By Matt Smith · Last verified: July 2026
For most UK teams outgrowing CircleLoop, CloudTalk ($19/user/mo) covers more countries and Dialpad ($15/user/mo) adds AI call summaries. wlur (from $15/user/mo) is live now. It offers simple CRM-synced routing, a 7-day free trial, and no card required.
Why people switch from CircleLoop
The late-2024 platform upgrade broke things for existing users
Several CircleLoop users on G2 and Getvoip describe a late-2024 app upgrade that made things worse, not better. Call logs stopped syncing reliably. Apps became less stable. Blocking unwanted numbers got harder than it used to be.
That's the kind of regression that erodes trust fast. It especially hurts teams who chose CircleLoop for its simplicity in the first place.
Call transfers and connection lag show up repeatedly in reviews
Reviewers on G2 flag buggy call transfers and ringing that lags before a call connects. Some describe having to redial a number a few times before the call goes through. That's a rough experience for a business phone line answering customer calls.
Voicemail ring time isn't configurable
CircleLoop rings for about 10 rings (roughly 25 seconds) before dropping to voicemail. CircleLoop's own support has confirmed that's by design, not a bug. Teams who want a shorter or longer ring window before voicemail kicks in have no way to change it.
SMS is UK-only and there's no video calling
CircleLoop's SMS runs at 4p per message and only works for UK numbers, per CircleLoop's own pricing page. There's also no built-in video conferencing. Teams that need international texting or video have to bolt on a second tool.
What CircleLoop still does well
CircleLoop earns its 4.3/5 on G2 honestly. It's genuinely simple to set up, and there's no long-term contract to escape. Reviewers consistently call out the cost-effectiveness for small UK teams. They just need calls and basic texting sorted, without a sales call.
The support team gets real praise too. A solo trader or a two-person office that only calls UK numbers may find CircleLoop's no-frills approach is arguably the right amount of product. The problems above mostly surface once a team grows past a handful of people, or starts calling internationally.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Entry price | Seat minimum | CRM sync | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CircleLoop | UK-only teams wanting simple, contract-free calling | £5/user/mo + usage, £15 unlimited (Jul 2026) | 1 | Basic, limited integrations | UK-focused |
 CloudTalk | Teams calling internationally | $19/user/mo, annual (Jul 2026) | 1 | HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, add-ons stack | 160+ |
 Dialpad | Teams wanting AI call summaries | $15/user/mo, annual (Jul 2026) | 1 | Salesforce, HubSpot (higher tiers) | 50+ |
 8x8 | Larger teams wanting one global bundle | Custom/quote (Jul 2026) | Varies | Salesforce, Zendesk, custom builds | 48+ with local numbers |
 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) | US-centric teams wanting a polished app | $15/user/mo, annual (Jul 2026) | 1 | HubSpot, Salesforce via Zapier | US/Canada-focused |
 wlur | Small teams wanting CRM sync without seat minimums | $15/£12.50/€14/user/mo (Jul 2026) | None | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Shopify | International numbers |
The alternatives, honestly
CloudTalk
The pick if your team calls beyond the UK and wants deeper CRM logging.
CloudTalk is a cloud calling platform built for sales and support teams. It has call center features like queues and click-to-call baked in.
- Standout:
- Coverage across 160+ countries with local numbers in most of them.
- Pricing:
- $19/user/mo (Lite, annual), up to $49/user/mo (Expert), as of July 2026.
- Limitation:
- Reviewers on G2 say advanced features and call credits get locked behind higher tiers, so the real cost creeps up fast.
- Makes sense if:
- You're calling international numbers regularly and need that logged straight into your CRM.
Dialpad
A strong pick if AI-generated call summaries matter more to you than UK-specific features.
Dialpad is a Google-backed, AI-native business phone system with live transcription and automatic call summaries on every plan.
- Standout:
- Real-time transcription and AI coaching prompts during live calls.
- Pricing:
- $15/user/mo, billed annually, as of July 2026.
- Limitation:
- Deeper CRM sync (Salesforce, HubSpot) is reserved for higher-tier plans, not the entry tier.
- Makes sense if:
- Your team wants a searchable transcript of every call without paying for a separate tool.
8x8
Worth a look once your team spans several countries and needs one contract to cover it.
8x8 is a global unified communications platform bundling voice, video and contact center tools under one roof.
- Standout:
- Local numbers in 48+ countries under a single global plan.
- Pricing:
- Custom/quote pricing, as of July 2026; 8x8 does not publish flat per-user rates.
- Limitation:
- You'll need a sales conversation to get a price, which is slower than a self-serve signup.
- Makes sense if:
- You're scaling past a single-country team and want one vendor for every office.
Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
A polished option if most of your calls are to US or Canadian numbers.
OpenPhone rebranded to Quo in September 2025, after raising $105 million. It repositioned around shared inboxes and AI call handling, rather than just dial tone.
- Standout:
- A 4.7/5 G2 score across 3,000+ reviews, among the highest in the category.
- Pricing:
- $15/user/mo (Starter), $23/user/mo (Business), annual, as of July 2026.
- Limitation:
- It's built for the US/Canada market first. UK and international calling is secondary.
- Makes sense if:
- Your team is US or Canada-based and you want the best-reviewed app in the category.
wlur
our productwlur is our product, so grade this entry accordingly.
wlur is a business phone system built for small teams. It's one app for iOS and Android, with business numbers, simple routing, and extra numbers added in minutes.
- Standout:
- Two-way CRM sync with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive and Shopify, with no seat minimums.
- Pricing:
- $15 / £12.50 / €14 per user/month, dated July 2026; 20% off annual; extra numbers $5/month.
- Limitation:
- wlur is new. There's no long public review history yet, unlike the more established names on this list.
- Makes sense if:
- You want CRM-synced calling without a seat minimum. You can start with a 7-day free trial.
When CircleLoop is actually the better choice
- ✓You only ever call and text UK numbers, and international coverage doesn't matter.
- ✓You want to walk away from a contract at any point without penalty. CircleLoop is genuinely no-contract.
- ✓You're a solo trader or two-person team and £5/user/mo plus usage beats a $15-19/user/mo flat rate.
- ✓You don't need deep CRM sync, just call and text logs.
Before you switch
- ·Number porting away from CircleLoop typically takes 5-10 working days in the UK. Request your PAC or STAC code before you cancel, not after.
- ·Export your call recordings and voicemail transcripts before closing the account. CircleLoop does not guarantee data access after cancellation.
- ·Check any in-flight SMS campaigns. UK SMS rules mean you'll need to re-register sender IDs with a new provider.
- ·Give your team a week of running both systems in parallel before fully cutting over. That way nobody misses a client call mid-switch.
Frequently asked questions
Is CircleLoop still a good choice for a UK small business in 2026?
Yes, if you only need UK calling and texting and want to avoid a contract. CircleLoop's 4.3/5 G2 score reflects genuine satisfaction among small, UK-only teams. It gets less suitable once you need international numbers or deeper CRM integration.
Why do CircleLoop calls sometimes not connect on the first try?
Reviewers on G2 report connection lag and calls that require redialing before they go through, alongside buggy call transfers. CircleLoop hasn't published a public root cause, but the pattern shows up across multiple independent reviews.
Can I change how long CircleLoop rings before voicemail?
No. CircleLoop rings for roughly 10 rings (about 25 seconds) before dropping to voicemail, and its own support team has confirmed this is fixed by design rather than a setting you can adjust.
Does CircleLoop support international SMS?
No. Per CircleLoop's pricing page, SMS is UK-only at 4p per message. Teams needing to text international numbers need a separate tool or a different provider entirely.
What broke in the CircleLoop app upgrade?
Users on G2 and Getvoip describe a late-2024 upgrade that caused problems. Call log sync issues, less reliable apps, and harder blocking of unwanted numbers all came up. Some of these issues have reportedly persisted for months after the update.
Is wlur a real alternative to CircleLoop today?
Yes. wlur is live and you can sign up today, with a 7-day free trial and no card required. Pricing is $15/£12.50/€14 per user/month with no seat minimums, dated July 2026. It's our product, and it's newer than CircleLoop, so weigh that against its CRM sync and pricing.
Last verified: July 2026. Prices from providers' public pricing pages; complaints attributed to their sources. Spotted something stale? Tell us.