The 3CX telephony system is a popular VoIP-based phone system that offers several advantages, especially for businesses. Here’s why you might want to use it.
| Hosting Option | Pro | Cons | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Hosted |
|
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Small businesses that want a hassle-free, scalable, and reliable phone system without managing on-site servers. |
| 3CX Hosted (Managed by 3CX) |
|
|
Businesses that want a hands-off solution with direct 3CX support |
| On-Premises (Self-Hosted on Your Server or PC) |
|
|
Businesses with in-house IT staff or specific security/compliance requirements. |
Since you’re running a small business, I’d recommend Cloud-Hosted 3CX or 3CX Hosted for ease of use and reliability.
If you don’t want to deal with hosting and maintenance, 3CX Hosted is the best hassle-free option.
| Main PBX Features | 3CX SMB | 3CX PRO | 3CX ENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | < 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Apps: Windows and Web Client, iOS, Android | |||
| Phone Directory | |||
| Headset Integration | |||
| Call Parking / Pickup | |||
| Call Logging | |||
| Ring Groups | |||
| Choose SIP Trunk | < 6 | ||
| Auto Attendant | |||
| Inbuilt SBC for Offsite Phones | |||
| BLF Busy Lamp Field | |||
| Multi-level IVR | |||
| Voicemail Transcription | |||
| Intercom / Paging / PA Announcements | |||
| Integrated Fax Server | |||
| VMware / Hyper-V / KVM | |||
| Custom FQDN | |||
| Custom SMTP Server | |||
| MS 365 Integration | |||
| Google Workspace | |||
| Hotel PBX (Self-managed only) | |||
| Video Conferencing | |||
| 3CX Link | |||
| Polls | |||
| PDF Sharing | |||
| Screen Sharing | |||
| Remote Assistance | |||
| Whiteboard | |||
| YouTube Integration | |||
| Maximum no. of participants | 25 | 200 | 250 |
| Live Chat & Messaging | |||
| Live Chat | < 10 | ||
| '3CX Talk' Link | |||
| WhatsApp Integration | |||
| Facebook Integration | |||
| SMS & MMS | |||
| Chat Reports | |||
| Call Centre Features | |||
| Call Queues | |||
| Call Recording | |||
| SLA Alerting | |||
| Switchboard | |||
| Wallboard | |||
| Callback | |||
| Barge in / Listen in / Whisper | |||
| Call Reports | |||
| CRM Integration | |||
| Enterprise Features | |||
| Call Flow Designer | |||
| Hot Desking | |||
| Scheduled Restore | |||
| Connect Remote Offices (Bridges) | |||
| Inbuilt Failover | |||
| Start / Stop Call Recording Rights | |||
| Custom IP Phone Logo | |||
| Standby License | |||
| MS Teams Direct Routing Integration (16SC+) | |||
| Skill-based Routing | |||
| Enterprise Features | |||
| Voicemail Transcription, (8SC and up 3CX AI will transcribe free) | |||
| Google Gemini Support, PRO - Voicemail Only | (VM) | ||
| Open AI, PRO - Voicemail Only | (VM) | ||
| Call Transcription | |||
| Call Analytics | |||
| 3CX AI | |||
Already have 3CX from Packnet? Find out more about setting up your 3CX products.
If you’ve ran into a problem Packnet’s helpdesk has the answers to most of your issues.
Need extra support or can’t find the answer you’re looking for, Packnet’s support is on hand to help.