Compared
Prison Phone 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 Phone's own site.
Which costs less
On price, it depends how much you talk.
Prison Phone sells bundles of minutes, then charges for each minute past them. A quiet month costs little. A busy one does not. We charge the same either way. Each plan below meets ours at one point.
Their £5.99 for 50 minutes, then 8.4p a minute, vs our £20 a month
About 7 minutes a day
Under that, theirs costs less. Above it, ours does.
That is 217 minutes a month.
Their £9.59 for 100 minutes, then 8.4p a minute, vs our £20 a month
About 7 minutes a day
Under that, theirs costs less. Above it, ours does.
That is 224 minutes a month.
Prison Phone also sells a flat plan at £59.99 a month, unlimited. Ours is £20. That is 67% less for the same unlimited calls.
Their lower price in a quiet month only helps if their number stays on the phone list.
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 |
| Local Package 1 | £152.99 | £5.99 a month for 50 minutes, then 8.4p a minute |
| Local Package 2 | £152.39 | £9.59 a month for 100 minutes, then 8.4p a minute |
| Local Package 3 | £151.79 | £21.59 a month for 250 minutes, then 8.4p a minute |
| Local Package 4 | £149.37 | £27.57 a month for 350 minutes, then 8.4p a minute |
| Local Package 5 | £142.79 | £33.59 a month for 500 minutes, then 8.4p a minute |
| Local Package 6 | £109.19 | £41.99 a month for 1,000 minutes, then 8.4p a minute |
| Unlimited | £59.99 | £59.99 a month, unlimited |
Run by Prison Phone Ltd. Every package charges 8.4p a minute past its minutes. Family packages share minutes across up to five mobiles: £19.99 for 200, £39.99 for 500, £49.99 for 1,000. Their terms ask for a month's notice to stop.
Every Prison Phone 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 Tell us if one is out of date.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 Phone 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 Phone cheaper than ringyard?
On price, it depends how much you talk. Prison Phone sells bundles of minutes, then charges for each minute past them. The two prices meet at about 224 minutes a month. That is about 7 minutes a day. Under that, Prison Phone costs less. Above it, we do. But price is not the whole story. Their number passes your call on. Since 11 August 2026, prisons are told to restrict that kind of number. Ours is a real landline on your own phone.
Is there an alternative to Prison Phone?
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 Phone 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 Calls the same as Prison Phone?
No. They are two different companies with nearly the same name. Prison Phone: £5.99 a month for 50 minutes, then 8.4p a minute. Prison Calls: £14.99 a month for 500 minutes. Each has its own page here.
Is Prison Phone Calls the same as Prison Phone?
No. They are two different companies with nearly the same name. Prison Phone: £5.99 a month for 50 minutes, then 8.4p a minute. 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.