In short
A softphone is an app that makes a laptop, tablet or mobile a phone on your VoIP phone system; a desk phone is a physical handset on the network. Softphones suit hybrid and mobile staff and cost nothing in hardware; desk phones suit reception, heavy callers and shared areas. Most businesses use both, matched to each role.
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What is a softphone?
A softphone is software that does the job of a phone. Installed on a laptop, tablet or mobile, it registers to your VoIP phone system just as a desk phone does, so the user gets their extension and business number, can transfer calls, join hunt groups and queues, pick up voicemail and see colleagues' availability.
A desk phone (sometimes called a hard phone) is a physical handset that plugs into the office network. Both are first-class devices on a VoIP system, and one user can have both, with calls ringing on whichever they are using. Our sister site explains how a softphone app works day to day.
Softphone vs desk phone compared
| Factor | Softphone | Desk phone |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware cost | None beyond a headset; runs on laptops and mobiles you already own | A handset per user or shared area |
| Mobility | Goes wherever the laptop or mobile goes, at home, in the office or on the road | Fixed to a desk and a network point |
| Call quality factors | Depends on the headset, the device and the connection (home broadband, Wi-Fi or mobile data) | A wired network connection with voice priority, and a dedicated handset and speakerphone |
| Reception and switchboard | Possible, but less quick for busy transfers | Physical busy lamp keys and expansion modules make transfers quick |
| Hot desking | Follows the user automatically, with no sign-in at the desk | Users sign in to a shared phone where the platform supports it |
| Power cut | A charged laptop or mobile can carry on over mobile data | Needs PoE from a switch on a UPS, or it stops |
| Set-up and moves | Install the app and sign in; nothing to move when people change desk | Provision and place the handset; move it with the user |
| Separation from the computer | Shares the computer, so a crash or update can interrupt calls | Independent of the computer, so it works whether or not the laptop is on |
Neither is better in every case, which is why most businesses end up with a mix.
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Tell us what matters most to you and we will recommend one, with the trade-offs explained.
Which staff need which
| Role | Usually best served by | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Receptionist | Desk phone with expansion module, plus a headset | Fast transfers and a view of the whole office |
| Office staff on calls all day | Desk phone or softphone with a good headset | Either works; choose by preference and desk set-up |
| Hybrid workers | Softphone on laptop and mobile | One number wherever they work, with no kit at home |
| Field and mobile staff | Softphone on the mobile | Business calls on the business number, keeping personal numbers private |
| Staff who walk the site | Cordless DECT or Wi-Fi handset, or a mobile softphone | Calls follow them away from a desk |
| Shared areas and meeting rooms | Desk phone or conference phone | A fixed phone anyone can use, with its own extension |
| Managers with assistants | Desk phone, often with a softphone too | Delegation and shared lines on keys, and the app when away |
For desk phones, see VoIP desk phones for business; for cordless, our sister site covers VoIP DECT phones.
Softphones on each VoIP platform
| Platform | Softphone apps | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 3CX | A web client in the browser, plus apps for Windows, iOS and Android | 3CX is licensed per system by simultaneous calls rather than per user, so the apps come with every extension |
| Microsoft Teams Phone | The Teams app on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web | Calls sit alongside chat and meetings; each user needs a Teams Phone licence and a route to the phone network |
| Webex Calling | The Webex App on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android | A Professional user can have a desk phone and the soft clients; a Standard user has one or the other, not both |
| Forever UC | Apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac | App-first by design, with desk phones as an option |
| Forever Teams | The standard Teams app | No extra app to install; Teams-compatible desk phones are optional |
The Webex licence point is worth planning: if someone needs both a desk phone and the app, they need the Professional licence.
Weighing up the options?
We can compare them against your own requirements and recommend what fits.
Getting good call quality from softphones
- Use a proper headset: a laptop's built-in microphone and speakers pick up room noise and cause echo. See VoIP headsets
- Prefer a wired connection or strong Wi-Fi: weak Wi-Fi is a common cause of choppy audio on laptops
- Check home broadband: home workers need enough upload capacity and a router set up for VoIP. See VoIP requirements and VoIP router
- Keep apps and devices updated: platform apps and operating systems receive regular fixes
- Allow notifications on mobiles: mobile softphones rely on push notifications to ring, so battery-saving modes and do-not-disturb can stop calls arriving
Desk phones on a wired office network avoid most of these variables, which is one reason they still suit people whose job is the phone. Our VoIP call quality guide covers testing and fixes for both.
Using both: one number, every device
It does not have to be one or the other. Business VoIP platforms let one user have a desk phone, a laptop app and a mobile app at the same time, with calls ringing wherever they are. On Webex Calling this needs the Professional licence, because Cisco says a Standard user has a physical device or the soft clients, not both, and we can confirm how it works on the platform you choose. A typical pattern is a desk phone in the office for the main working day, the laptop app when hot desking or at home, and the mobile app when out.
This flexibility also helps resilience. If the office loses power or its connection, users with mobile softphones can keep taking calls over mobile data, and calls can be diverted to them. Desk phones on Power over Ethernet keep working in a power cut only if the network switch and router are on a UPS.
Deciding for your organisation
- List roles rather than names: reception, desk-based, hybrid, mobile, site-based, shared areas.
- Give everyone a softphone as the default, since 3CX, Teams Phone, Webex Calling and Forever UC all include apps.
- Add desk phones where they clearly help: reception, heavy phone users, shared areas and meeting rooms.
- Add cordless handsets for people who walk the site.
- Choose headsets for everyone who spends real time on calls.
- Check licences, such as Webex Professional for users who want both a desk phone and the app.
Desk phones and other VoIP handsets can be bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental, with the options confirmed at quote. Contact us with your mix of roles and we can suggest the right device for each. The VoIP handsets for business hub covers every device type.
How Forever Systems helps you choose a VoIP phone system
We supply and support several VoIP platforms, so we can recommend the one that fits how your team takes calls rather than fitting your business around one product.
- Platform advice across hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Webex Calling, Forever UC and Forever Teams, with SIP trunks for phone systems you already own
- A requirements check of your broadband, network and routers before anything goes live
- Numbers and porting: we can help you keep your existing business numbers and plan the move away from analogue and ISDN lines
- Handsets and headsets that suit each platform, bought outright or, in some cases, included in your monthly rental, with the options confirmed at quote
- Set-up and changes: call flows, users and devices configured for you, and help with moves, adds and changes afterwards
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our sister site cloudvoice.cloud, and for hosted and cloud platforms in depth, cloudphone.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations.
Frequently asked questions
What is a softphone?
A softphone is an app that turns a laptop, tablet or mobile into a phone on your business phone system. It uses your extension and business number, so calls can be made, transferred and queued just as on a desk phone.
Is a softphone better than a desk phone?
Neither is better in every case. Softphones suit hybrid and mobile staff and need no hardware. Desk phones suit reception, heavy phone users and shared areas, and do not depend on the computer. Most businesses use both.
Can I use a softphone and a desk phone at the same time?
Yes, on business VoIP platforms a user can have a desk phone, a laptop app and a mobile app together, and calls ring wherever they are. On Webex Calling, that needs the Professional licence, because a Standard user has a physical device or the soft clients, not both.
What is the difference between a soft phone and a hard phone?
A soft phone is software running on a computer or mobile; a hard phone is a physical desk handset. Both register to the same phone system and use the same extension and number.
Do softphones work in a power cut?
A softphone on a charged laptop or mobile can keep working over mobile data, which makes it useful for resilience. Desk phones keep working only if their network switch and router are on battery backup.
Still deciding?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.
More VoIP phone system guides
Teams VoIPCalls to landlines and mobiles in Microsoft Teams: licences, PSTN routes and devices.