Most cloud phone systems advertise a single number: the price per user per month. It's a useful number, but it isn't your phone bill. To know what a cloud phone system will cost per user, you need to add the pieces around it — and check what the headline price actually includes.
What the per-user price covers
The per-user (or per-seat) price pays for the phone system itself: the PBX software, hosting, maintenance and the features of the plan you choose. Typically that means:
- an extension, voicemail and app login for each user;
- call routing: ring groups, queues, voice menus, business hours;
- the apps for computer and mobile;
- updates, backups and keeping the system running.
What a "user" means varies. Some providers count every extension, some only named users, some limit how many calls can run at once. Read the definition before you compare prices.
The costs outside the seat price
These are the items that turn a cheap headline into a larger bill:
| Cost | Who charges it | One-off or recurring |
|---|---|---|
| Phone numbers | Your SIP trunk provider | Usually recurring, per number or range |
| Call charges | Your SIP trunk provider | Per minute, or bundled in a plan |
| Trunk channels | Your SIP trunk provider | Some providers charge per simultaneous call |
| Desk phones and headsets | Phone dealers, your IT partner | One-off |
| Setup and configuration help | Your provider or an IT partner | One-off or recurring |
| Internet connection | Your internet provider | Recurring (you probably have one already) |
Some providers bundle numbers and calls into the seat price; others, like us, leave them to a SIP trunk provider you choose. Bundles are simpler. Separate trunks let you pick numbers in the countries you need and rates that fit how you call. Our guide to SIP trunks explains what to look for.
Seats and simultaneous calls
How many calls can run at the same time matters as much as how many people you have. A small sales team might all be on the phone at once; an office of twenty might rarely have more than a few calls. Check two limits:
- The phone system's limit — on PBXfactory, the number of seats sets how many calls can run at the same time.
- The trunk's limit — the number of channels your SIP trunk allows.
Callers waiting in a queue are calls in progress too. If you run a busy queue, size both limits with that in mind.
A worked example
Say you're a team of 8, and everyone needs an extension. On PBXfactory:
| Monthly billing | Yearly billing | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per seat | €4.99 per month | €54.99 per year |
| 8 seats | €39.92 per month | €439.92 per year |
| Over 12 months | €479.04 | €439.92 |
Prices exclude VAT. On top of that come your SIP trunk provider's charges for numbers and calls, and any phones or headsets you buy. Many teams start with the apps and a headset, and add desk phones only for reception or heavy phone users.
If you hire two people in month four, you add two seats; the extra seats are prorated to the end of your billing period. If someone leaves, you remove a seat and the unused time is credited.
Questions to ask any provider
Before you sign anything, ask:
- Is there a setup fee? And is there a minimum term or notice period?
- What counts as a user? And how many calls can run at the same time?
- Which features need a higher plan or an add-on? Call recording, queues, CRM connections and AI features are common upsells.
- Are numbers and calls included? If yes, at what rates and in which countries? If not, can you bring your own provider?
- What does support cover? Keeping the system running is one thing; helping you configure it is often another, and priced separately.
- Can you change seats any time? And what happens to the money when you go down?
A provider that answers these on its pricing page is easier to plan with than one that needs a sales call.
On PBXfactory
A seat — one user with their own extension — costs €4.99 per month or €54.99 per year, minimum 2 seats, prices excluding VAT. There's no setup fee. Seats can be added or removed any time, prorated, and you cancel at the end of your paid period. Your company's first PBX starts with a 3-day free trial for up to 10 seats: your card is saved but not charged, and if you cancel during the trial, nothing is charged.
Support for keeping your PBX running and reachable, updates, activation, billing and the portal is included. Configuring the PBX itself — extensions, trunks, voice menus, queues — isn't; for that there's Yeastar's documentation, your IT partner, or our paid support packages. Everything is on the pricing page.