On this page
- What a VoIP phone is
- VoIP desk phone prices and specs
- Business VoIP phones by brand
- VoIP phones by role
- Which phones each provider supports
- Buy or rent a VoIP phone?
- How to choose the best VoIP phone for a small business
- Spec terms explained
- VoIP phones in a power outage
- Questions to ask before you buy
- Frequently asked questions
What a VoIP phone is
A VoIP phone makes calls over your internet connection through a cloud phone service instead of a copper phone line. It can be a desk phone that plugs into your network, a cordless handset, an app on your computer or cell phone (a softphone), or an adapter that connects an ordinary phone. The phone does not include service: you also need a plan from a provider such as those on multi-line phone systems.
| Type | How it connects | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| IP desk phone | Plugs into a network port (often with power over the same cable, PoE) | Most office desks | From $90 at Nextiva |
| Cordless Wi-Fi phone | Connects over Wi-Fi with a rechargeable handset | Warehouses, shops, people who walk | Grandstream's WP816: dual-band Wi-Fi, 6-hour talk time |
| Softphone app | Software on a computer or cell phone | Remote staff, a business line on your cell | Usually included with the service |
| Phone adapter (ATA) | Connects a regular phone to an internet line | Keeping existing handsets | Google Voice supports the Poly ATA 400 and 402 |
VoIP desk phone prices and specs
Few manufacturers publish prices; providers do. Nextiva lists each phone with a one-time price or a monthly amount, plus line count, screen size and wireless features (Nextiva phones page).
| Model | Lines | Screen | Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | One-time | Or monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poly Edge E100 | 2 | 2.8″ | No | No | $90.00 | $2.10 |
| Yealink T33G | 4 | 2.4″ | No | No | $100.00 | $3.90 |
| Nextiva X-835 | 12 | 2.8″ | With USB dongle | Not listed | $120.00 | $3.00 |
| Poly Edge E300 | 8 | 3.5″ | No | No | $140.00 | $3.00 |
| Yealink T73W | 12 | 2.8″ | Yes | Yes | $140.00 | $4.00 |
| Poly Edge E220 | 4 | 2.8″ | No | Yes | $160.00 | $2.75 |
| Poly Edge E350 | 8 | 3.5″ | Yes | Yes | $180.00 | $3.50 |
| Yealink T74U | 16 | 4.3″ | Optional | Optional | $200.00 | $5.60 |
| Yealink T74W | 16 | 4.3″ | Yes | Yes | $220.00 | $6.00 |
| Yealink T85W | 16 | 5.5″ | Yes | Yes | $260.00 | $6.60 |
| Poly Edge E450 | 14 | 3.5″ | Yes | Yes | $300.00 | $6.60 |
| Poly Edge E550 | 12 | 5″ | Yes | Yes | $300.00 | $8.80 |
| Yealink T87W | 16 | 7″ | Yes | Yes | $300.00 | $8.00 |
Source: Nextiva device page, checked October 29, 2026. "Or monthly" is the amount Nextiva shows as "/mo"; it does not state the term. Nextiva X-835 is Nextiva's own model; its Wi-Fi needs an additional USB dongle. Prices before tax and shipping.
Business VoIP phones by brand
Yealink
- T58W: Android 9.0, 7-inch adjustable touch screen, up to 16 SIP accounts, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, dual Gigabit Ethernet and PoE.
- T54W: a "mid-level phone" for "moderate call load"; takes up to 3 EXP50 expansion modules.
- T43U: 3.7-inch screen, up to 12 SIP accounts, PoE; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth through add-on dongles.
- T33G: 2.4-inch 320 x 240 color display; 4 lines on Nextiva's card.
Poly (HP)
- Edge E400 series: 3.5-inch color display, two displays and 14 line keys.
- Edge E300 series: 3.5-inch color display and 8 line keys.
- Edge E100 and E220: Poly's entry-level phones with color displays.
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC depend on the model. Poly lists the Edge E series as certified for Zoom and for Google Voice (Poly).
Grandstream
- GRP2601: 2 SIP accounts and 2 lines, 5-way conferencing; PoE on the P model, Wi-Fi on the W model.
- GRP2614: 4 line keys with up to 12 SIP accounts, 40 multi-purpose keys, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, dual Gigabit ports.
- GXP2170: 12 line keys, 4.3-inch color screen, 48 on-screen speed dial keys, dual Gigabit PoE ports; aimed at receptionists.
- WP816: cordless Wi-Fi phone with 6-hour talk time.
Cisco, Mitel and Ooma. RingCentral sells Cisco DP9841, DP9851 and DP9861 phones and Mitel phones such as the 6930w (RingCentral devices); its purchase and rental figures for them are in the buy-or-rent table below. Ooma sells its own IP phones (Ooma pricing).
VoIP phones by role
Zoom's hardware guide groups certified phones by where they sit (Zoom). Matched with the specs and prices above:
| Where | Zoom's picks | What Zoom says the spot needs | A priced example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive office | Poly CCX600, Yealink MP58 E2, Grandstream GXV3480 | High-resolution color touch displays, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi | Yealink T87W (7-inch, 16 lines): $300 at Nextiva |
| Assistant desk | Poly CCX600, Poly Edge E550 | Hardware that can handle the call volume and transfers | Poly Edge E550 (5-inch, 12 lines): $300 at Nextiva |
| General office | Poly Edge E350, Yealink T74U, Grandstream GRP2604 | Performance and easy deployment for every desk | Poly Edge E350 (8 lines): $180; Yealink T74U (16 lines): $200 |
| Common area | Poly Edge E220, Yealink T33G, Grandstream GRP2602 | Always-on hardware for shared spaces with no assigned user | Yealink T33G (4 lines): $100; Poly Edge E220 (4 lines): $160 |
Zoom's guide also covers reception desks, conference rooms, hot desks and home offices; for reception it names the Poly CCX600, Yealink T88W and Grandstream GXV3470. Prices are Nextiva's one-time prices.
Which phones each provider supports
A desk phone only works if your provider can set it up. Check this before you buy, especially second-hand.
| Provider | Phones | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | Poly only: ATA 400 and 402, Edge B10/B20/B30, OBi 300 and 302, VVX OBi Edition 150 to 450, Edge E series | Voicemail and the contact directory do not work on Poly devices. Poly is discontinuing OBi-firmware devices except the ATA 400 |
| Zoom Phone | Zoom Certified phones; its guide names Poly Edge E350, Yealink T74U and Grandstream GRP2604 for general offices | Check each device supports TLSv1.2 and zero touch provisioning |
| 3CX | Preferred: Fanvil, Snom and Yealink (T3, T4, T5, T7 and T8 series) | Grandstream GRP26 and GXP and Polycom VVX work with limits; 3CX says not to buy the end-of-life phones on that list new or used |
| RingCentral | Sells Poly Edge E, Yealink, Cisco DP98xx and Mitel phones | Offers rental with a multi-year contract |
| Nextiva | Sells Yealink, Poly and its own X-835 | Shows a one-time price or a monthly amount for each |
| Ooma Office | Sells its own IP phones | Prices: see Ooma pricing |
From Google's desk phone requirements, Zoom's hardware guide, 3CX's supported phones list (updated June 28, 2026), RingCentral's devices page and Nextiva's phones page. Ooma prices: see the comparison.
Older and used phones
A cheap used phone can be a dead end. 3CX lists "legacy phones" such as the Yealink T19P, T20P, T21P, T22P, T26P, T28P, T32G and T38G that "cannot be provisioned from within 3CX" and get no support (3CX), and it says not to buy the end-of-life phones on its limited-support list "new or second hand." Poly is ending OBi-firmware phones except the ATA 400, so Google Voice users buying a Poly VVX OBi Edition or Edge B phone get no further firmware updates from Poly.
Wired, Wi-Fi or DECT
Corded desk phones plug into the network; some, such as the Yealink T58W and several Poly Edge E models, also have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth built in. Others take wireless as an add-on: the Yealink T43U uses WF40 or WF50 dongles for Wi-Fi and BT41 for Bluetooth. For roaming staff there are Wi-Fi handsets such as the Grandstream WP816 and DECT systems, where cordless handsets talk to a base station; 3CX supports Yealink W60B to W90DM and Snom M300 to M900 DECT models.
Buy or rent a VoIP phone?
RingCentral's devices page shows two figures next to "purchase" for each phone, $40 apart in every case, plus a rental figure. It says device rental "is available with a multi-year contract" and that prices vary by region (RingCentral).
| Phone | Purchase figures shown | Rental figure shown |
|---|---|---|
| Poly Edge E100 | $190.00 and $150.00 | $7.00 |
| Poly Edge E220 | $229.00 and $189.00 | $9.00 |
| Poly Edge E350 | $350.00 and $310.00 | $15.00 |
| Poly Edge E450 | $459.00 and $419.00 | $19.00 |
| Poly Edge E550 | $479.00 and $439.00 | $20.00 |
| Yealink T33G | $158.00 and $118.00 | $5.00 |
| Yealink SIP-T74W | $283.00 and $243.00 | $12.00 |
| Yealink SIP-T87W | $375.00 and $335.00 | $18.00 |
| Cisco DP9841 | $409.00 and $369.00 | $18.00 |
| Cisco DP9851 | $489.00 and $449.00 | $22.00 |
| Cisco DP9861 | $639.00 and $599.00 | $29.00 |
| Mitel 6930w | $350.00 and $310.00 | $15.00 |
RingCentral prices in US dollars. RingCentral does not label which purchase figure applies; ask it for a quote.
Our math: phones for a 5-person office
At Nextiva's one-time prices, five Poly Edge E100 phones cost $450 and five Poly Edge E350 phones cost $900. A mix such as one Poly Edge E450 (14 lines) for the front desk and four Edge E100 phones, comes to $660. Add the service itself: see RingCentral pricing, Nextiva pricing or Zoom Phone pricing.
How to choose the best VoIP phone for a small business
Lines and keys
Line keys show calls and colleagues at a glance. The Poly Edge E100 has 2, the Edge E300 series 8, the E400 series 14, and the Yealink T85W and T87W 16 on Nextiva's cards. A receptionist phone such as the Grandstream GXP2170 adds 48 on-screen speed dial keys.
Wireless and power
Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth let a phone work without a network cable or pair a headset. On Nextiva's list, the Poly Edge E100 and E300 have neither, while the E350 has both. PoE phones take power from the network switch, so there is no power adapter at each desk.
Spec terms explained
| Term | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| SIP accounts | How many separate phone accounts (numbers or extensions) the phone can register | Yealink T58W up to 16; Yealink T43U and Grandstream GRP2614 up to 12; GRP2601 2 |
| Line keys | Physical or on-screen buttons for calls, colleagues and speed dials | Poly Edge E400 series 14; GXP2170 12 plus 48 on-screen keys |
| PoE | Power over Ethernet: the phone takes power from the network cable | Yealink T58W and T43U, Grandstream GXP2170, GRP2601P |
| Gigabit (dual-port) | Two network ports so a computer can plug in through the phone | Yealink T58W, Grandstream GRP2614 and GXP2170 |
| Expansion module | A sidecar of extra keys for a busy front desk | Yealink T54W and T58W take up to 3 |
| Zero touch provisioning | The provider sets up the phone automatically when it is plugged in | Zoom asks for it on certified phones |
VoIP phones in a power outage
A VoIP desk phone needs power and internet. The FCC says VoIP "may not work during a power outage or when the internet connection fails or becomes overloaded" and suggests "a backup power supply, maintaining a traditional phone line or having a wireless phone as a backup" (FCC). If your desk phones use PoE, a battery backup on the network switch and the internet router can keep them running. Google says emergency calling on Google Voice is not available during a power outage or loss of internet (Google). More on VoIP vs landline.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Is the model on my provider's certified or supported list? Google Voice works only with Poly devices.
- Will it get firmware updates? Poly is ending OBi-firmware devices except the ATA 400, and 3CX warns against buying the end-of-life phones on its limited-support list.
- How many line keys does each desk need? Two can be enough for a basic desk; more for whoever answers the main number.
- Is the monthly price a rental, a lease or financing, and for how long? RingCentral offers rental with a multi-year contract.
- Does it need Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? These add cost: the Poly Edge E350 is $40 more than the E300 at Nextiva.
A desk phone is optional with every cloud system. If your team works from cell phones, the apps are enough; see hosted PBX and free VoIP services.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a VoIP phone cost?
Nextiva lists desk phones from $90 (Poly Edge E100) to $300 (Yealink T87W, Poly Edge E450 and E550), or a monthly amount from $2.10.
Can I use a cordless phone with VoIP?
Yes. Cordless Wi-Fi IP phones such as the Grandstream WP816 connect over Wi-Fi, with 6-hour talk time on that model. Providers also support DECT cordless systems; 3CX lists several Yealink and Snom DECT models.
Can a cell phone be a VoIP phone?
Yes. A softphone app turns a cell phone into a VoIP phone for your business account, and most cloud phone systems include one. 3CX offers a free VoIP phone app for Windows.
Do VoIP phones work with any provider?
No. Google Voice supports only Poly devices, Zoom asks for Zoom Certified phones, and 3CX keeps its own supported list. Check before buying.
Why use a VoIP phone instead of an app?
A desk phone gives line keys, a handset and a speakerphone without tying up a computer or cell phone, and PoE models run from the network cable. Most cloud phone systems also include apps, so a desk phone is optional.