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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
7.6
Companies report ROI in under 8 months with SIP Trunk adoption and 3CX Live Chat, reducing communication costs.
Sentiment score
6.5
Companies save significantly with Skype for Business, achieving ROI in six months despite initial costs, appreciating global connectivity.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.8
3CX Live Chat support is praised for international service, but varies locally with calls for better documentation and 24/7 availability.
Sentiment score
6.4
Microsoft support for Skype for Business is generally responsive and effective, with enterprise customers valuing priority service.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
3CX Live Chat offers scalable, license-free solutions supporting unlimited extensions, adaptable for any organization size and industry needs.
Sentiment score
7.3
Skype for Business scales well across organizations, supporting various user bases, though some note issues in larger conferences.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.3
3CX Live Chat is highly stable and reliable, especially on updated systems and cloud environments, with minimal issues.
Sentiment score
6.8
Skype for Business is generally stable but can suffer from call quality issues, dropped calls, and missing features.
 

Room For Improvement

3CX Live Chat needs better integration, customization, mobile performance, call features, reporting, and broader platform support, especially for Linux.
Skype for Business struggles with interoperability, reliability, and needs enhancements in integration, features, and user experience compared to newer platforms.
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 provides cost-effective, scalable pricing with standard and pro editions, favored for transparency and competitive features.
Enterprise buyers should note Skype for Business pricing varies, with competitive options available, especially bundled with Office 365.
 

Valuable Features

3CX Live Chat provides robust communication features, including CRM integration, VoIP, video conferencing, scalability, and cost-effective ease of use.
Skype for Business enhances collaboration with Microsoft integration, conferencing, VoIP, and support for remote work on multiple devices.
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
10th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
IP PBX (1st), Unified Communications (2nd), Live Chat (4th), Hosted and Cloud Based VoIP (3rd)
Skype for Business
Ranking in Virtual Meetings
5th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
63
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Virtual Meetings category, the mindshare of 3CX Live Chat is 2.3%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Skype for Business is 5.9%, down from 10.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Virtual Meetings Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Skype for Business5.9%
3CX Live Chat2.3%
Other91.8%
Virtual Meetings
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmed ACHOUR - PeerSpot reviewer
General Manager at Beyond IT Services
Enhanced service desk workflow which streamlines operations and offers strong integration capabilities
The customers use 3CX for IP telephony and call center activities. Additionally, they use 3CX for service desk activities, including integration with other ITSM products to collect data from customers who need technical support on their platforms 3CX has proven to be a good solution, particularly…
reviewer1854369 - PeerSpot reviewer
Executive at a government with 201-500 employees
Relying on dependable communication features for efficient collaboration
I work with Microsoft Exchange. We use Microsoft Azure, though I am not involved with the back-end operations. I work with Microsoft Exchange and ServiceNow for the service desk. I do not work with Cloud Observability or Automation Engine. We use Microsoft Copilot with Teams. We do not use Microsoft Security Copilot as it is not cloud-based. We have moved from Skype for Business to Teams recently, though some of us still use Skype for Business because it is convenient. Skype for Business is particularly useful for remoting onto people's devices. I prefer Skype for Business over Teams for screen sharing. Sometimes there are compatibility issues when running Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business together. Phone calls in Teams might ring and then go silent, or the microphone might not detect calls from either application. I rate Skype for Business a 9 out of 10 because it works effectively with minimal issues.
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881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
Media Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Performing Arts
10%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise19
Large Enterprise27
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for 3CX Live Chat?
The pricing of 3CX is around six out of ten. For some customers, the first year may be free of charge, allowing them to try the solution before deciding to implement it.
What needs improvement with 3CX Live Chat?
The reporting and dashboards of 3CX could be improved.
What is your primary use case for 3CX Live Chat?
The customers use 3CX for IP telephony and call center activities. Additionally, they use 3CX for service desk activities, including integration with other ITSM products to collect data from custom...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Skype for Business?
Skype for Business is affordable and has decent pricing. The video quality is a bit lower than Teams or Zoom, but it remains a good solution overall.
What needs improvement with Skype for Business?
I cannot think of many ways in which Skype for Business could improve in general. It works fairly efficiently for our purposes with Skype for Business. There is one issue regarding the audio settin...
 

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: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.