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Keeping in touch with someone inside prison isn’t just a luxury — it’s essential. For families, partners and friends, phone calls are one of the only consistent ways to stay connected. But calling a mobile from prison is expensive, with costs historically reaching up to 25p per minute. Over time, this adds up to hundreds of pounds in phone credit.
That’s why many people turn to virtual landline services like Prison Call and Neat Phone. These services offer ways to reduce the cost of calls, making it more affordable for loved ones to stay connected.
While both providers aim to make communication cheaper and easier, their pricing, reliability, transparency and user experience can vary. In this detailed guide, we’ll compare Prison Call vs Neat Phone so you can choose the right service for your family.
Prison Call is a UK-based service created specifically for families with loved ones in prison. The service provides users with a virtual local landline number. This number can be added to a prisoner’s approved PIN list. When they call that number, they’re charged at the cheaper landline rate instead of the much higher mobile rate. The key focus of Prison Call is simplicity, transparency and savings. The setup process is fast, there are no hidden fees, and the pricing is clear from the start. The company has built its reputation on trust and ease of use, especially for families who want a reliable and affordable way to stay connected.
Neat Phone also provides virtual landline numbers designed to reduce call costs from UK prisons. The idea is similar: a prisoner calls a landline number, which forwards to your mobile. Because they’re calling a landline, they spend less phone credit per minute. While Neat Phone promises lower costs, user experiences vary. The service is known, but less established than some other providers, and reviews highlight both positives and negatives — particularly around pricing transparency and account management.
When choosing a call service, cost is often the deciding factor. Standard calls from a UK prison to a mobile can cost around 25p per minute. Over the course of a month, these charges quickly add up.
Prison Call’s pricing is intentionally simple. Calls are charged at the local landline rate — typically around 3p per minute. There are no connection fees, no contracts, and no hidden costs. For a prisoner making regular calls, this can mean saving £100 or more per year.
Neat Phone’s pricing isn’t always as straightforward. While the company advertises cheaper calls, some users have reported additional fees, particularly for setup or number management. Others have mentioned less clarity around the actual cost per minute.
Both services save money compared to calling a mobile directly, but Prison Call offers a clearer, more transparent structure, making it easier to plan and budget.
When someone enters prison, families are often dealing with stress, uncertainty, and emotional strain. The last thing anyone wants is a complicated sign-up process.
With Prison Call, signing up takes just a few minutes. Users can create an account online, choose their virtual number, top up their account, and often have everything live the same day. Once the prisoner adds the number to their PIN, they can start calling at the cheaper landline rate.
Neat Phone also allows online sign-up, but some users have reported delays or unclear instructions during setup. While it works well for many, the experience can be less smooth, especially for first-time users who aren’t familiar with virtual landlines.
For families already navigating a challenging situation, the simplicity and reliability of the sign-up process can make a real difference — and this is an area where Prison Call consistently stands out.
For a service like this to be truly useful, it has to work reliably across different UK prisons.
Prison Call is widely compatible with most UK prisons, including HMP Birmingham, HMP Brixton, HMP Durham, and many others. Because it uses standard landline numbers, there are rarely issues once the number is approved. Customers consistently report stable call quality, good audio, and very few interruptions.
Neat Phone also works in most prisons, but there have been more mixed reviews around call reliability. Some users have reported call drops, delays, or periods of downtime. While these may not affect everyone, they can be frustrating especially when each minute of phone credit counts.
When communication is your lifeline, reliability is more than just a nice-to-have. It’s essential.
A big concern for families is hidden fees. Some services advertise cheap rates but then add connection charges, top-up fees, or extra costs buried in the small print.
Prison Call has earned a reputation for being clear and upfront. The cost per minute is fixed, there are no contracts, and no connection charges. You simply top up as needed and only pay for the time you actually use. This transparency builds trust and helps families avoid unpleasant surprises.
Neat Phone, on the other hand, has received mixed feedback. While many users do benefit from cheaper calls, others report confusion over billing and unexpected charges. For some, these additional costs reduce the overall savings.
In a world where every penny counts, clarity matters just as much as cost.
Strong customer support can make or break a service like this. Families need quick responses and clear answers, not delays or confusion.
Prison Call’s customer service is UK-based and well-regarded. Users frequently mention how easy it is to get help via email or chat, and how quickly issues are resolved. The company’s Trustpilot reviews are consistently positive, with many families praising the support team’s friendliness and speed.
Neat Phone does offer customer support, but reviews are more inconsistent. Some users have good experiences, while others mention difficulties getting replies or resolving issues promptly.
When a loved one’s only way to stay in touch depends on a service, responsive support isn’t optional — it’s crucial.
Both Prison Call and Neat Phone operate within the prison telephony system, which means prisoners can call their loved ones legally and securely. Prison Call has been tested and used in many UK prisons, so its numbers are easily added to PIN lists and typically approved without problems. The service also provides clear instructions for families on how to do this.
Neat Phone works similarly, but some users have mentioned longer wait times for number approval or issues getting the number accepted in certain facilities. These delays can cause frustration, especially when communication is already limited.
Lowering the cost of prison calls isn’t just about saving a few pounds. Regular, affordable contact can make a genuine difference to people’s lives. For prisoners, staying in touch with family can help reduce isolation, support mental health, and maintain family bonds. For families, it means being able to talk without worrying about cost, keeping relationships strong through a difficult time.
By reducing call costs from around 25p per minute to just a few pence, services like Prison Call give families the chance to speak more often and for longer. Over weeks and months, that can make a huge difference.
Reviews and real-world feedback often tell you more than any marketing page.
Customers using Prison Call frequently talk about how much they save, how easy it is to get set up, and how reliable the service is. Many mention being able to speak to their loved one more often because they’re no longer worrying about the cost of every minute. Feedback on Neat Phone is mixed. Some users are happy with the savings, but others raise concerns about setup times, reliability, or hidden costs.
This doesn’t mean Neat Phone isn’t useful — just that Prison Call tends to offer a more consistent experience for most families.
This isn’t just about saving money. Regular communication with family and friends can have a profound impact on rehabilitation and emotional well-being. For prisoners, hearing the voices of loved ones helps reduce isolation, maintain family ties, and encourage positive behaviour.
For families, affordable communication eases financial pressure and strengthens bonds. A 20-minute call at mobile rates can cost £5 — at landline rates, it’s closer to 60p. That difference isn’t small; it’s the difference between one short call or multiple longer conversations each week.
Both Prison Call and Neat Phone offer real savings compared to calling a mobile directly from prison. But when it comes down to pricing clarity, setup experience, reliability and customer support, Prison Call consistently comes out ahead.
- Cost: Cheaper and clearer with Prison Call
- Setup: Faster and simpler with Prison Call
- Reliability: More consistent across UK prisons
- Support: Strong, responsive UK-based team
For many families, what matters most is peace of mind — knowing that the service works, the price is clear, and support is there if needed.
Choosing the right service can make a huge difference to how families stay connected during imprisonment. Both Prison Call and Neat Phone help reduce call costs — but only one consistently offers the transparent pricing, ease of use, and reliable performance that families need.
For most users, Prison Call is the stronger choice. It’s designed specifically for this purpose, it’s trusted by families across the UK, and it offers real, measurable savings.
If you’re looking for a way to make regular contact more affordable — without the stress — Prison Call is the service to beat.
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