the history. Trustpilot
Lines cut off over payments
Reviewers report disconnection after a failed direct debit, and weeks to reconnect. Trustpilot
Hard to cancel or move a number
Reviewers describe no online cancellation, charges continuing after a number moved, and a blocked port-out. Trustpilot
Billing errors
Reviewers report wrong bills and a billing team they could not reach. Trustpilot
Texting limits
Texting limitations are the top complaint tag among Vonage reviewers. Capterra
Helpful chat agents
Most 5-star reviews thank a named chat agent for a quick, patient fix. Trustpilot
Reliable calls
Long-time customers rate call quality and reliability highly. Trustpilot
Integrations
Reviewers value the CRM and Microsoft Teams integrations. Capterra
Our verdict on Vonage: Vonage Business Communications offers per-user plans with unlimited UK calls from the Core plan up, sold on a quote. A £3.50 monthly fee applies to every user and number, texting from UK numbers needs the top plan's eSIM, and the minimum term is set in each order. See how it ranks
Line vs Vonage: questions people ask
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Vonage alternatives
The best Vonage alternatives for UK small businesses, ranked with prices.
Line vs RingCentral
Line texts and WhatsApps from your UK number today. RingCentral has no SMS on UK numbers.
Line vs Aircall
Line gives a small team texts, WhatsApp, a shared inbox and an AI receptionist without a three-seat minimum or a yearly renewal.
Business phone systems ranked
14 UK providers scored on published prices and features.
Line wrote this comparison. Every competitor fact comes from the provider's own UK pages or public reviews, linked here. Last reviewed .
Move from Vonage without losing your number
Start with a new UK number today and run it alongside your current system. Move your existing number across when you are ready.