3CX vs Microsoft Teams Phone: Which Is Better for UK Businesses?

Businesses replacing a traditional telephone system increasingly have a choice between dedicated business communications platforms such as 3CX and calling functionality built around Microsoft Teams.

Both can provide business calling, but they approach communications differently.

3CX is designed primarily as a dedicated business communications and phone system, with features such as extensions, call queues, ring groups, IVRs, mobile applications and advanced call routing.

Microsoft Teams Phone extends the Microsoft Teams environment to provide business telephony alongside the collaboration, messaging and meeting tools many organisations already use through Microsoft 365.

So, which is better?

The answer depends on how your organisation works, the importance and complexity of its telephone requirements, its existing Microsoft environment and the features it needs.

At I.T Communications, we provide both Hosted 3CX and Microsoft Teams Calling, allowing us to recommend a solution according to the customer’s requirements rather than forcing every business onto the same platform.

What Is 3CX?

3CX is a software-based business communications platform designed to provide organisations with a modern alternative to traditional telephone systems.

A Hosted 3CX deployment can provide features including:

• Business telephone numbers
• User extensions
• Call queues
• Ring groups
• IVR menus
• Call routing
• Desktop applications
• Mobile applications
• Browser-based communications
• Call recording where configured
• Reporting and analytics
• CRM integrations
• Video and collaboration functionality
• Selected AI capabilities

The system can support office-based, remote and hybrid employees within one centrally managed communications environment.

Read our guide to Hosted 3CX for a more detailed explanation of how the platform works.

What Is Microsoft Teams Phone?

Microsoft Teams is widely used for workplace messaging, video meetings and collaboration.

Teams Phone extends that environment by adding telephone-system capabilities.

With the appropriate Microsoft licensing and telephony configuration, users can make and receive external business telephone calls through Teams.

Instead of employees using one application for internal Microsoft Teams communication and another application for their business telephone system, Teams Phone can bring those communications into the familiar Microsoft Teams interface.

I.T Communications provides Microsoft Teams Calling for organisations that want to connect Microsoft Teams to external telephone networks.

What Is the Main Difference Between 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone?

The fundamental difference is their starting point.

3CX starts with telephony.

It is designed around operating a business communications and telephone system, including extensions, call routing, queues, ring groups and other PBX functionality.

Microsoft Teams starts with collaboration.

Teams was built around workplace communication, messaging, meetings and collaboration, with Teams Phone extending that environment into business telephony.

That distinction can influence which platform feels more natural for a particular organisation.

A company with sophisticated inbound call handling may place greater importance on dedicated PBX functionality.

A business whose employees already spend most of their working day inside Microsoft Teams may place greater importance on integrating external calls into that existing environment.

3CX vs Microsoft Teams Phone: Feature Comparison

Both platforms can support modern business communications, but their strengths are different.

Business Calling

Both 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone can allow employees to make and receive external business calls when configured with suitable telephony connectivity.

In either case, the system needs connectivity to public telephone networks.

I.T Communications provides this through its UK voice infrastructure and Business SIP Trunk services.

Call Queues

Call queues are particularly important for organisations handling customer-service, sales or support calls.

3CX has extensive PBX and queue functionality designed specifically around business call handling.

Microsoft Teams Phone also provides queue functionality, although organisations should compare their exact requirements rather than assuming the two platforms behave identically.

IVR and Auto Attendants

Both platforms can provide automated call-routing functionality.

An IVR or auto attendant can answer incoming calls and route callers according to their selection or other configured rules.

Businesses with complex call journeys should map their requirements before choosing a platform.

Mobile Working

Both solutions can support mobile and remote employees.

3CX provides dedicated applications for supported mobile devices.

Microsoft Teams users can access Teams through Microsoft’s desktop and mobile applications.

This means either platform can form part of a hybrid-working strategy.

Video Meetings

Both platforms provide video communication capabilities.

However, Microsoft Teams has a particularly strong position in organisations already using Microsoft 365 for meetings, messaging and collaboration.

For those organisations, Teams Phone can extend an environment employees already understand.

CRM Integration

CRM integration can be important for sales, support and customer-service teams.

3CX provides integration capabilities for supported CRM platforms and other systems.

Microsoft Teams can also integrate into the wider Microsoft ecosystem and compatible third-party services.

The better choice depends heavily on the applications the organisation already uses.

Reporting

Both platforms provide reporting capabilities, although the available information and reporting experience differ.

Organisations with important contact-centre or call-performance requirements should define exactly what they need to measure before choosing either platform.

Is 3CX Better for Call-Heavy Businesses?

For organisations where telephone calls are central to day-to-day operations, 3CX can be particularly attractive because telephony is at the heart of the platform.

Examples can include:

• Sales teams
• Customer-service departments
• Support desks
• Reception teams
• Multi-site organisations
• Businesses with complex call routing
• Organisations operating multiple queues
• Companies with significant inbound telephone traffic

Features such as queues, ring groups, IVRs, routing and reporting can be particularly important in these environments.

That doesn’t automatically mean Teams Phone is unsuitable, but organisations with complex call requirements should compare those requirements carefully.

Is Microsoft Teams Phone Better for Microsoft 365 Users?

For some organisations, yes.

If employees already spend much of their working day using Microsoft Teams for messaging, meetings and internal collaboration, adding external calling to the same application can be attractive.

Users can potentially use one familiar interface for:

• Internal Teams calls
• External telephone calls
• Messaging
• Video meetings
• Presence
• Collaboration

This can reduce the number of different applications employees need to use.

However, being a Microsoft 365 customer doesn’t automatically mean Teams Phone is the best telephone system.

The organisation’s actual telephony requirements still need to be considered.

Which Is Better for Remote Working?

Both can work well for remote and hybrid employees.

The more important considerations are likely to include:

• Existing applications
• User familiarity
• Device requirements
• Internet connectivity
• Security
• Call handling
• Management
• Support

A business heavily invested in Microsoft Teams may naturally prefer keeping communications inside that environment.

Another organisation may prefer the dedicated telephony environment offered by 3CX.

Which Is Better for Multiple Offices?

Both platforms can support organisations operating across multiple locations.

With Hosted 3CX, users across different sites can connect to a centrally managed telephone system.

Microsoft Teams Phone can similarly provide calling to users working across different locations.

The decision therefore isn’t simply about whether either platform supports multiple offices.

Instead, businesses should consider how calls need to move between offices, departments and users, along with requirements for telephone numbers, queues, reception functions and business continuity.

Can I Keep My Existing Business Telephone Numbers?

Moving to either platform doesn’t necessarily mean losing established business telephone numbers.

Eligible UK telephone numbers can normally be transferred between providers using the number-porting process.

This can include geographic and many non-geographic business numbers.

I.T Communications provides telephone number management and number-porting services alongside both Hosted 3CX and Microsoft Teams Calling.

You can learn more about our Telephone Number services.

What Internet Connection Do 3CX and Teams Phone Need?

Both are dependent on reliable IP connectivity.

Poor connectivity can affect real-time voice communications regardless of the platform being used.

Important factors include:

• Available bandwidth
• Latency
• Packet loss
• Jitter
• Network congestion
• Wi-Fi quality
• Resilience

The appropriate connection depends on the size of the organisation and how heavily it depends on cloud services.

Smaller organisations may be adequately served by good-quality Business Broadband.

Businesses requiring dedicated connectivity and stronger service guarantees may want to consider a Fibre Leased Line.

How Does 3CX Pricing Compare With Microsoft Teams Phone?

The commercial models are different, which can make direct comparisons difficult.

3CX commercial licensing is primarily based around simultaneous-call capacity, with applicable user or extension allowances.

Microsoft Teams Phone typically involves Microsoft licensing alongside the telephony service required to connect Teams to external telephone networks.

The final cost therefore depends on factors such as:

• Number of users
• Existing Microsoft licences
• 3CX capacity
• Required functionality
• SIP or calling connectivity
• Telephone numbers
• Call usage
• Hosting
• Support
• Integration requirements

You can read our article explaining Hosted 3CX pricing or view our current Hosted 3CX Pricing.

Can 3CX and Microsoft Teams Be Used Together?

Businesses shouldn’t necessarily think of the decision as permanently choosing one ecosystem and excluding the other.

Depending on the requirements and supported configuration, organisations may use Microsoft Teams for collaboration while maintaining 3CX for dedicated business telephony.

Integration options may also be available depending on the selected platforms, licensing and desired user experience.

This can be useful where an organisation values Microsoft Teams collaboration but also has more substantial PBX and call-handling requirements.

The architecture should be designed around the required outcome rather than adding complexity unnecessarily.

What About AI?

AI is becoming increasingly relevant to business communications.

Depending on the selected platform, licensing and configuration, AI can potentially assist with areas such as:

• Call transcription
• Summaries
• Intelligent call handling
• Customer interactions
• Automation
• Voice agents
• Information retrieval

I.T Communications provides specialist 3CX AI services for organisations looking to introduce appropriate AI capabilities into their communications environment.

AI shouldn’t determine the platform decision on its own. It should be considered alongside telephony, integrations, security, customer experience and operational requirements.

3CX vs Microsoft Teams Phone: Which Should You Choose?

There isn’t a universal winner.

Hosted 3CX may be particularly suitable when:

• Telephony is a major part of business operations
• Advanced call routing is important
• The organisation uses multiple queues or ring groups
• Dedicated PBX functionality is required
• There are substantial inbound call requirements
• The business wants a dedicated communications platform

Microsoft Teams Phone may be particularly suitable when:

• The organisation already relies heavily on Microsoft Teams
• Employees want external calling inside the Teams interface
• Microsoft 365 is central to daily operations
• Collaboration and telephony need to sit closely together
• Telephone requirements are compatible with the Teams environment

Some organisations may also benefit from an architecture that uses elements of both.

The right answer depends on what the business actually needs.

Why the Provider Matters Too

Choosing the software platform is only part of the decision.

A business telephone service also depends on:

• Voice connectivity
• Telephone numbers
• Number porting
• Internet connectivity
• Network configuration
• Migration
• Security
• Resilience
• Monitoring
• Technical support

This is particularly important when several suppliers are involved.

If one company provides the phone system, another provides SIP connectivity and another provides the internet connection, diagnosing a communications problem can potentially involve several support desks.

I.T Communications provides voice, Hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Calling and business connectivity services, allowing more of the communications environment to be managed together.

3CX and Microsoft Teams Calling From I.T Communications

I.T Communications provides both Hosted 3CX and Microsoft Teams Calling to UK businesses.

Our voice services operate across infrastructure in two London data centres, supported by our own UK SIP network, carrier interconnects and direct operational control.

Because we support both platforms, the objective is to identify the communications architecture that fits the organisation rather than recommending a platform simply because it is the only one available.

We can help assess:

• Number of users
• Call volumes
• Existing Microsoft environment
• Required call flows
• Telephone numbers
• Number porting
• Integrations
• Internet connectivity
• Remote-working requirements
• Migration
• Support requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 3CX Better Than Microsoft Teams Phone?

Neither platform is universally better. 3CX is particularly focused on business telephony and PBX functionality, while Microsoft Teams Phone integrates external calling into the wider Microsoft Teams collaboration environment.

The better option depends on the organisation’s requirements.

Can Microsoft Teams Replace 3CX?

For some businesses, Microsoft Teams Phone may provide all the telephony functionality required.

Other organisations may require PBX, queue, routing, reporting or integration capabilities that make 3CX more appropriate.

Requirements should therefore be assessed before replacing an existing system.

Can 3CX Replace Microsoft Teams?

3CX provides communications and collaboration functionality, but businesses using Microsoft Teams extensively for Microsoft 365 collaboration may still want to retain Teams.

The two platforms don’t necessarily need to perform identical roles.

Can I Make Normal Telephone Calls From Microsoft Teams?

Yes, when Microsoft Teams Phone is correctly licensed and connected to a suitable external telephony service.

Does 3CX Work With Microsoft 365?

3CX provides integration capabilities with Microsoft services depending on the selected edition, configuration and supported functionality.

Which Is Cheaper, 3CX or Microsoft Teams Phone?

There isn’t a universal answer because their licensing and service models differ.

A proper comparison should include licensing, hosting, SIP or calling connectivity, telephone numbers, call usage, support and any existing Microsoft licences.

Can I Keep My Existing Numbers With Either System?

In many cases, yes. Eligible UK telephone numbers can normally be transferred to the new provider through number porting.

Need Help Choosing Between 3CX and Microsoft Teams Phone?

The best communications platform is the one that fits the way your organisation actually works.

I.T Communications can assess your users, call volumes, existing Microsoft environment, call flows, telephone numbers, connectivity and integration requirements before recommending an appropriate solution.

Explore Hosted 3CX | Explore Microsoft Teams Calling | Contact I.T Communications