In short: BT Cloud Voice vs BT Cloud Phone comes down to team size and flexibility. BT describes Cloud Phone as a plug-and-play system for small businesses where every user shares the same features. Cloud Voice is for five or more users, gives each person tailored features, and offers self-install or engineer install.
The short answer
Both are BT hosted phone systems, so neither needs a phone system on your premises. The difference is in how they are built and who they are for.
- BT Cloud Phone is BT's plug-and-play option for small businesses. BT describes it as fully configured, with the same features for every user.
- BT Cloud Voice is for businesses with five or more users. Each person gets a feature pack chosen for their role, and you can add site features such as an auto attendant and call queues.
- BT Cloud Voice Express is a simpler hosted phone service for small businesses, included with BT's Business Fibre bundle or added to a BT broadband plan, supporting up to four numbers across up to four locations.
If you have a handful of people who all need the same thing, one of the simpler products may be enough. If you have different roles, several sites, a reception or a team answering queues, BT Cloud Voice is usually the better fit.
Side-by-side comparison
| BT Cloud Voice | BT Cloud Phone | BT Cloud Voice Express | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BT positions it for | Growing small and medium businesses, five or more users | Small businesses | Small businesses |
| How features are given out | Per user, by feature pack (Basic, Connect, Collaborate), mixed across the team | The same features for every user | A simple set of features for small businesses |
| Set-up | Self-install, or an engineer install, with cabling and LAN options | Plug and play, fully configured | Included with BT's Business Fibre bundle, or added to an existing BT broadband plan |
| Site features | Auto Attendant, Call Centre ACD, Call Centre ACD plus, Hunt Group plus | Ask us to confirm what is current | Scheduled call diverts and voicemail greetings |
| Optional extras | Receptionist console, CRM integration, call recording, Call Analytics, fax messaging, hot desking | Ask us to confirm what is current | Ask us to confirm what is current |
| Apps | BT Cloud Voice desktop and mobile apps (with Connect and Collaborate) | Ask us to confirm what is current | Cloud Voice Express app for iOS and Android |
| Microsoft Teams | BT Cloud Voice integration for click to call from Teams | Ask us | Ask us |
| Read more | BT Cloud Voice features | BT Cloud Phone | BT Cloud Voice Express |
BT changes its range and product details from time to time, so we confirm which products are available for new orders, and their current features, when we quote.
When BT Cloud Voice is the right choice
Choose BT Cloud Voice when:
- You have five or more users, or expect to soon.
- Different people need different things: shared phones on Basic, office and mobile staff on Connect, heavy meeting users on Collaborate.
- You want an auto attendant, hunt groups or call queues to handle incoming calls.
- Someone needs a receptionist console, call recording, Call Analytics or CRM integration.
- You have several sites that should work as one phone system.
- Your team works in Microsoft Teams and would like click to call through BT Cloud Voice.
- You are replacing an ISDN phone system before the switch-off.
When BT Cloud Phone or Express may be enough
A simpler product can make sense when:
- You are a very small team and everyone needs the same handful of features.
- You want something that is ready to plug in with as few decisions as possible.
- You have one to four numbers and mainly need a digital replacement for a business phone line, which is where BT Cloud Voice Express fits.
Our sister site has a full guide to BT Cloud Phone. We do not cover it in depth here because this site is about BT Cloud Voice.
Moving between BT products
Businesses grow, and the right product today may not be the right one in three years. A few points to plan for:
- Contracts: each BT product has its own term. BT Cloud Voice licences are on a 60-month term, so check your current agreement before you switch.
- Numbers: decide where each number is going before you move. BT says its newer Digital Voice for Business service is completely separate from BT Cloud Voice and BT Cloud Voice Express, and asks existing customers of those services to get in touch before moving, so check the route for your numbers first.
- Devices: BT Cloud Voice works only with phones from BT's approved Cloud Voice range, so handsets from another service may not move across. See handsets and headsets.
We check all of this before recommending a move. See switching to BT Cloud Voice for how the process works.
How we help you choose
Forever Communications Limited is a BT Business Partner, so we can talk you through BT's options without pushing you to the biggest one. We look at how many people you have, how calls arrive and get answered, your sites and your internet connection, then recommend the product that fits.
Contact us with a rough outline of your team and we will come back with a recommendation and a quote.
Why buy BT Cloud Voice from Forever Communications Limited
Forever Communications Limited is part of Forever Group and a BT Business Partner. We supply, set up and support BT Cloud Voice for UK businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations, from a handful of users to multi-site teams.
- A named partner who plans your numbers, call flows, user feature packs and handsets with you
- Number porting managed for you, timed to avoid downtime
- Connectivity checked first, so call quality is right from day one, with BT business broadband and BTnet available if you need it
- Help with the digital switchover, including alarms, lifts, card terminals and other analogue lines
- Training and ongoing support for the apps, Microsoft Teams integration, moves, adds, changes and faults
BT Cloud Voice is a business service. We do not sell consumer or home phone products.
Want a BT Cloud Voice quote for your business?
Tell Forever Communications what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between BT Cloud Voice and BT Cloud Phone?
BT describes Cloud Phone as a plug-and-play system for small businesses with the same features for every user. BT Cloud Voice is for five or more users, gives each user tailored features through feature packs, and can be self-installed or engineer installed.
Is BT Cloud Voice better than BT Cloud Phone?
Neither is better in every case. BT Cloud Voice suits teams of five or more with different roles, several sites or call queues. BT Cloud Phone suits small teams who all need the same features and want a simple plug-and-play set-up.
What is BT Cloud Voice Express?
BT Cloud Voice Express is BT's hosted phone service for small businesses, included with BT's Business Fibre bundle or added to a BT broadband plan. It supports up to four numbers across up to four locations, with a mobile app for iOS and Android. See BT Cloud Voice Express.
How many users do I need for BT Cloud Voice?
BT positions BT Cloud Voice for businesses with five or more users. We can advise if your team is smaller.
Can I move from BT Cloud Phone to BT Cloud Voice?
Usually, yes, but check your current contract term, which numbers you want to keep and whether your devices are in BT's Cloud Voice range. We check all three before you order.