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, a UK-based business telecoms comparison service. 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 breaks down like this:

HiHi service contract: a monthly service charge
BNP Paribas or Propel handset finance lease: a separate, larger monthly charge covering handsets, base unit and software
Maintenance / support: an additional monthly charge
Combined direct debit total: the sum of the above, often split across two entities

Visible 24-month cost: the combined monthly direct debit multiplied across the 24-month window.

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 a substantial further sum on top — see HiHi early termination fee.

True 7-year commitment: far higher than the visible direct-debit total once the residual lease is counted. The Voyced piece on HiHi references comparable concerns 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: a straightforward per-user monthly charge
Auto-attendant, hunt groups, voicemail to email: included
HiHi Connect-equivalent mobile app: included
Inbound main number + DDIs: a small per-number monthly charge
UK call bundles or pence-per-minute: charged for what you actually use
Yealink touchscreen desk phones (T58W or T54W): bought outright, or rented over 24 months
One-off install / config: a single set-up charge

24-month cost: a transparent monthly total for service plus handsets across the 24-month term, with the one-off install on top.

Total commitment at 24 months: the 24-month total, and nothing beyond it. 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 feature set; Poly is the legacy Polycom brand and is well-trusted in UK enterprise VoIP.

Service component: same as Option 2
Poly Edge E300 or VVX 250 handsets: bought outright, or rented over 24 months
Numbers, calls, install: same as Option 2

24-month cost: broadly in line with Option 2.

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 structure (Microsoft list, 2026):

Microsoft Teams Phone licence: a per-user monthly licence
Microsoft 365 Business Standard (if not already on it): an additional per-user monthly licence
Domestic UK calling plan: a per-user monthly add-on, 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 bought outright, often skipped in favour of headsets

24-month cost (10 users on Teams Phone + UK calling, assuming 365 already in place): the Teams Phone and UK calling licences across the term, plus any optional hardware.

Total: among the lower-cost options of the five, particularly where Microsoft 365 is already in place.

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 structure (Google Workspace, 2026):

Google Voice Standard licence: a per-user monthly licence
Google Workspace Business Standard (if not already on it): an additional per-user monthly licence
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): the combined Voice and Workspace licences across the 24-month term.

If Workspace is already in place, drop to Voice-only for a lower per-user cost.

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: comfortably the most expensive of the five on the visible direct debits alone — and that number understates the true position, because a residual 60-month BNP / Propel lease stays committed beyond the 24 months, taking the true full-term 7-year commitment far higher again.
Hosted VoIP via CTN + Yealink: transparent 24-month terms with no shadow lease underneath.
Hosted VoIP via CTN + Poly: broadly in line with the Yealink option.
Microsoft Teams Calling: among the lower-cost options, especially if already on Microsoft 365.
Google Voice + Workspace: another lower-cost route for digitally-native teams.

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 a fraction of the true full-term HiHi commitment. Get a free quote and we will price your exact configuration.

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 clearly documented annual price increase is shown clearly in pounds and pence.

See Your Real Numbers

Get a free VoIP quote and we will price your business in the same like-for-like way as the comparison above. Free, no obligation, transparent.

Or read more:

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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.

HiHi vs the Alternatives (2026): Real Costs Compared