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HiHi vs the Alternatives (2026): Real Costs Compared

HiHi vs the Alternatives (2026): Real Costs Compared

Why This Comparison Exists

Most "HiHi vs" articles online are sales pages. Either they are written by HiHi / 4Com to defend the product, or they are written by competitor resellers with their own commercial axe to grind. This article tries to do something different: take a typical UK 10-user small business, price it like-for-like across HiHi and four credible alternatives, and show the 24-month total cost of ownership for each.

We are Compare The Networks, an independent OFCOM-regulated business telecoms comparison service since 2008. We have no commercial relationship with HiHi, 4Com, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions or Propel Finance. We do offer hosted VoIP through partner networks — that is disclosed up-front, and the comparison below uses publicly available pricing for everyone.

The Test Business

To compare like-for-like, here is the test scenario.

  • 10 users
  • Each user has a desk phone and uses a mobile app for out-of-office calls
  • One inbound main number, two department numbers, ten DDIs
  • Average 200 outbound calls per user per month, mix of UK landline and mobile
  • Auto-attendant ("press 1 for sales..."), hunt groups, voicemail to email
  • Existing UK fibre broadband already in place
  • 24-month time horizon (the standard CTN comparison window)

The target is total spend over 24 months, including hardware, service, calls, support and any third-party finance interest. All figures are indicative; your real numbers depend on your contract.

Option 1: HiHi via 4Com

Based on the pattern of pricing reviewers describe on uk.trustpilot.com/review/hihi.co.uk and uk.trustpilot.com/review/4com.co.uk, and the cases referenced in the BBC's 2025 4Com investigation, a 10-user HiHi setup typically lands in this range:

  • HiHi service contract: in the order of £200 to £300 per month
  • BNP Paribas or Propel handset finance lease: £350 to £500 per month for handsets, base unit and software
  • Maintenance / support: often £30 to £60 per month
  • Combined direct debit total: roughly £600 to £850 per month

24-month visible cost (mid range, £700/month): £700 × 24 = £16,800

But this is the misleading number, because the handset finance lease typically runs 84 months, not 24. The remaining 60 months on the lease are still committed at sign-up. If you settled the lease at the 24-month mark to leave, the early settlement on the BNP / Propel side adds something like £400 × 60 = £24,000 on top — see HiHi early termination fee.

True 7-year commitment: in the £40,000 to £60,000 range for 10 users. The Voyced "£54k for 5 phones" piece references comparable absolute figures on a smaller user count. 4Com strongly denies misselling and says cited examples represent less than 1% of its client base.

Option 2: Hosted VoIP via CTN with Yealink Handsets

A transparent CTN-style hosted VoIP setup uses an industry-standard SIP platform (typically a UK-based hosted VoIP partner) and standard SIP handsets — Yealink T5-series for touchscreen, T4-series for traditional. The components on a CTN quote separate cleanly:

  • Hosted VoIP per user: around £8 to £12 per user per month (10 users = £80–£120)
  • Auto-attendant, hunt groups, voicemail to email: included
  • HiHi Connect-equivalent mobile app: included
  • Inbound main number + DDIs: typically £1 per number per month (£12 ish)
  • UK call bundles or pence-per-minute: typically £5 to £10 per user
  • Yealink touchscreen desk phones (T58W or T54W): £160 to £230 outright, or roughly £8 to £12 per phone per month rented over 24 months
  • One-off install / config: typically £150 to £400

24-month cost (mid range): approx £180 per month service + £100 per month rented handsets = £280 per month × 24 = £6,720, plus £300 install = £7,020

Total commitment at 24 months: ~£7,000. No 7-year shadow lease. Numbers belong to you. Hardware can be bought outright at the end if rented.

Get a free quote for your specific configuration.

Option 3: Hosted VoIP via CTN with Poly (Polycom) Handsets

Effectively the same platform as Option 2 with different hardware. Poly Edge E series sits between Yealink T4 and T5 on price and feature set; Poly is the legacy Polycom brand and is well-trusted in UK enterprise VoIP.

  • Service component: same as Option 2, roughly £80 to £180 per month
  • Poly Edge E300 or VVX 250 handsets: £130 to £250 outright, or £7 to £11 rented over 24 months
  • Numbers, calls, install: same as Option 2

24-month cost (mid range): approx £6,500 to £7,500

The key point is not the brand of phone — it is the structure. A transparent VoIP quote separates platform, calls, numbers and hardware. You pay for what you use, you can buy handsets outright, and there is no 7-year shadow lease underneath.

Option 4: Microsoft Teams Calling

If your business already uses Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Premium, Teams Calling is an obvious alternative — particularly for staff who already live in Teams all day.

Indicative pricing (Microsoft list, 2026):

  • Microsoft Teams Phone licence: around £6 per user per month
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard (if not already on it): £10.30 per user per month
  • Domestic UK calling plan: around £6 per user per month, or pay-as-you-go
  • Direct routing through a third-party SIP trunk if preferred (often cheaper at scale)
  • Optional Teams-certified hardware: Yealink MP54 or Poly CCX desk phones, £120 to £250 outright, often skipped in favour of headsets

24-month cost (10 users on Teams Phone + UK calling, assuming 365 already in place): 10 × (£6 + £6) = £120 per month × 24 = £2,880, plus optional hardware of £1,000 to £2,000.

Total: approximately £3,000 to £5,000

Trade-offs: feature-rich for users who already live in Teams, but the auto-attendant/hunt-group/voicemail experience is different from a traditional desk-phone hosted VoIP. Best fit for office-light, hybrid teams.

Option 5: Google Voice (Workspace)

Google Voice for Business is bundled with Google Workspace and is the closest equivalent to Teams Calling on the Google side.

Indicative pricing (Google Workspace, 2026):

  • Google Voice Standard licence: around £16 per user per month
  • Google Workspace Business Standard (if not already on it): £12 per user per month
  • UK calls included up to a fair-use cap
  • Hardware optional — most use mobile and laptop apps

24-month cost (10 users on Voice + Workspace): 10 × £28 = £280 per month × 24 = £6,720

If Workspace is already in place, drop to Voice-only: 10 × £16 = £160 per month × 24 = £3,840

Trade-offs: clean integration with Gmail and Calendar. UK number range and feature set is more limited than a UK-native hosted VoIP. Auto-attendant and call-flow features are simpler than HiHi or hosted VoIP. Best fit for digitally-native small teams who do not live on a desk phone.

Side-by-Side Summary

For the same 10-user business over 24 months:

  • HiHi via 4Com: approx £16,800 visible direct debits over 24 months — but with a residual 60-month BNP / Propel lease still committed beyond, taking the true full-term 7-year commitment to roughly £40,000 to £60,000.
  • Hosted VoIP via CTN + Yealink: approx £7,000
  • Hosted VoIP via CTN + Poly: approx £6,500 to £7,500
  • Microsoft Teams Calling: approx £3,000 to £5,000 (if already on Microsoft 365)
  • Google Voice + Workspace: approx £3,800 to £6,700

The cheapest option is rarely the right answer — Teams or Google Voice may not give you the desk-phone experience some businesses need. But the hosted VoIP options on transparent 24-month terms come in at roughly a third to a half of the HiHi visible cost, and a fraction of the true full-term HiHi commitment.

Features Compared, Honestly

Cost is not the only factor. Here is how the options compare on the features that matter day to day.

Touchscreen Desk Phone

  • HiHi: yes (the HiHi3 and HiHi4 are decent touchscreen handsets)
  • CTN + Yealink T58W: yes
  • CTN + Poly Edge E series: yes (smaller screen)
  • Teams Calling: optional (Yealink MP54 / Poly CCX)
  • Google Voice: not really — designed around the app

Mobile App with Desk Extension

  • HiHi: yes (HiHi Connect 2)
  • CTN + Yealink/Poly: yes (provider-supplied softphone)
  • Teams Calling: yes (Teams app)
  • Google Voice: yes (Voice app)

Auto-Attendant and Hunt Groups

  • HiHi: yes
  • CTN + Yealink/Poly: yes
  • Teams Calling: yes (auto-attendant + call queues)
  • Google Voice: simpler (single auto-attendant, ring groups)

CRM Integrations

  • HiHi: limited, depends on the platform behind it
  • CTN + Yealink/Poly: depends on the hosted platform — most major UK platforms integrate with HubSpot, Salesforce, Capsule
  • Teams Calling: extensive (Dynamics, Salesforce, HubSpot, custom)
  • Google Voice: limited

UK-Based Support

  • HiHi / 4Com: yes
  • CTN + partner platform: yes
  • Teams Calling: depends on your Microsoft partner
  • Google Voice: limited

Contract Length

  • HiHi: 36-60 month service + 84-month lease (real commitment 7 years)
  • CTN: 24 months
  • Teams Calling: monthly / annual
  • Google Voice: monthly / annual

Number Portability

  • All options: yes (UK businesses have legal right to port numbers; the CTN switching promise covers exit costs on agreed terms)

Which Should You Choose?

The honest framing depends on how your business actually works.

Choose Hosted VoIP via CTN (Yealink or Poly) if:

  • You want a desk-phone-led experience
  • You want transparent 24-month pricing with no 7-year shadow lease
  • You want a UK-native auto-attendant and hunt-group setup
  • You want one phone bill, not two direct debits to two entities

Choose Microsoft Teams Calling if:

  • Your team already lives in Microsoft Teams all day
  • You are happy with headset-led calling rather than desk phones
  • You have an existing Microsoft 365 commitment

Choose Google Voice if:

  • Your team is digital-native and lives in Gmail / Workspace
  • Call volume per user is moderate
  • Desk phones are not central to your workflow

Stay on HiHi if:

  • You are happy with the cost
  • You are satisfied that your contract length and total commitment was clearly disclosed
  • You have read your paperwork and confirmed the position

If any of those last three are uncertain, the right action is not to switch first — it is to read your real contract length (HiHi contract length), get your real exit cost in writing (HiHi early termination fee), and decide with the full numbers in front of you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HiHi cheaper than alternatives like Yealink hosted VoIP?

On the visible monthly direct debit, HiHi is typically several times the cost of a transparent hosted VoIP setup with Yealink or Poly handsets. Once you include the residual 60 months on the BNP Paribas or Propel handset lease, the gap widens further. Reviewers and the 2025 BBC investigation describe specific cases where independent telecoms experts called HiHi pricing "grossly inflated, in some cases several times higher than typical market rates." 4Com strongly denies this characterisation.

Can I use Yealink or Poly handsets on a HiHi system?

The HiHi platform is closed to HiHi-branded handsets. You cannot bring a Yealink or Poly to a HiHi line. Switching to a transparent SIP hosted VoIP platform (which is what most CTN comparisons offer) lets you choose any standards-based handset.

Is Microsoft Teams Calling a real alternative to HiHi?

Yes, for businesses that are already on Microsoft 365 and live in Teams day-to-day. The cost difference can be substantial, but the desk-phone experience is different. It is the right answer for some businesses and the wrong one for others.

Will switching to a CTN hosted VoIP cover my HiHi exit cost?

CTN's switching promise covers agreed contribution amounts towards exit fees, terms apply. No competitor can magic away the BNP Paribas or Propel handset lease — that liability sits separately. The right approach is to get the exit numbers in writing, get the CTN quote, and decide whether the maths works.

How long is a CTN hosted VoIP contract?

24 months. That is the standard CTN minimum. There are no 7-year leases, no separate finance company on a second direct debit, and the OFCOM-compliant annual price increase is shown in £ and pence.

See Your Real Numbers

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About this article. Claims reported here are attributed to public reviews on Trustpilot and similar platforms. They represent the opinions of the reviewers cited, not statements of fact by Compare The Networks. Brands named may dispute these claims. If you are a brand representative who believes any content requires correction, please contact us.

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