Business calling guide
The business landline, reinvented for mobile
A business landline in 2026 is a number, not a wire: a real 01, 02 or 03 number that customers trust, ringing on the mobile already in your pocket. No line rental, no installation, no office required - from £5/month + VAT.
There are three realistic ways to do it: a virtual landline, a VoIP app or a Landline SIM. The right one depends on whether you want the simplest inbound setup, a full phone system, or a native mobile experience that also shows your landline number on outbound calls.
1) Virtual Landline - £5/month
The cheapest business landline there is. Your business number forwards to your existing mobile: customers dial the landline, your mobile rings, nothing to install. The strong choice for sole traders and small businesses that mainly receive calls.
2) VoIP app
Better if you need desk phones, extensions and software phone-system features - but on mobile you depend on an app staying logged in and connected, which is exactly where VoIP disappoints people who work from their pocket.
3) Landline SIM - £10/user/month
The complete answer: a SIM that makes your mobile a native business landline. Inbound and outbound calls use the landline number, calls are ordinary mobile calls (no app), and unlimited UK calls and SMS are included. Add recording, hunt groups and a virtual receptionist as you grow.
| Question | Virtual Landline | VoIP | Landline SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost (typical) | £5 + VAT | £8 to £20/user | £10/user + VAT |
| Can my business number ring on my mobile? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Do I need an app? | No | Usually yes | No |
| Can outbound calls show my landline number? | Usually no | Often yes | Yes |
| Line rental or installation? | None | None | None |
| Best for simple setup? | Yes | No | Usually yes if device is supported |
Best fit for most small businesses
If you mainly want inbound business calls on your mobile, start with the Virtual Landline at £5/month - the cheapest business landline setup in the UK, live in minutes. If you want the landline number on outbound calls too, with unlimited UK calls and room to add team features, move up to Landline SIM. Both are monthly rolling with no contract, and your existing number can port in.
Business landline questions
Can I get a business landline without a physical line?
Yes - and in 2026 that is the normal way to do it. A "business landline" today means the NUMBER (an 01, 02 or 03 number customers trust), not copper in the wall. The number lives in the network and rings wherever you choose, usually your mobile. With the PSTN switch-off ending traditional lines, new physical installations are effectively obsolete anyway.
What is the cheapest business landline option?
A virtual landline at £5/month + VAT is the cheapest credible business landline in the UK: a real 01/02/03 number forwarded to your existing mobile, with no line rental, no installation and no contract. Compare that with £25 to £30/month line rental on a traditional line before a single call. If you also want to make outbound calls showing the landline number, Landline SIM at £10/user/month + VAT is the step up.
Which is best for a small business: virtual landline, VoIP or Landline SIM?
For a sole trader or small firm that mainly receives calls, the virtual landline is the simplest and cheapest. If you need the landline number on outbound calls and unlimited calling, Landline SIM gives a native mobile experience with no app. VoIP suits businesses that want desk phones and a software phone system, at the cost of app dependence on mobile. Our free chooser tool narrows it down in two minutes.
Can I keep my existing business landline number?
Almost always, yes. UK numbers are portable, so the number on your van and your Google listing moves with you - see number porting and check eligibility with the free porting checker. Porting in is included on Landline SIM; on Virtual Landline it is a £20 + VAT one-off.
Do business landline numbers still matter now everyone has mobiles?
For trust, yes. UK consumers still read an 01/02 number as an established local business and an 07 number as one person with a phone - and answer rates on landline caller ID reflect it. The winning combination is a landline number for the business, ringing on the mobiles the team actually carries.
What about the landline switch-off - is a landline number still safe?
The switch-off retires the old copper PHONE LINES, not the numbers. An 01/02/03 number hosted in a modern network like ONSIM is entirely unaffected - in fact it is the standard destination for businesses leaving copper. If you are still on a traditional line, see the free switch-off checker.