Telephony
Business phone systems: what calling costs per employee
Business phone systems via VoIP, mobile or Teams: what they cost per employee, with worked examples for 1, 5 and 15 employees and the rules for your number.
Calling over the internet, mobile only or from Microsoft Teams: we compare the prices of eight packages and work out what business telephony costs for a freelancer, a team of five and a team of fifteen with a call menu and CRM integration.
Business phone systems: the short answer
Calling over the internet (VoIP) usually costs a small business €15 to €25 per employee per month, excluding VAT, with domestic calls included. A freelancer with one business number can manage with €12 to €14 per month plus call charges. Calling from Microsoft Teams costs €19.10 per user per month on top of a Teams licence. For a team of 15, calling with the other packages costs just over €200 to €380 per month, without CRM integration; Aircall, which includes a call menu and CRM integrations in the price, costs €450 to €750 per month with annual billing. On 20 October 2026 we checked the pricing pages of eight packages. This article is written for businesses in the Netherlands and Belgium; where a rule or number type only applies in the Netherlands, we say so.
Three ways to make business calls
- Cloud telephony (VoIP). A phone system run by the provider instead of a cabinet in your office. You call with an app on your mobile or laptop, a headset or a desk phone, and your landline number goes wherever you are. Read what VoIP is exactly.
- Mobile only. Everyone calls with their own business mobile plan. Simple, but without a phone system there is no call menu, queue or shared number on which customers can reach someone.
- Calling from Microsoft Teams. With Teams Phone, Teams becomes your phone system. That is handy if your team already works in Teams all day, but you pay on top of the licence you already have for Teams.
Many businesses combine them: a cloud phone system with a landline number and a call menu, plus the app on the mobile, so an employee does not have to give out their private number.
What does each package cost?
The packages in our business telephony category that publish a price. Prices as the supplier showed them on its own site on 20 October 2026.
| Package | Price | Calls included | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfabriek | Business number €149 per year (1 person), with an extra year free on the first payment; VoIP phone system €15 per employee per month or €150 per year; excluding VAT. Above 8 people a quote | With the VoIP phone system, calls to landlines and mobiles in the Netherlands and the EU (fair use); with the business number 5 cents per minute | rates |
| Callvoip | Basic subscription €7.50 per month, plus €2 per number, €4 per device or app account and €4 for a call menu; excluding VAT | No: per minute, or a bundle of 500 minutes for €10 per account per month, of which at most 30% to mobile numbers | hosted VoIP, call charges |
| VOIPZeker | €19.50 per user per month, cancellable monthly (from 6 users €17.50, from 15 €15.50); with a 12-month contract €1 less. Number €1 per month. The page does not say whether prices include or exclude VAT | Unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles in the Netherlands | rates |
| Voys | Basis €19.95 per user per month for 1 to 3 users, plus €1.65 per number; excluding VAT, cancellable daily. From 4 users a custom price | Calls within the Netherlands (fair use) | prices |
| Microsoft Teams Telefoon | Standard €8.70, with domestic calling €19.10 per user per month; annual subscription, excluding VAT. A separate Teams licence is required, for example Microsoft 365 Business Basic for €6.07 | Standard without a calling plan; with domestic calling a number and 1,200 outbound minutes per month | Teams Phone, Teams plans |
| Zoom Phone | Global Select €20.24 per user per month with annual billing, excluding VAT | Unlimited calls within one country, with one number in that country | prices |
| Aircall | Essentials €30 and Professional €50 per user per month with annual billing, monthly €40 and €70; minimum 3 users. One number included, each extra number €6 per month. The page does not mention VAT | Essentials 1,000 outbound minutes per user per month, Professional unlimited, within countries including the Netherlands and Belgium | prices |
| Xelion | No published price: one fixed price per user, which you get from a Xelion partner | According to Xelion, calls, chat and reports are included in that price | price indication |
Belfabriek, Callvoip, VOIPZeker and Voys are Dutch providers with Dutch numbers. Teams Phone, Zoom Phone and Aircall work in more countries. Microsoft also sells its calling plans in Belgium, and Aircall's domestic minutes apply in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Worked examples
All amounts are per month, using the prices in the table, and excluding VAT. Only for VOIPZeker and Aircall does the site not say whether the price includes or excludes VAT. Hardware is not included.
A freelancer with one business number
- Belfabriek, business number: €149 per year, about €12.40 per month, plus 5 cents per minute when you call out over the internet. On the first payment you get an extra year free, so for the first two years it is about €6.20 per month.
- Callvoip: €13.50 (subscription, one number and one account). With a bundle of 500 minutes that becomes €23.50.
- VOIPZeker: €20.50 with a monthly cancellable subscription and one number, unlimited calls in the Netherlands.
- Voys: €21.60 for one user and one number, calls in the Netherlands included.
If you rarely call, paying per minute is cheapest. If you call customers every day, a subscription with calls included soon works out cheaper.
Five employees with one number and a call menu
- Belfabriek, VoIP phone system: 5 × €15 = €75, or €62.50 per month if you pay annually. Calls in the Netherlands and the EU are included.
- Callvoip: €7.50 + €2 + 5 × €4 + €4 for the call menu = €33.50, plus call charges. With a bundle of 500 minutes per account, add €50: €83.50. At most 30% of those minutes may go to mobile numbers.
- VOIPZeker: 5 × €19.50 + €1 = €98.50, or €93.50 with a 12-month contract.
- Microsoft Teams Phone with domestic calling: 5 × €19.10 = €95.50 if you already have a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes Teams. Without a Teams licence, add 5 × €6.07 for Business Basic: €125.85.
Voys has no fixed price for five users: from four users, Voys quotes a custom price.
Fifteen employees with a call menu, queue and CRM integration
- VOIPZeker, calling and a number only: 15 × €15.50 + €1 = €233.50, or €218.50 with a 12-month contract. The rates page gives no price for a call menu or queue, and no CRM integration; ask for them.
- Microsoft Teams Phone with domestic calling: 15 × €19.10 = €286.50, plus €91.05 for Business Basic if you do not have a Teams licence yet. You set up a call menu and queue in Teams Phone yourself.
- Zoom Phone Global Select: 15 × €20.24 = €303.60, with annual billing.
- Aircall: Essentials 15 × €30 = €450, or €600 if you pay monthly; Professional 15 × €50 = €750, or €1,050 per month. Aircall already lists a call menu and more than 250 integrations with Essentials, including CRM systems.
Belfabriek quotes above eight people, as does Voys from four users. The difference between the cheapest and the most expensive option here is mainly what you get: Aircall is built for teams that are on the phone with customers all day, with call statistics and integrations; an office phone system with a call menu does not need that.
Your number: porting, 085 or an area code
These rules apply in the Netherlands, where the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM, the Dutch regulator) is in charge of phone numbers.
- Porting your number. You request number porting from your new provider, even if your contract is still running. Your old provider may not charge for it (though it may charge an early termination fee for a contract that is still running), and you must be able to call again within one day of the switch. A landline number can only be ported if you stay in the region with the same area code (ACM).
- An area code, such as 010 or 020, belongs to a region. That is why the number can only be ported if you stay in that region.
- A 085 number is not tied to a region. Callers pay the same as for a regional number, and you request it from your phone provider (Ondernemersplein).
- A 088 number is for larger companies: you request a block of at least 100 numbers from the ACM, and your organisation must be registered with the KVK (the Dutch Chamber of Commerce).
- A 0800 number is free for the caller and can also be requested from the ACM. It cannot be reached from abroad.
In Belgium you can also take your number to another operator. Let the new provider arrange the switch and do not cancel your old subscription yourself first.
Phones and headsets
With cloud telephony you do not need a phone on your desk: the app on your mobile or laptop is enough, and anyone who calls a lot uses a good headset. A desk phone is handy for a reception or a place where several people answer. Ask the provider which phones it supports and what they cost. Callvoip charges an account of €4 per month per phone or app; with VOIPZeker extra devices are free for the first 12 months, then €1 per month.
What should you look out for?
- What is included in the price? Check whether calls are included, up to how many minutes, and whether the price is per user or per package. A number often costs extra.
- Annual or monthly. With Microsoft, Zoom and Aircall the lowest price is the one with annual billing. With Aircall, paying annually saves a quarter.
- How does it scale? Some providers have a fixed price up to a few users and a quote above that.
- Integrations. If you want the customer from your CRM to appear when a call comes in, ask which CRM systems the package supports.
- Meetings. If you also make video calls, Teams and Zoom already combine the two. Otherwise see our comparison of video conferencing software.
Frequently asked questions about business phone systems
What does business telephony cost per employee?
For the packages we checked on 20 October 2026, usually €15 to €25 per employee per month, excluding VAT, with domestic calls included. Packages for customer service and sales teams, such as Aircall, cost €30 to €70 per employee per month.
Is calling via Microsoft Teams cheaper?
Only if you already have a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes Teams and need few extras. Teams Phone with domestic calling costs €19.10 per user per month on an annual subscription. That is comparable to a Dutch VoIP provider, but you pay a year in advance and a Teams licence is required. You can also buy the calling plan from a telecom provider that works with Microsoft; you then pay for Teams Phone Standard (€8.70) plus that provider's subscription.
Can I keep my current number?
Yes. In the Netherlands you request number porting from your new provider, at no cost from your old provider. A landline number can only be ported if you stay in the same area code region.
Do I still need a desk phone?
No. With cloud telephony you call with an app on your mobile or computer, using the same landline number. A desk phone is a choice, not a requirement.
What is the difference between VoIP and a landline?
With VoIP your call goes over the internet, and the phone system runs at the provider. So you need no phone line or phone system in the office, just a good internet connection. Read more under VoIP.
