Top 3CX Alternatives to Boost Productivity

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Finding a phone system that integrates with your team, streamlines processes, increases customer engagement, boosts sales, and optimises operations is no easy feat. Perhaps you’ve tried or heard of 3CX but aren’t sure it's the right fit for your organisation. 

You need a unified communications platform that provides all the features your business needs. Plus, you should pick a tool that can scale up as your business grows, because even if you don’t need advanced features now, you might once you scale your operations. 

We’ve compiled a list of the top 3CX alternatives that support you, your team, and your business goals to help you find the right phone system for your organisation.

What You Need to Know About 3CX

To find the right 3CX alternative for your business, it’s important to get an idea of what you’re comparing your choices to in the first place.

You can view system status and other important information on the 3CX dashboard.

Key features

3CX offers straightforward features like: 

• Call 

• Video

• Live chat

• Team messaging

• Whatsapp

These features are easy to deploy from anywhere, making them suitable for remote and dispersed teams.

Pricing model

3CX follows a subscription-based model that users can renew annually. Each plan is billed per system, not per user. Pricing also depends on whether you choose your system to be hosted by 3CX or self-hosted on Amazon, Amazon Lightsail, Digital Ocean, Azure, or Google.

If you’re confident in your team’s ability to take on this task without support, it’s your call. But it may be worthwhile to look at alternatives that offer hosting and support as a given—without any added costs.

Something else to keep in mind is that how much you pay for 3CX depends on the number of simultaneous calls your company needs to make or receive, rather than the number of users or extensions. 3CX uses a license-based structure to manage calls, and without this license, users can’t make calls.

Many businesses are attracted to 3CX's free version, which offers basic features for up to 10 users. However, if your business relies heavily on phone communication, the limited features and pricing model may restrict your productivity and growth.

The Top 5 Alternatives to 3CX

Navigating cloud-based phone solutions can be time-consuming and challenging. Here’s everything you need to choose the right 3CX alternative for your business. Easily compare the features, integrations, similarities, differences, and starting cost of each tool.

Aircall

Aircall’s cloud-based phone system is designed for businesses of all sizes. It seamlessly integrates with popular CRM and helpdesk tools, providing features like call routing, voice analytics, and real-time coaching. 

It stands out with its user-friendly interface and reliable customer support. Its scalability and comprehensive features make it the ideal choice for teams looking to improve productivity and streamline communication, setting it apart from competitors.

What makes it a good alternative to 3CX?

Aircall excels as an ideal alternative to 3CX by offering a more intuitive user experience and quicker setup, which means less downtime for your business. Unlike 3CX, Aircall includes hosting and support without extra costs, ensuring you have the assistance you need.

Plus, Aircall’s 100+ integrations make it excellent for teams that want to connect their customer communications platform to their existing tech stack. For example, Aircall is the top phone system for HubSpot and its users, and its seamless connection to the CRM helps boost your team’s efficiency. 

Finally, Aircall boasts 99.95% uptime, making it an extremely reliable tool that helps you provide high-quality, consistent experiences to your customers.  

Aircall ​​entry-level features

• Softphone for desktop, Android, and iOS

• Unlimited calls

• IVR

• Live activity feeds

• Custom analytics

• 50+ additional features in the Essentials package alone

Free Trial? Yes
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 100+
Rating: 4.3 stars
Price: From $30/month/user (annual billing)

See for yourself how Aircall can help you boost revenue and build better customer relationships. Sign up for a free 7-day trial. 

RingCentral

RingCentral gives you a clear overview of the status of all your rooms and devices.

RingCentral supports voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools. It includes useful features like distributed call recording, agent performance tracking, and customisable dashboards. 

Users appreciate RingCentral's versatility, as it functions as call recording software, includes a digital voice logging system, and offers call tracking and a predictive dialler.

What makes it a good alternative to 3CX?

RingCentral is a good alternative to 3CX due to its global footprint and PSTN support in 46 countries, ensuring seamless international communication. It’s known for its easy setup and intuitive use, which significantly reduces the learning curve for teams. 

Additionally, RingCentral’s thorough customer support and consistent reliability make it a standout choice for businesses seeking a dependable communication platform.

RingCentral ​​entry-level features

• Business phone or toll-free numbers

• Enhanced Business SMS

• Visual voicemail—voicemail transcriptions, voicemail to email

• Team messaging

• File sharing

Free Trial? Yes
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 2
Rating: 4 stars
Price: Starting at $20/month/user (annual billing)

See our RingCentral alternatives comparison for more information, or check out our Aircall vs RingCentral review to see how the two tools stack up. 

Fuze

Fuze is a good tool for facilitating internal communication via conference calls and meetings.

Fuze, which is now part of 8x8, supports voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools. Ideal for remote businesses, Fuze seamlessly integrates into conference rooms and meeting spaces, allowing meetings with up to 1,000 participants. 

Its user-friendly interface and powerful features, including dual monitor display and whiteboard/shared screen capabilities, strengthen team collaboration and productivity.

What makes it a good alternative to 3CX?

Fuze stands out for its advanced meeting functionalities and ease of use. Users appreciate the simplicity of making, transfering, and accepting calls, as well as the reliable service with minimal downtime. 

As an 8x8 company, Fuze provides a unified, cloud-based communications platform that meets the needs of remote teams and global businesses. The ability to mix and match calling plans and assign DIDs tailored to regional or global needs further enhances its appeal.

​​Fuze ​​entry-level features

• Phone calls

• Video calls

• Instant messaging

• Screen sharing

• Desk-to-desk calls

Free Trial? No
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 11
Rating: 3.5 stars
Price: Starting at $15/month/user (monthly billing)

Nextiva

Use Nextiva to manage calls, send text messages, and hold video conferences from your desktop or mobile device.

Nextiva’s AI-powered customer experience platform is designed to engage, market, sell, and service businesses across a variety of sectors, from accounting to retail. It offers voice, SMS, video, and collaboration tools, and it helps teams manage customer interactions across the entire journey. 

With features like conversational analytics, inbound workflows, and app integrations, Nextiva provides an all-encompassing solution for sales, service, and marketing teams.

What makes it a good alternative to 3CX?

Nextiva can be a good alternative to 3CX thanks to its AI-powered contact centre and digital channels focused on improving customer engagement. 

Unlike 3CX, Nextiva offers native social media channel integration, allowing businesses to monitor, respond, listen, and publish on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google Business without additional integrations. This seamless social media management makes it a powerful tool for personalised customer journeys and cross-channel interactions.

Nextiva ​​entry-level features

• Unlimited voice & video calling

• Voicemail

• Toll-free numbers

• Outlook/Google Contacts Integrations

• Unlimited internet fax

Free Trial? No
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 2
Rating: 4.5 stars
Price: Starting at $20/month/user (annual billing)

See our Nextiva alternatives comparison for more information. 

Vonage

Vonage offers both a desktop and mobile app so your team can stay connected wherever they are.

Vonage’s unified communications as a service (UCaaS) solution integrates chat, calling, and meetings within a single application. It provides developer-friendly products for programmable voice, messaging, and SMS automation, making it ideal for businesses looking for customisable communication workflows. 

Vonage also features call recording, admin portals, and mobile/desktop apps.

What makes it a good alternative to 3CX?

Vonage is a strong alternative to 3CX due to its scalable UCaaS platform and high voice quality. Users appreciate its unlimited domestic calling and easy-to-use admin portal.

Its ability to unify global business communications and offer tools for contact centres and conversational commerce sets it apart, making it an excellent choice for enhancing customer satisfaction and sales.

​​Vonage ​​entry-level features

• Mobile and desktop apps

• Unlimited calls and SMS

• Unlimited team messaging

Free Trial? No
Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 20+
Rating: 4.3 stars
Price: Starting at $13.99/month/user (annual billing, plus taxes & fees)

See our Vonage alternatives comparison for more information, or check out our Aircall vs Vonage review to see how the two tools stack up. 

How to Compare 3CX Alternatives and Make Your Choice

Here are the factors you should consider when choosing an alternative to 3CX. 

Integrations

3CX has a limited amount of integrations compared to its alternatives. While it connects to a number of CRM tools, it doesn’t stack up to Aircall’s 100+ integrations. So if your business uses a number of other business tools that you want to connect to your cloud-based phone system at minimum cost, Aircall takes first place.

Features

Compared to 3CX, all listed providers offer a more feature-rich alternative. However, these features often  come at an added cost. For businesses looking for extensive features at a minimal cost, Aircall stands out. The platform’s offers in-house support and training from its most basic plan so team members can make full use of the software from day one.

Budget

Budget should certainly be a consideration when choosing a cloud-based phone system, but it’s not enough to just look at entry-level plan prices. While Fuze may seem like the cheapest option at first glance, it’s important to note that it only offers roughly 11 integrations on its entry-level plan. Aircall offers all its customers access to over 100 integrations, regardless of the plan.

Onboarding and implementation

Implementing a cloud-based business phone solution shouldn’t come at the expense of your team’s productivity. The ideal system should offer straightforward onboarding and quick assistance when needed, so look for a provider that provides in-house support and training from knowledgeable experts.

Why Aircall Is the Ideal 3CX Alternative for Your Business

Aircall’s 100% cloud-based customer communications platform prioritises the power of conversation and enables streamlined, meaningful, and action-driven conversations.

With the most extensive and feature-rich basic plan on the market, Aircall also includes a leading app ecosystem with over 100 integrations, easily managed with one click. This is essential for sales leaders aiming to upskill teams, improve productivity, and optimise internal processes.

Is it the right choice for you? Here’s what you need to know about Aircall to make the right decision for your specific team.

• An intuitive and easy-to-use dashboard with no hardware and no hassle. Aircall provides an easy-to-navigate and intuitive dashboard while removing the need (and cost) of installing any additional equipment or hardware.

• Productivity features and settings that allow teams to manage workflow easily. Desktop notifications let team members stay updated and informed, and Aircall’s Power Dialer enables team members to make calls in rapid succession, automatically adding numbers from any webpage. In addition, Aircall integrates with CRM and helpdesk tools to ensure no one’s chasing conversations from multiple sources.

• A best-in-class app marketplace with 100+ business integrations, included in even the most basic package. Integration partners include Hubspot, Freshdesk, Intercom, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Zendesk, and more.

• Analytics features available to all Aircall customers. Through a real-time Activity Feed, Aircall users can gather an in-depth analysis of why calls were missed and their call history. Aircall also offers a Call Whispering feature, which allows team members to secretly speak to each other while on a live call to provide timely advice.

Aircall: The Perfect Solution to Boost Team Productivity

Unlock your team's potential with industry-leading services and features. Aircall provides the tools you need to provide an exceptional customer experience while helping your team be more productive. 

Curious about how your team can use Aircall’s productivity features? Try Aircall for a 7-day free trial and see how our all-in-one voice solution can help you reach your business goals.

Try Aircall today and discover a seamless communication experience designed to support your growth.

Published on September 5, 2024.