The 5 Best Hosted PBX Providers for Businesses of All Sizes

Hosted PBX is still one of the fastest-growing Voice over IP (VoIP) services.

In fact, if your organization has decided to outsource your hosted voice services to a vendor, you're part of a growing majority of businesses.

With a private branch exchange (PBX), companies appreciate lower implementation costs, an improved ability to scale phone lines, increased uptime and reliability, and many more benefits. These benefits have led to PBX becoming a necessity.

But if you're looking to switch from plain old telephones (POTs) to Hosted PBX, you don't want to pick a provider that promises the world, only to be underwhelmed by their level of service. After all, you don't want to enter a lengthy contract for a service that doesn't get the job done.

That's why we've compiled a list of the best Hosted PBX providers available today. 

The Top 5 Hosted PBX Providers for Businesses

The best PBX providers for businesses of any size are the ones that deliver easy to use, affordable, and flexible services. But the wisest approach to picking a PBX vendor should involve reviewing providers who service your area and considering the following factors:

• Do you need just plain hosted PBX or full unified business communications?
• How much support do you need to get started and to maintain your phone system?
• Does your business model or industry demand intense attention to security, reliability, and uptime?

• Do you require a communications vendor who is compliant with HIPAA, PCI, or other regulatory measures?

Ultimately, the right PBX for you is the one who offers the right amount of support and flexibility at a price you can afford. If you're not exactly sure what your business requirements are, it may be wise to start your search by talking to an expert.

1. Ring Central

Overview

One of the most popular choices for hosted PBX, Ring Central provides low-cost, cloud-based phone systems for companies worldwide. While this organization's offerings primarily consist of VoIP, other services include basic add-on features like mobile call handling, voicemail, and some faxing. There is also the potential to integrate your Ring Central phones with some common business apps, including Box, Dropbox, Google, and others.

Ring Central may be right for you if:

• Ease-of-use is important.
• You need a low-cost, relatively basic Hosted PBX option.

• You are satisfied with your existing business communications aside from VoIP.

Pricing & Plans:

• Core - $20/user per month
• Plus - $25/user per month
• Ultra - $35/user per mont

Customer Review Scores:

• Gartner: 4.3 stars out of 5
• TrustRadius: 4.2 stars out of 5

Positive Customer Review:

• "RingCentral in general has been a great tool for our company. From the phone calling capabilities to the recently integrated video calling features, we are so glad to have partnered with RingCentral for our necessary phone/ video meetings and calls!"

Negative Customer Review:

• "I really hate the new version of RingCentral. My video is always choppier than previous versions. It is distracting and very cumbersome to the meeting experience. Always pixelated / delayed."

2. Vonage Business

Overview:

Vonage Business offers business-class VoIP with many of the most popular benefits, including mobility, the potential for contact center services, and video conferencing. This platform can be integrated with Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync (now Skype for Business), and offers some additional add-on services if you are interested in unified business communications.

Vonage Business might be for you if:

• You are comfortable with committing more technical or fiscal resources towards complex implementations (i.e. contact center).
• You want to pick and choose add-on VoIP services based on their pricing model.

• You want to purchase (or manage your own) optional in-house VoIP training.

Pricing (billed annually)

• Mobile - 1-4 employees, $13.99/mo per extension; 5-19 employees, $12.59/mo per extension, 20-99 employees, $10.49/mo per extension, 100+ employees, contact sales
• Premium - 1-4 employees, $20.99/mo per extension; 5-19 employees, $19.59/mo per extension, 20-99 employees, $17.49/mo per extension, 100+ employees, contact sales
• Advanced - 1-4 employees, $27.99/mo per extension; 5-19 employees, $26.59/mo per extension, 20-99 employees, $24.49/mo per extension, 100+ employees, contact sales

Customer Review Scores

• TrustRadius: 8 stars out of 10
• GetVoIP: 3.8 out of 5 stars

Positive Customer Review:

• "I used Vonage Business Communications for over 5 years as a solution to replacing an aged PBX system. It turned out to be a great solution for us, bringing the church into the 21st century with a high tech solution using existing architecture, easy expandability, advanced tools like auditing and visual voicemail, and a lot more."

Negative Customer Review:

• "After starting service, our texting service was disconnected out of nowhere. We tried calling customer service, and were told vonage is experiencing serious technical issues and that the texting service will resume at some point. Its been weeks and we are still waiting. I have reached out to technical support without any success. We cannot get a hold of anyone. It's been super disruptive to our business."

3. 8x8

Overview:

8x8, much like Ring Central, is a VoIP solution that's designed specifically for ease-of-use and cost-efficiency. Their primary service offerings include business phone systems, Hosted PBX for contact centers, and some limited unified communications offerings. If you're a serious DIY-er, you may like 8 x 8's "Academy" or the fact that their support offerings are heavily focused on online courses on-demand.

8x8 may be right for you if:

• You are considering mobile-only VoIP with no handsets.
• You are looking for strong basic VoIP functionality at a low price.

• You have no interest in custom app integration (8x8 does NOT offer open APIs).

Pricing

• X2 - not listed on their website, must contact sales
• X4 - not listed on their website, must contact sales
• X6 - not listed on their website, must contact sales
• X7 - not listed on their website, must contact sales
• X8 - not listed on their website, must contact sales

Customer Review Scores

• TrustPilot: 2.0 out of 5 stars
• GetVoIP: 4.3 out of 5 stars

Positive Customer Review:

• "I have found 8x8 to be a flexible, scalable and easy to use platform. Users can be deployed in minutes and you can be up and running with a fully fledged cloud based telephone system. No need to worry about the traditional issue the sip trunks capacity etc to fit company size."

Negative Customer Review:

• "8x8 has terrible customer service. We've tried to call them at least a dozen times, and after 90 minutes or so, we hang up. Their AI texting method is horrible. No resolution my texting or emailing customer service robots. Our phone and text system has been faulty for several weeks."

4. Nextiva

Overview:

Nextiva stands out as a prominent VoIP provider, offering unlimited calling across the United States and Canada. Additionally, it provides business numbers and fax services at no extra charge. Moreover, Nextiva enhances team collaboration with valuable tools such as one-on-one messaging and multiple group chat rooms.

Nextiva could be for you if:

• You want one system that can do everything and act as a business's central hub.
•  You want to use your own VoIP hardware or run your phone system through smartphones and desktop computers.
• You're okay with paying more for access to all of Nextiva's integrations with top productivity, CRM, ERP and help desk-related apps.

Pricing & Plans:

• Core - $30/mo per user
• Engage -  $40/mo per user
• Power Suite - $60/mo per user

Nextiva also offers hardware for sale or lease:

• Desktop phones: Start at $90; lease for as low as $3.90 per month
• Cordless phones: Start at $90; lease for as low as $4.40 per month
• Conference phones: Start at $170; lease for as low as $11.20 per month
• Headsets: Start at $45; no leasing options available
• Adapters: Start at $160; no leasing options available

Customer Review Scores:

• TrustPilot: 4.7 out of 5 stars
• G2: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Positive Customer Review:

• "Onboarding was a breeze! Ian Myers was a huge help getting 20 locations onboarded with some complex routing and user configurations. Compared to my last 3 phone migrations over 8 years - this was the most seamless, stress-free, frankly most enjoyable experience yet."

Negative Customer Review:

• "We cancelled our account and ported out 3 months ago and are still being charged. I called in to cancel our account and they auto renewed our contract without our consent. We signed a 12-month contract in 2022."

5. Atlantech Online

Atlantech Online is a trusted provider of unified business communications services, which include hosted PBX for organizations of all sizes. Other complementary business offerings include Internet or Point-to-Point connectivity over fiber, data center, and even inside wiring. Everything you need for business telecommunications can be delivered by Atlantech Online.

Atlantech specializes in security and reliability by keeping their voice communications on their own network as opposed to transmitting calls over the top via public internet connectivity. In addition, customers can access 24/7/365 support from in-house experts.

Atlantech Online may be right for you if:

• You need security, reliability, and business continuity from your PBX host vendor.
• You want expert assistance with implementation and best-of-class support post-implementation.

• You want to appreciate the benefits of unified communications now or in the future.

Pricing & Plans:

• Business Line - starting at $12/mo per user
• Premium Line - starting at $18/mo per user

Customer Review Scores:

• TrustPilot: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Positive Customer Review:

• "The tech that worked with me went above and beyond his duties. Not only did he help me resolve the issue, but he also stayed on the phone while I tested out the fix, and even used his own personal phone to do a test call with me."

Negative Customer Review:

NOTE: 4 stars is the worst review on TrustPilot for Atlantech Online.

• "We recently ported to Atlantech within the last few months. The WSSC team has found Atlantech to be very responsive and helpful whenever we have questions or want to discuss any concerns that we have."

Let Us Win Your Business

Hosted PBX is increasingly popular for its cost efficiency, scalability, and reliability. When selecting a provider, consider the level of support, security, uptime, and whether you need full unified communications or just basic PBX services.

After reviewing top Hosted PBX providers, evaluate which one aligns best with your business needs. Each has unique strengths, so a thorough assessment is crucial.

For a trusted partner focused on security, reliability, and exceptional customer support, consider Atlantech Online's Hosted Cloud PBX. With our in-house network and 24/7/365 expert support, we offer seamless communications to help your business thrive. Explore our solutions today!