Should a small business use Microsoft Teams as its phone system?

Teams can be the phone if people already live there, but you still need a calling plan.

Start with your own setup

Teams on its own does not reach numbers outside the company.

Add a calling plan if the office already works in Teams all day.

What the source data actually shows

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.

compare in real time

Providers, listed A to Z

These phone systems are alphabetical. This is not a quality ranking.

TechlyScore ranks them for your setup when you compare in real time.

8x8: $26 to $30 per user/month. AireSpring: $24 to $46 per user/month. Balto: price not listed in the source data. BroadVoice b-hive: $16 to $20 per user/month. CallTower: $20 to $36 per user/month. CBTS: $20 to $36 per user/month. Comcast Business VoiceEdge: $24 to $36 per user/month. Command Link: $21 to $39 per user/month.

What a quote can leave out

The first invoice can add fees that the ad price skipped.

Ask for the all-in total. If they will not say it, that is the answer.

A simple way to decide

Upload your bill if you have one. Or adjust your sliders if you are starting fresh.

You could pay less. You could also pay about the same and save the research time.

The next step on this page is to compare in real time.

Questions people ask

Can Teams replace my phone system?

It can, if people already work in Teams all day. You still need a calling plan or a connection to the phone network, because Teams on its own does not reach outside numbers.

What is a Teams calling plan?

A subscription that adds external calling to Teams, with a number and an allowance of minutes. It sits on top of your existing license rather than replacing it.

What is direct routing?

Connecting Teams to the phone network through a third party instead of buying calling minutes from Microsoft. It is usually cheaper at scale and needs someone to configure it.

Do I need desk phones with Teams?

No, though certified handsets exist if you want them. Most Teams deployments run on laptops and headsets, with mobiles for people who move around.

What does Teams calling cost?

It is the license you already pay for, plus a phone add-on, plus either calling minutes or a direct routing arrangement. Those layers are why Teams quotes are hard to compare. Price it as a total.

compare in real time

Data as of 2026-10-04.