How Much Does Hosted 3CX Cost in the UK? Pricing Explained

The cost of a Hosted 3CX phone system in the UK depends on more than simply counting how many employees need a telephone.

3CX uses a capacity-based licensing model built around simultaneous calls, with user or extension allowances applying to different system sizes. A complete hosted service can also include hosting, SIP trunks, telephone numbers, outbound calls, support and other services.

At I.T Communications, Hosted 3CX packages currently start from £149.90 per month, combining the hosted platform with essential voice services and UK support.

You can see our current packages on the Hosted 3CX Pricing page.

How Is 3CX Priced?

One of the important differences between 3CX and many other cloud telephone systems is the way the platform is licensed.

Many hosted phone systems use a straightforward per-user model. If you have 50 users, for example, you purchase 50 individual user subscriptions.

3CX takes a different approach.

Commercial 3CX systems are primarily licensed according to the number of simultaneous calls, often abbreviated to SC, that the system needs to support.

Current 3CX editions also apply user or extension allowances to simultaneous-call tiers.

This means both factors need to be considered when selecting the appropriate system:

• How many users or extensions will the organisation require?
• How many calls are likely to take place simultaneously during busy periods?

The appropriate 3CX capacity needs to accommodate both requirements.

What Is a Simultaneous Call?

A simultaneous call is a call actively taking place through the 3CX system at a particular moment.

If ten employees have telephone extensions but only three are on calls at the same time, the organisation does not necessarily require ten simultaneous calls.

However, calculating capacity requires more than looking at the average number of calls.

The important figure is the likely demand during the organisation’s busiest periods.

For example, an office may normally have only two or three calls taking place at once but regularly experience substantially higher demand between 9:00am and 10:00am.

A sales team, customer-service department or contact centre may also have much higher concurrent-call requirements than another organisation with the same number of employees.

Internal calls also need to be considered when calculating simultaneous-call requirements.

Does 3CX Charge Per User?

3CX is not structured like a conventional per-user cloud telephone service where every additional employee automatically creates another monthly user charge.

Instead, commercial 3CX licensing is primarily based on system capacity.

However, that does not mean the number of users can be ignored.

Current 3CX editions have maximum and recommended user or extension ranges associated with different simultaneous-call capacities.

The correct system therefore needs enough capacity for both:

• The required number of users or extensions
• The expected number of simultaneous calls

This distinction is important when comparing 3CX pricing with providers that advertise a simple price per user.

What Is Included in Hosted 3CX Pricing?

The 3CX licence is only one component of a complete hosted business telephone service.

A production Hosted 3CX deployment may need several services working together.

3CX Licence

The licence determines the permitted system capacity and the functionality available within the selected 3CX edition.

Different editions provide different levels of functionality, so the correct edition should be selected according to what the organisation actually requires.

Hosting

The 3CX platform needs to run on suitable infrastructure.

With a managed Hosted 3CX service, the business does not need to operate the PBX server at its own premises.

I.T Communications provides the hosted platform as part of its managed Hosted 3CX Phone System service.

SIP Trunks

A business phone system needs connectivity to external telephone networks.

This is provided through SIP trunks, which carry calls between the Hosted 3CX platform and fixed, mobile and international telephone networks.

I.T Communications provides Business SIP Trunks through its own UK SIP network and carrier interconnects.

Telephone Numbers

Businesses also need telephone numbers through which customers can contact them.

These could be new numbers or existing business telephone numbers transferred from another provider.

I.T Communications can supply UK telephone numbers and coordinate the transfer of eligible existing numbers.

See our Telephone Numbers services for more information.

Outbound Calls

Call charges are another factor when comparing telephone systems.

Some services charge separately for every outbound call, while others include an allowance.

I.T Communications Hosted 3CX packages include outbound minutes to selected UK destinations, with the allowance determined by the package.

Support

A business telephone system is an operational service rather than simply a piece of software.

Support may be required for:

• User changes
• Call routing
• Queues
• IVRs
• Troubleshooting
• Configuration
• Upgrades
• Number management
• Integrations
• General technical assistance

I.T Communications includes ongoing support within the defined scope of its Hosted 3CX packages.

Businesses that already operate 3CX can also use our dedicated 3CX Support Services.

How Much Does I.T Communications Hosted 3CX Cost?

I.T Communications currently offers Hosted 3CX packages starting from £149.90 per month.

The entry package provides a four-simultaneous-call system.

Larger capacities are available for organisations requiring additional users, extensions or concurrent-call capacity.

Rather than selecting a package purely according to employee numbers, the system should be sized around actual operational requirements.

Our current Hosted 3CX pricing can be viewed on the Hosted 3CX Pricing page.

What Is Included in an I.T Communications Hosted 3CX Package?

Our Hosted 3CX service is designed as a complete managed communications service rather than simply supplying a software licence.

Depending on the selected package and agreed service specification, the service can combine:

• Hosted 3CX platform
• 3CX licensing
• I.T Communications SIP service
• UK telephone numbers
• Included outbound minutes to selected destinations
• Desktop and mobile applications
• Number-porting assistance
• Ongoing UK support
• Configuration and management

This means businesses comparing Hosted 3CX quotations should check what is actually included rather than comparing the headline monthly figures alone.

Why Can Hosted 3CX Prices Differ Between Providers?

Two providers can advertise 3CX while offering significantly different services.

One quotation may represent little more than the licence and hosting.

Another may include SIP connectivity, numbers, call allowances, technical support, configuration and ongoing management.

Important areas to compare include:

• 3CX edition
• Simultaneous-call capacity
• User or extension limits
• Hosting
• SIP trunks
• Included minutes
• Telephone numbers
• Number porting
• Initial configuration
• Migration
• Support
• Contract term
• Integrations
• Resilience
• Ongoing management

A lower headline price does not necessarily mean a lower overall communications cost if essential components need to be purchased separately.

Which 3CX Edition Do I Need?

The appropriate 3CX edition depends on the features the organisation requires.

A business needing straightforward professional call handling may have very different requirements from a contact centre requiring advanced reporting, integrations or intelligent call handling.

I.T Communications currently structures its Hosted 3CX offering around BASIC, PRO and AI options where applicable.

Rather than selecting an edition simply because it contains the largest feature list, businesses should identify the functionality they genuinely require.

That may include areas such as:

• Call queues
• Reporting
• CRM integration
• Advanced call handling
• Contact-centre functionality
• AI capabilities
• Transcription
• Intelligent customer handling

The appropriate edition and capacity can then be selected together.

How Do I Work Out What Size 3CX System I Need?

Start with two figures.

1. Number of Users or Extensions

Determine how many people or extensions need to be configured on the system.

Allow for realistic growth rather than sizing a new system so tightly that another upgrade is immediately required when the next employee joins.

2. Peak Simultaneous Calls

Estimate the largest realistic number of calls taking place at the same time.

This assessment should consider both internal and external calls.

The busiest period is more important than the daily average.

A company with 40 users may have completely different requirements from another 40-user organisation if one has relatively light telephone usage and the other operates a busy sales or customer-service department.

I.T Communications assesses both user requirements and peak call demand before recommending an appropriate Hosted 3CX capacity.

Are There Other Costs When Moving to 3CX?

Potentially.

The monthly service charge isn’t necessarily the only consideration when replacing an existing telephone system.

Depending on the project, additional work may include:

• Number porting
• Complex call-flow design
• CRM integration
• Microsoft Teams integration
• AI integration
• Network configuration
• New IP phones
• Specialist migration work
• Bespoke development

Requirements vary considerably between organisations.

A straightforward migration will naturally be different from a multi-site deployment involving hundreds of extensions, multiple telephone number ranges and complex integrations.

Any project work should therefore be identified before the migration begins.

Do I Need New Phones for Hosted 3CX?

Not necessarily.

Whether existing IP phones can be retained depends on their make, model, firmware, configuration and compatibility with the proposed deployment.

Some organisations also choose to reduce their dependence on physical desk phones by using desktop, web or mobile applications.

The endpoint strategy should be considered during the design stage rather than assuming every employee automatically requires a new physical handset.

Does My Internet Connection Affect the Cost?

Potentially.

Hosted 3CX depends on suitable IP connectivity.

A business with an appropriate existing connection may not need to make any changes.

However, organisations with insufficient bandwidth, unreliable connectivity or particularly demanding resilience requirements may need to consider improving their internet service.

Depending on the organisation, suitable connectivity could include Business Broadband or a dedicated Fibre Leased Line.

For organisations heavily dependent on cloud communications, the reliability of the underlying connection can be just as important as the telephone platform itself.

Is Hosted 3CX Cheaper Than a Per-User Phone System?

It can be, but the answer depends on the organisation.

Because 3CX uses system capacity rather than simply multiplying a monthly fee by every individual user, it can provide an attractive commercial model for organisations with larger numbers of users.

However, price alone shouldn’t determine the choice of telephone system.

The comparison should consider:

• Required functionality
• Number of users
• Call volumes
• Support
• Hosting
• SIP connectivity
• Call charges
• Integrations
• Migration
• Reliability
• Future growth

The most useful comparison is therefore the total cost of delivering the required service, rather than simply comparing licence prices.

Hosted 3CX from I.T Communications

I.T Communications provides Hosted 3CX as part of a wider UK communications service.

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

This allows us to provide the Hosted 3CX platform alongside the voice connectivity, telephone numbers and ongoing support surrounding it.

Businesses can therefore use one provider for:

• Hosted 3CX
• SIP trunks
• Telephone numbers
• Number porting
• Business broadband
• Fibre leased lines
• Migration
• Configuration
• Ongoing UK support

Learn more about our Hosted 3CX Phone Systems or compare current packages on our Hosted 3CX Pricing page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does Hosted 3CX Cost Per Month?

I.T Communications Hosted 3CX packages currently start from £149.90 per month for a four-simultaneous-call system.

Larger packages are available according to the required call capacity, number of users or extensions, selected edition and service requirements.

Is 3CX Charged Per User?

Commercial 3CX licensing is primarily based on simultaneous-call capacity rather than simply charging a separate monthly licence for every user.

Current editions also apply user or extension allowances to the different simultaneous-call tiers, so both requirements need to be considered when sizing the system.

What Does SC Mean in 3CX Pricing?

SC means simultaneous calls.

It describes the number of active calls that the selected system capacity can accommodate at the same time.

Does a 3CX Licence Include SIP Trunks?

The 3CX platform and the SIP service should be considered separately when comparing services.

I.T Communications Hosted 3CX packages combine the platform with the required I.T Communications SIP service as part of the managed offering.

Does Hosted 3CX Include Telephone Numbers?

I.T Communications Hosted 3CX packages include UK telephone numbers according to the selected service specification. Existing eligible numbers can also be transferred through the number-porting process.

Is Hosting Included?

Yes. I.T Communications’ Hosted 3CX monthly rental includes the hosted 3CX instance within the defined package scope.

Can I Get a Quote Based on My Business Requirements?

Yes.

The most accurate way to price Hosted 3CX is to assess your number of users or extensions, peak simultaneous calls, locations, existing telephone numbers and required integrations.

Get a Hosted 3CX Quote

Choosing a Hosted 3CX system shouldn’t involve guessing how much capacity you need.

I.T Communications can assess your number of users, extensions, peak call demand, locations, existing telephone numbers, connectivity and integration requirements before recommending an appropriate system.

View Hosted 3CX Pricing | Explore Hosted 3CX | Contact I.T Communications