If you already pay for Microsoft Teams, adding the official Teams Phone feels like piling fees on top of licensing. The entry-level monthly license cost for Teams Phone is $10 per user. The domestic calling adds $7, and international minutes can cost up to $34 (excluding surcharges).
Multiply those numbers by each of your sales representatives, support agents, and hybrid employees on payroll, and the math starts to sting. Price pressure is prompting IT leaders toward Microsoft Teams Phone alternatives that still integrate with its familiar interface.
In this blog, we will compare five contenders side by side, including Tragofone, Zoiper, 3CX, Cisco Webex, and Linphone. For each one, you get a quick scan of their pros, cons, pricing, and the specific use cases for which each is best suited.
Top 5 Alternatives to Microsoft Teams Phone
Setting up a softphone in Microsoft Teams to reduce the inflated costs of Teams Phone requires strategic guidance on optimizing your communication infrastructure for call management.
Tragofone is a WebRTC based SIP softphone that integrates with Microsoft Teams through Direct Routing or certified SBC carriers. The platform focuses on white-label solutions for customer support service providers and branded communication features.
Pros
- The Basic plan is under $1 per user/month, which offers white-labeling, calling, contact sync, and provisioned feature settings, among other benefits.
- One CSV upload plus quick logins (using SSO, QR, OTP, and SIP credentials), and auto-provisioning let you spin up hundreds of extensions in minutes.
- Rebrand it as your own by uploading your logo, colors, and domain, making it ideal for ISPs or MSPs that resell VoIP.
- Native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux keep every employee on the same dial pad, even when they are away from their desk.
- Push Call Notification wakes the app only when a call or chat arrives, saving battery while ensuring you still receive the pop-up.
Cons
- Built for large enterprises and SMBs.
Pricing
- Basic < $1 / user/month
- Standard < $2 / user/month
- Premium (contact sales for pricing)
Perfect for
Businesses, ISPs, MVONs, and contact centers seeking a softphone for Microsoft Teams that they can fully brand, add or remove users in bulk, and maintain feature control per participant.
Endless subscriptions for Microsoft Teams Phone can damage your budget, but Zoiper’s classic “buy-one, keep forever” softphone won’t. You pay a one-time fee, and your agents can ring out through a softphone for Microsoft Teams that supports a top-notch calling experience.
Pros
- Zoiper 5 Pro is a lifetime license with no recurring charges.
- Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
- Account wizards, QR-code provisioning, and remote settings lockdown.
- HD audio, built-in encryption, and user reviews praise it for its “high-quality calls.”
Cons
- Desktop and mobile each require a separate key.
- No native Teams plug-in. You must configure an SBC or Direct Routing yourself.
- Advanced codecs, video, and headset button support require in-app purchases.
- Some reviewers note calls still slip through when they set the “offline” status.
Pricing
- Zoiper 5 Pro: €59.95 one-time per seat (includes updates within the major version)
- Zoiper Free: limited feature set, ads on mobile
Perfect for
Small and mid-sized companies that prefer a one-and-done license over monthly fees, already run a SIP trunk or SBC, and just need a lightweight alternative to Microsoft Teams Phone to keep global calling costs predictable.
Picture this: you keep Microsoft Teams for chat and collaboration, but every PSTN call is handled by a full PBX you run and brand. That’s the 3CX play. Integrate its phone system with Teams, gaining queues, IVRs, and wallboards that Teams Phone does not ship with by default.
Pros
- Licenses are flat annual fees based on the number of simultaneous calls, not user count.
- Call queues, routing, recording, detailed reporting, and call recording.
- Enterprise licenses (16 SC+) allow staff to click-to-call within the Teams interface, while 3CX handles trunks and DIDs.
- Deploy on-premises, your own cloud, or through 3CX’s hosted plan, aligning with its “freedom of choice” roadmap.
- Maintain a unified app experience across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
Cons
- Microsoft Teams integration requires the costlier Enterprise 16 SC+ license tier.
- Initial Direct Routing setup can be tricky for new administrators.
- Support quality varies by reseller, and frequent updates can disrupt customised installs.
Pricing
- Annual subscription, no per-user fees: Pro from $350/yr (8 SC) {no Teams integration} and Enterprise from $425/yr; 16 SC Enterprise (minimum for Teams) lists ≈ $950/yr before tax.
Perfect for
IT teams and contact centres that need a Teams Phone alternative with full PBX depth, and want cost control when user counts soar, but call concurrency stays moderate.
Webex Calling integrates with Microsoft Teams through the Cisco Call for Microsoft Teams app, providing a full dial pad, voicemail, and call history in the Teams sidebar. Moreover, Webex handles PSTN, queues, and recordings behind the scenes with no license fee from Microsoft.
Pros
- The Cisco Call app resides in the sidebar, enabling users to place and answer calls directly within Teams.
- Webex Calling operates across 20+ data centers and boasts 99.999% uptime, offering carrier-grade service with global PSTN presence.
- Auto-attendants, hunt groups, recording, and detailed analytics flow straight into Teams.
Cons
- Base Webex Call pricing is $15.30 per user/month, and the Teams calling add-on starts at $8 per user/month. Thus, the total cost can exceed $22.50 per seat.
- Admins report that configuring advanced call flows or multi-site attendants isn’t a plug-and-play process.
- Flex EA perks require a minimum of 250 seats, which can price out smaller teams.
Pricing
- Webex Call plan: $15.30 per user/month
- Cisco Call for Microsoft Teams add-on: from $8 per user/month
Perfect for
Multinational firms and regulated industries are seeking a Teams Phone alternative that offers carrier-grade reliability, a global PSTN footprint, and in-depth PBX controls.
Linphone provides a 100% open-source SIP client that you can compile, adjust, and even white-label as your own. Point it at a certified SBC, connect that SBC to Microsoft Teams via Direct Routing, and your callers can dial the PSTN from the Teams window.
Pros
- Free to download, modify, and distribute under GPLv3 license.
- Version 6.0 (summer 2025) features a WhatsApp or Skype-like interface design.
- Built-in FCM/APNS wake-ups and JSON provisioning.
- Opus, AV1, SRTP, ZRTP, and even post-quantum Kyber encryption for calls and chat.
Cons
- No native Teams plug-in. You must either run or pay for an SBC, provision certificates, and purchase a Teams Phone license for each user before calls will flow.
- Community forums are active, but formal SLA-backed help incurs extra cost.
Pricing
- Standard app: free (open source, GPLv3).
- White-label & support: customer-centric quotes. Rebranding typically
- starts with a one-time engineering fee, plus an optional maintenance contract.
Perfect for
Development teams, privacy-focused organisations, and telcos that want a cost-neutral, open-source alternative to Microsoft Teams Phone.
| Solution |
Licensing Model |
Price From Blog |
Key Inclusions/Conditions |
| Tragofone – Basic |
Month-to-month subscription |
Under $1 per user/month |
White-labeling, calling, contact sync, and feature provisioning |
| Tragofone – Standard |
Month-to-month subscription |
Under $2 per user/month |
Adds extra features beyond Basic (unspecified) |
| Tragofone – Premium |
Quote-based |
Contact sales for pricing |
Complete feature set; tailored to requirements |
| Zoiper 5 Pro |
One-time perpetual license (per OS) |
€59.95 per seat (lifetime) |
Updates within the major version; desktop & mobile keys sold separately |
| Zoiper Free |
Free download |
€0 |
Limited feature set; ads on mobile apps |
| 3CX Pro (8 SC) |
Annual subscription |
$350 per year |
8 simultaneous calls; no Teams integration |
| 3CX Enterprise (≥16 SC) |
Annual subscription |
Starts ≈ $425 per year; 16 SC tier ≈ $950 per year |
16 SC minimum for Teams Direct Routing; unlimited users |
| Cisco Webex Calling |
Month-to-month subscription |
$15.30 per user/month |
Full PSTN calling, voicemail, analytics |
| Cisco Call for Microsoft Teams add-on |
Month-to-month subscription |
From $8 per user/month |
Adds dial-pad, voicemail, and call history inside Teams |
| Linphone (Standard App) |
Open-source GPLv3 |
Free |
Fully functional SIP softphone; community support |
| Linphone White-label |
Quote-based |
Custom one-time engineering fee + optional maintenance |
Branding, custom features, and commercial support |
Choosing the Best Microsoft Teams Phone Alternative
Microsoft Teams Phone works well for some, but at up to $34 per user per month, many IT leaders seek leaner ways to add PSTN calling. When considering other available alternatives for Microsoft Teams Phone, Tragofone appears to be a viable option for users to consider.
Why route calls through Tragofone? It offers:
- Low cost with zero maintenance fee
- Quick setup and encrypted calls
- White-labeling & auto provisioning
- Low-latency HD calls (powered by WebRTC)
