3CX isn't a plug-and-play solution, but its affordably monthly plans may make it worth considering. Find out the other benefits (and drawbacks) in this 3CX review.
WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Editor & Senior Staff Writer
Last updated onUpdated
REVIEWED BY
Expert Contributor
| Total Rating |
3.6 |
|---|---|
| Pricing4.0 | |
| Features4.4 | |
| Equipment2.9 | |
| Security3.4 | |
| Customer Service2.6 | |
| User Reviews4.2 | |
Table of Contents
3CX is a private branch exchange (PBX) business phone system that allows users to communicate through phone, chat, and video using VoIP technology. VoIP has affordable pricing plans, including a free plan that supports up to 10 users.
Seem too good to be true? Well, there is a catch. These fees are for the phone system only and require a Session Internet Protocol (SIP) trunk to enable incoming and outgoing calls. A SIP trunk can be obtained from a SIP provider, and pricing varies. With 3CX, you can use your choice of SIP trunk and instructions are provided for getting set up.
In other words, if you’re looking for a plug-and-play solution, you won’t find it here.
What you will find is affordable phone system software that can be used with your choice of devices. Plans are purchased through local partners, not directly through 3CX. This means that you’ll sign up, make your payments, and get support (if available) through this partner and not 3CX.
This model is a bit different from the other phone systems we’ve reviewed. It won’t work for everyone, but some businesses (particularly larger businesses with IT teams and lots of users) may benefit from what 3CX has to offer.
| Pricing4.0 |
|---|
| Monthly Plan Pricing 4.0 |
| Add-On Feature Pricing 4.0 |
| Pricing For Additional Users/Devices 4.0 |
3CX has four available pricing plans, including a forever free option.
| 3CX Plans | Price | When To Use |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | You need a free, basic phone system for up to 10 users |
| SMB | $195/year | You want a phone system for up to 20 users |
| Pro | Starts at $195/year | You want a phone system with integrations & some advanced features |
| Enterprise | Starts at $245/year | You need a phone system with recording & other features |
Besides its free plan, 3CX has a flat-rate plan that charges per year per system — not per user. If you want more features, you can upgrade to 3CX’s Pro or Enterprise plans. The pricing on these plans varies by several factors, including the number of users, whether you are self-hosting, and the number of simultaneous calls (more on this later).
Here’s a breakdown of the four plans offered by 3CX.
The SMB Free plan is (you guessed it!) $0/month. This forever-free plan includes:
3CX SMB is priced at $195/year. This plan includes everything from the Free plan, plus:
Pricing for 3CX Pro starts at $195/year. To score the lowest price, you must self-host and only have 10 users. If you need service installed on premise or have additional users, your annual pricing will increase.
This plan includes everything from 3CX SMB, plus:
The ENT plan has a similar pricing structure as the Pro plan, with prices starting at $245/year for a self-hosted system for up to 10 users.
Everything from Pro is included, plus:
There are a few additional costs or fees outside of taxes and VAT. However, if you subscribe to the Pro or ENT plan, pricing is based on whether you self-host, the number of users, and the number of simultaneous calls.
While we won’t go into the specific details for every pricing level, here’s a general idea of what to expect:
Still unsure of what you’ll be paying? Fortunately, 3CX offers a well-organized pricing chart so you know what to expect based on your business’s needs. You can also reach out to a local partner for more information.
Aside from on-premise hosting, the only additional charge is $75 for support tickets.
The lack of add-ons and the cost of support tickets did lower our score for pricing to 4/5.
| Equipment2.9 |
|---|
| BYOD Compatibility 5.0 |
| Desktop Phone & Devices 0.7 |
If you were hoping to get your hardware and phone system features all in one place, unfortunately, you won’t find that at 3CX. The company does not sell hardware, so you will have to purchase your own (or use your existing phones if they’re supported) if you want to have desk phones as part of your system.
3CX does have a very organized list of supported hardware, which includes desk phones, door phones, PA systems, headsets, ATA, gateways, and more. Supported brands include Cisco, Yealink, and Fanvil.
If you don’t want to use equipment, you can download 3CX iOS, Android, and web apps for use with your smartphone, desktop, or laptop.
Because 3CX is strictly BYOD, our rating is 2.9/5 for equipment.
| Features4.4 |
|---|
| Basic Features 5.0 |
| Advanced Features 3.0 |
| Third-Party Integrations 5.0 |
3CX has a good number of features, although it’s certainly not the most we’ve seen. However, most of the bases are covered, although you will have to upgrade to a more expensive plan to access more than just basic features.
Overall, 3CX has a decent number of features, leading to our score of 4.4/5.
| Security3.4 |
|---|
| Security Features 3.0 |
| Compliance 5.0 |
3CX has a number of security features in place to ensure data is protected. This includes TLS and SRTP for encryption, automatic blacklisting, and fail2ban to thwart hackers and built-in firewalls.
3CX also has a number of security features you can use to keep your system protected, such as multi-factor authentication and security logs for monitoring system activity.
One thing worth mentioning is that 3CX was attacked, and a vulnerability was exploited in April of 2023. The company was proactive in providing users with updates and publishing a 7-step security plan following the attack.
Taking all of this into consideration, we gave 3CX a score of 3.4/5 for its security.
| Customer Service2.6 |
|---|
| Personal Support 2.4 |
| Self-Service 3.0 |
3CX is different in that its products are sold through partners. 3CX states on its website, “We do not offer technical support as a free service. “To get support, you will need to contact your partner or work with your own IT team.
| 3CX Support | Availability |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | |
| Email Support | |
| Support Tickets | Paid option |
| Live Chat | |
| Dedicated Support Representative | |
| Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
| Videos & Tutorials | |
| Company Blog | |
| Social Media |
With that being said, a support ticket can be submitted at a charge of $75. And though 3CX itself does not provide the support options in the table above, your partner may be able to offer some assistance.
3CX does not leave you completely out in the dark, though, as there are a few self-help resources available.
There is a support center that provides information and tutorials on topics like creating and adding users and configuring IP phones. There is also a community forum with categories covering everything from product updates to SIP trunks.
3CX also has a company blog and social profiles on Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
During our review, we also rate the quality of customer support. Since support is given through partners, the quality is hard to gauge, as one partner may provide exceptional service while another may not provide support at all. When scouring reviews, we did see a few complaints but no alarming red flags.
For all of these reasons, our customer service rating landed at 2.6/5.
| User Reviews4.2 |
|---|
| User Feedback 4.0 |
| Review Site Aggregate 4.3 |
3CX gets mostly favorable reviews, although there are several complaints across various review sites. The company earned a score of 4.4/5 (based on 460+ reviews) on G2, 4.4/5 (based on 210+ reviews) on Software Advice and 8.5/10 (based on 125+ reviews) on TrustRadius.
We considered overall ratings and the quality of the reviews when giving our score of 4.2/5.
Most reviewers seem to like 3CX, although there are a few complaints. Common issues include:
Many past and current customers of 3CX give glowing praise to the company for:
If you’re looking for an all-in-one communications solution, 3CX may not be the best choice (instead, consider checking out some of the best business phone systems). With 3CX, you’ll have to source your own equipment (or use one of its apps for softphone options), find a SIP provider, and get your system set up and configured.
However, for some businesses, this model may work. The pricing model makes this particularly attractive to businesses with many users. Since plans are sold through partners and only paid support options are available through 3CX, businesses with an IT team in place that can set up the system and troubleshoot issues may also benefit.
While the plans offer decent features at a low price and support multiple users, there are a few concerns aside from what we’ve already mentioned — specifically, a security incident in 2023. Although the company has taken steps to rectify this issue, it still is a concern worth keeping in mind before committing to a yearly plan.
Overall, we rate 3CX a 3.6/5. While it won’t be a match for everyone — especially those that want everything bundled together in one neat little package — it may be a cost-efficient phone system for others.
Fortunately, 3CX does offer 60-day free trials, so we invite you to take advantage of that to get a feel for the system before making a decision.
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
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