HiHi Alternative – Forest Connect From £20/mo, No 7-Year Lock-In | Forest Communications

Forest Connect vs HiHi

The Complete Comparison

Premium business phones. AI call transcription. CRM integration. A dedicated account manager. All from £20 per user per month on a fair 36-month contract — no hidden fees, no 7-year lock-in.

SAVE OVER £990 PER USER over HiHi's 7-year contract — that's £9,900 for a 10-person team
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Forest Communications

Forest Connect

£20

/user/month

36-month contract. £0 admin fee.
Yealink T85W handset included.
AI transcription & CRM included.

HiHi (4com)

HiHi 4

£30

/user/month

84-month contract (7 years).
£150 admin fee. HiHi handset.
CRM is a paid add-on.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Feature Forest Connect £20/mo HiHi 4
Monthly cost✓ £20/user£30/user
Contract length✓ 36 months84 months (7 years)
Admin / setup fee✓ £0£150
Handset included✓ Yealink T85WHiHi
AI call transcription✓ 120 mins/mo free✗ Not available
CRM integration✓ Included free✗ Paid add-on
Omnichannel messaging✓ SMS, WhatsApp, social✗ Not included
Dedicated account manager✓ Yes✗ No
Custom branding✓ Yes✗ No
Unlimited UK calls✓ Yes✓ Yes
Video calling✓ Desktop & mobile✓ On tablet
Voice recording✓ Yes✓ Yes
Auto attendant & queues✓ Yes✓ Yes
Mobile & desktop app✓ Yes✓ Yes
Hot desking✓ Yes✓ Yes
Annual price rises✓ Fixed pricing✗ Subject to increases

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Get the complete Forest Connect vs HiHi comparison as a PDF to share with your team.

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AI Call Transcription — Included Free

HiHi doesn't offer this at any price

Every Forest Connect licence includes 120 minutes of AI-powered call transcription per user, per month. Calls are automatically transcribed, searchable, and sync into your CRM. Need more? Add a 500-minute top-up for just £9.

✓ Automatic Transcripts

Search and review call content instantly without re-listening to recordings.

✓ Compliance Ready

Searchable records make compliance audits and staff training simple.

✓ CRM Auto-Logging

Transcripts sync directly into your CRM, keeping customer records complete.

✓ Affordable Top-Ups

500-minute package for just £9/month if you need more.

CRM Integration — Included Free

HiHi charges extra for their Vision CRM add-on

Forest Connect integrates with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Microsoft Dynamics and most major CRMs — all included in your £20/month licence. Screen-pop caller details, click-to-dial from your CRM, and auto-log every call and transcript.

Your Handset: Yealink T85W

Included with every licence — no detachable tablet you don't need

5" Colour TouchscreenAdjustable 135° display
Wi-Fi 6 Built-InDual-band wireless
Bluetooth 5.0Wireless headset pairing
USB-C ChargingModern connectivity
HD VoiceOpus codec, crystal-clear calls
Up to 16 LinesHandle multiple calls
Gigabit PoEDual ethernet ports
10,000 ContactsLarge local phonebook

The Real Cost Over 7 Years

What one user costs over HiHi's contract term — before their annual price rises

Forest Connect

£1,680

£20 × 84 months
+ £0 admin fee
CRM included • AI included

HiHi 4

£2,670+

£30 × 84 months
+ £150 admin fee
CRM extra • AI unavailable

Omnichannel Messaging — Included

HiHi does not include this

Manage SMS, WhatsApp, and social media messages from one unified platform alongside your calls. Respond to customers on any channel without switching apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Forest Connect provides UK businesses with a cloud-hosted business phone system that does everything HiHi does — deskphones, mobile and desktop apps, voice recording, video calling, auto attendant, CRM integration — plus AI call transcription included free. All for less money and on a much shorter contract.
Forest Connect is £20 per user per month compared with HiHi at £30. Over HiHi's 7-year contract, a single user costs over £990 more with HiHi — before their £150 admin fee and annual price rises. For a 10-person team, that's nearly £10,000 saved.
Yes. Every licence includes 120 minutes of AI-powered call transcription per user per month at no extra cost. Need more? Add a 500-minute top-up package for just £9. HiHi does not offer AI transcription at any price.
Yes — CRM integration with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Microsoft Dynamics, and most major CRMs is included free with Forest Connect. HiHi charges extra for their CRM product (HiHi Vision).
In our experience, most SMEs don't. HiHi's USP is a detachable tablet integrated with the deskphone. Forest Connect includes the Yealink T85W — a premium colour-screen deskphone with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — and you get video calling and app functionality on your existing PC or mobile via our desktop and mobile apps.
Yes, we handle the number port for you at no extra charge. Your business keeps its existing phone number with no downtime.
Give us a call on 020 8733 0000. We'll review your HiHi agreement and talk through your options. In some cases we can help time the switch so the cost of leaving is minimised.
Forest Connect includes the Yealink T85W, a premium business deskphone with a 5-inch adjustable colour touchscreen, built-in dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging, and up to 16 SIP accounts.
Forest Connect automatically fails over to your mobile app, so you keep taking calls. We can also configure automatic call-forwarding to a mobile number as a backup.
Most 1–20 user installs are live within 5–10 working days from order, including number porting. Your dedicated account manager handles the entire process.

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