CircleLoop (£5/user/mo, no minimum) and Quo (formerly OpenPhone, $15/user/mo, no minimum) have the lowest true floors. Neither has a hidden seat minimum. JustCall's 'from $29' actually floors at $58/mo (2-seat minimum). Aircall's 'from $30' floors at $90/mo (3-seat minimum). wlur is live now at $15/user/mo with no minimum.
"From $15/user/month" tells you the per-seat rate, not what you'll actually pay. Seat minimums, annual-only discounts, and add-on features can change the real number a lot. A feature bundled free at one competitor gets billed separately at another. Together these can double the real monthly floor. This list does the math so the headline price and the real price are both visible.
Cheapest here means the lowest genuine monthly cost for a small team (1-3 people). That includes any seat minimum and the add-ons you'd realistically need, like a second number or basic CRM logging. It doesn't mean the lowest feature count. Some genuinely cheap options cut corners that matter, and we say so.
How we compared
We took each provider's own pricing page in July 2026. From it, we worked out the floor cost at 1 user and 3 users. We applied published seat minimums, and noted where annual billing is needed to hit the advertised rate. Otherwise, the monthly rate is higher.
This is desk research on public pricing pages, not a hands-on trial of every plan's fine print. Some providers change bundled features between tiers often. Check the current feature list against your specific needs before paying annually upfront.
At a glance
| Tool | Best for | Entry price | Seat minimum | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 CircleLoop | No minimum, pay for usage | £5/user/mo + usage | 1 (none) | True floor matches headline price |
 Quo (OpenPhone) | No minimum, flat rate | $15/user/mo | 1 (none) | True floor matches headline price |
 Grasshopper | Flat pricing regardless of users | $14/mo flat | n/a | Cheap for small teams, no CRM sync at any price |
 Dialpad | Annual rate, no seat minimum | $15/user/mo (annual) | 1 (none) | Monthly billing costs more than advertised |
 CloudTalk | Annual rate, no seat minimum | $19/user/mo (annual) | 1 (none) | Monthly billing is a meaningfully higher rate |
 JustCall | CRM depth if you accept the seat floor | $29/user/mo | 2 (true floor $58/mo) | Headline price hides a $58/mo real floor |
| Aircall | CRM/Shopify depth if you accept the seat floor | $30/user/mo (annual) | 3 (true floor $90/mo) | Headline price hides a $90/mo real floor |
 wlur | No-minimum flat rate, live now | $15/user/mo | 0 | True floor equals headline price |
The list
CircleLoop
Genuinely no minimum, pay only for what you useThe advertised price and the real price are the same number here, which is rarer than it should be.
CircleLoop's Pay As You Go plan is £5/user/month plus VAT. It includes unlimited inbound calls and outbound at 3p/minute, with no seat minimum and no setup fee. A solo user pays £5 plus whatever they actually call. A 3-person team pays £15 plus usage, exactly 3x the headline rate.
The only place the math gets less simple is outbound minutes. PAYG bills per minute instead of bundling unlimited calls. For low call volume that's genuinely cheaper than a flat-rate competitor. For high call volume, the Unlimited tier at £15/user/month is the better comparison.
- Standout:
- No seat minimum and a usage-based tier that's cheaper than flat rate for low call volume
- Pricing:
- £5/user/month + VAT (PAYG, calls at 3p/min) or £15/user/month + VAT (Unlimited). As of CircleLoop's pricing page, July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you want the headline price to be the real price, and your call volume is moderate.
Honest cons
- ·PAYG outbound minutes at 3p each can exceed a flat-rate plan's cost for high call volume
- ·IVR and call queue features are more basic than enterprise-focused competitors
- ·Unlimited plan's international coverage is limited to six destination countries
Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
No minimum, flat and simpleThe advertised $15/user/month is the true floor, whether you have 1 person or 10.
Quo has no seat minimum. A solo founder pays $15/month and a 3-person team pays $45/month, exactly 3x, with no floor tax. Extra numbers are a flat $5/month add-on, also with no minimum quantity.
Where the real cost can creep up is international calling. It's pay-per-minute via prepaid credits rather than included. A2P 10DLC registration for US texting also adds a one-time $15-50 setup fee plus $1.50-3/month.
- Standout:
- No seat minimum at any team size, plus a well-reviewed shared inbox
- Pricing:
- $15/user/month, no seat minimum. Extra numbers $5/month. As of Quo's pricing page, July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you want a flat, predictable per-user rate with zero seat-minimum tax.
Honest cons
- ·International calling is pay-per-minute via credits, not included in the base rate
- ·A2P 10DLC setup adds $15-50 one-time plus $1.50-3/month for US texting
- ·No native Shopify integration if that's a requirement
Grasshopper
Flat account pricing regardless of headcountCheap in absolute terms for a small team. The trade-off is zero CRM or Shopify sync at any price tier.
Grasshopper's Solo Plus plan is $25/month (annual) for unlimited users and three extensions. That means a 5-person team effectively pays $5/person/month, cheaper per head than most flat per-user competitors at that size. True Solo is $14/month for one line.
The real cost catch isn't a seat minimum, it's missing features. There's no CRM integration, no shared inbox, and calls route to individual phones rather than a team app. Add-ons like call blasting ($9/mo) and professional greetings ($75 one-time) stack up if you want more.
- Standout:
- Unlimited users on the Solo Plus plan makes per-head cost drop sharply as a team grows
- Pricing:
- $14/mo (True Solo, annual) to $80/mo (Small Business, annual). Extra numbers $9/mo, extra extensions $3/mo. As of Grasshopper's pricing page, July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you have several people answering a shared number and don't need CRM sync.
Honest cons
- ·No CRM or Shopify integration at any price tier
- ·No shared inbox; calls and texts route to individual phones
- ·Add-ons (call blasting, professional greetings) aren't included and stack up
Dialpad
No seat minimum, but check the annual conditionThe $15/user/month rate is real, but only if you commit to annual billing; monthly costs noticeably more.
Dialpad has no seat minimum, so a solo user genuinely pays $15/month on the annual plan. Here's the catch most "from $X" pages skip: that price needs annual prepayment. Monthly (month-to-month) billing runs at a meaningfully higher per-user rate.
For a team confident they'll stick around a year, that's a fair trade. You get AI-generated call summaries and transcripts included at the base tier. For a team that wants to test month-to-month first, budget for the higher non-annual rate.
- Standout:
- No seat minimum plus AI call summaries included on the base annual plan
- Pricing:
- $15/user/month on annual billing, 1-seat minimum (none beyond that). Monthly billing is a higher rate. As of Dialpad's pricing page, July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you're ready to commit annually and want AI call summaries included.
Honest cons
- ·The $15 rate requires annual prepayment; monthly billing costs more
- ·Some smaller international markets need a support request to add a number
- ·Advanced routing and analytics sit behind higher tiers
CloudTalk
No seat minimum, same annual-billing condition as Dialpad$19/user/month is real on the annual plan; the monthly rate without annual commitment is a noticeably different number.
CloudTalk has no seat minimum, so the annual $19/user/month applies at any team size. As with Dialpad, that rate depends on annual billing. Month-to-month customers pay a higher published rate, per CloudTalk's own pricing page.
The genuine value here is the native Shopify integration and 160+ country number coverage bundled into that price. Neither Grasshopper nor CircleLoop match that.
- Standout:
- No seat minimum plus native Shopify integration and wide country coverage on the base tier
- Pricing:
- $19/user/month on the annual plan, no seat minimum. Extra numbers $6/month. Monthly billing is higher. As of CloudTalk's pricing page, July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you want Shopify integration and wide country coverage at a no-minimum rate, and can commit annually.
Honest cons
- ·The $19 rate requires annual prepayment; monthly billing costs more
- ·Advanced call flows and analytics are gated to higher tiers
- ·Some less-common countries need local business registration to get a number
JustCall
CRM depth, if you accept the real 2-seat floorThe "from $29" headline hides a genuine $58/month floor because of the 2-seat minimum. Arithmetic: 2 x $29 = $58, not $29.
JustCall's pricing page advertises $29/user/month. But the 2-seat minimum means a solo founder can't actually buy one seat. The real floor is $58/month for one active user paying for two licences. That's the exact gap this list exists to expose.
What justifies the premium for some teams is native CRM logging to Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive. It also has a predictive dialer built for outbound sales. CircleLoop and Grasshopper don't offer these.
- Standout:
- Native CRM logging and a predictive dialer for outbound-heavy sales teams
- Pricing:
- $29/user/month advertised, 2-seat minimum means a real floor of $58/month. As of JustCall's pricing page, July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you need CRM and dialer depth and have at least 2 people who'll actually use the seats.
Honest cons
- ·Advertised per-seat price doesn't reflect the true $58/month minimum spend
- ·No native Shopify app; Shopify context needs Zapier or a Chrome extension
- ·Reviewers on G2 mention call quality varies by region
Aircall
CRM/Shopify depth, if you accept the real 3-seat floorThe "from $30" headline hides a $90/month floor. Arithmetic: 3 x $30 = $90, the real minimum spend no matter how many people actually use it.
Aircall's advertised annual rate is $30/user/month. But the 3-seat minimum means the smallest possible bill is $90/month, whether you have one active user or three. That's the largest gap between headline and floor price on this list.
The trade-off is a native Shopify order-pop integration and deep CRM sync that beats cheaper competitors. AI features cost extra, at $9-15/user/month if you want them.
- Standout:
- Native Shopify integration and CRM sync that justify the premium for support-heavy teams of 3+
- Pricing:
- $30/user/month advertised (annual), 3-seat minimum means a real floor of $90/month. AI add-ons $9-15/user/mo. As of Aircall's pricing page, July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you have 3 or more people who'll use the seats and need Shopify or CRM integration depth.
Honest cons
- ·Advertised per-seat price doesn't reflect the true $90/month minimum spend
- ·AI features cost extra on top of an already higher floor
- ·Monthly (non-annual) billing pushes the real floor even higher
wlur
Flat rate with no seat minimum, live nowour productwlur is our product, so grade this entry accordingly.
wlur is our product, so grade this entry accordingly. It's live now at a flat $15/user/month with no seat minimum. The math is simple: 1 user is $15, 3 users is $45, with no floor tax like JustCall's or Aircall's.
It ships with two-way CRM sync to HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive and Shopify already live, plus iOS, Android and desktop apps. It also has a 7-day free trial with no card required, and free number porting in and out.
- Standout:
- Flat $15/user/month with no seat minimum, matching the cheapest options on this list
- Pricing:
- $15/user/month (£12.50, €14), no seat minimum, 20% off annual, extra numbers $5/month. As of July 2026.
- Makes sense if:
- you want the lowest verified no-minimum price and don't mind trying a newer provider.
Honest cons
- ·New to the market, so there's no long public review history yet
- ·Fewer third-party reviews than the more established names on this list
- ·US, UK and EU coverage for now, not the widest country list here
The real monthly floor at 1, 3 and 8 users
At 1 user: Quo and CircleLoop both charge exactly their headline rate ($15 and roughly £5-6 respectively). JustCall's headline is $29, but the true floor is $58 (2-seat minimum). Aircall's headline is $30, but the true floor is $90 (3-seat minimum), 3x the advertised per-seat number.
At 3 users: Quo is $45 (3 x $15, no minimum tax). JustCall is $87 (3 x $29, seat minimum already met). Aircall is $90 (3 x $30, exactly at its floor, with no discount for hitting the minimum exactly). CloudTalk is $57 on the annual plan.
At 8 users: Quo is $120. JustCall is $232. Aircall is $240. CloudTalk is $152. The seat-minimum tax that hurt JustCall and Aircall at 1-2 users disappears at scale. By 8 users, everyone's paying the straight per-seat rate. The annual-vs-monthly gap for CloudTalk and Dialpad still applies at any size, though.
Team phone cost calculator →How to spot the real price behind a "cheap" phone system
- 01Multiply the advertised per-seat price by the published seat minimum, not by your actual headcount. JustCall's $29 and Aircall's $30 both hide a floor 2-3x higher than the headline for small teams.
- 02Check whether the advertised rate needs annual billing. Dialpad and CloudTalk's cheapest published rates both assume you've prepaid a year, not paid month-to-month.
- 03Add the realistic cost of extras you'll actually use, like extra numbers, CRM sync, or AI transcription. Several "cheap" providers unbundle these as separate line items.
- 04If you're a true solo user, pick providers with no seat minimum, like CircleLoop, Quo, Dialpad or CloudTalk. Avoid ones that force you to buy seats you won't use.
- 05Recalculate at your real team size before deciding. A provider that looks expensive at 1 user, like Aircall, can look competitive at 8 users. That's once the seat-minimum tax stops mattering.
Frequently asked questions
What does "seat minimum" mean on a phone system pricing page?
It's the minimum number of licences you must buy no matter your actual headcount. JustCall requires 2 and Aircall requires 3. A solo user still pays for the extra unused seats.
Why do some prices say 'annual' next to them?
Providers like Dialpad and CloudTalk offer their advertised per-user rate only if you prepay for a year. Month-to-month billing is a separate, higher rate.
Which cheap business phone system has no seat minimum at all?
CircleLoop, Quo (OpenPhone), Dialpad and CloudTalk all publish no seat minimum as of July 2026. The latter two need annual billing to hit their lowest rate, though.
What's the true cost of JustCall for a solo user?
JustCall's headline is $29/user/month, but its 2-seat minimum means a solo user's real floor is $58/month, not $29.
What's the true cost of Aircall for a 2-person team?
Aircall's 3-seat minimum means a 2-person team pays $90/month (3 seats at $30). That's the same as a 3-person team, since the third seat goes unused.
Is Grasshopper cheaper than per-user pricing for a team?
Yes for teams of several people, since its Solo Plus plan bundles unlimited users at a flat $25/month. It lacks CRM or Shopify sync entirely, though.
Do cheap phone systems skip important features?
Sometimes. Grasshopper has no CRM sync at any tier. CircleLoop's IVR and call queue tools are more basic than enterprise-focused competitors.
Does international calling cost extra on cheap plans?
Usually yes. Quo's international calling is pay-per-minute via credits. CircleLoop's Unlimited tier only covers six destination countries before per-minute charges apply.
How much does a text messaging add-on cost on cheap plans?
Quo needs A2P 10DLC registration for US texting at $15-50 setup plus $1.50-3/month. CircleLoop includes SMS at 4p/message on both its plans.
Is it worth paying more for Aircall or JustCall over a cheaper no-minimum option?
Only if you need their CRM or Shopify integration depth and have enough users to make the seat minimum reasonable. Otherwise a no-minimum option is genuinely cheaper.
Does wlur have a seat minimum?
No. wlur is live now at $15/user/month with no seat minimum. It's our product, so weigh that against its shorter public track record when comparing it to more established names here.
What's the cheapest way to get a business phone number as a true solo user?
CircleLoop's Pay As You Go tier at £5/user/month plus usage, or Quo at $15/user/month. Both have no seat minimum, making them the cheapest verified options for one person.
Do annual plans always save money over monthly billing?
Usually, if you're confident you'll stay a year. If you might switch providers sooner, the monthly rate avoids a prepaid commitment, even though the per-month cost is higher.
Last verified: July 2026. Prices from providers' public pricing pages on that date. wlur is our product; its entry above says so.