Teams Voice if you live in Microsoft 365 and calling is simple. 3CX if inbound call handling is core to how you operate. VoiceFlex Flow for the best feature-for-money balance, and the one we quote most for Kent SMBs. All three port your numbers, none need new hardware.
With the PSTN switch-off arriving in January 2027, most businesses comparing phone systems end up looking at the same shortlist. We supply and manage all three of the platforms below, which means we have no incentive to push you toward any of them.
We recommend based on how your business works, not on margin. Here is how we actually decide.
The comparison at a glance
| Teams Voice | 3CX | VoiceFlex Flow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Microsoft-first offices | Call-heavy operations | Most Kent SMBs |
| Pricing | Quoted (depends on 365 licences) | Quoted (per simultaneous call) | From £7.90/user/month |
| Call queues & IVR | Basic | Excellent | Strong |
| Teams integration | Native, it is Teams | Add-on | Native integration |
| Call recording | Add-on | Included | Flow Business (£12.50) |
| CRM integration | Limited | Salesforce, HubSpot, more | Dynamics, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk |
| Deployment | Fast if 365 is tidy | Days | Hours |
Microsoft Teams Voice
Teams Voice adds external calling to the Teams app your staff already use all day. No separate phone app, no new system to learn: the call button simply works for real phone numbers.
Where it wins. Simplicity. Calls, chat, meetings, and files live in one app, presence syncs everywhere, and there is nothing new to deploy or adopt.
Where it does not. Call handling depth. Auto-attendants and queues exist but are basic compared with a dedicated PBX. If your business runs on inbound call flow (a busy sales desk, a support line with queues and overflow rules), Teams Voice will feel thin.
Professional services firms, project-based teams, offices where the phone is one channel among many rather than the main event.
3CX
3CX is a full hosted PBX, and it behaves like one. Auto-attendant, ring groups, call queues, recording, web conferencing, and a proper softphone app are all standard.
Where it wins. Feature depth and cost at scale. Licensing is based on simultaneous calls rather than per user, which makes it very economical for larger teams. Our engineers hold 3CX Advanced Certification, so complex configurations are designed and supported in-house.
Where it does not. It is its own system with its own app and admin surface. Teams integration exists but is not native. For a five-person office with simple needs, it can be more machine than the job requires.
Businesses where the phone system is operationally important: recruiters, sales teams, service desks, anyone with call queues and reporting needs.
VoiceFlex Flow
Flow is a hosted UCaaS platform we supply as an authorised VoiceFlex reseller. It sits between the other two: a genuine hosted PBX with ACD, IVR, and skills-based routing, plus native Teams integration and CRM connectors.
Where it wins. Value and speed:
- Essentials, £7.90/user/month: hosted PBX, softphone and mobile apps, hunt groups, IVR, and 2,000 minutes of UK national and mobile calls included
- Business, £12.50/user/month: adds call recording with two-year storage, native Teams integration, and one number that rings any device
- Deployment in hours, and a self-service portal means routine changes need no engineer
Where it does not. It is a reseller platform rather than a household name, which occasionally matters to businesses that want a brand they already know. For very large or unusual call-centre requirements, 3CX offers more configurable depth.
Most Kent SMBs, frankly. It is the platform we quote most often because the feature-for-money balance is hard to argue with.
How to choose in practice
Three questions settle it most of the time:
- Does your team live in Teams already, and are calls simple? Teams Voice.
- Is inbound call handling core to how you operate? 3CX, or Flow Business if you also want tight Teams and CRM integration.
- Do you want a modern system, sensible cost, and no drama? VoiceFlex Flow.
Whichever you pick: numbers port across in 2 to 4 weeks with no service gap, and the switch-over runs out of hours.
No hardware is required unless you want desk phones, and we run the migration so the change is invisible to your customers.