UCaaS Pricing: What You Should Know in 2025

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) has become the standard for modern business communications. In 2025, organizations of all sizes are transitioning to UCaaS for its flexibility, scalability, and the ability to unify voice, messaging, video, and collaboration in a single platform.

Yet when it comes to pricing, the picture is anything but straightforward. Providers advertise plans as low as $20 per user per month, while enterprise packages can climb well above $50/user. The real challenge for IT and finance leaders is understanding what those numbers actually encompass, what they exclude, and how to calculate the true total cost of ownership.

This guide will help you navigate UCaaS pricing with clarity. You’ll see how leading providers compare, what often drives costs higher than expected, and how to budget for long-term value rather than chasing the lowest sticker price.

UCaaS Pricing Models

Most providers use a seat-based model, where each user requires a monthly license. Others offer pay-as-you-go structures designed for small teams or variable usage. The right choice depends on how your workforce communicates on a day-to-day basis.

Quick UCaaS Provider Comparison

Provider	Price (User/Month)	UCaaS Features Included	Notes
Sangoma	$20–$30	Voice, video, messaging, apps	Cloud, hybrid, or on-prem options
RingCentral	$20–$45	Voice, video meetings, UC, messaging	Premium features at higher tiers
Nextiva	$20–$35	Voice, video meetings, UC, contact center options	Lower tiers with generous features
Zoom*	$22.49+	Messaging, video meetings, UCaaS only with Zoom Phone included	Collaboration-first; voice is add-on

*Zoom pricing includes Zoom Phone. Standard Zoom Pro and Business plans do not provide telephony.

Per-user (Seat-Based) Pricing

This is the standard model across most providers. Entry-level tiers focus on basic voice services, while higher tiers add full UCaaS suites and advanced contact center features. Most plans fall between $20 and $50 per user per month, depending on the bundle of capabilities.

Pay-As-You-Go Pricing

This is less common but available from certain vendors. This model can work for very small organizations or those with unpredictable calling patterns. However, it usually lacks full UCaaS functionality or feature parity.

What Changes the Price?

• Number of users across the organization
• The chosen feature tier, from voice only to full UC suites
• Contract commitments, with annual terms, often reduce costs
• Calling plans and SIP trunking requirements
• Hardware such as desk phones, headsets, or gateways
  

What’s Usually Not Included in the Quoted Price

Advertised pricing seldom tells the full story. Many vendors advertise a low per-user price to get your attention, but they leave out real-world essentials that can significantly inflate your final bill. The goal of a UCaaS provider should be to make your total cost predictable, not to surprise you with extra fees later on.

Hardware

When you see a price like “$20 per user,” it almost never includes the physical equipment your team needs to make calls. You have a few options, and each comes with its own cost:

• Buying Outright: This is a significant upfront capital expense. A basic desk phone can cost anywhere from $45 to over $300 for a more advanced model with a touchscreen. High-quality headsets and conference room devices add even more to this total. While this is a one-time cost, it’s a major part of your initial investment.
• Hardware Rentals: Many providers offer the option to rent phones on a monthly basis. This turns a capital expense into an operating expense, which can be easier on your budget. However, these rental fees, usually ranging from $4 to $15 per user per month, are rarely included in the advertised price. They can add up quickly, especially for a large team.
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Some providers allow you to use your existing phones, as long as they’re compatible with their service. While this saves you money on hardware, you’ll need to confirm that your current equipment meets the provider’s technical requirements. This approach is often the most cost-effective but requires a bit of due diligence.

How Sangoma helps: With Sangoma, you choose the model that fits. Bring your own devices, select from compatible hardware, or bundle phones into your plan without hidden markups.

Also see: Why Hybrid Unified Communications is the Best of Both Worlds for Scalability and Control

Setup and Support

Migrating your communications system is a major project, and many providers charge extra for the services you’ll need to get started. These fees may include:

• Onboarding and installation: Some vendors charge a one-time setup fee to configure your system, especially for more complex deployments. These fees can be a flat rate or based on the number of users.
• Number porting: Moving your existing business phone numbers to the new UCaaS provider, a process called porting, can sometimes come with a per-number or per-port charge.
• User training: While many platforms are intuitive, you may need training sessions to help your team get comfortable with new features. Some providers offer this as a paid service, or they lock it behind a more expensive “white-glove” support tier.

How Sangoma helps: Sangoma provides real support, not support tiers. From installation to user training to porting numbers, we include the essential onboarding services most teams actually need to get up and running smoothly.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for UCaaS

The per-user licence fee is only the beginning. A complete UCaaS budget should account for hardware, setup, and support, network readiness, scaling over time, and advanced features like call recording or CRM integrations.

Annual TCO Benchmarks

Company Size	Users	UCaaS License (avg. $25/user/mo)	Hardware (optional)	Support and Setup	Connectivity and Internet	Estimated Annual TCO
Small Business	20	$6,000	$2,000 (mix BYOD and rentals)	$1,000	$1,200	~$10,200
Midsize Organization	100	$30,000	$10,000	$3,000	$3,000	~$46,000
Enterprise	250	$75,000	$25,000	$6,000	$6,000	~$112,000
Lean UC Setup	20–50	$3,600–$7,200	Minimal or BYOD	Included	Existing internet	$4,000–$8,000

These benchmarks reflect typical deployments across providers such as RingCentral, Nextiva, and Sangoma. They show how real-world costs accumulate beyond the initial per-user figure.

How Sangoma Helps You Manage TCO

A transparent and predictable cost structure is critical to managing your total cost of ownership. Sangoma helps you control TCO by providing a clear pricing model that avoids unexpected fees and gives you the flexibility to adapt as your business grows. Here’s how we help you keep your budget on track:

• Transparent, per-user pricing across all deployment models. Our per-user pricing is straightforward, whether you’re in the cloud, have a hybrid setup, or need an on-premises solution. You get a single, clear price that covers your core services, so there are no surprises.
• Phones are optional, bring your own or bundle Sangoma hardware. We don’t force you into a specific hardware ecosystem. If you already have compatible phones, you can bring them and save money. If you need new hardware, you can easily bundle Sangoma phones with your plan for a single, predictable monthly payment. 
• No tiered support upsells, real onboarding included. Sangoma includes essential onboarding and support services from day one. We ensure a smooth transition and provide the help you need without forcing you into a more expensive tier. Our goal is to make sure you’re set up for success without hidden support fees.
• Built-in collaboration tools (TeamHub, Sangoma Meet). You don’t have to pay extra for essential business collaboration features. Our UCaaS platform includes powerful tools like TeamHub and Sangoma Meet at no additional charge. These are fully integrated, so your team can access messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing seamlessly.
• Network and SD-WAN solutions available for teams needing bandwidth upgrade. If your current network isn’t ready for UCaaS, Sangoma can help. We offer managed network services and SD-WAN solutions to ensure your internet connection is robust enough to handle high-quality voice and video calls. This end-to-end approach means you get a reliable solution and a single point of contact for your entire communications infrastructure.

Sangoma’s Pricing Model Is Built to Be Clear

Our pricing model is designed to be transparent from the start, so you can build a predictable budget without worrying about hidden costs.

• One per-user price covers all the essential UCaaS features you need, including voice, video, and messaging, which makes budgeting simple and straightforward.
• You can bring your own compatible devices or choose to bundle Sangoma phones with your plan, so you aren’t forced to buy or rent new hardware.
• We include all essential costs upfront, so you don’t have to worry about hidden fees or ongoing maintenance charges.
• Our pricing model is clear and predictable whether you choose a cloud, hybrid, or on-premises solution.
• Sangoma’s platform includes powerful tools like TeamHub and Sangoma Meet with every license, which means you don’t have to pay for separate software subscriptions.
• With a 99.999% uptime guarantee (cloud and hybrid UCaaS deployment), our solutions deliver the high reliability your business needs.

Final Thoughts: Long-Term Value Beats Lowest Monthly Price

The cheapest monthly plan is rarely the best deal once the real costs of hardware, support, and network readiness are added. The true measure of value is predictability and the ability to scale without unpleasant surprises.

Get a Price That Fits Your Business

Whether you need a simple cloud deployment or a hybrid UCaaS setup with local survivability, we make the pricing clear and predictable from day one. Ready to get a transparent price? Talk to a Sangoma UCaaS expert today.