How Much Does VOIP Cost in Australia? Complete Pricing Guide (2026)

VOIP costs for Australian small businesses typically range from ~$15 AUD per user per month for a basic hosted service to ~$60+ AUD per user per month for a full-featured enterprise tier, with hardware and setup costs on top. This guide breaks down every cost category you will encounter, using real price ranges from Australian providers, so you can budget accurately before getting a single quote. By the end, you will know what a fair price looks like for your team size, which costs providers bury in the fine print, and how to avoid the most common mistake: choosing the cheapest plan and paying more in the long run. Before we get into numbers, a word about how this industry works: VOIP providers deliberately structure their pricing to make direct comparison difficult. Plan tiers have different names across providers, features that are standard on one plan are add-ons on another, and call rates are often quoted separately from plan fees. You are not behind for finding this confusing. The industry designed it that way.

The Three Cost Categories You Need to Understand

Every VOIP cost falls into one of three buckets. Understanding these separately stops providers from obscuring the true total.First, recurring monthly costs: your plan fee per user, call charges (per-minute or included), and any add-on fees for features like call recording, additional numbers, or 1300 services. This is your ongoing operational cost and the one providers advertise most prominently.Second, one-time setup costs: number porting fees, provisioning charges, configuration time, and any initial hardware. These are often invisible in the advertised price but can easily add $500 to $2,000 to your first invoice.Third, hardware costs: the IP desk phones, headsets, or conference devices your team will use. Hardware is a one-time capital expense but needs to be factored into year-one budgeting. A team of five with decent desk phones is looking at $500 to $2,000 in hardware alone before a single call is made.

Monthly VOIP Plan Costs: What AU Providers Are Charging

Australian hosted VOIP plans sit in three clear tiers. The ranges below reflect current market pricing from providers including Maxotel, 8x8, RingCentral, net2phone, and Vonage. Always check current pricing directly with providers before committing. Most Australian small businesses with 1 to 10 staff land in the Basic or Standard tier. The Standard tier is the sweet spot for businesses that want call recording, a proper auto-attendant, and ring groups without paying enterprise prices.Note on call charges: some plans include unlimited local and national calls, while others charge per minute (~4 to 10 cents per minute for local/national, higher for mobile). If your team makes high call volumes, unlimited-call plans are almost always cheaper in practice even if the plan fee is higher.

How Call Charges Work in Australia

AU VOIP call pricing has three categories: local/national calls (geographic 02/03/07/08 numbers), mobile calls (04xx numbers), and international calls. The distinction matters because mobile call rates are significantly higher than landline rates, and many 'unlimited' plans only mean unlimited landline calls.Typical AU VOIP call rates to watch for (these are add-on or per-minute rates where calls are not included in the plan): If your business makes frequent calls to Australian mobiles (which most AU SMBs do), mobile call inclusion is worth paying for. A five-person team each making 30 minutes of mobile calls per day at $0.18 per minute is ~$700 AUD per month in call charges. An upgraded plan that includes mobile calls at $35/user/month for five users is $175/month. The math is obvious.

One-Time Setup and Porting Costs

Setup costs are where new VOIP customers are most frequently surprised. These are the fees that do not appear in the advertised monthly price. Number porting in Australia is governed by the ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority). Standard geographic number ports take 5 to 10 business days. Your existing service keeps running during the process, so there is no interruption -- but the timing is not instantaneous. Plan your switch accordingly and do not cancel your existing service until porting is confirmed complete.

Hardware Costs: Phones, Headsets, and Conference Devices

The reverse framework applies here: choose your service provider and plan first, confirm hardware compatibility, then purchase handsets. Buying hardware before you have a provider is one of the most common and costly mistakes in the VOIP setup process. See our guide to the best VOIP phone systems for small business for a full rundown on what to look for. Most AU providers offer pre-configured hardware packages where the phone arrives ready to plug in. The convenience premium is usually $20 to $50 per device above buying the same phone from a distributor and configuring it yourself. For non-technical business owners, the pre-configured option is often worth it. For more detail on hardware selection, see our guide to the best SIP desk phones for Australian businesses.

Hidden Costs Providers Do Not Advertise

These are the costs that cause surprise invoices. Read your service agreement carefully before signing.

Cost Comparison: ISP Bundled VOIP vs Entry VOIP Provider vs Full Hosted PBX

The most important cost comparison for Australian SMBs is not between VOIP providers -- it is between the ISP bundled service most businesses already have and a proper VOIP setup. The ISP bundled service looks free but has a real cost: every time two customers call at once, the second hears an engaged tone and may call a competitor. For a business generating even $2,000 to $5,000 per new customer, a single lost lead each month dwarfs the cost of a proper VOIP service. For a full breakdown of the ISP versus VOIP comparison, see our article on VOIP versus traditional phones in Australia.

Total Cost of Ownership: 5-Person Team, Year 1 vs Ongoing

Real budgeting means looking at year-one cost (which includes setup and hardware) alongside ongoing cost (which is just the monthly service). The year-one figure is often double the ongoing cost, which catches businesses off guard. For context: an entry hosted VOIP service for a five-person team works out to roughly $4 to $6 per person per working day in year one. Most businesses will consider that an unremarkable cost for a professional phone system.

When Cheap Equals Expensive: The Undersizing Trap

The cheapest plan in the short term is often the most expensive choice over 12 months. Here is how it plays out in practice.Scenario: a retail business chooses the entry plan at $15/user/month to save money. After three months, they discover they need call recording (for dispute resolution), a proper auto-attendant (staff are manually answering and routing calls), and voicemail-to-email (missed calls are being lost). Each of these is an add-on at $5 to $15 per month. The effective cost is now $35 to $50/user/month, which is higher than the Standard plan they dismissed. They also have the complexity of bolt-on features instead of a clean integrated setup.The correct approach: list the features you actually need before comparing plans. Match the feature list to tiers. If Standard includes everything you need, Standard is the cheapest option, not Entry.Similarly, a business that significantly undersizes its number of simultaneous call paths will experience call failures at busy periods. A five-person medical practice that buys two simultaneous call paths will drop calls at 11am on Monday morning. The cost of re-buying lines or upgrading to the correct tier mid-contract is often more disruptive than just sizing correctly at the start. Our VOIP cost calculator can help you estimate the right tier for your call volume.

AU-Specific Cost Factors: What Changes for Australian Businesses

Australian businesses face a few cost factors that do not apply in other markets. These are worth understanding before you compare pricing from international sources.

NBN Connection Type Affects Call Quality, Not Just Cost

Australia's NBN network has several access technologies: FTTP (fibre to the premises), FTTN (fibre to the node), HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial), and FW (fixed wireless). Call quality varies significantly across these. FTTP is the most reliable for VOIP. FTTN and HFC are generally acceptable but can have jitter issues on congested nodes. Fixed wireless can be problematic during peak periods. Your VOIP provider is not responsible for NBN congestion, so if your call quality is poor, the fix may be a speed tier upgrade from your ISP rather than a change in VOIP provider.VOIP bandwidth requirements are modest: a good rule of thumb is 100kbps per simultaneous call, with jitter below 20ms and packet loss below 1%. Most NBN plans comfortably support 5 to 10 simultaneous calls. The VOIP Bandwidth Calculator at needtoknowcomms.com.au/tools/voip-bandwidth-calculator/ can help you confirm your connection is adequate before committing to a service. For more detail, see our article on NBN and VOIP compatibility in Australia.

The PSTN Shutdown and What It Means for Your Costs

Australia's copper telephone network (PSTN) was switched off in 2025. Every business telephone service in Australia is now running over some form of digital infrastructure, which means every business is already a VOIP customer whether they know it or not. The question is whether you are on an ISP-controlled ATA with no visibility or control, or a proper hosted VOIP service where you own the service relationship.The practical cost implication: if you are still on an ISP ATA, you are paying for a VOIP service already (it is bundled into your NBN plan) but receiving far fewer features. Moving to a dedicated VOIP provider is not an additional cost on top of your current setup -- it is a substitution. The incremental monthly cost is usually $20 to $80 per month above your existing NBN plan, depending on provider and team size.

1300 and 1800 Number Costs in the Australian Market

Australian businesses frequently ask about 1300 and 1800 numbers when budgeting for VOIP. The key cost to understand: you pay for inbound calls to your 1300 or 1800 number, not just outbound calls. The charge structure is typically a per-call flagfall plus a per-minute rate. Monthly costs for a business receiving moderate 1300 call volume (say 200 calls per month at 3 minutes average) might be $40 to $120/month in call charges on top of the monthly number rental (~$20 to $40/month). For a full breakdown, see our dedicated guide on 1300 numbers in Australia.

000 Emergency Calling Requirements and Cost

Under ACMA regulations, VOIP providers must support 000 emergency calling and charge a small monthly Emergency Services Levy (ESL or ESSL) for each registered service. This is typically $1 to $3 per service per month. It is not a provider profit margin item -- it is a regulatory pass-through. Any provider that cannot confirm 000 support for your registered business address should be disqualified immediately.

Power Outage Considerations

NBN VOIP services go offline when the power goes out, because the NBN modem/router needs power to operate. This is a cost and reliability consideration that analog landlines (which ran on their own phone line current) did not have. Mitigation options: a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for the modem and router (~$150 to $400), or configuring your VOIP system to failover outbound calls to a mobile number during an outage. Most hosted PBX providers include mobile failover as a plan feature or add-on.

Australian Provider Pricing Landscape

Australia has a healthy market of hosted VOIP providers serving SMBs. The major players and their positioning as of early 2026:Maxotel is an Australian-owned specialist VOIP provider with SMB-focused plans and local support. Known for consultative onboarding and transparent pricing. Entry plans start around ~$20 to $25 AUD per user per month. Check current pricing at maxo.com.au.8x8 is a US-based enterprise VOIP provider with an Australian presence. Strong on unified communications, analytics, and large-team deployments. Pricing typically sits at ~$40 to $60 AUD per user per month (after currency conversion). More appropriate for 20+ seat deployments. Check current pricing at 8x8.com/au.RingCentral is another US-based provider with a significant AU customer base. Similar positioning to 8x8. Entry plans ~$35 to $45 AUD per user per month. Strong on integrations (Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace). Check current pricing at ringcentral.com.au.net2phone Australia offers SMB-focused hosted VOIP with competitive pricing on Standard and Premium tiers. Plans typically ~$25 to $45 AUD per user per month. Local AU support team. Check current pricing at net2phone.com.au.Vonage (now part of Ericsson) serves larger AU businesses and contact centre deployments. Pricing is typically at the higher end of the market and better suited to 20+ seat teams with integration-heavy requirements.For SMBs comparing AU providers on features rather than just price, see our full guide to the best VOIP phone systems for small business in Australia. For a deeper look at the hosted versus on-premise decision, see our guide to hosted PBX versus on-premise PBX in Australia.

What Most Businesses Get Wrong About VOIP Pricing

After working through AU business communications, the same pricing mistakes appear consistently. Here are the three that cost businesses the most money.

Mistake 1: Comparing Monthly Plan Fees Without Factoring in Call Charges

A plan advertised at $15/user/month sounds cheaper than one at $28/user/month. But if the $15 plan charges $0.18/minute to Australian mobiles and your team makes two hours of mobile calls per day across five users, you are adding ~$540/month in call charges. The $28 plan that includes unlimited mobile calls costs $140/month for five users -- a saving of $400/month. The advertised price is almost meaningless without understanding what is included versus charged extra.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Year-One Costs and Only Comparing Monthly Fees

Business owners comparing VOIP providers typically look at the monthly fee and ignore setup, porting, and hardware costs. These one-time costs can easily add $1,000 to $3,000 to your first-year total. Get an all-in year-one quote from any provider before committing, not just the monthly plan fee. A good provider will give you this without being asked.

Mistake 3: Treating the ISP ATA Service as 'Free'

Many Australian SMBs are running their business on the free phone service bundled with their NBN plan, treating it as a $0 cost because it appears on the same bill as their internet. This is a false economy. That service gives you one call at a time. When a second customer calls while you are on the phone, they hear an engaged tone and call someone else. At $50 to $150 per month for a proper hosted VOIP service, the cost is recovered by retaining a single additional customer call per month for most businesses. The ISP ATA is not free -- it charges you in lost leads.

Your Next Steps: How to Budget for VOIP Accurately

Before you request a quote from any VOIP provider, work through this checklist. You will get better quotes and avoid the common surprises.Step 1: Count your users and concurrent call paths. How many staff need a phone? How many simultaneous calls do you expect at peak? (Hint: for most SMBs, peak simultaneous calls is 30 to 50% of total users.)Step 2: List the features you actually need. Ring groups? Call recording? Auto-attendant? Voicemail-to-email? CRM integration? Do not pay for features you will not use, but do not undersize either.Step 3: Estimate your call volume. How many calls per day? What mix of landline, mobile, and international? This tells you whether unlimited call plans save you money or cost you more.Step 4: Get an itemised quote from at least two AU providers that includes setup, porting, and hardware -- not just the monthly fee. Compare year-one total cost, not just the monthly plan price.Step 5: Ask every provider: what is included in the plan, what is an add-on, and what are the overage rates? Get the answers in writing before you sign.Step 6: Check your NBN connection type and speed. Confirm your upload speed and jitter are adequate for your expected simultaneous call load. Use the VOIP cost calculator to model your expected monthly costs before talking to any provider.Once you have worked through these steps, you are ready to get a recommendation. Our team can match you to the right AU provider for your team size, call volume, and budget without the sales pressure. See Get a Recommendation to get started.

How much does VOIP cost per month for a small business in Australia?

For a small business with 1 to 10 staff, expect to pay ~$15 to $40 AUD per user per month for a hosted VOIP plan, depending on the feature tier. A five-person team on a Standard plan will typically pay ~$125 to $200/month in plan fees. Add call charges (or choose an unlimited plan) and you are looking at $150 to $250/month total for five users with a full-featured service. Check current pricing with providers like Maxotel, net2phone, or RingCentral AU before budgeting.

Is VOIP cheaper than a traditional landline in Australia?

For most Australian businesses, yes. Traditional PSTN landlines were switched off in 2025 as part of the NBN rollout. What most businesses now have is either an ISP-bundled VOIP service (via the ATA port on their NBN modem) or a dedicated hosted VOIP service. A proper hosted VOIP service with multiple lines, auto-attendant, and call recording typically costs $20 to $40 per user per month -- often less than the equivalent business landline bundle used to cost, with significantly more features. For a full comparison, see our guide on VOIP versus traditional phones in Australia.

What are the hidden costs of VOIP in Australia?

The most common hidden VOIP costs in Australia are: mobile call charges not included in 'unlimited' plans, per-number Caller ID fees (~$2 to $5 per number per month), the Emergency Services Levy (~$1 to $3 per service per month), regulatory compliance levies, number porting fees for non-standard ports, and contract exit fees on lock-in plans. Always ask for a full itemised quote before signing and confirm which features are included versus add-ons.

How much does a VOIP phone handset cost in Australia?

IP desk phones for VOIP in Australia range from ~$100 AUD for an entry-level model (Yealink T31P, Grandstream GXP1610) to ~$300 to $450 for premium executive phones (Yealink T58W, Poly VVX 450). Conference phones range from ~$300 to $800. Most providers offer pre-configured handsets that arrive ready to plug in, often for a small premium above buying the hardware separately. Handsets are a one-time capital cost and typically last 5 to 7 years. Check current pricing -- hardware costs fluctuate with exchange rates and distributor stock.

Does VOIP cost more on different NBN connection types?

The VOIP plan cost is the same regardless of your NBN connection type -- the monthly fee from your provider does not change based on whether you have FTTP, FTTN, or HFC. However, connection type affects call quality. Poor-quality NBN connections (particularly congested FTTN nodes or fixed wireless during peak periods) can result in jitter, dropped calls, and audio quality issues. These do not cost more directly but may require a speed tier upgrade from your ISP or investment in a Quality of Service (QoS) router to prioritise voice traffic. See our guide on NBN and VOIP compatibility for more detail.

Can I keep my existing phone number when switching to VOIP in Australia?

Yes. Geographic phone numbers (02, 03, 07, 08 prefix) and most 1300/1800 numbers can be ported to a new VOIP provider. Standard geographic number ports take 5 to 10 business days under ACMA porting rules. Your existing service stays live during the process -- there is no period where you are unreachable. Porting fees vary by provider: some include standard porting at no charge, others charge $10 to $50 per number. Complex ports (DDI ranges, 1300 numbers, numbers held by reluctant carriers) take longer and cost more. Do not cancel your existing service until porting is confirmed complete.

What is the minimum cost to set up VOIP for a 2-person business in Australia?

The minimum realistic cost for a two-person business starting VOIP in Australia: a basic hosted plan at ~$15 to $25 per user per month ($30 to $50/month total), number porting if retaining your existing number (~$0 to $50), and two entry-level IP phones (~$200 to $300 total for both). Year-one all-in cost: approximately $560 to $900. Ongoing annual cost: approximately $360 to $600. If you are comfortable using softphone apps on a computer or smartphone instead of desk phones, hardware cost drops to $0 -- check that your provider includes a softphone app in the basic plan before relying on this.

Are VOIP plans in Australia month-to-month or do they require a contract?

Most Australian hosted VOIP providers offer month-to-month plans at all price tiers. Some providers offer a small discount (typically 10 to 20%) for annual or two-year commitments. For most SMBs, month-to-month is the better starting position -- it gives you the flexibility to switch providers if your needs change, and the discount on a lock-in contract is rarely worth the exit-fee risk. If a provider is pushing hard for a long-term commitment on an entry plan, treat that as a yellow flag and ask why.

Related reading:

• hidden costs of VoIP
• hosted PBX pricing
• best VoIP providers