VoIP 
When you’re choosing a business phone system, the stakes are higher than ever. Imagine investing time and resources into a solution only to realize later it doesn’t scale as your business grows or adapt to your evolving communication needs.
In such decisions, IT managers and CIOs often find themselves at a crossroads, evaluating hosted PBX versus UCaaS, each promising cost savings and efficiency. If you’re a small to mid-sized business, you need something that is budget-friendly and ready to grow with your aspirational ambitions. On the other hand, buyers in enterprise telecom communication, who are often anchored to legacy systems like Cisco or Avaya, would prefer something more agile.
This article will help you cut through 3CX’s pricing plans, breaking down precisely what you would be paying for. It will help you build confidence in deciding whether 3CX truly serves your business needs at a cost that fits your budget, or it’s time to explore 3CX alternatives.
Why IT Wizards Use 3CX
Below are some key reasons why 3CX is popular on the market among IT people.
Flexible deployment
The company offers a flexible, self-hosted platform where you manage everything. If you want, you can deploy it on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, too.
There’s an option to host with 3CX itself, where the company manages the setup and hosting for a premium. This starts at $295 for the 8-simultaneous-call (SC) package.
Feature-rich out of the box
You get different call center phone system features. For example:
- Interactive voice response (IVR) allows callers to interact with a system through voice or keypad inputs to access information or services.
- Call queues handle incoming calls and place them in line to be answered when your team is busy with other calls.
- Ring groups allow you to have incoming calls ring to multiple employees on your account.
- Voicemail transcription turns voicemails into text.
- Call analytics measures data related to incoming and outgoing calls.
- Web conferencing support for up to 250 participants on Enterprise plans.
- Mobile and browser-based softphones help professionals manage communication on the go.
Advanced PBX controls
The platform delivers comprehensive and advanced PBX controls, which are ideal for organizations with in-house IT. It ensures you have granular control over business communication.
Cost savings — with a catch
3CX solutions appear inexpensive for large call volumes. However, it’s costlier than it seems, as the key features are tiered, and some others, like hosting and support, are available as add-ons.
Later in this article, we examine these hidden expenses in more detail.
3CX Pricing Explained
3CX uses a pricing model based on the number of simultaneous calls, so you pay based on the number of calls your system can handle simultaneously, not by user or extension. Here’s an overview of its pricing:
*These are the annual license fees.
Let’s explore its various editions in detail.
3CX Professional Edition
The 3CX Professional Edition (also known as 3CX Pro) starts at $350 per year for 8 SC. The maximum capacity is 1,024 SC for $34,995 per year.
What to look out for
In the Professional Edition, 3CX offers:
- Web conferencing (or video conferencing) for up to 100 participants
- Call reporting and call recording
- Mobile and web clients
On the Professional Edition, you receive AI features such as Google Gemini Support and OpenAI support for voicemail only. However, other features like call transcription, call analytics, and 3CX AI aren’t available in 3CX Professional Edition; you’ll get them in the Enterprise Edition.
3CX Enterprise Edition
The 3CX license for Enterprise Edition starts at $425 per year for 8 SC and allows you to scale to a maximum capacity of 1,024 SC for $43,750.
In this plan, you receive web conferencing for up to 250 users, advanced contact center tools (like skill-based routing and MS Teams direct routing integration for 16+ SC), and enterprise-grade security.
Related: Find out average contact center platform pricing to compare with what you’re paying or are considering paying.
Hosting options
You get three hosting options:
- Self-hosted: Requires service and constant IT support on-premises.
- Cloud-hosted: Costs vary based on the hosting vendor, like Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure.
- 3CX-hosted: Costs between $295 for 8 SC and $1,995 for 256 SC.
3CX SMB free plan
The 3CX free plan is for users with 1–10 employees, although it comes with certain limitations — for example, fewer than 10 extensions and a maximum of 25 participants in web conferencing. Small businesses get fewer than 10 live chats with no AI features on the 3CX SMB free plan.
Hidden Costs of 3CX
Many hidden costs aren’t apparent when considering 3CX for the first time or evaluating the ROI as an existing user. Let’s take a look at them.
Support tickets
3CX charges the user $100 per support ticket if you purchase 1 ticket. If you opt for five support tickets, the cost is $350. This cost doesn’t change based on the number of SCs you have signed up for. During free trials, free support is available through the 3CX dedicated Trial Forum for the duration of the trial period.
SSL certificates
The cost for a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate only applies if you choose to self-host 3CX using your own custom domain (FQDN). If you use the FQDN provided by 3CX or opt for the “Hosted by 3CX” solution, the SSL certificate is included and managed by 3CX at no extra charge.
On average, a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate costs between $8 and $1,000 per year. The cost depends on factors like the number of domains, the validation process, the warranty, and the certificate’s authority itself.
SIP trunking
SIP trunking replaces traditional phone lines by enabling voice and other communication platform features, like video and messaging, over the internet using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).
3CX mentions the supported SIP trunk providers on its features page. However, it doesn’t include voice service. You must purchase it separately from a SIP trunk provider.
Training and setup
On the website, 3CX mentions: “Our support is suited for IT admins with networking expertise. If you lack this expertise, contact a 3CX Partner.” This suggests that unless your team is highly technical, you’ll need paid support from 3CX partners.
Add-ons
While 3CX has already integrated some AI features into its Enterprise plan, its main pricing calculator lists a separate, more comprehensive AI add-on as “Launching Soon.
Are you paying more? Get a hint of how much a business phone line costs.
Not Sold on 3CX’s Pricing? Let’s Compare It to Nextiva
If you feel you’re not getting enough value out of 3CX for what you’re paying or simply considering other alternatives, here’s an overview of how Nextiva serves as a better alternative compared to 3CX:
| Feature | 3CX (Professional/Enterprise) | Nextiva Power Suite |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per SC | Per user per month (predictable) |
| Call Capacity | Limited by SC license | Unlimited |
| Hosting | Self-managed or extra cost | Included (Nextiva-hosted cloud) |
| Support | Paid or per ticket | 24/7 support included |
| AI & Automation | Paid add-on | Included (AI summaries, IVR, analytics) |
| CRM Integrations | Available | Native (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, etc.) |
| Web & Mobile App | Yes | Yes, fully integrated |
| Call Analytics & Reporting | Yes (Advanced on Enterprise) | Real-time and scheduled reports |
| Video, SMS, & Voice in One App | Partial | Fully unified in NextivaONE |
Based on this comparison, you can draw a few conclusions that suggest Nextiva as a stronger alternative to 3CX.
Why Nextiva Is a Stronger Alternative
If you’re curious about Nextiva, here are some things that make it a stronger alternative to 3CX, considering the pricing. Nextiva has ranked first of 13 of G2’s Winter 2025 Reports across call center infrastructure, UCaaS, cloud PBX, and VoIP platforms.
There’s more to it; this is just a small overview to ensure you know what you’re gaining.
Simpler pricing
At Nextiva, you pay per user, not per call. You can scale this platform according to your ambitions without worrying about unexpected hosting or support fees.
Unlike 3CX, you get service from an award-winning support team without paying any additional costs for it. Based on 3000+ reviews on G2, users describe Nextiva support as “very knowledgeable,” “friendly,” and “quick”.
Nextiva has a 4.5/5-star rating on G2, with users praising its 24/7 availability, fast assistance, and excellent onboarding experience.
Want to explore Nextiva’s pricing? Check out how much Nextiva will cost you.
AI-driven efficiency
Nextiva’s Power Suite includes built-in voice transcription, sentiment tracking, and automatic summaries, empowering teams to drive greater communication efficiency. You get reliable functionality such as:
- Agent Assist with real-time suggestions and contextual support to assist human agents.
- Intelligent call routing based on customer history, behavior, and intent.
- Seamless AI integration with existing systems like CRM or other business tools.
- AI-driven recommendations with real-time improvements based on data trends and feedback.
- Predictive analytics to anticipate needs and offer personalized solutions.
- Context retention for a history of past interactions to get consistent, tailored responses.
Overall, you get a power-packed AI platform to scale communications intelligently.
Better experience for hybrid teams
Nextiva combines various channels, including calls, SMS, chat, and web conferencing, into a single unified platform. This makes it easier for a team to collaborate, regardless of their location or the device they’re using for communication.
Nextiva is accessible on mobile (Android and iOS) or a web browser and empowers hybrid teams to be on top of communication when they’re dispersed in different geographic locations and offices.
Zero IT headaches
The deployment is entirely cloud-based. Nextiva maintains 99.999% uptime as a value-added benefit. The platform takes care of SIP trunks, SSL certification, and hosting; you don’t need to bust your brain on getting these set up externally.
Is 3CX’s confusing pricing worth it?
There’s no doubt that 3CX is a powerful software-based IP PBX system, but its value primarily depends on the experience and expertise of your in-house team. The platform might work against you if you’re seeking a lower total cost of ownership solution. 3CX might be too complex for fast deployment or ensuring predictable monthly billing.
If you’re open to exploring 3CX alternatives, Nextiva is a good option. Nextiva delivers the same features (and often more) with significantly better UX and support.
For an SMB or midmarket team, Nextiva offers a comprehensive, unified, and cost-effective solution that can help you scale faster.
Explore Nextiva’s cloud PBX in detail and get a demo if you like what you see.
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