Building seamless communication between in-house teams is essential for all businesses and phone systems can be crucial for achieving this goal. Given that you’re here, you’re probably aware of all the benefits, but you want to see other business phone systems in the market.
We’ve taken the time to explore three 3CX alternatives to help you make an informed decision. Each of the phone systems we mention below has its pros and cons. But in the end, you will still opt for one that suits your needs best.
There are several essential factors we took into account when we were curating the list of 3CX alternatives. These include:
- Ease of use
- Pricing
- Integration support
- Customer support
- Unique features
Before examining all the alternatives, let’s look at what makes 3CX an excellent option for many businesses.
Why do people opt for 3CX?
3CX is an industry veteran that’s well aware of clients’ needs. The company was founded back in 2005. During the years, the platform has evolved from being a PBX phone system to a powerful communication platform that packs audio, video and live chat features.
The platform also comes with numerous options that make it a great phone system for businesses of all sizes. When you head over to the pricing section, you’ll notice three plans — Standard, Pro and Enterprise.
The best part is that the license for using the software is entirely free for the first year. That also applies to clients who opt for hosted solutions. Therefore, many businesses opt for this business phone system due to its long free use period.
Those who opt for the Standard plan can keep using the platform for free during the second year. Of course, that comes with some limitations, and it’s only available for teams up to 12 users.
With over 250.000 active customers, it’s evident that this platform is a competitive phone system and the number one choice for numerous businesses. If you’re interested in learning more about it, check out our 3CX review. However, other companies might be looking for a different solution. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite 3CX alternatives.
What are the top 3CX alternatives?
The phone system market is very competitive. There are plenty of other software platforms that aim to offer the best communication tool for many businesses. In this article, we’re going to examine the following business communications tools:
- Ringblaze
- 8×8
- Nextiva
We’ll take a look at all the relevant features that make these software tools unique. Some of them are a better fit for a small business, while others are highly scalable to meet the gigantic needs of enterprise companies.
1. Ringblaze
Ringblaze is the perfect business phone system, especially for a small business. The most significant advantage that we bring to the market is value. We’ve designed a platform that can meet the needs of a wide range of clients in different industries.
Our software is simple to use and comes with plenty of features for a fraction of the price you’d have to pay with other phone systems. On top of that, you’ll find sales-focused features that’ll differentiate your business from the competitors.
Ringblaze features
We want our clients to communicate swiftly from the moment they start using the platform. That’s why our features heavily focus on ease of use. Additionally, our platform’s design establishes a foundation for straightforward communication and collaboration.
Some of the features our clients enjoy are:
- Call management features — Ringblaze offers call assigning, forwarding and recording features. Other business phone system providers will require switching to a more expensive plan to get these options available.
- Call collaboration — A shared dashboard comes with a specific design to simplify call center communication. Customer support colleagues can seamlessly work together to manage customer calls effectively. Features like text comments help capture all the specifics of every customer interaction, making it easy for another support agent to proceed with helping the client.
- Toll-free calls — Toll-free calls are one of the core features that makes Ringblaze a great 3CX alternative. No matter where your customers are located, you can establish toll-free phones where they can reach out to you free of charge.
- Customer communication — Ringblaze comes with unique website integration features. Customers can quickly make a call and get in touch with your support while they’re browsing your website. That’s a great way to turn your phone system into a sales tool that helps improve your platform’s conversion rates.
- Over 220 territories — The platform supports calling in over 220 countries. That means that you can use the phone system wherever you are. But more importantly, customers from anywhere around the world can get in touch with your customer support, free of charge.
You can explore the whole platform with a free trial. That’s a great way to see whether the platform is the phone system you need.
Ringblaze vs 3CX — differences
While both Ringblaze and 3CX are phone system software tools, several things differentiate them.
3CX comes with a design that’s more suitable for enterprise users. While it comes with a wide range of features in the free plan for a limited number of phone system users, you get more of them with competitively priced Ringblaze.
Ringblaze is simply better when it comes to the ease of use part of the process. After signing up with the platform, you can start using it in a matter of 15 minutes. 3CX is a more complex system that requires setting up, especially if you plan to use in-house hardware.
When you consider that customers can reach out to you from your website with a couple of clicks, the value of Ringblaze’s platform comes to light.
While both of these phone systems come with top-notch features, they target different markets. Ringblaze is a much more user-friendly solution that’s perfect for smaller businesses. The platform’s annual pricing per user makes the phone system a true value king.
2. 8×8
8×8 is one of the known phone system providers in the market. Because it also targets enterprise users, it’s one of the alternatives to 3CX. The solution helps simplify internal team communication for big businesses.
You’ll find plenty of different customer plans on offer. However, the true potential of the web-based platform is only accessible to enterprise users who can use all the cloud phone and video conferencing features.
8×8 features
The company stands out thanks to its rich set of phone system features. Whether you only need a business phone or a complete contact center, this cloud-based company will meet your needs quickly. Here’s what makes 8×8 one of the alternatives to 3CX.
- Unified communications — Whether your customers are reaching out via social media, computer or phone, you get to keep all the interactions in one place. The same applies to your in-house business communication. That simplifies communications monitoring as all the data is in one place.
- Smooth collaboration — The platform comes with features that help simplify all the collaboration efforts. Create different users and roles in the system and tailor unique experiences for everyone.
- Immense integration support — Integration is one of the core features of this phone system. This makes 8×8 an effective cloud-based tool as it allows businesses to gather data and improve their services over time. You can head over to their integration library and see the list of supported integration tools.
- Insights and analytics — The most significant benefit of unified communications is all the data you have in one place. It has enabled 8×8 to create powerful analytics that tell you more about your business processes. Whether it’s your internal communication, contact center or remote teams, you can notice the patterns and help on improving your business communication and service.
- 8×8 University — The platform offers detailed training so businesses can maximize all the features that come with the software. You can head over to the 8×8 University to learn everything about the solution.
8×8 vs 3CX — differences
8×8 and 3CX are very similar platforms. Both phone system platforms come with their pros and cons. For example, while 8×8 is a feature-packed integrated software tool, it’s a bit pricier when you want to get access to all the features.
The ease of use is on the 8×8’s side, but 3CX comes with more options as you can set it up on your hardware.
It all comes down to your business needs. The best part is that you can test each of these platforms as they offer a free trial. After you thoroughly explore them, you can make the final decision more quickly.
See also: 8×8 competitors and alternatives
3. Nextiva
Nextiva is one of the phone systems in the market. Many customers opt for it as it is a complete cloud-based software platform that you can set up to handle internal and external communication. It’s another provider that goes to the group of great alternatives to 3CX.
With years of experience under its belt, the company has repeatedly received rewards for the quality of its service. It’s no wonder that there are many Nextiva alternatives, as various phone system providers are trying to offer the same and get a share of this vast market.
Here’s what you can hope to get if you opt for Nextiva as your phone system provider.
Nextiva features
Nextiva packs a wide range of helpful business phone features. The platform easily meets the needs of businesses from any industry. Some of the features that help the business stand out includes:
- A variety of communication channels — Your customers can reach your contact center via email, social media, phone, SMS and video. Employees can use the same for internal communication. That’s perfect for remote teams and for companies who work with numerous employees in the field.
- Integrate Nextiva with other tools in your business — The true power of all these tools comes from their integration capabilities. It’s the best way to improve customer service effectively. All you have to do is integrate Nextiva with your CRM software and grow the database of valuable customer details.
- Keep all your communication in one place — The best way to keep all your communication in one place is to use a feature-rich phone system solution such as Nextiva. That’s a great way to help employees remain effective with their day-to-day tasks.
- Set up automation — Use the platform to partially automate your communication. Use the feature to check in with your colleagues about business meetings. On the customer side, use automation to provide quick answers to simple queries, and create follow-up emails and reminders. Automate all the tedious tasks with the platform and focus on the only thing that matters, your customers.
- Gather data and learn more — Much like 8×8, Nextiva offers insights and analytics features. Monitor your business communications and improve your support efforts. See how teams communicate in-house and use the data to better your communication processes.
Nextiva vs 3CX — differences
Nextiva and 3CX target the enterprise market with their numerous features. However, these business phone systems are different in two important ways.
Nextiva does an impeccable job of keeping the solution easy to use. You can set up a plan for a small business in a matter of minutes. Also, the cloud-based system is hosted by the company, and its maintenance is their responsibility.
3CX, on the other hand, is less user-friendly due to its setup process. That especially applies to those businesses that opt for self-managing the business phone system.
Last but not least, there’s a big difference in pricing as 3CX is more affordable, especially when you factor in the free first year for up to 12 business phone systems. The user-friendliness of the Nextiva platform comes at a bit higher price.
Overall, Nextiva is one of the best 3CX alternatives in the market, although more expensive than other alternatives.
3CX alternatives: FAQs
Is there a free version of 3CX?
Yes, there is a free version of 3CX. Businesses that need up to 12 users can use all plans for a whole year without a charge. The standard plan has a free license for the second year as well.
Which is better — 3CX or FreePBX?
FreePBX is an open-source business phone system that has plenty of valuable features. However, 3CX is a better option because of its higher integration support. For a more detailed comparison, check out our 3CX vs FreePBX showdown.
Is 3CX PBX?
Yes, 3CX is a PBX utilizing the SIP standard.
Can 3CX work without internet?
You can set up the network to function without the internet. However, not all features will be available. Video conferencing is a cloud-only feature. Furthermore, the server will still need the connection to the internet due to software activation and license check.
3CX alternatives: Final verdict
3CX is a great business phone system platform. Its cloud-based system, free trial and abundance of features make it an excellent option for big businesses. However, the primary downsides come from user-friendliness and the complexity of cloud-based software.
Picking a user-friendly solution like Ringblaze is a better option because you can have the system up and running in a matter of minutes. All the integration support makes it a valuable addition to your contact center.
When you factor in Ringblaze’s affordable price of $15 per user per month, you can quickly tell which platform provides the most value.
If you want to try a VoIP provider, consider Ringblaze. Give it a go by clicking here. It is 100% free to try!
Originally published on August 25, 2021. Updated November 6, 2022.
