Hosted PBX includes the system in the provider's cloud, while a SIP trunk only carries calls.
Pick hosted PBX when you want the features without hardware in a cupboard.
Pick a SIP trunk when you already own a phone system and only need calls carried.
Each range below is the published premium price, widened by that vendor's confidence band. State tax is not included, because it depends on where you are. Prices as published by each provider. Data as of 2026-10-04.
A TechEstimate is a range. A written proposal is the number you can hold a provider to.
These phone systems are alphabetical. This is not a quality ranking.
TechlyScore ranks them for your setup when you compare in real time.
123NET: $21 to $39 per user/month. 8x8: $26 to $30 per user/month. Aircall: $35 to $45 per user/month. AireSpring: $24 to $46 per user/month. Allworx (Windstream): $18 to $32 per user/month. AT&T Office@Hand: $26 to $34 per user/month. Avaya Cloud Office: $22 to $28 per user/month. BCM One: $19 to $35 per user/month.
More providers are in the same table. The list stays alphabetical.
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A phone system that runs in the provider's data center rather than in a cupboard in your office. You get the features of a traditional PBX without owning the hardware.
A connection that carries calls over the internet to a phone system you already own. It replaces copper lines but keeps your existing PBX.
A hosted system is cheaper to start because there is no hardware to buy. A trunk can be cheaper over time if you already own a working PBX and it has life left in it.
Yes, that is the distinction. A trunk delivers calls to a PBX you operate. If you do not have one and do not want one, you want a hosted system instead.
Hosted, by a wide margin. The provider handles updates, capacity, and failover. A trunk leaves the system itself your responsibility, including the parts that break at inconvenient times.
Related: cloud-pbx-vs-on-premise, voip-vs-pbx, sip-trunk-vs-pri. Glossary: voip, pbx. How to buy.
Data as of 2026-10-04.