ringyard vs BluePhone
Both give you a UK landline number for their phone list. The person inside pays the landline rate either way. What differs is what you pay to take the calls.
BluePhone prices were read from their site on 30 August 2026. Tell us if one is out of date. We will fix it.
Which costs less
On price, usually them.
£15 a month, or £149 a year. At an hour a day that is about £15 a month. Ours is £20. On price alone, theirs wins.
But price does not decide it. BluePhone passes your call on. It is answered in an app, over wifi or data. Since 11 August 2026, prisons are told to restrict that kind of number. Ours has nothing in the way. No app. No divert.
ringyard and BluePhone, side by side
At an hour a day. That is the usage this site is built around.
| What is being compared | ringyard | BluePhone |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay | ringyard£20.00 a month | BluePhone£15 a month, or £149 a year |
| An hour a day | ringyard£20 | BluePhone£15 |
| How the call reaches you | ringyardA real line on your own phone | BluePhoneAnswered in their app, over wifi or mobile data |
| Needs an app | ringyardNo | BluePhoneYes |
iOS only — their site says an Android app is still coming. Number active within 24 to 72 hours. Yearly is £149.
The part that is not price
Theirs forwards. Ours does not.
BluePhone takes the call on their number and passes it on. It goes to their app over wifi or data, or is diverted to your mobile. Either way it is a re-routed number.
HMPPS policy tells prisons to restrict that kind. A spotted number stops working. That can be months in, once you rely on it. The app route has its own catch. Signal, data and battery.
Ours is a real landline on your own phone. There is nothing to spot. So there is nothing to switch off.
Why that matters- Is BluePhone cheaper than ringyard?
- On price, usually yes. £15 a month, or £149 a year. At an hour a day that is about £15 a month. Ours is £20.00. But price does not decide it. Their number is answered in an app, over wifi or data. Since 11 August 2026, prisons are told to restrict that kind of number. It can be refused. It can be taken away later. Ours is a real landline on your own phone. Nothing is passed on.
- Do I get a landline number with both?
- Yes. Both give you a UK landline number for their phone list. The person inside pays the landline rate either way. The difference is what you pay to take the calls.
- Is there an alternative to BluePhone?
- Yes. Several services sell a landline number for prison calls. ringyard is one. BluePhone usually costs less if you can answer in their app. ringyard is £20.00 a month. No app. It rings the phone you have. Two options cost nothing at all. This site compares them too.
- What is the difference apart from price?
- BluePhone takes the call on their number and passes it on. It goes to their app, or is diverted to your mobile. Either way the number is re-routed. ringyard does not pass calls on. The number is a real line on your own phone. A prison can spot a re-routed number. Then it stops working.
£20.00 a month. That is the whole thing.
As many calls as you want, as long as you want. No app. No wifi. No new phone.
Get your numberEvery BluePhone figure here was read from their site on 30 August 2026. We have no link to them. We earn nothing either way.