Comparison
VoIP vs landline: what actually changes
Copper is being switched off across most major markets. Here's an honest look at what you gain, what you give up, and how to de-risk the move.
Cost
- Landline: line rental per line plus per-minute charges
- VoIP: one per-user fee, unlimited domestic calling
- Landline: engineer visit to add a line
- VoIP: add a user in seconds
- Typical saving on switching: 30–45%
Call quality
- Landline: narrowband, capped near 3.4 kHz
- VoIP: HD wideband audio via Opus
- Landline: quality is fixed and unmonitored
- VoIP: quality depends on network but is measured per call
- Verdict: VoIP is better on a healthy connection
Reliability
- Landline: works in a power cut, fails in a cable fault
- VoIP: needs internet and power, but fails over to mobile
- VoIP: cloud platform survives office-level outages
- VoIP: numbers keep working if the building doesn't
Features
- Landline: calls, and not much else
- VoIP: IVR, queues, recording, transcription, analytics
- VoIP: CRM click-to-call and screen pop
- VoIP: WhatsApp, SMS and video on the same number
- VoIP: AI voice agents for routine calls
Emergency calling
- Landline: location is inherently known
- VoIP: requires a registered service address per user
- OttoCall prompts and validates addresses at setup
- Nomadic users should keep addresses current — see /emergency-calling
When a landline still wins
- Sites with genuinely no reliable broadband
- Lift and alarm lines with analogue requirements
- Card terminals still on legacy dial-up
- In each case, an ATA or dedicated line can coexist with VoIP
Frequently asked questions
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