Comparisons
Compare the options, plainly
Side-by-side capability comparisons of the choices that actually change how your business runs — so you can narrow it down before you talk to anyone.
Phone systems
Cloud PBX or a system on your premises?
The most consequential decision, because it determines how much of the system you are responsible for.
| Cloud PBX (hosted) | On-premise PBX | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | In the carrier network | A box in your comms room |
| Up-front hardware | Handsets only | System hardware plus handsets |
| Adding a user | Provisioned remotely, same day | Licence plus possible card or upgrade |
| Remote and hybrid staff | Same extension anywhere, softphone or mobile app | Needs VPN or extra remote-working licensing |
| Multi-site | One system across every site by default | Usually a system per site, linked |
| Maintenance and upgrades | Handled in the platform | Your responsibility or a contract |
| If the site loses power or internet | Calls reroute in the network | On-site system is unreachable until it is back |
| Best suited to | Most businesses, especially multi-site or hybrid | Sites with specific compliance or integration reasons to keep hardware local |
If you already have a PBX you are happy with, look at SIP trunks instead of replacing it.
Connecting an existing phone system
SIP trunks or traditional lines?
Relevant if you have a working PBX and only the lines behind it need to change.
| SIP trunks | Traditional phone lines | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Voice channels over your internet connection | Physical copper or ISDN lines |
| Keeping your numbers | Ported across | Tied to the line |
| Adding capacity | Add channels, no truck roll | New line install |
| Scaling down | Reduce channels | Usually contract-bound |
| Works with your existing PBX | Yes, most on-premise and cloud systems | Yes, but the technology is being retired |
| Failover | Divert to mobile or another site if the link drops | Limited without extra services |
| Best suited to | Businesses with a PBX they want to keep | Legacy sites still being migrated |
Internet
Business NBN or dedicated fibre?
The right answer depends on how much an outage costs you and how much you upload.
| Business NBN | Business fibre | |
|---|---|---|
| Connection type | Shared access network | Dedicated fibre to your premises |
| Speed profile | Asymmetric on most tiers | Symmetric upload and download |
| Contention | Shared with other users | Uncontended |
| Service targets | Business-grade support and priority assurance | Formal SLA with restoration targets |
| Lead time | Days where the connection exists | Longer; may involve construction |
| Static IP | Available | Standard |
| Best suited to | Most offices, and sites where NBN is already in | Sites where an outage stops the business, or heavy upload use |
See business NBN and business fibre.
Microsoft 365 shops
Teams Calling or a dedicated phone system?
Not mutually exclusive — plenty of businesses run Teams for staff and a full system for reception.
| Microsoft Teams Calling | Cloud PBX with its own apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Where staff make calls | Inside Teams, alongside chat and meetings | Desk handset, desktop app or mobile app |
| Licensing | Requires the right Microsoft licences | Included in the phone system |
| Reception and call handling | Workable; advanced handling needs add-ons | Full operator console, queues and routing built in |
| Handsets | Teams-certified devices | Standard SIP handsets, wider choice |
| Best suited to | Organisations already running everything in Microsoft 365 | Businesses with reception, queues or heavy call volume |
More on Teams Calling. If you are weighing up a self-hosted system, we have written about alternatives to 3CX in Australia.
Business mobile
Data sharing or data banking?
Both avoid excess charges; they suit different usage patterns.
| Data sharing | Data banking | |
|---|---|---|
| How the data works | One shared pool across every SIM on the account | Unused data accumulates for later use |
| Best for | Teams with uneven usage month to month | Businesses with quiet periods followed by heavy months |
| Managing overs | Heavy users draw from the pool instead of going over | Draw on the accumulated balance |
| Adding SIMs | New SIM joins the pool | New SIM joins the plan |
Compare data sharing and data banking.
The most useful comparison is the one built around your business
Tell us your sites, your team size and what you run today. We will lay the options out side by side with the trade-offs explained, and tell you where the cheaper option is the right one.