In short: Cloud phone system cost depends on the licensing model (per user per month for Teams Phone, Forever UC and Webex Calling, or one annual licence sized by simultaneous calls for 3CX), call charges, numbers and porting, handsets, connectivity upgrades, set-up and training, and contract term. For figures based on your team, ask us for a quote.
What decides the cost
No honest supplier can give a single price for a cloud phone system without knowing your organisation. The total is made up of a handful of parts, and each one moves with your choices:
- Licences: per user, per shared device, or per system, depending on the platform
- Calls: inclusive bundles, pay-as-you-go, or a mixture
- Numbers: new numbers, ported numbers and any special numbers such as 0800 or 03
- Devices: desk phones, cordless handsets, headsets, or none at all if people use apps
- Connectivity: whether your broadband or leased line and network need upgrading for voice
- Set-up and training: building call flows, porting, provisioning devices and showing people how it works
- Contract term: monthly, annual or multi-year, and what happens at the end
The rest of this page goes through each part. Whatever you need, the answer to "how much?" is the same: ask us for a quote and we will price the options side by side.
Licensing: per user or per system
The biggest difference between platforms is how they are licensed. Comparing a per-user price with a per-system price is like comparing a monthly bus pass with buying a car, so it helps to know which model you are looking at.
| Platform | Licensing model | What else to budget for |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams Phone | Per-user Teams Phone Standard add-on to a qualifying Microsoft 365 or Teams licence, or a Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle; resource accounts for auto attendants and queues | A PSTN option: a Calling Plan, Operator Connect or Direct Routing. See Teams Phone licensing |
| Forever Teams | Teams Phone licensing plus Forever Group's Direct Routing service | Calls billed itemised, with a minutes bundle available on request; optional call recording |
| Forever UC | Per user, in Standard, Plus or Contact tiers; contracts from 12 months | Optional desk phones; recording and reporting come with Plus and Contact |
| Webex Calling | Per-user Professional or Standard licences, and Workspace licences for common-area devices | A PSTN option: Cisco Calling Plans, Cloud Connected PSTN or a local gateway |
| Hosted 3CX | One annual licence per system, priced by edition and simultaneous-call (SC) size, not per user per month | Hosting by 3CX (included with SMB Free, otherwise a separate annual charge based on SC size) or your own cloud or on-premise server, plus SIP trunks and numbers. See 3CX pricing |
With per-user licensing, cost grows with headcount. With 3CX, cost grows with the number of calls you need at the same time (internal and external calls both count), and each SC size has recommended and maximum user limits. For a busy team, size it properly; our SIP channels guide shows how to estimate concurrent calls.
Calls, numbers and porting
Call charges are often where quotes differ most. Common approaches are:
- Inclusive bundles of UK landline and mobile minutes per user, which suit predictable outbound calling. Microsoft, for example, offers UK Calling Plans with different included-minute allowances, and minutes are pooled across users on the same plan
- Pay-as-you-go, where each call is charged, which suits light or uneven use
- Pooled or tenant-wide minutes, shared across users
- International calls, which may need a separate plan or credit
Ask how calls from auto attendants, queues and forwarded calls to mobiles are charged, as these are easy to miss. On numbers, check the cost of new numbers, of porting your existing numbers in, and whether there is any charge for porting them out if you leave.
Handsets, connectivity and set-up
Handsets and headsets. You can buy desk phones outright, lease them over the contract, re-use compatible ones you already have, or skip them and use softphone apps with a good headset. Many teams mix all four. See VoIP phones for the device types.
Connectivity. A cloud phone system is only as good as the connection under it. Some sites need a broadband upgrade, a leased line, a backup connection or network changes (QoS and a voice VLAN) before moving. Factor that in from the start rather than discovering it after go-live.
Set-up and training. Building menus and groups, porting numbers, provisioning devices and training staff takes time. Some suppliers include it, some charge a one-off fee, and some spread it over the contract. Ask exactly what is included and whether later moves, adds and changes are covered.
Contract term and what to check
- Minimum term: monthly, 12 months, or longer. Longer terms may lower the monthly cost but reduce flexibility
- Scaling: can you add and remove users or SC capacity during the term?
- End of term: does the contract roll over automatically, and what notice is needed?
- Handset ownership: who owns leased phones at the end?
- Price changes: how are annual price rises handled?
- Support: is support included, and during what hours?
Our business phone systems buyer's guide has a fuller list of questions to put to any supplier.
What to have ready for a quote
You will get an accurate, comparable quote much faster if you can share the following:
- The number of users, and how many need desk phones, cordless handsets, apps only or Teams.
- The number of sites, and the busiest number of calls you have at the same time.
- Your current numbers, provider and contract end date (a recent bill helps).
- How calls are answered today: reception, menus, groups or queues, and out-of-hours rules.
- Whether you need call recording, CRM integration, wallboards or contact centre reporting.
- Your Microsoft 365 licences, if you are considering Teams Phone.
- Your internet connection at each site, and any analogue lines for alarms, lifts or card terminals.
Send what you have through the contact form and we will come back with options from more than one platform.
Why choose your cloud phone system with Forever Systems
We are vendor-neutral. Forever Group supplies and supports several cloud phone platforms, so we recommend the one that fits how your organisation works rather than the one we happen to sell.
- Side-by-side comparison of hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Forever UC, Forever Teams and Webex Calling for your users
- Contact centre and call recording options matched to your call volumes and CRM
- Number porting, handsets and set-up handled for you, including the move off analogue and ISDN lines
- Connectivity checked so call quality is right from day one
- UK support for moves, adds, changes and faults
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our BT Business Partner site cloudvoice.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. We do not sell consumer phone services.
Want a vendor-neutral cloud phone system comparison and quote?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
How much does a cloud phone system cost per user?
It depends on the platform, the tier or edition and the calls included. Teams Phone, Forever UC and Webex Calling are licensed per user per month, while 3CX is one annual licence per system sized by simultaneous calls. Ask us for a quote based on your users and call patterns.
Is a cloud phone system cheaper than a traditional phone system?
The cost profile is different rather than simply lower. A cloud system replaces a large up-front hardware purchase and maintenance contract with an ongoing licence. Whether it is cheaper overall depends on your current system, lines and call costs, so compare the total over the same period.
Are calls included in a cloud phone system?
Sometimes. Some licences include a bundle of UK minutes, some charge per call, and some need a separate calling plan or SIP trunk. Check how calls from auto attendants, queues and diverts to mobiles are charged, as well as user calls.
Do I have to buy new phones?
No. You can use softphone apps on laptops and mobiles, re-use compatible IP phones, lease phones or buy them. Older digital or analogue handsets usually cannot connect to a cloud system directly. We check what you have before recommending anything.
Is 3CX cheaper than Microsoft Teams Phone?
It depends on your size and call pattern. 3CX is licensed per system by simultaneous calls, so it can suit large numbers of light users, while Teams Phone is per user and may suit teams already licensed for Microsoft 365. We compare both for your organisation; ask us for a quote.