The need for employees to work remotely during the pandemic forced companies to look for flexible and convenient communication solutions. One such beneficial solution was cloud hosted PBX. It offered them the benefits of traditional PBX, and more, without costing too much, so its popularity has only grown since then.
PBX, which stands for Private Branch Exchange, is a telephone system that also includes business features. These business features include voicemail, call forwarding, conferencing, and recording. Traditionally, PBXs have been analog telephone-based, but in recent years, hosted PBXs have become popular. By the end of 2025, large enterprises are expected to reach over 60% cloud adoption rate!
Hosted PBX is the use of the internet to make phone calls instead of analog telephones. You can use your VoIP provider’s services to get access to phone systems with business features. It is cloud-based, so it is also known as cloud PBX.
Let us look at how hosted PBX differs from traditional PBX and which are the best hosted PBX providers for 2023.
Hosted PBX vs. On-premise PBX
As mentioned above, hosted or cloud-based PBX uses VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology for transmitting call data. Traditional or on-premise PBX, on the other hand, uses analog telephone systems. The difference in technology leads to several other differences between VoIP and Traditional phone lines. Let us look at some distinctions between a hosted vs. on-premise phone system.
- Cost – Cost is one of the most significant differences between the two types of technologies. While the per-seat cost of on-premise PBX can be low, infrastructure and calling charges can be very high. Cloud PBX is more cost-effective due to lower up-front investment and economical calling rates. You can even make international calls at reasonable rates.
- Maintenance – Another important difference is the maintenance of the phone system. Because third-party cloud PBX providers manage the service, you don’t need to bother with the upkeep of hosted PBX systems. For on-site systems, you are responsible for installing updates and ensuring maintenance.
- Infrastructure – Traditional phone systems need a significant investment in hardware and software, as the system is based on analog technology. A hosted PBX system, being online-based, is much more flexible. You can simply download the app on your phone or computer. Or you can also use compatible IP desk phones.
- Convenience – Hosted PBX solutions can be used from any device and location. They are usually easy to install and use. On-premise PBX systems are restricted to use in the office’s physical space, making them inconvenient and less flexible. They also often provide no or limited access to international calling.
- Scalability – If you have a traditional phone system, you cannot scale up without significant infrastructure investments. Scaling down can lead to financial loss. However, with hosted PBX services, you can scale easily depending on your business needs. Whether you scale up or down, your financial liability stays limited.
Pro-tip
Your business can benefit in many ways if you enable cloud PBX services or switch to it from your traditional PBX system. There are also many providers of hosted PBX that offer different features, plans, and pricing. Our guide will introduce you to some of the major players in the hosted PBX space to help you decide more conveniently.
This is not to say that traditional PBX is not to be used at all. It is still used by many companies that have legacy PBX phone systems. It can also be an option for small businesses or freelancers with a small IT budget or basic calling requirements. However, the many benefits of cloud-based telephony have convinced a significant number of firms to shift to hosted PBX.
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After looking at the benefits of a hosted vs. on-premise phone system, let us discuss the top 10 PBX providers and their features.
Top 10 Hosted PBX Providers in 2023
There are many business-hosted PBX providers. While most of them offer similar basic features, they differ in terms of advanced features, geographies covered, pricing, etc. We will discuss the ten best options you can consider for your business. But first, here is a summary of the various providers:
| PBX Provider | Free Trial | Pricing | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 days | Starter – $12.99 per user per month | Call Conference, Call Barging, Call Recording, Call Whispering | |
| 30 days | Core – $20 per user per month | Internet-based Business Fax, File and Recording Storage, and File Sharing | |
| 7 days | Essential – $18.95 per user per month | Advanced Call Routing and Queuing, Audio & Video Conferencing, etc. | |
| Free Sign-up and Basic Plan | Business – $199.90 per user per year | Mail, Calendar, Whiteboard, and Team Chat | |
| 14 days | Standard – $15 per user per month | Auto Attendant, Custom Voicemail Greetings, On Hold Music, etc. | |
| 14 days | Mobile – $14.99 per month per line | Unlimited Team Messaging, Call Groups, Unlimited Meetings, etc. | |
| No free trial | Contact sales team | Multi-level Auto Attendant, Visual Voicemail, Music on Hold, etc. | |
|
XO Communications (Verizon)
|
15 days | Starting from $35 per line per month | Live Quality Monitoring, Built-in Redundancy, and Uptime Service Guarantee |
| No information provided | Contact sales team | Auto attendant, Receptionist, Instant Messaging, File Sharing, Web-based Fax, etc. | |
| 14 days | Basic – Starting at $27 per user per month | Virtual Receptionist, Virtual Voicemail, Voicemail Transcription, etc. |
1. CallHippo
CallHippo is a comprehensive hosted PBX provider with a wide range of excellent features. It is highly affordable, so it is an excellent tool for small and large businesses. This PBX service provider lets you get local phone numbers in 50+ countries. Its many integrations with Slack, HubSpot, Zapier, Shopify, Zoho CRM, etc., help you run your business seamlessly. It also offers Call Center Services.
Features
- Call Conference, Call Barging, Call Recording, Call Whispering, etc.
- Robust analytics and reporting
- Multi-lingual IVR, Custom Greetings, and Call Hold Music
- User Working Hours and Business Hours
- 10-day free trial
Pricing
CallHippo’s Business Phone System has three plans:
- Starter – $12.99 per user per month, billed annually
- Professional – $21.99 per user per month, billed annually
- Ultimate – $30.99 per user per month, billed annually
Pros and Cons
2. RingCentral
RingCentral is one of the leading hosted PBX providers due to its ease of use and excellent features. It has an open API platform, which enables integrations with 300+ apps, including Microsoft Office. It offers powerful real-time analytics of call data and performance. RingCentral is also one of the most secure internet-based calling platforms available.
Features
- Customized Caller IDs
- Text and multimedia messaging
- Advanced Call Handling
- Internet-based Business Fax
- 30-day free trial
Pricing
RingCentral offers three pricing plans:
- Core – $20 per user per month, billed annually
- Advanced – $25 per user per month, billed annually
- Ultra – $35 per user per month, billed annually
Pros and Cons
3. Nextiva
Nextiva is a popular hosted PBX phone system that helps to streamline all organizational communication. Offering superior call quality, including HD video conferencing, it also boasts 99.999% uptime. Nextiva offers both local and toll-free phone numbers, along with helpful business features and affordable rates.
Features
- Advanced Call Routing and Queuing
- Voicemail to email and Screen Sharing
- Customizable Auto-attendant
- Desktop and Mobile SMS and MMS
- 7-day free trial
Pricing
There are three pricing plans for Nextiva, with rates differing by number of users. The rates for 20-99 users are:
- Essential – $18.95 per user per month, billed annually
- Professional – $22.95 per user per month, billed annually
- Enterprise – $32.95 per user per month, billed annually
Pros and Cons
4. Zoom
Zoom is one of the most well-known phone systems for cloud-based calling and PBX. It gained popularity during the pandemic as a personal and business calling tool that made remote working easier. Including local phone numbers and domestic calling in 40+ countries, Zoom also offers free premium apps for a period of one year.
Features
- Up to 300 attendees per meeting
- Call Recording, Automatic Call Distribution, Metered Outbound Calling, etc.
- Voicemail with Transcription
- Mail, Calendar, Whiteboard, and Team Chat
- Free Sign-up and Basic business calling
Pricing
Zoom offers four different pricing plans:
- Basic – Free
- Pro – $149.90 per user per year
- Business – $199.90 per user per year
- Business Plus – Sales team needs to be contacted for pricing information on this plan
Pros and Cons
5. Dialpad
Dialpad
Dialpad is a hosted phone service that offers integrated communications to remote and hybrid businesses. It supports local numbers in 70+ countries, Unlimited Ring Groups, and 10 office locations. Its integrations include Clio, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, etc. Dialpad uses AI technology to offer some unique features for small businesses and enterprises.
Features
- Real-time Call Transcriptions, Note-taking, Post-call To-Do List
- Call Routing, Custom Caller ID, Call Recording, Call Parking, etc.
- Auto Attendant, Custom Voicemail Greetings, On Hold Music, etc.
- Works on Android, iOS, and Tablets
- 14-day free trial
Pricing
Dialpad has three plans for businesses:
- Standard – $15 per user per month, billed annually
- Pro – $25 per user per month, billed annually
- Enterprise – Sales team needs to be contacted for pricing information on this plan
Pros and Cons
6. Vonage
Vonage is a major PBX phone system provider, offering unified communications, including calling, video conferencing, chat, and messaging. It provides many valuable features as well as integrations with Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Slack, Google Workspace, etc. Vonage’s hosted phone service comes with cell phone integration and can run on Desktops or Mobile phones.
Features
- Call Flip, Call Following, On-demand Call Recording, etc.
- SmartWAN feature
- Customized reporting and analytics
- Unlimited Team Messaging, Call Groups, Unlimited Meetings, etc.
- 14-day free trial
Pricing
Vonage offers three pricing plans based on the number of lines. Prices also depend on the number of employees. The prices for 20 employees are:
- Mobile – $14.99 per month per line
- Premium – $24.99 per month per line
- Advanced – $34.99 per month per line
Pros and Cons
7. 8X8
8×8
8X8 is a business phone service provider offering integrated voice, video, contact center, chat, and API solutions. It is a world leader in UCaaS services and has a globally distributed network for its PBX system. It offers local and toll-free numbers in 120+ countries. It also offers integrations with Salesforce, Google Workspace, Freshdesk, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, etc.
Features
- Multi-level Auto Attendant
- Caller ID
- Call Forwarding
- Ring Groups
- Overhead Paging
- AI-driven Speech Analytics
- Multi-Center Support
- User Provisioning
Pricing
8X8 has customizable pricing plans. However, prices are available only by contacting their Sales Team.
Pros and Cons
8. XO Communications (Verizon)
XO Communications, now Verizon, is a top cloud phone system provider. It is a highly scalable platform offering unified communications through HD voice and data services. It also offers advanced calling features in multiple geographies. It has integrations with Skype and other leading CRM platforms. It is also highly flexible, as you can access it from any device.
Features
- Live Quality Monitoring, Built-in Redundancy, and Uptime Service Guarantee
- Flexible Call Routing, Automatic Call Transfer, Anonymous Call Rejection, etc.
- Voicemail and Automatic Voicemail Forwarding to Email
- Hunt, Instant Call, and Voice Messaging Groups
- 15-day free trial
Pricing
Verizon’s charges start from $35 per line per month for one to five lines. Taxes, fees, and equipment charges are additional, with a 2-year agreement.
Pros and Cons
9. Atlantech Online
Atlantech Online is a cloud PBX service with a decade-long history of providing hosted PBX. It is a fast, reliable PBX service provider that offers excellent flexibility and functionality at a reasonable cost. Atlantech Online provides calling, messaging, and meetings through a single platform. It is also integrated with Microsoft Teams for smoother communication between employees.
Features
- UCaaS and SIP Trunking
- Desk phones and Softphones
- MacOS, Android, Windows, and iOS
- Customized reports and analytics
- Auto attendant, Instant Messaging
Pricing
Atlantech Online provides plans and pricing information on contacting their sales team.
Pros and Cons
10. GoToConnect
GoTo Connect
GoToConnect is one of the most customizable business-hosted PBX providers for businesses of all sizes. It has hundreds of features to help your business improve its productivity and teamwork. It provides local, toll-free, and vanity numbers. GoToConnect also provides integrations with Microsoft, Google Workspace, Zoho CRM, Salesforce, and Slack.
Features
- Virtual Receptionist
- Virtual Voicemail
- Call Forwarding
- Call Routing
- Intelligent Reporting
- Call Analytics
- Hot Desking
Pricing
GoToConnect has two pricing plans, with free international calling included only in the higher-end plan:
- Basic – Starting at $27 per user per month
- Standard – Starting at $32 per user per month
Pros and Cons
Conclusion
Hosted PBX or Cloud PBX offers your business many advantages over traditional PBX. Primary among these are cost-effectiveness, scalability, flexibility, and low maintenance. Cloud PBX systems are also more reliable and offer better calling quality. Some of the providers offer many advanced business features as well.
These benefits of hosted PBX systems might encourage you to adopt them for your business. We have discussed the top ten cloud PBX service providers in this post. The features, pros, cons, and pricing plans of these providers can help you choose the right provider for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Supriya is a highly skilled content writer with over 8 years of experience in the SaaS domain. She believes in curating engaging, informative, and SEO-friendly content to simplify highly technical concepts. With an expansive portfolio of long-format blogs, newsletters, whitepapers, and case studies, Supriya is dedicated to staying in touch with emerging SaaS trends to produce relevant and reliable content.
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