- Flexible Deployment: Run it on-premise on Windows or Linux, self-host it in your own cloud account, or let 3CX host and manage it.
- No Per-User Pricing: One flat annual fee per system based on simultaneous calls, so the licence covers every extension in the band rather than every employee.
- Unified Communications: Voice, SMS and MMS and Live Chat for WordPress on every edition; WhatsApp from PRO; onboard video conferencing on the AI edition at 16 simultaneous calls or more.
- Enterprise Call Center: Call queues, call recording, wallboard and queue reporting start at PRO, with skill-based routing and recording rights on the AI edition.
- Microsoft 365 & Google Integration: Full integration on PRO and AI; BASIC and the free edition get user sync only.
- AI Capabilities: AI Receptionist, AI Personal Assistant, call summary, call sentiment and transcription, all on the AI edition.
3cx PBX System for Enterprises
Enterprise-grade PBX system with flexible hosting and flat annual pricing
Updated July 29, 2026
3cx PBX System for Enterprises Overview
3CX is an enterprise PBX and unified communications system designed for organizations seeking control, flexibility, and cost savings. It supports on‑premise, self‑hosted, or 3CX‑hosted deployments with no per‑user monthly fees.
Built for IT administrators, 3CX combines voice, video, messaging, and contact center features with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integrations, making it a scalable alternative to legacy PBX platforms.
Key Features
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Featured |
|---|---|---|
| 4SC Free Basic | Free | 4 simultaneous calls, up to 10 users, self-hosted only; web and mobile apps, auto attendant, multi-level IVR, ring groups, SMS and MMS, Live Chat for WordPress |
| 3CX BASIC | $300/year for 8 simultaneous calls (up to 40 extensions) | Adds SIP desk phones, inbuilt SBC for offsite phones, 3CX SMTP, multi-company setup |
| 3CX PRO | $395/year for 8 simultaneous calls | Call queues, call recording, CRM integration, hot desking, wallboard, WhatsApp, Grafana and Power BI reporting |
| 3CX AI | $575/year for 8 simultaneous calls | Everything in PRO plus AI Receptionist, AI Personal Assistant, call summary and sentiment, skill-based routing |
| Add-on: Hosted by 3CX | $295/year at 8 simultaneous calls | 3CX hosts and manages the PBX instead of your own server or cloud account |
3CX charges one flat fee per system per year based on simultaneous calls rather than per user, so the same licence covers every extension in the band. The published ladder runs from 8 simultaneous calls up to 1,024 calls and 8,192 extensions, priced at $24,750/year on BASIC and $39,595/year on AI. Listed prices exclude tax and VAT and are subject to exchange rate changes, and summer promotions on hosting, upgrades and multi-year terms run until 30 September 2026.
Pricing source: https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/pricelist
Pros
Competitor |
Pros |
|---|---|
| RingCentral | 3CX bills one annual fee per system, not per person: $300/year on BASIC covers 8 simultaneous calls and up to 40 extensions. RingCentral RingEX is per user, at $25 per user per month on Core paid annually, so a 40-person office runs about $12,000 a year. For a company with its own IT staff the gap pays back the setup work quickly. |
| Zoom Phone | Deployment is a real choice with 3CX. It runs on-premise on Windows or Linux, self-hosted in your own Amazon, Azure, Google or Digital Ocean account, or hosted by 3CX from $295/year at 8 simultaneous calls. Teams with data residency rules can keep the PBX and call data on their own infrastructure and still use the web client and the mobile apps. |
| Avaya | Licensing stays a single line item. The $575/year AI tier at 8 simultaneous calls already includes call queues, call recording, WhatsApp, SMS and AI transcription, so there is no stack of per-seat or per-feature licences to reconcile. It also installs on standard Windows or Linux servers rather than proprietary telephony hardware. |
| Mitel | The whole rate card is public, which makes growth easy to price: a 24-call system covering up to 120 extensions is $825/year on BASIC and $1,495/year on AI, so the next step up is a known number rather than a renegotiation. Moving between on-premise, self-hosted cloud and 3CX-hosted does not change the licence itself, only the optional hosting fee. |
| Cisco Webex Calling | Administration is browser-based and can be delegated to department admins, so a small IT team is not the bottleneck for every extension change. 3CX also publishes a feature-by-feature comparison of Basic, PRO and AI, and upgrading is a tier change on the same system rather than renegotiating a per-user subscription. |
Cons
Competitor |
Cons |
|---|---|
| RingCentral | 3CX is self-managed by design. The free edition is self-hosted only, and even on paid tiers your team owns the operating system, updates and SIP trunk choice unless you pay extra for Hosted by 3CX. RingCentral is a fully managed cloud service billed per user, which suits organisations with no telephony skills in-house. |
| Zoom Phone | Pricing follows simultaneous calls, not headcount, so you have to size concurrency correctly. The 8-call tiers allow up to 40 extensions, and 3CX itself recommends 16 to 40 users at that level. Size too low and calls queue; size too high and you pay for a band you do not use. |
| Avaya | The cheaper tiers are deliberately thin. BASIC has no call queues, no call recording and no CRM integration; those begin at PRO, which is $395/year at 8 simultaneous calls. The AI Receptionist, call sentiment and skill-based routing are AI-edition only, and onboard call recording needs 16 simultaneous calls or more. |
| Mitel | The free edition is a starter sandbox, not a small-business plan: 4 simultaneous calls, 10 users, self-hosted only, no SIP desk phones, no 3CX SMTP and no CRM or API integrations. Anything production-grade starts at the 8-call commercial tiers, so the free path is for evaluation and hobby setups. |
| Cisco Webex Calling | Calling minutes are not included. 3CX sells bring-your-own SIP trunking, so numbers and call charges arrive on a separate carrier bill that is not on the 3CX price list. Listed prices also exclude tax and VAT and can move with exchange rates, so the quoted annual figure is not the landed cost. |
Reviews
- G2 Review (Rating: 4.4/5): G2 puts 3CX at 4.4 out of 5 across 547 reviews, and self hosting is the point reviewers keep coming back to. Jean-Rene A., in a 2026 review, likes that “The fact you can self-host on a simple server, while retaining good performance, is a great feature”, but the same reviewer flags “There’s a noticeable lack of native AI features, and it feels like competitors are catching up quickly on that front.”
- Capterra Review (Rating: 4.4/5): The 467 Capterra reviewers land on the same 4.4. A VP of technology summed up the appeal in November 2025 as “Easy VoIP onboarding, easy admin panel, cost is very competitive, supports multiple sites, supports mobile app ringing, supports DID”, while a sysadmin in April 2025 warned that “Documentation is sometime a bit ‘rough’ for newcomers to 3CX”.
- Gartner Peer Insights (Rating: 4.1/5): Gartner Peer Insights runs cooler at 4.1 from 31 reviews, with licensing the standout. One reviewer writes that “Compared to other PBX solutions, licensing is predictable and cost-efficient, especially for customers who need call queues, IVRs, or remote extensions without heavy add-on costs.”
