BT Featureline alternative
BT Featureline runs on the old phone network, which switches off on 31 January 2027, and BT has confirmed it cannot be migrated automatically, so every Featureline line needs replacing before then. Voxora is a UK cloud phone system that does everything Featureline did, including call transfer, pick-up, hunt-group ringing and an answering service, with no phone lines and no new hardware. You keep your existing numbers through free porting, can add AI call handling, and pay a published per-user price with no long contract.
Last reviewed July 2026. Get a free, no-obligation switching plan.
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The same call handling Featureline gave you, running over your broadband instead of a phone line.
Why BT Featureline is being switched off
BT Featureline (including Featureline Compact and Featureline Corporate) is a Centrex service: your call features, such as transfer, pick-up, hunt groups and the Call Minder answering service, are delivered from BT's telephone exchange over traditional copper lines. That exchange network is the PSTN, which closes on 31 January 2027. Once it does, any service that still depends on it stops carrying calls.
The important detail for Featureline customers: BT has confirmed that Featureline is one of the products it cannot move automatically under its migration programme. In other words, doing nothing is not a safe option. If your Featureline lines are not replaced before the deadline, they simply stop working. That is different from a normal "shall I switch provider" decision, so the sensible approach is to choose your replacement on merit now, in good time, rather than wait for a last-minute BT quote.
A modern cloud communications platform replaces Featureline cleanly, because everything Featureline did in the exchange now runs in software over your internet connection. You keep the way your calls are handled, and you gain features Featureline never had.
BT Featureline vs Voxora: what you keep, what is new, what changes
Featureline maps onto a cloud phone system almost one for one, so the move is far less disruptive than most people expect.
What you keep
- Your existing business numbers, moved across by free porting
- Call transfer and call pick-up between staff
- Hunt-style ringing, so calls find a free person
- An answering service for calls you cannot get to
- Free internal calls across your team
What is new
- Call queues with a live wallboard for busy periods
- Call recording and AI call transcription
- An AI Receptionist for out of hours and overflow
- Apps for mobile, desktop and the browser
- Published per-user pricing you can see up front
What genuinely changes
- No phone lines or exchange service; calls run over your broadband
- No more dialling 9 for an outside line
- You make changes yourself in a portal, not by phoning BT
- Monthly rolling billing instead of a long BT term
Your Featureline features, on a modern system
Each Featureline call feature has a direct equivalent in Voxora. Follow the links to see how each one works.
- Hunt groups and call signRing the right people in the right order with ring groups, or hold callers in a queue at peak times.
- Call transfer and pick-upBuilt into the softphone, mobile app and desk phones, so anyone can pass a call or grab a ringing one.
- Call Minder answering serviceReplaced by voicemail to email with AI call transcription, so messages land in your inbox as text and audio.
- Menu and call routingAn auto attendant greets callers and routes by choice or by time of day.
- Keep your numbersNumber porting is free and we run the transfer, so there is no break in service.
- Records and qualityCall recording and reporting come as standard, which Featureline never offered.
Your BT Featureline replacement options
The two realistic routes are to take BT's own digital replacement, or to move to an independent cloud provider. Here is how they compare on the things that matter when you are forced to switch.
| When you switch off Featureline | Staying with BT (their digital replacement) | Voxora |
|---|---|---|
| Keep your existing numbers | Yes, by porting | Yes, free porting we run for you |
| New lines or hardware to install | Often new lines, a router or handsets | ✓ Works on the devices you already have |
| Call features (transfer, pick-up, hunt, answerphone) | Rebuilt on the new BT product | Included as standard |
| AI call handling | Not typically included | ✓ AI Receptionist add-on and AI transcription |
| Contract length | Typically a new multi-year term | ✓ Monthly rolling, no long lock-in |
| Pricing basis | By quote, with CPI-linked annual rises | ✓ Published per-user price, from £6.95 ex VAT |
| UK built and supported | UK provider | UK-built and UK-supported |
| In short | Off the old network, but inside a new long BT contract | Off the old network, on a system you can leave any time |
Comparison based on publicly available information, July 2026. BT's products, replacement options and pricing change over time, so confirm the current detail on BT's own website. If you are weighing up BT's own hosted system specifically, see our BT Cloud Voice alternative guide. Voxora prices are per user, per month, excluding VAT.
Can I actually leave BT Featureline?
The honest answer, without the sales spin, so you know where you stand before you move.
Check your contract end date
Featureline is often on rolling or long-expired terms. Your latest BT bill or online account shows the minimum term and end date. If you are past it, you can usually give notice and move with no penalty.
What BT can and cannot charge
If you are still in a minimum term, BT may apply an early-termination charge. If you are out of term, it should not. We cannot pay BT's charges, but we can help you understand them so there are no surprises.
Time it so you do not pay twice
We set Voxora up alongside your Featureline lines and schedule the number port for a date that works, so your old service stays live until the switch and you are never paying two providers at once.
Moving from Featureline to Voxora
Set up in parallel and tested before anything is cancelled, so callers never notice. Most Featureline switches are fully live within a few weeks of starting.
Tell us your numbers, how calls are handled today and your BT contract dates. We plan the like-for-like build and the port.
Your Voxora system is configured and tested while Featureline keeps running, so there is no leap of faith.
We run the transfer. Porting is free and typically takes around 1 to 3 weeks; some ports take longer, and your old line stays live until the numbers move across.
On the scheduled date your numbers arrive on Voxora and calls keep getting through. Once everything works, we guide you on cancelling the old Featureline lines.
A platform, not just a phone line
Voxora is a UK cloud communications platform, so replacing Featureline is also an upgrade. Alongside the phone system you get AI-powered call handling, cloud telephony and business communication tools in one place, the sort of thing an exchange-based service could never offer. The AI Receptionist can answer out of hours and at peak times using your own information, call queues keep a small team on top of busy spells, and everything is managed from one portal.
Explore the detail: how the phone system fits together, the full feature list and pricing.
Common questions
Is BT Featureline being switched off?
Yes. BT Featureline runs on the old PSTN network, which is closing on 31 January 2027. BT has confirmed that Featureline cannot be moved automatically, so if you do nothing your lines will stop working on that date. The safe move is to plan your switch to a cloud phone system in good time rather than wait for the deadline.
Can I keep my phone number when I leave BT Featureline?
Yes. You keep your existing numbers by porting them to Voxora. Porting UK numbers is free, and we run the transfer for you so your old service stays live until the numbers move across. There is no need to cancel with BT first.
Do I need new phones or broadband to replace Featureline?
Usually not. Voxora works on the devices you already have: a browser softphone, a mobile app or your existing desk phones. Each call uses about 100 kbps each way, so most business broadband copes easily, and there are no new phone lines to install.
What replaces Featureline call features like transfer, pick-up and Call Minder?
Every core Featureline feature has a modern equivalent in Voxora. Call transfer and pick-up are built into the apps and desk phones, hunt-style ringing is handled by ring groups, and the Call Minder answering service is replaced by voicemail to email with AI call transcription. You also gain call queues, an auto attendant and call recording as standard.
Will BT charge me to leave Featureline?
That depends on your contract. We cannot pay BT charges, but we can help you check your contract end date and time your switch so you are not paying two providers at once. Many Featureline lines are already out of their minimum term, and the switch-off means BT is retiring the service anyway.
How much does Voxora cost compared with BT Featureline?
Voxora is from £6.95 per user per month, excluding VAT, on a monthly rolling basis with no long contract. Pricing is published on our website. Featureline is not priced per user the way modern systems are, and BT prices its replacements by quote with annual CPI-linked rises, so check your own renewal figures.
What happens to my phones if I do nothing before 31 January 2027?
They stop working. Featureline cannot be moved automatically, so if it is not replaced before the switch-off your lines simply stop carrying calls on 31 January 2027. Connected services can take time to arrange, so it is worth starting your switch well ahead of the deadline rather than close to it.
Last reviewed July 2026.
Replace Featureline before the 2027 switch-off
Keep your numbers and your call handling, gain AI and cloud tools Featureline never had, and move on a plan that suits you.