3CX Reviews

“Quick status updates”

Pros

Signing in only takes a moment and switching your status between in office, out of office, busy or at lunch is really simple.

Cons

One downside is that if the program is fully closed, it can take a bit of time to launch. That means you might be in the office for a few minutes before it actually shows you as logged in.

“customized calling from anywhere”

Pros

Being able to step away from my desk or even be out of the office and still answer office calls on my laptop is something I really love about this software.

Cons

I can't think of anything I dislike about this software.

“powerful phone system configuration”

Pros

It was the simplest setup I've ever use. Compared with other software-based phone systems that usually need a lot of technical knowledge, training and costly hardware, this one can be installed on an affordable mini PC and still handle hundreds of users.

Cons

A few features don't have very clear documentation so it can take a while to track down the right solutions.

“Feature-rich desktop companion”

Pros

Having this on my desktop gives me access to extensions and a lot of really useful features. I end up using it instead of a physical phone most of the time.

Cons

Issue I do run into is with my Bluetooth headset. The software occasionally switches to the wrong audio device but I've been able to work around it by rebooting the headset and restarting the client.

“Versatile codecs with free SIP”

Pros

One of the best things about it is the support for many audio compression algorithms (codecs). It's also simple to use, works with SIP and being a free phone tool with no extra costs makes it even more appealing.

Cons

At times, the app shows too much advertising and that can make it feel a little less professional for corporate use.

“Free calling flexibility”

Pros

A free, convenient way to manage outgoing calls exactly how you want. It works well for both small teams and larger businesses.

Cons

Issue I've run into is that the program doesn't always function properly when it's accessed remotely.

“Organized call campaign workflow”

Pros

Out of all the tools I know for coordinating call campaigns, this one works the best. The part I appreciate most is how well the listings and tasks are organized. That setup makes everything much simpler to work through and it really helps me track my progress and stay motivated.

Cons

It works even better when paired with additional calling and/or texting apps. Other than that, I really can't think of anything else to complain about.

“Open connectivity with great value”

Pros

Compared with options like Mitel, Avaya and Alcatel, this turned out to be around 60-70% less expensive for us even after factoring in engineer costs. It delivers the same capabilities those systems offer and the open connectivity plus transparent licensing is a big advantage. The more you use it and the bigger your business gets, the more money you're likely to save.

Cons

One thing to keep in mind is that because anyone can install it some people assume it's just a simple click-click-click setup. The downside is that you really need to make sure your partner has great experience and a proven track record of delivering large IT projects successfully.

“Convenient guest call transfers”

Pros

Being able to handle office calls from home or while I'm away from the office has been really useful especially since I don't have to share my personal number. I also have my own extension and voicemail which makes everything feel more professional. From the office phone system, we can even check whether hotel guests are using the phones in their rooms and quickly transfer calls to guests or staff when needed.

Cons

Feature that gets annoying is that when a call comes in, it also rings on the office desktop and that setting has to be turned off every time we log in. Other than that, I really don't have any complaints.

“Lower costs through efficient calling”

Pros

From setup onward, this software pushes calling efficiency to the next level. Installation is very simple and after that, the workflow is automated wherever automation can be applied. It also helps cut costs in a noticeable way.

Cons

Like you'd expect with a tool like this, it depends a lot on having a great internet connection. Calling works really well but I think the text messaging side still has room for improvement.

“Flexible calls plus fax support”

Pros

One thing that really helps is the generous free version since it lets you figure out whether the software will work for you long term before committing. Getting started is easy and it does a really great job automating phone connections. I also appreciate that it supports faxing as well which adds to its usefulness and overall it helps cut costs across the board.

Cons

At this point, the interface is starting to feel a little dated. It also takes some time to properly learn the system and to really get the most out of it, you may need someone dedicated on the IT side to manage and optimize it.

“Reliable calling”

Pros

Administration and upkeep are easy and for the team handling phone calls it performs exactly as expected. We rarely run into issues getting a line or connecting externally.

Cons

The different plan tiers cap the number of simultaneous calls which can be limiting. We've previously had situations where no free line was available once the allowed concurrent call limit was reached.

“Flexible access across devices”

Pros

Getting this up and running was easy and managing it day to day has been simple as well. My students can access it without any trouble to do their practice. Users are able to identify themselves in the software without confusion and integrating different devices works well. It's also convenient to adjust the language settings when needed and the server side doesn't require a lot of resources.

Cons

Online support could be better. There's also some missing documentation around integrating VoIP with traditional telephony and we've run into a few issues when trying to connect remote extensions.

“Custom themes and flexible settings”

Pros

Getting most of the user customization set up is pretty easy and it ends up being genuinely useful. The front end is simple to navigate and work with. I also appreciated having color theme choices especially the light and dark options.

Cons

Updating phones is frustrating. It often loses the IP connection or suddenly changes the PINs and passwords for every extension. Even small updates turn into a lot of back-end cleanup, like being forced to switch all current passwords to six digits which then caused the phones' IP addresses to get banned and meant whitelisting each one manually. The cell phone integration also feels weak and fairly limited.

“Reliable PBX performance”

Pros

After using this phone system for many years, I can say it has been a versatile and great computer-based PBX solution. I've run it across several Microsoft Windows versions, including Windows 7 Professional, Windows 10 Professional, Windows Server 2003 Standard and Windows Server 2008 Enterprise. My most recent setup is version 12.5 64-bit on a QNAP TS-453 Pro with Windows 2008 Enterprise R2 running in virtual machine mode. Setup was simple and activation and provisioning were easy without any issues. Overall, the system runs exactly as expected and has been stable and dependable.

Cons

There is honestly very little to complain about with this phone system. If I had to point out one weakness, it would be the limited information available for setting up and configuring VoIP gateways. I ended up searching online for the details I needed and most of what helped came from other users who were generous enough to share their knowledge and experience.