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3CX Live Chat vs Skype for Business comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.7
3CX Live Chat boosts efficiency and cost savings, with ROI achieved in under 22 months for most users.
Sentiment score
6.5
Companies report cost savings, improved communication, global connectivity, and quick ROI by switching to Skype for Business.
We have seen a positive return on investment with 3CX Live Chat, reducing customer response times and workloads while enhancing team productivity and communication efficiency.
Software Engineer – Rust Systems & AI Evaluation at Turing
The telephone cost savings are measurable and positive.
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.9
3CX Live Chat support is mostly efficient and knowledgeable, with appreciated global support and room for documentation improvement.
Sentiment score
6.4
Microsoft's Skype for Business support receives mixed reviews, praised for responsiveness but sometimes critiqued for troubleshooting challenges.
Customer support for 3CX Live Chat is completely helpful and responsive.
Software Engineer – Rust Systems & AI Evaluation at Turing
The documentation covers most situations but the product's declining support status from Microsoft is something you feel when you look for answers to less common issues.
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
3CX Live Chat is praised for seamless scalability, effectively supporting multiple users and calls with flexible licensing and configuration.
Sentiment score
7.3
Skype for Business offers strong scalability, supporting various business sizes with seamless integration, despite minor large conference limitations.
We are not a huge organization and the Skype for Business server handles our user numbers comfortably.
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.2
3CX Live Chat is reliable, stable across platforms, with minor issues often due to hardware or connectivity, ensuring robust performance.
Sentiment score
6.8
Skype for Business is generally stable and reliable but can suffer from connectivity and occasional call quality issues.
I have encountered major issues with 3CX Live Chat, especially concerning stabilizing the experience, where we experienced downtime and critical issues during regular usage.
Software Engineer – Rust Systems & AI Evaluation at Turing
Skype for Business is very stable.
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
 

Room For Improvement

3CX Live Chat struggles with customization, integration, stability, lacking features in VoIP support, documentation, and real-time data handling.
Skype for Business needs improvements in call quality, integration, and features for better reliability and user experience.
We could improve with better advanced chatbot customization, stronger AI-powered conversations, automatic deep CRM and third-party integration, more detailed analytics and reporting, additional customization options for chats, and improvements to mobile app performance and workflow automation.
Software Engineer – Rust Systems & AI Evaluation at Turing
For a modern workforce that expects everything to work on mobile, that is a gap.
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
The application tends to select the internal microphone on devices rather than detecting external headphones.
Executive at a government with 201-500 employees
 

Setup Cost

3CX Live Chat offers cost-effective pricing with flexible, scalable options and no hidden fees, appealing to many call centers.
Skype for Business offers flexible, affordable licensing, especially with Office 365, though some features and regions may be costly.
The pricing structure is straightforward.
Software Engineer – Rust Systems & AI Evaluation at Turing
There is no separate line item for it which makes the cost difficult to separate out.
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

3CX Live Chat offers CRM integration, real-time chats, mobility, reporting, security, scalability, and enhances customer interaction with cost savings.
Skype for Business enhances communication with features like screen sharing, VoIP integration, and easy Outlook scheduling, boosting productivity.
Our support teams resolve around 60% more inquiries each day without adding staff, leading to faster support, reduced missed opportunities, and a better overall customer experience.
Software Engineer – Rust Systems & AI Evaluation at Turing
We have noticed positive outcomes for our organization since adopting Skype for Business, including improvements in efficiency and reduced costs.
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
The conversation history feature in Skype for Business is particularly useful because it links with Outlook.
Executive at a government with 201-500 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

3CX Live Chat
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
7th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
56
Ranking in other categories
IP PBX (1st), Unified Communications (2nd), Live Chat (4th), Hosted and Cloud Based VoIP (4th)
Skype for Business
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
64
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of 3CX Live Chat is 3.3%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Skype for Business is 3.8%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Skype for Business3.8%
3CX Live Chat3.3%
Other92.9%
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

Ram Maruboina - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Engineer – Rust Systems & AI Evaluation at Turing
Real-time chat has boosted customer satisfaction and improves team efficiency and lead conversion
We could improve with better advanced chatbot customization, stronger AI-powered conversations, automatic deep CRM and third-party integration, more detailed analytics and reporting, additional customization options for chats, and improvements to mobile app performance and workflow automation. Regarding security, it is essential for customer-facing interactions. I would point out the real-time data lag, which is a significant gap, and enhancements in system reporting and live data update metrics are necessary. We also miss deep customer journey insights, along with user interface improvements, mobile widgets, and agent experience enhancements, especially with security and privacy configurations. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate 3CX Live Chat as an 8 because it has excellent control over the PBX license while enabling instant transitions from chat to voice and video calls. The reasons for losing those two points include basic analytics, widget customization options, and limited standalone chat tools compared to its competitors, which have higher market shares. With the right developers, they could excel in this area. The reason I chose the number eight is not only about analytics or customization but due to reliability bugs and agent workflow frictions, which affect the overall reporting coherence. Reliability and security glitches are significant drawbacks.
MD
Assistant Information Technology Officer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Internal communication has become more efficient while mobile usage still needs improvement
The honest answer is that the product has not really evolved in some time. Microsoft has been pushing everyone towards Teams and Skype for Business has been in maintenance mode for a while. The mobile experience is also not great. Staff who try to use it on their phones find it less reliable than the desktop version, calls drop more, and the interface is clunky. For a modern workforce that expects everything to work on mobile, that is a gap. Despite the initial setup challenges and mobile issues, we have noticed positive outcomes for our organization since adopting Skype for Business. I rate Skype for Business seven out of ten. I think that Skype for Business has served us well for what it is. A government office has different expectations from a fast-moving private company. We value stability and security over the newest features. On those terms, Skype for Business has delivered.
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908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
20%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Construction Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Marketing Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise28
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for 3CX Live Chat?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for 3CX Live Chat is generally positive. The pricing structure is straightforward, and the licensing models are user-friendly, leading to a smo...
What needs improvement with 3CX Live Chat?
We could improve with better advanced chatbot customization, stronger AI-powered conversations, automatic deep CRM and third-party integration, more detailed analytics and reporting, additional cus...
What is your primary use case for 3CX Live Chat?
My main use case for 3CX Live Chat is customer support, website live chat, and lead generation. For my customer support and lead generation use, I worked with 3CX Live Chat for customer inquiries i...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Skype for Business?
If I think back, my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing involves accessing it through our Microsoft Enterprise Agreement which covers the whole Office suite including Skype for Busin...
What needs improvement with Skype for Business?
The honest answer is that the product has not really evolved in some time. Microsoft has been pushing everyone towards Teams and Skype for Business has been in maintenance mode for a while. The mob...
What is your primary use case for Skype for Business?
My main use case for Skype for Business is internal communication across departments and between different government offices. We have staff spread across multiple locations in Malacca, and before ...
 

Also Known As

3CX PBX
Skype for Business Plan 1, Skype for Business Plan 2, Lync Server
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services,LA Fitness, MedcoEnergi International, Tampa General Hospital, and HopewellHoldings Limited.
Find out what your peers are saying about 3CX Live Chat vs. Skype for Business and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.