6 Best Hosted PBX Providers for 2022
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Marianne is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who covers business phone services, VoIP, and video conferencing tools.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
The best hosted PBX providers offer the scalability and flexibility of an advanced cloud phone system. They come with voicemail transcription, audio/video conferencing, and call routing—contributing to an enhanced calling experience. These providers also offer unlimited calls and texts and budget-friendly plans for small businesses. In this article, we rounded up the best hosted PBX phone systems that fit your business communication needs.
- Dialpad: Best overall hosted PBX provider for remote teams looking the widest range of call management features
- Nextiva: Top choice for solopreneurs wanting a hosted PBX provider with budget-friendly subscription plans
- RingCentral: Great option for customer-facing environments looking for robust customer relationship management (CRM) integrations
- 8×8: Best hosted PBX provider for businesses with an international presence
- GoTo Connect: Ideal for organizations needing unlimited extensions for multiple phone lines
- Mitel: Best for businesses with distributed workforces looking for advanced team collaboration tools
Definition: A hosted private branch exchange (PBX) is a cloud-based telephony network with various call functionalities such as audio conferencing, extensions, greetings, and call queues. Unlike the traditional PBX that relies on an analog connection, a hosted PBX depends on internet connectivity to deliver PBX functionalities.
Hosted PBX Providers at a Glance
Hosted PBX Providers | Starting Price | Key Features | Advanced Features | FSB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $15 per user, per month, billed annually |
|
| 4.56 out of 5 |
 | $14.95 per user, per month, billed annually |
|
| 4.54 out of 5 |
 | $19.99 per user, per month, billed annually |
|
| 4.49 out of 5 |
 | $15 per user, per month |
|
| 4.45 out of 5 |
 | $24 per user, per month |
|
| 4.43 out of 5 |
 | $25.49 per user, per month |
|
| 4.08 out of 5 |
Dialpad: Best Overall Hosted PBX Provider
Dialpad
Overall Score: 4.56
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Supports local, international, and toll-free numbers
- Utilizes voice intelligence technology for customer service
- Robust set of call functions for the entry-level plan, such as call forwarding, recording, and hold
What's Missing
- Unlimited calls and texts are limited to the U.S. and Canada
- CRM integrations are available in high-tiered plans
- Maximum capacity for free video meetings is limited to 10 people
Dialpad Pricing*
- Standard: $15 per user, per month, for unlimited calling, one local number, call recording, multi-level auto attendant
- Pro: $25 per user, per month, for international SMS, hold queues, customer relationship management (CRM) integrations, 25 ring groups
- Enterprise: Contact Sales for quote, unlimited ring groups, 100% uptime service level agreement (SLA), and extension dialing
- Free trial: 14 days
*The above pricing is based on annual billing. A monthly plan is available for both Standard and Pro plans. Each plan requires a minimum number of users.
Dialpad is a cloud-based communication solution offering standalone products such as a business phone system, video conferencing, a contact center, and a sales dialer. What makes it our top choice for the overall best hosted PBX provider is its wide range of advanced call management tools, including multi-level auto-attendant and custom routing.
Dialpad is ideal for remote teams wanting an affordable business phone system without sacrificing call features they depend on. On top of it, all plans include a robust set of productivity tools, such as voicemail transcription, three-way calling, and speech coaching. It also comes with powerful integrations with popular CRM tools like Salesforce.
While Dialpad offers unlimited domestic calls and texts, companies with a larger global presence might want to consider 8×8 or GoTo Connect. Both providers offer global support for companies needing free unlimited international calling for up to 50 countries.
Dialpad Features
Dialpad’s Voice Intelligence ensures you won’t lose track of your action items after ending a call. (Source: Dialpad)
- Voice intelligence: Powered by machine learning, Dialpad’s voice intelligence uses voice recognition and natural language processing to deliver real-time recommendations and accurate transcripts.
- Calling routing: Dialpad offers a host of call routing features to enhance business communication. It also allows you to manage incoming calls with features such as call transfer, call park, and call forwarding.
- Web conferencing: Dialpad makes online conferencing even better with its high-quality audio and video. It has extensive screen sharing capabilities and advanced conference call controls, such as mute all and lock conference room.
Nextiva: Best Hosted PBX Provider for Budget-conscious Solopreneurs
Nextiva
Overall Score: 4.54
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Auto-attendant is available on the first-level plan
- All plans benefit from 99.999% uptime
- Robust automation features, such as survey deployment and advanced interactive voice response (IVR)
What's Missing
- Lacks unlimited international calling
- Expensive international call fees unlike 8x8
- Entry-level plan doesn’t include unlimited short messaging service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS)
Nextiva Pricing*
- Essential: $14.95 per user, per month, for unlimited video calling, number porting, auto-attendant, call groups, and hold music
- Professional: $20.95 per user, per month, for multi-level attendant, advanced CRM integrations, workflow automation, and screen sharing
- Enterprise: $26.95 per user, per month, for single sign-on (SSO), voicemail transcription, voice analytics, and call recording
- Ultimate: $67.95 per user, per month, for video conferencing recording, reporting and analytics, custom dashboards, and survey templates
- Free trial: 7 days
*Fees displayed are based on an annual subscription for one to four users. For monthly billing, per-user fees may change depending on the number of users.
Nextiva is another cloud-based business phone provider that offers various communication solutions such as a phone system, contact center, mobile app, and a collaboration platform. The entry-level plan starts at only $14.95 per user, per month, making it the most budget-friendly hosted PBX phone system on this list. While the pricing depends on the number of users registered, the annual billing plan offers fixed monthly billing with discounts.
Choosing Nextiva as your hosted PBX provider means you won’t get charged setup fees. If you want to upgrade to a high-tier plan, you gain access to a host of call functions, productivity tools, mobility apps, and collaboration.
Despite Nextiva’s feature-rich plans, the provider doesn’t offer unlimited texting in its entry-level subscription tier. If you’re looking for this feature, consider Dialpad, which offers unlimited domestic SMS and MMS on its entry-level plan.
Nextiva Features
The call analytics feature uses standard and customized reports that let you analyze customer experiences. (Source: Nextiva)
- Call analytics: Create custom reports based on your business needs and use data to measure the individual employee performance and marketing campaigns.
- Call Pop: Know who your callers are before picking up the phone. The call pop feature reveals important caller information, including the last interaction and value of the account.
- Smart automation: Establish strong customer relationships using Nextiva’s smart automation tools. Send surveys, campaigns, and automated welcome greetings.
RingCentral: Best for Customer-facing Teams Needing CRM Integrations
RingCentral
Overall Score: 4.49
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Supports omnichannel communication
- Extensive third-party integrations
- Robust unified communications features, such as document sharing, business SMS, and team messaging
What's Missing
- Entry-level plan is more expensive than most providers on this list
- Number of features may be overwhelming for solopreneurs and small businesses
- Maximum video meeting capacity is only 200 participants
RingCentral Pricing*
- Essentials: $19.99 per user, per month, for business phone number, document sharing, call log reports, toll-free minutes, and team messaging
- Standard: $27.99 per user, per month, for unlimited audio conferencing, video meeting with up to 100 participants, and multi-level auto-attendant
- Premium: $34.99 per user, per month, for single sign-on, hot desking, real-time analytics, and CRM integrations like Salesforce
- Ultimate: $49.99 per month for device status reports, unlimited storage, custom integrations, and developer platform
- Free trial: 30 days
*Rates shown are applicable for two to 20 users with yearly contracts. Monthly billing is also available.
RingCentral is a recognized industry leader in cloud-based communications platforms, helping businesses connect through messaging, phone, and video. It is our top choice for the best business phone systems for teams looking for extensive integrations. Unlike other providers in this list, RingCentral works with hundreds of popular CRM solutions to bring communication capabilities to your favorite business software.
RingCentral’s featured integration partners include Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Zendesk, and HubSpot. It also has its own app marketplace to help you find which solution to integrate with your communications stack.
While RingCentral offers an overwhelming amount of integrations, its features may be overkill for solopreneurs on a budget. If you’re looking for an affordable cloud-hosted PBX solution, look no further than Nextiva. Nextiva’s entry-level plan starts at only $14.95 per user, per month, when billed annually.
RingCentral Features
RingCentral’s real-time analytics comes with an Analytics portal to proactively monitor call quality. (Source: RingCentral)
- Real-time analytics: Gain real-time insights and gather reporting metrics on the RingCentral Analytics portal. The portal delivers business-relevant data such as company numbers, live reports, service quality, and device status.
- Advanced call handling: Listen to agent conversations with clients and provide coaching through call management controls such as call barging, whisper, monitor, and takeover. Other features include user groups, role-based access control, and overflow call queues.
- Hot desking: Access your own voicemail, extensions, and settings on any shared communication channel. This enables remote employees to share a common phone while keeping their own voicemail access and extension profiles.
8×8: Best Hosted PBX Provider for Organizations With an International Presence
8x8
Overall Score: 4.45
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Video meetings support up to 500 participants
- Affordable international calling rates
- All plans include visual voicemail
What's Missing
- Free trial is only available for 8x8 Express users
- Lacks toll-free minutes
- Limited third-party integrations, unlike RingCentral
8x8 Pricing*
- 8×8 Express: $15 per user, per month, for unlimited domestic calling, unlimited video meetings, visual voicemail, and content sharing
- X2: $24 per user, per month, for number porting, multi-level auto-attendant, call handling, and voicemail transcription
- X4: $44 per user, per month, for unlimited internet fax, call activity analytics, and unlimited voice calling to 48 countries
- Free trial: 30 days
*Fees displayed for X2 and X4 are based on annual billing. Monthly subscription plans are also available.
8×8 is a cloud-based unified communications tool that offers a scalable business phone system with multinational support. By subscribing to the X4 plan, users get unlimited international calling for up to 48 countries. For non-supported countries, rates start at only $0.02 per minute. If you don’t need all the premium features of the X4 plan, you may subscribe to the X2 plan, which offers unlimited international calling for up to 14 countries.
Companies with high-international call volumes will appreciate 8×8’s advanced call management such as call blocking, auto-attendant, and on-hold music. Additionally, 8×8 has a local carrier interconnection in up to 46 countries, making it easy to switch to a cloud phone system in a specific local region.
While 8×8 is the ideal hosted PBX provider for global organizations, its limited third-party integrations may not be enough for businesses with customer-facing teams. If you’re looking for extensive integrations with popular CRM tools, check out RingCentral. RingCentral has over a hundred third-party applications for various categories such as analytics, customer support, and healthcare.
8×8 Features
8×8 provides clear, in-depth analytics across all your cloud communications. (Source: 8×8)
- Unified communications (UC) analytics: Capture real-time, actionable insights for all your cloud communications. This feature enables you to track business wide talk-time totals and view active dashboards and call quality metrics.
- Role-based access controls: Create custom settings and control access to video meetings, analytics, and call recordings. It also allows you to assign each user to specific roles and access resources they need in their job.
- Multi-level auto-attendant: Automate your customers’ calling experience with smart tools and advanced call routing capabilities. Self-service options enable you to personalize caller experiences and promote the company brand during wait times.
GoTo Connect: Best Hosted PBX Provider for Businesses With Multiple Phone Lines
GoTo Connect
Overall Score: 4.43
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- All plans include unlimited extensions
- Free international calling to up to 50 countries
- Local, toll-free, vanity numbers available
What's Missing
- Meeting duration for the Basic plan is only 40 minutes
- Fewer call management capabilities than providers like Dialpad
- Fewer participant capacity than similar providers in this list
GoToConnect Pricing
- Basic: $24 per user, per month, for number porting, smart call routing, unlimited extensions, and call forwarding
- Standard: $29 per user, per month, for hot desking, e-fax, free international calling for up to 50 countries, call management, and call recording
- Premium: $39 per user, per month, for caller hold time report, real-time analytics, toll-free minutes, and agent effectiveness reporting
- Free trial: 14 days
GoTo Connect is a simple, secure cloud phone system built for flexible work. What makes it unique from other providers in this list is its ability to provide unlimited phone number extensions upon signing up for any GoTo Connect plan. Any company with multiple phone lines will appreciate its flexible phone number extensions to help its callers get to the right destination in seconds.
With unlimited phone extensions, GoTo Connect allows access to call tracking, dial by extension, and dial by name. It also enables users to customize extensions with call forwarding, voicemail greetings, and find/follow me rules. Unfortunately, GoTo Connect may not be a top choice for businesses hosting large-scale meetings. For your video conferencing needs, consider 8×8, which has a 500-attendee meeting capacity.
GoTo Connect Features
Virtual voicemail helps users who don’t have time to listen to voicemail messages by storing them in an accessible system. (Source: GoTo Connect)
- Dial-by-name directory: Whether it’s an internal or inbound call, dial-by-name makes it easy for callers looking for a particular agent. Instead of passing through the auto attendant, callers simply search the person’s name to get connected.
- Virtual voicemail: With virtual voicemail, it’s easy to check your voice messages without calling voicemail. There are different ways to receive voicemail messages, whether by email, text notification, web app, or auto-generated transcript.
- Call filtering: Inbound call filters allow specific calls to be routed based on the incoming caller ID. For example, a user has the choice to terminate a call or play a brief “blacklisted” message.
Mitel: Best for Distributed Workforces Needing Advanced Collaboration Tools
Mitel
Overall Score: 4.08
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Mobile app provides the same functionality with desk phone use
- Offers advanced CRM integrations
- All plans include a wide range of calling features like auto-attendants and music on-hold
What's Missing
- No toll-free numbers and minutes
- Maximum participant cap is limited to 100 users
- Lacks metered subscriptions
Mitel Pricing*
- Essentials: $25.49 per user, per month, for instant messaging, unlimited call minutes, video collaboration
- Premier: $32.29 per user, per month, for CRM integrations, voicemail transcription, and on-demand call recording
- Elite: $46.74 per user, per month, for automatic call recording, analytics, and advanced dashboard
*Pricing is based on 50 to 100 users. An additional one-time charge applies for installation, setup, and training.
Mitel is a cloud-based software that offers business phone, team collaboration, and contact center services. Among its family of products, Mitel Teamwork is one of its unique offerings designed for collaborative workspaces. From desktop sharing, instant messaging, and integrated tools, Mitel Teamwork ensures your teams will stay productive and organized, whether they’re working remotely or on-site.
Besides its collaborative tools, Mitel offers an all-in-one communications platform for agent management, automation, historical reporting, and a workflow designer. It also allows the hosting of video and audio meetings with up to a 100-participant capacity.
On the downside, Mitel doesn’t offer toll-free minutes on all plans. If this is what you’re looking for, check out RingCentral. RingCentral offers toll-free minutes on its entry-level plan that are pooled across the account, regardless of the number of lines.
Mitel Features
Business text messaging offers an efficient way to communicate with groups of people simultaneously. (Source: Mitel)
- Call parking: Instead of routing calls to one specific number, call parking enables multiple people to answer a call. This is ideal for companies with shared calling responsibilities for better distribution of calls.
- Business text messaging: Facilitate two-way conversations between your employees and customers. Once enabled, all inbound communications are stored in the company’s phone system to monitor responses.
- CRM integrations: Mitel offers CRM tools that help your business analyze, track, and organize customer interactions. Choosing the Premier plan grants access to CRM solutions such as Zendesk, Salesforce, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) is a cloud phone system that makes calling and messaging seamless and cost-effective. If you plan on switching to a VoIP provider, read this guide on how to set up a VoIP system.
How We Evaluated the Best Hosted PBX Providers
Since all hosted PBX providers are cloud-based, it’s important to look at each provider’s primary and advanced capabilities. To differentiate each solution, we considered various use cases, available features, and the cost of subscription plans. We also evaluated limitations in terms of participant capacity, duration of the free trial, and the variety of call functions.
Learn how we evaluated the best hosted PBX providers by clicking on the tabs below:
10%
Pricing
40%
General Features
30%
Advanced Features
20%
Expert Score
10% of Overall Score
We compared the subscription plans for each provider, including the discount and annual billing options. In addition, we looked for the most affordable solutions for budget-conscious solopreneurs and small business owners.
40% of Overall Score
We examined the general features that better enhance the overall caller experience. We reviewed providers with auto-attendant, call analytics, IVR, toll-free minutes, unlimited calling, and voicemail to email.
30% of Overall Score
We analyzed business SMS and video conferencing options available for each provider. We also gave points to those offering virtual extensions.
20% of Overall Score
We examined the overall value of each provider’s offerings, including its ease of use and standout features. Additionally, we reviewed their value for money and the popularity of the best hosted PBX providers.
*Percentages of overall score
Bottom Line
In this age of remote working, finding a hosted PBX provider is critical for businesses managing a distributed workforce. With a cloud-based phone system, it’s easier to connect with your teams and reach your customers from wherever they are.
Dialpad garnered 4.56 out of 5, securing the top spot in our list of the best hosted PBX providers. This provider stands out for its low price, robust call functionalities, and virtual number offerings, including local, toll-free, and vanity numbers. Sign up for a 14-day trial today to know whether it suits your business communications needs.
