Microsoft Teams vs 3CX

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Our analysts compared Microsoft Teams vs 3CX based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Business Phone Systems, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Microsoft Teams is a leading unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) provider for businesses of all sizes. It provides voice, video conferencing, chat, instant messaging and file sharing options for enterprise collaboration. In addition to three-way PSTN calls, it enables auto-attendant, call parking, call transfer, do-not-disturb, e911 calling and simultaneous ringing. With direct call routing for existing carriers through SIP trunking, it eliminates the need to change phone service providers. It provides default on-hold music that can be customized through the powershell, as well as custom message setup for calls and voicemail. It also offers live screen sharing through chat for instant context.

Powered by Microsoft 365, its admin console enables account provisioning, assigning phone numbers, number porting, and reporting and analytics. With seamless escalation from group chat to video call, it enables in-call attendee management, screen sharing and chats. Available for all major browsers and Apple devices, it supports the current Android version and its previous three versions at any given time.
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A global leader in business communications, 3CX is a phone system based on the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) standard. Suitable for any business size, this solution helps improve productivity, enhance customer experience and enable increased mobility. It’s simple, cost-effective, flexible and can be hosted on a remote server.

The platform enables simultaneous calling, allowing customers to pay only for what they require. It offers extensive functionality, reliability and security. Integrating this software with other systems is easy and straightforward.
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Improve Collaboration: Stay connected with team members from any location at any time. Quickly access files and documents. Respond immediately to messages and join meetings with a single click. 
  • Simplify Customizations: Enable news alerts based on location. Customize the workspace according to requirements. Integrate solutions like Google Drive and Dropbox. 
  • Enhance Communication: Use the chat window to connect quickly with employees. Attach files to the chat and schedule meetings without leaving the window. Integrate with other products to avoid switching between applications. 
  • Increase Productivity: Communicate efficiently with team members without sending or receiving emails. Reduce time lag with employees who may not access their emails regularly. Access essential files, documents, meetings and apps from a single workspace. 
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  • Cost Effective: Decrease hardware, administration and maintenance costs. Pay lower costs for making calls to offices set up in other countries.
  • Unified Communication: Use additional features such as CRM, live chat, messaging and video conferencing. Access them all conveniently at one place.
  • Easy To Use: Eliminate training hassles and start using the software immediately without any learning curves.
  • Better Mobility: Allow employees to use extensions irrespective of location. Secure increased mobility by letting them carry the extensions wherever they go. Easily add and manage new lines.
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  • Secure Virtual Meetings: Send an invite to video chat with anyone, at any time simply by sending a link to an active email address, member or not. Collaborate in real time with up to 250 people in a single meeting space. 
  • Screen Recording: Record meetings in the cloud and share them with members later. 
  • Messenger: Send chats before, after and during meetings directly to one person or create group chats to keep multiple people in the loop. Send gifs, emojis and stickers to personalize messages. 
  • File Sharing: Access, share, edit, and co-author files and folders in real time securely from SharePoint, OneDrive and computers. Decide who has access to which files by granting permissions to specific groups, channels or individuals. 
  • Interactive Webinars: Connect with customers by hosting live events and webinars. Simply create a new marketing event, fill out details of the meeting and select attendees who will receive a link to the event. Use customer journey features to track attendees, utilizing the available information and continue to track customer interactions. 
  • Custom Backgrounds: Eliminate the need to hide background distractions by choosing from a myriad of screens to project while on a video call. 
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  • Hosted PBX: Keep better control over everything. Manage updates and get maximum flexibility. Move virtual PBX to a private cloud when required. Access integrated video conferencing solutions, apps for mobile phone devices, website live chat and much more. Automatically configure firewall rules. Launch the software in a few minutes using PBX Express. Get unlimited extensions. Manage extensions for remote workers seamlessly.
  • Phone System: Use the open-platform system with an option to migrate to the cloud. Deploy it on an existing server and reduce costs. Allow employees to have an excellent remote-working experience and increase overall productivity. Access flexible inbound calls, outbound calls, DIDs and ring groups.
  • Mobile Apps: Access secured communication for the entire team. Don’t restrict communication to building premises. Work on the go using the available extensions. Ensure customer satisfaction even while working remotely. Check the team’s availability easily. Eliminate learning curves and commence working quickly. Facilitate cost-effective phone calls between employees and colleagues. Transfer clients quickly to the appropriate department. Use the app and desk phone simultaneously.
  • CRM Integration: Keep the entire customer record handy to help the clients more efficiently and create a good impression in front of them. Create new customer records. Make calls in one click. Route calls seamlessly based on customer numbers or customer questions. Initiate and journal a call simultaneously.
  • Video Conferencing: Access easy-to-use and free enterprise-level video conferencing. Invite participants in a single click. Join meetings directly from the web browser without downloading any app. Share documents, present using a whiteboard, control remote screens and more. Add up to 250 participants. Schedule meetings within seconds.
  • Webphone: Handle all calls, check availability of team members and initiate video calls using one location. Make and receive calls straight from the web browser. Log in from anywhere using the required credentials and make a call with one click. Access voicemail, initiate video calls and get call notifications.
  • Call Center: Eliminate complex tasks and allow your agents to get more time to focus on vital work. Use the callback option and ensure no customer calls get missed. Record calls for reference purposes and access them whenever required. Centrally monitor ticket responses.
  • Live Chat: Integrate live chat with the phone system and allow website visitors to initiate real-time chats with the agents. Initiate a video call or live call without even dialing numbers. Manage all the communication on a single platform. Customize chat greetings keeping business hours and holidays in mind.
  • Microsoft 365: Connect with Microsoft 365 easily and streamline the workflow. Initiate calls directly from the interface. Automate phone contacts syncing. Use SSO authentication login using one click. Catch any important messages or calls. Create new extensions automatically.
  • Facebook Messages: Connect easily with customers. Eliminate the need to give all agents access to the Facebook page. Allow agents to respond to customers and resolve queries quickly. Track and archive Facebook messages successfully. Enable live chat messaging.
  • Business Texts: Use a designated business contact number to send and receive messages. Ensure no messages are unanswered, thus increasing customer satisfaction. Improve response rates.
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Product Ranking

#4

among all
Business Phone Systems

#27

among all
Business Phone Systems

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

92
96
93
100
86
100
100
95
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Collaboration
Integration & extensibility
Phone numbers
Security
Call coverage
Call coverage
Calling features
Integration & extensibility
Mobile features
Voicemail & messaging

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Microsoft Teams
3CX
+ Add Product + Add Product
Call Coverage Calling Features Collaboration Mobile Features Phone Numbers Phone System Voice Intelligence & Analytics Voicemail & Messaging 93 86 100 88 100 86 93 93 100 100 95 100 75 96 90 100 0 25 50 75 100
93%
0%
7%
100%
0%
0%
84%
0%
16%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
93%
0%
7%
83%
0%
17%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
75%
0%
25%
79%
7%
14%
93%
0%
7%
86%
0%
14%
86%
0%
14%
86%
0%
14%
100%
0%
0%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
67%
0%
33%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 14359 reviews
Great User Sentiment 613 reviews
85%
of users recommend this product

Microsoft Teams has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 14359 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

89%
of users recommend this product

3CX has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 89% when considering 613 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

n/a
4.3 (14)
4.2 (9343)
4.4 (352)
4.4 (4030)
4.5 (229)
4.5 (499)
n/a
4.2 (487)
4.8 (18)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Microsoft Teams and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Collaboration.

Collaboration Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated 3CX and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Calling features.

Calling features Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly: The interface is easy to use and there is not much training required to navigate through the system, according to 84% of users.
Chat: According to 70% of users who reviewed this pro, the chat functionality is simple, it’s possible to view all chats simultaneously and the history remains forever.
Screen Sharing: About 79% of users who mentioned this pro said screen sharing functionality is quick to set up and works without lags.
File Sharing: Regarding this feature, approximately 75% of users said that it’s easy to share files during calls and various document sharing options are available.
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Cost-Effective: 3CX offers a significant cost savings compared to traditional phone systems, eliminating the need for expensive hardware and maintenance contracts.
Feature-Rich: 3CX provides a comprehensive suite of features, including call forwarding, voicemail, video conferencing, and CRM integration, meeting the diverse needs of businesses.
Scalability: 3CX can easily scale to accommodate growing businesses, allowing for seamless expansion without the need for costly upgrades or additional hardware.
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Alerts/Notifications: Lack of reminders for meetings and inconsistent notifications, according to 70% of users who mentioned this aspect.
Speed And Performance: According to 69% of users who reviewed this con, the start time and overall speed is slow, there are sudden crashes, and the computer performance suffers.
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Limited Call Handling: 3CX can struggle to handle high call volumes, leading to dropped calls and long wait times, which can be detrimental for businesses that rely heavily on phone communication.
Integration Challenges: Integrating 3CX with other business applications, such as CRM systems, can be complex and time-consuming, hindering productivity and workflow efficiency.
Limited Customization: 3CX offers limited customization options, making it difficult for businesses to tailor the system to their specific needs and branding, which can impact user adoption and satisfaction.
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Microsoft Teams is a chat-based platform that offers online meetings, document sharing, screen recording and chat and allows businesses to communicate effectively. According to users who have tried this product, their alerts and notifications lack consistency. Slow speed and performance is another con witnessed by users. Most users appreciate user-friendliness. Screen sharing is another worthy function. In short, businesses scouting for a communication tool that is easy to learn can give it a try.

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3CX, a business phone software, has received positive user reviews over the past year. Users praise its ease of use, feature-richness, and cost-effectiveness. Compared to similar products, 3CX stands out for its intuitive interface, which makes it easy for users to set up and manage their phone systems. Additionally, 3CX offers a wide range of features, including call recording, voicemail, and video conferencing, which are essential for businesses of all sizes. One of the key differentiating factors of 3CX is its open-source nature. This allows businesses to customize the software to meet their specific needs. For example, businesses can integrate 3CX with their CRM or ERP systems to streamline their workflows. Another important factor is 3CX's affordability. Compared to proprietary solutions, 3CX offers a more cost-effective option without compromising on features or quality. Overall, 3CX is a well-rounded business phone software that is suitable for businesses of all sizes. Its ease of use, feature-richness, and affordability make it a great choice for businesses looking to improve their communications.

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Screenshots

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