Compared
Prison Calls vs ringyard
If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.
Both give you a UK landline number for prison calls. It goes on their phone list. The person inside pays the landline rate either way. What differs is what you pay to take the calls.
Checked against Prison Calls's own site.
Which costs less
We do, at an hour a day.
Their Starter plan is £14.99 a month for 500 minutes. That is £5.01 less than ours. It covers about 16 minutes a day. They do not say what a minute past that costs. Their Basic plan is £18.99 a month for 1,000 minutes. That is £1.01 less than ours. It covers about 32 minutes a day. They do not say what a minute past that costs. Their Standard plan is £24.49 a month for 1,500 minutes. It covers about 49 minutes a day. They do not say what a minute past that costs.
Prison Calls also sells a flat plan at £26.49 a month, unlimited. Ours is £20. That is 24% less for the same unlimited calls.
Side by side
What each plan costs.
We priced each plan for an hour of calls a day. That is 1,800 minutes a month.
| Plan | A month, at an hour a day | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| ringyard | £20 | £20 a month, unlimited |
| Starter | — | £14.99 a month for 500 minutes |
| Basic | — | £18.99 a month for 1,000 minutes |
| Standard | — | £24.49 a month for 1,500 minutes |
| Enhanced | £26.49 | £26.49 a month, unlimited |
Run by Prison Calls Limited. They also sell three unlimited numbers for £45.49 a month, and five numbers for £56.99.
Every Prison Calls figure here was read from their site on 9 October 2026. We have no link to them. We earn nothing either way. Tell us if one is out of date. We will fix it.
The part that is not price
Theirs passes the call on. Ours does not.
Prison Calls passes your call on to reach you. Since 11 August 2026, that is the kind of number prisons are told to restrict — it can be refused when it is put forward, or taken off the list after it was approved.[3, 7.9]
No riskStop any time
The person inside dials your ringyard number. It rings on the eSIM in your phone. Nothing is passed on.
Call forwardingWhat changed on 11 AugustWill it work on my phone?
Questions
Common questions.
If yours isn't here, ask us. A real person replies, same day.
Is Prison Calls cheaper than ringyard?
Only in a light month. Their Starter plan is £14.99 for 500 minutes. That is about 16 minutes a day. They do not say what a minute past that costs. ringyard is £20 a month for as many calls as you want.
Is there an alternative to Prison Calls?
Yes. Several services sell a landline number for prison calls. ringyard is one. A landline you already have at home costs nothing extra. Put that number on their list. Our compare page sets out every option.
What is the difference apart from price?
A Prison Calls number passes the call on to your mobile. Since 11 August 2026, that is the kind of number prisons are told to restrict. ringyard does not pass calls on. The number is a real line on your own phone.
Is Prison Phone the same as Prison Calls?
No. They are two different companies with nearly the same name. Prison Calls: £14.99 a month for 500 minutes. Prison Phone: £5.99 a month for 50 minutes, then 8.4p a minute. Each has its own page here.
Is Prison Phone Calls the same as Prison Calls?
No. They are two different companies with nearly the same name. Prison Calls: £14.99 a month for 500 minutes. Prison Phone Calls: £12.99 a month for 500 minutes. Each has its own page here.
Check us
- Interception, monitoring and security of prisoner communications policy framework. HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice, issued 11 August 2026. Read 26 August 2026. Paragraph 7.9 points to a separate operations manual for exceptions. We have not read it. Read it yourself
£20 a month. That is the whole thing.
No term. Stop any time.