Best Business Phone System for Small Business AU

Before You Buy: The Question Most People Skip

This guide compares the best VoIP phone systems for Australian small businesses in 2026, based on real deployment experience across NBN connection types, provider support quality, and total cost of ownership. Unlike vendor comparison sites, we have no commercial relationship with the providers listed. By the end, you will know which system fits your team size and budget, which hidden costs to watch for, and exactly what steps to take to get set up without downtime.If it plugs into the wall (a telephone wall socket) or into a green port on your ISP-supplied modem, you are on the ATA setup your internet provider created when they connected your NBN. That is technically VOIP, but it is not a proper business phone system. You do not control it. You cannot customise it. And if you call your ISP asking for SIP credentials to move to a real business setup, the person you speak to will almost certainly not know what you mean.A real business phone system works differently. You choose a specialist VOIP provider, they set up a cloud PBX for you, and your phones connect via Ethernet to that service. You own the number configuration, the call routing, the after-hours messages, and the voicemail. That is what the comparison below covers.

For childcare centres and early learning services, communications requirements go beyond a standard small business setup -- after-hours emergency routing, 000 compliance, and ACECQA documentation all play a role. See our dedicated guide to phone systems for childcare centres in Australia.

Businesses leaving Telstra Business phone products have more alternatives than most realise -- and most of them cost significantly less with more features included. Our guide to Telstra business phone alternatives explains the landscape, what to look for in a replacement, and how to switch without losing your existing numbers.

If budget is the primary driver in your phone system decision, it is worth understanding what the cheapest viable options actually include -- and where they cut corners. Our guide to cheap business phone services in Australia covers PAYG VOIP from around $8/month through to full cloud PBX, with a clear breakdown of hidden costs to watch for.

New businesses setting up their first phone system have an advantage: no legacy hardware to replace and no numbers locked into a contract. Our guide to setting up a phone system for a new Australian business covers all options from a virtual number on your mobile through to a full cloud PBX with desk phones -- with step-by-step guidance and real pricing at each level.

Our Top Picks at a Glance

Maxotel leads this comparison because it is built specifically for Australian SMBs. Local support staff who understand the NBN environment, no lock-in contracts, and a setup process that walks you through everything from start to finish. For a 1-10 seat business setting up a phone system for the first time, that hands-on guidance matters more than the cheapest per-seat price.

For practices with specialist after-hours and clinical workflow requirements -- such as veterinary clinics -- see our dedicated guide to VOIP phone systems for vet clinics in Australia, which covers emergency routing architecture, PMS integration (ezyVet, RxWorks), and area-by-area hardware selection.

How Much Does a Business VoIP Phone System Cost in Australia?

Cost is the most common question, and the most common source of confusion, because business VoIP pricing has several layers that are not always obvious when you first start comparing providers.

The monthly service fee is charged per seat (per user or phone line). Entry-level hosted PBX plans in Australia typically range from around $20 to $50 per seat per month, depending on included call minutes, features, and whether the provider bundles the SIP trunk separately. A business with four staff taking calls would expect to pay somewhere between $80 and $200 per month for the service itself, before hardware. Most providers offer unlimited local and national calls within Australia as part of the monthly fee, with international calls charged per minute or per destination zone.

Hardware is a separate cost that is easy to underestimate. A quality entry-level SIP desk phone such as the Yealink T31P costs around $100 to $130 AUD (check current pricing). Mid-range phones with colour screens and expanded line keys run $250 to $400 AUD. If you are equipping four staff with entry-level phones, budget around $500 to $600 for handsets alone. Some providers will supply and pre-configure phones as part of the setup, folding the hardware cost into monthly payments or a one-off fee, which removes the configuration burden from your side entirely.

Setup and porting fees vary. Some providers charge a one-off setup fee of $50 to $200. Number porting, which transfers your existing business numbers to the new provider, typically attracts a porting fee of $15 to $40 per number. If you have multiple numbers (a main line and a fax number, for example), budget accordingly. Some providers waive setup fees for businesses porting their numbers, so it is worth asking directly.

What Is a VoIP Phone System?

A VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone system routes calls over your internet connection rather than traditional copper telephone lines. For Australian businesses, this shift has become increasingly urgent: the NBN rollout has replaced much of the copper PSTN network, and Telstra has been progressively shutting down legacy copper services since 2022. Most businesses replacing an ageing phone system today are moving to VoIP by necessity as much as choice. If your business currently uses Telstra SIP or inbound number services, those are being shut down through to September 2026 -- see Telstra VoIP Shutdown: What to Do Before the Deadline for the full timeline.A hosted VoIP phone system (also called a hosted PBX or cloud PBX) means the call switching hardware and software runs in a data centre, not in your office. You pay a monthly per-seat fee, plug in SIP-compatible desk phones or use a software phone (softphone) on your computer or mobile, and the provider handles the maintenance. For most Australian SMBs with one to thirty seats, this is the most practical option.

Why Not Just Use Your ISP?

Your internet provider offers a phone service because it helps them keep your broadband contract. It is not designed as a business phone system. Their support team knows their modem, not your business. If you need a second line, an auto-attendant, or call recording, you will quickly find yourself in contract territory with features added as expensive extras.A specialist VOIP provider starts by asking how your business actually works. How many staff need phones? Do you need to take two calls at once? Do you need after-hours routing? They build a setup around those answers. That conversation costs nothing and takes 15 minutes. It is the difference between a phone that works and a phone system that works for your business.

Number Porting: Keeping Your Existing Phone Number

One of the most common concerns when switching to a new business phone provider is whether you can keep your existing number. The good news is that in Australia, number portability is a right, not a favour. Under ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) rules, your telephone number belongs to you, not your carrier. Any licensed telecommunications provider must release your number for porting if you request it.

The porting process in Australia typically takes five to ten business days for standard geographic numbers (02, 03, 07, 08 area codes) and can take slightly longer for 1300 and 1800 numbers. During this period, your existing service continues to operate normally. The cutover happens at a specific point during the porting window, after which calls to your number route through the new provider. Your provider will typically notify you of the cutover date so you can arrange to be available to test calls immediately afterwards.

The most important rule with number porting is: do not cancel your existing service before the port is complete. Cancelling early can cause the number to be released back to the number pool, making it permanently unavailable to you. Keep your existing service active until you have confirmed that all your numbers are live on the new system and inbound calls are routing correctly. Most reputable VOIP providers will manage the porting process for you and advise you exactly when it is safe to cancel the old service.

Australian Consumer Law and VoIP Contracts: Under the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code, providers must give you a Critical Information Summary before you sign. This includes total minimum cost, contract length, early termination fees, and included call allowances. If a provider will not provide this upfront, walk away. You also have the right to cancel within the cooling-off period if the service does not perform as described.

Hosted PBX vs On-Premise PBX: Which Is Right for You?

The core decision for most businesses is whether to use a hosted (cloud) PBX service or run their own phone system hardware on-site. We cover this in detail in our hosted vs on-premise PBX comparison, but the short version is: hosted PBX suits most businesses under 30 seats, while on-premise becomes worth considering once you have consistent IT support capacity and 15 or more concurrent call paths to justify the capital cost.

NBN Compatibility: What You Need to Know

Australian VoIP quality is more dependent on your NBN connection type than on your VoIP provider. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) and FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) connections deliver consistent low-latency performance ideal for VoIP. FTTN (Fibre to the Node) connections are more variable and can introduce quality issues during peak hours depending on the distance from the node and the quality of the copper run.

What to Look For in a Business VoIP System

When evaluating VoIP phone systems for Australian businesses, we focus on these criteria:

Business Numbers: 1300, 1800, and Geographic Numbers

Most Australian businesses will want to keep or obtain specific inbound numbers. The main options are geographic numbers (02, 03, 07, 08 prefix numbers tied to a state), 1300 numbers (national numbers charged at local rate to callers), and 1800 numbers (toll-free to callers). We cover 1300 numbers in detail in our 1300 number guide. Most hosted PBX providers can supply all three types, but check whether they support number porting from your current carrier before committing.Do you actually need a 1300 number? For most small businesses under 10 staff, a local geographic number is perfectly fine. A 1300 number signals national presence and professionalism, which matters if you serve customers across multiple states or if your business is primarily phone-based (trades, medical, real estate). If you only serve a local area, save the monthly cost and use a geographic number. You can always add a 1300 number later without changing your existing setup. Our 1300 number guide covers costs, rules, and setup in detail.

Setting Up Your VoIP System: What the Process Actually Looks Like

One reason businesses delay switching to VOIP is that they imagine the setup process as complex and disruptive. In practice, setting up a hosted PBX system with a specialist provider for a four to ten seat business typically takes two to three weeks from first contact to fully live, with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.

Week one is typically the consultation and planning phase. A good provider will ask detailed questions about your business: how many staff need to take calls, what your current setup looks like, what inbound numbers you want to keep, what features matter most (hold music, after-hours routing, voicemail-to-email, ring groups). From this conversation, they will produce a recommended plan and hardware configuration. You do not need to know the technical details. Your job at this stage is to describe how your business actually operates.

Week two covers hardware delivery and system configuration. If you are ordering pre-configured phones through your provider, they arrive with your SIP credentials already loaded. Plug them into your network switch and they register with the PBX automatically. The provider configures your call flows, auto attendant greetings, ring groups, and voicemail settings through their admin portal. You review and test on staging before any porting begins.

Week two to three covers number porting and go-live. Your existing numbers are ported across, calls are tested on both the old and new system in parallel, and when you are satisfied, the cutover is confirmed. From that point, all inbound calls route through the new system. Your existing provider is notified to cancel the old service once you confirm the port is complete.

Emergency Calling (000) on VoIP

VoIP handles 000 emergency calls, but with an important difference from traditional landlines. On a copper PSTN line, your location was automatically known to emergency services via the exchange. On VoIP, location data may not be automatically transmitted.Under ACMA regulations, VoIP providers must support 000 calling, but the accuracy of location information depends on the provider and how your service is configured. If your business is in a location where emergency response time is critical (medical practices, childcare centres, aged care facilities, workshops with machinery), confirm with your provider how 000 calls are routed and whether your registered service address is passed to emergency services.Practical recommendation: Keep at least one mobile phone accessible as a backup for emergency calls. Mobile phones transmit cell tower location data, which emergency services can use to locate you. This is a sensible precaution regardless of your phone system type.

Power Outages: What Happens to Your Phone System

Unlike the old copper PSTN, which was powered by the telephone exchange and worked during blackouts, a VoIP phone system requires mains power. When the power goes out, your NBN modem, router, and desk phones all go down.UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply): A small UPS ($150-300 AUD from Officeworks or Amazon AU) connected to your NBN modem, router, and PoE switch can keep your phone system running for 1-3 hours during a blackout. This is the minimum protection every business should have. It costs less than a single desk phone and could save you from missing critical calls.Mobile failover: Configure your hosted PBX to forward calls to mobile numbers when desk phones go offline. Set this up during initial deployment. Most providers support a failover rule that activates after 30-60 seconds of desk phone unavailability.4G/5G backup: Some business-grade routers support a mobile SIM card for automatic internet failover when NBN drops entirely. This adds $20-40 per month for a data SIM but provides redundancy that a UPS alone cannot match.

What Most Businesses Get Wrong

1. Buying phones before choosing a provider. This is the most common mistake. A SIP desk phone is useless without a VoIP service behind it. The provider determines your call quality, features, and support. Choose the provider first, then ask which phones they recommend or provision. Our SIP phone guide explains why.2. Staying on the ISP green port and assuming it is "good enough". If your business phone plugs into the green port on your ISP modem, you are running on an ISP-controlled ATA with zero business features. No hold, no call queuing, no after-hours routing, no voicemail to email. Every missed call during a busy period is a lead lost to a competitor.3. Oversizing the plan. A 5-person office taking 30 calls per day does not need unlimited outbound calling or 10 simultaneous lines. Match the plan to your actual call patterns. Most specialist providers will help you size this correctly at no cost.

Your Next Steps

Ready to move forward? Here is your practical checklist:1. Check your current setup. What does your business phone plug into right now? If it is the green port on your ISP modem, you are on an ATA and will need a proper VoIP service.
2. Count your users. How many staff need to make or receive calls simultaneously?
3. List your must-have features. Ring groups? After-hours routing? Call recording? 1300 number?
4. Talk to a specialist provider. Not your ISP. A provider like Maxotel will assess your needs, recommend a system, configure your phones, and handle number porting for you.
5. Ask about number porting timelines. Simple ports take 5-10 business days. Complex ports (1300 numbers, multi-carrier) can take longer. Plan accordingly.
6. Request a trial or demo. Most hosted PBX providers offer short trials so you can test call quality on your NBN connection before committing.If you would prefer an independent recommendation based on your specific situation, use our free recommendation form. We will match you to a provider based on your team size, budget, and requirements.

Most cloud phone systems include call recording as a standard feature. Before you turn it on, it is worth understanding your legal obligations under Australian law -- including the one-party consent rule, Privacy Act storage obligations, and how to handle employee call recording. See Call Recording Laws in Australia.

For the best desk phone to pair with a cloud phone system in Australia, the Yealink T33G is the standard recommendation for general staff desks. See our full Yealink T33G review with AU pricing and NBN call quality results.

Budget-conscious businesses pairing a cloud phone system with basic desk phones will find the Yealink T31P is the most cost-effective starting point. Our Yealink T31P review for Australia covers specs, pricing, and when to step up to the T33G.

Businesses that prefer the Grandstream platform at entry level will find the GRP2602P the right starting point. Our Grandstream GRP2602P review for Australia covers AU pricing and a comparison with the Yealink T31P.

For positions monitoring a larger team, the Grandstream GRP2636 steps up to 6 SIP accounts and 24 BLF keys. For budget Grandstream deployments replacing analogue phones, the Grandstream GXP1628 (~$89) is the most affordable colour-screen option.

For desks where wireless connectivity is needed, the Yealink T44W adds built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the T4-series feature set (12 SIP accounts, 21 DSS keys). The Yealink T57W is the premium option for executive desks or reception positions needing a large 7" touchscreen and 29 BLF keys. For cordless DECT deployments, the Yealink W70B base station supports up to 8 SIP accounts and pairs with W53H or W56H handsets.

The Yealink T34W is the entry-level wireless option (4 SIP accounts, Wi-Fi, no PoE) for budget-constrained wireless deployments. Grandstream users can achieve similar DECT coverage with the Grandstream DP752 base station (~$79).

Schools have specific phone requirements that differ from standard office deployments -- emergency PA integration, multi-building coverage, and after-hours routing for staff and parents. Our dedicated guide covers phone systems for Australian schools, including how to handle emergency routing across multiple buildings and what a modern VOIP upgrade costs compared to a traditional school PABX.

Non-profits and charities have specific phone system requirements that differ from standard commercial SMBs -- NFP pricing through providers, volunteer coordinator lines, and donor communication workflows. Our dedicated guide covers VOIP phone systems for Australian non-profits, including which providers offer NFP rates and how to structure a low-cost phone setup for a charity with limited IT resources.

Warehouses and logistics sites have phone requirements that go beyond a standard office setup -- floor-wide paging, DECT cordless coverage across large spaces, and integration with dispatch or WMS systems. Our dedicated guide covers phone systems for Australian warehouses and logistics operations, including DECT base station planning, paging hardware, and how to size a system for a large floor area.

How much does a VoIP phone system cost for an Australian small business?

Hosted VoIP phone systems for Australian SMBs typically cost between $20 and $50 per seat per month depending on features and call inclusions. Some providers charge additional fees for 1300 numbers, number porting, or international calling. Hardware (SIP phones) is an additional one-off cost of roughly $80 to $300 per handset depending on model. On-premise systems have a higher upfront hardware cost but lower ongoing fees.

Can I keep my existing phone number when switching to VoIP?

Yes, in most cases. Number porting allows you to transfer your existing business numbers to a new VoIP provider. Australian geographic numbers (02, 03, 07, 08) and 1300/1800 numbers can all be ported. The porting process takes between 5 and 20 business days depending on the current carrier and number type. Most hosted PBX providers handle the porting process on your behalf.

Does VoIP work on NBN?

Yes, VoIP works on all NBN connection types. The best performance comes from FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) and FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) connections. FTTN (Fibre to the Node) connections can work well but are more variable due to the copper run between the node and your premises. For most businesses, a standard NBN25 or NBN50 plan provides more than enough bandwidth for VoIP even with multiple simultaneous calls.

What happens to my phone system during a power or internet outage?

With a hosted VoIP system, an internet or power outage at your premises means your desk phones stop working. Most providers offer failover options: calls can be automatically diverted to a mobile number or voicemail during an outage. Some providers offer a SIM-based backup option for critical lines. On-premise PBX systems face the same internet dependency unless they include a PSTN fallback line.

Do I need special phones for VoIP?

For a hosted PBX system, you need SIP-compatible desk phones or a softphone application on a computer or mobile device. SIP phones from brands like Yealink, Grandstream, and Polycom are widely used in Australia and are pre-configured by most hosted PBX providers. You do not need special hardware if you use a softphone, which runs as an app on your existing device. Meeting rooms benefit from a dedicated conference phone like the Yealink CP925, which registers as a direct SIP extension and provides 360-degree omnidirectional audio for 4-8 person rooms.

Can I use my existing analogue phones with a new VOIP system?

Standard analogue handsets (the kind that plug into a wall phone socket or the green port on your NBN modem) cannot connect directly to a hosted PBX. You would need an Analogue Telephone Adapter (ATA) to convert the signal, but this adds complexity and limits features. For most businesses, it is more practical to replace analogue handsets with SIP phones, which connect via Ethernet and integrate fully with the hosted PBX. Entry-level SIP phones start at around $100 to $130 AUD.

Do VoIP phone systems work with NBN Fixed Wireless?

Yes, VoIP works on NBN Fixed Wireless, but with caveats. Fixed Wireless can deliver acceptable VoIP quality for businesses with low call volumes during off-peak hours. The limitation is that Fixed Wireless has higher latency and more variability than fibre NBN connections, which can show up as occasional call quality issues during peak usage periods. If your business is in a Fixed Wireless area and relies heavily on phone calls, discuss your situation with a specialist provider before committing. Some businesses in regional areas pair Fixed Wireless NBN with a 4G SIM as a backup path for voice specifically.

Related reading:

• VoIP costs in Australia
• how VoIP compares to traditional phones
• NBN VoIP compatibility