What Is the Best VoIP Phone for a Small Business? (2026)
We put Cisco, Polycom, Grandstream, and Yealink phones through real use. See why Yealink wins for small business and which model to buy.
The best VoIP phone for a small business is a Yealink. After putting phones from Cisco, Polycom, Mitel, Grandstream, and other brands through real use, Yealink was the one that combined reliable calls, easy setup, and small business pricing without firmware problems.
At Telzio we've tried and tested the bulk of business phones out there to find the best VoIP phone for small businesses, and this article will narrow them down to the one brand that we've decided is the best choice.
We used three key factors to determine the best VoIP phones for small business:
- Quality: Are the phones reliable and do they have good sound quality?
- Ease of use: Are the phones intuitive and easy to use?
- Price: Are the phones budget-friendly for a small business?
With these factors in mind, we went down the line of options and put them through real life testing. Phones from Cisco, Polycom, Mitel, VTech, Grandstream, Invoxia, Aastra, Snom, and Yealink have all spent time on our desks. Over the years, our teams have used a variety of different models for months at a time, making hundreds if not thousands of inbound and outbound calls on each device. Our experience gradually led us to favor one brand over the others. Here is our conclusion on the best VOIP phones for small business.
Related: Top 3 Best VoIP Phones for Small Business Users
Key takeaways
- Yealink is our pick for small business VoIP phones because it is reliable, easy to set up, and budget-friendly
- We judged every brand on quality, ease of use, and price
- Cisco and Polycom are the hardest to configure and cost more, while Grandstream is modern but had occasional software glitches
- The four Yealink desk phones we recommend here run from $89 (T31G) to $329 (T48U)
- Yealink cordless phones use a base station plus handsets, which works well for warehouses and large offices
How the brands compare
| Brand | What we liked | What held it back |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Well-known brand | Challenging to configure, higher price |
| Polycom | Well-known brand | Hardest to provision, higher price |
| Grandstream | Modern design, easy to use interface | Occasional software glitches |
| Yealink | Affordable, reliable, clear sound quality | No significant issues in our testing |
Cisco and Polycom: Hard to Configure and Expensive
We compared a range of brands, including the most well-known of them including Cisco and Polycom, but neither of these big names made it to #1 in our perspective. These phones were clearly not designed with today's users in mind, and are the most challenging to configure. These days, devices should be ready to go once you plug them in, and for the DIYers, configuration should be quick and intuitive.
Polycom proved to be the biggest headache to provision, which is a problem if you're bringing existing phones from another provider. Not a problem if you order new, pre-configured phones, but then comes the price. Cisco and Polycom are the more expensive options, which doesn't meet the budget-friendly requirement for a small business.
Grandstream phones modern, but glitchy
Grandstream is a close runner up with its modern designs, but fell behind in our favor because of occasional glitches with its software. Modern users would be pleased with the sleek design of the Grandstream hardware and its easy to configure UI. Definitely a solid phone, but in a competitive ranking there can only be one winner. While the majority of our users have not had issues with their Grandstream devices, it simply does not win in a head to head comparison over Yealink.
Yealink: Best VoIP Phone for Small Businesses
With Yealink, we found all the SMB requirements were met. Yealink VoIP phones are affordable and simply work well with no issues. Yealink has greatly improved in its designs over the years to match Grandstream's more modern look and feel. With a massive engineering team constantly working to improve the firmware, Yealink software is top notch. Not to mention, the sound quality has proven to be clear and consistent.
What it boils down to is that we haven't had any issues with Yealink phones, and not a single complaint from a Telzio user. Yealink is the best VOIP phone for a small business in terms of quality, design, and cost.
Which VoIP phone is right for your small business?
Yealink offers a range of multi-line desk phones and cordless phones fit for small businesses. Here are the models we recommend. You can browse Yealink phones and find more details at the Telzio shop.
| Phone | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Yealink T48U | High end, touchscreen | $329 |
| Yealink T46U | Best value | $242 |
| Yealink T33G | Budget | $109 |
| Yealink T31G | Entry level | $89 |
Related: How to Set Up a Phone Menu
Yealink T48U: Best High End VoIP Phone
The T48U is for light call center and medium sized businesses, and is considered the high-end model of Yealink business phones. The black phone has clean sharp lines and a 7-inch color touchscreen. The key advantage of the T48U over the T46U is the touchscreen capability. If you want a prestigious phone that's modern and high-tech, this is the one for you.
Yealink T46U: Best VoIP Phone for the Price
The T46U also has a color display and costs about a quarter less than the T48U, at $242 compared to $329. The only thing that's missing is the touchscreen capability. This phone is a solid option for a team of modern business users, and is not harsh on the budget for a small business. It supports up to 16 SIP accounts.
Yealink T33G: Best Budget VoIP Phone
The T33G is less than half the price of the T46U, at $109. With that price cut you lose the larger screen and some of the lines, but you keep a 2.4-inch color display and support for up to 4 SIP accounts.
Yealink T31G: Best Entry Level VoIP Phone
The most affordable Yealink desk phone in our shop, at $89, and still supporting 2 SIP accounts and local 5-way conferencing. While this phone doesn't have a color screen, it offers a sleek black design that feels minimal and modern. This is a great entry level phone for a small business.
Need built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for a home office or a busy reception desk? The T54W and T58W are worth a look, and we break them down in our top 3 VoIP phones for small business users.
Cordless phones
In addition to the desk phones mentioned above, Yealink offers cordless phones that work magnificently. Their cordless IP phones are wide ranging while maintaining excellent voice quality, enabling you to move around large warehouse spaces and still be able to make and receive calls.
A Yealink cordless system starts with a base station and at least one handset. The W70B base station, at $90, is the one we recommend, and it supports up to 10 handsets, so you can create an entire cordless phone system for your business by adding more.
The W56H is our best selling handset, at $105. Lightweight and simple to use, with a 2.4-inch color screen, it is a reliable small business phone. The W73H is a more compact option with a 1.8-inch color screen. Both handsets work with the W70B base station, so you can mix and match. If you are starting from scratch, the W56H is also available as a bundle with the W70B base station for $170.
Using Yealink with Telzio business VoIP services
When used with Telzio, you can do a lot with Yealink phones. Telzio offers powerful features out-of-the-box that are easy to use for small businesses, such as:
- Call recording
- Conference calls
- Phone menus
- Queues
- Hunt groups
- Presence
- Intercom and paging
- Hold music
- Company directory
- Extensions and voicemail
In addition to using office phones, Telzio phone services integrate with mobile devices and computers. The Telzio Mobile App is free to download and like IP phones, work anywhere with internet connection. The Telzio Webphone is a browser-based softphone that's built into your online dashboard, and works without any installation requirements.
Learn more about all the VoIP features available from Telzio.
Understanding VoIP phone features
When researching business phones you may come across some technical language you'll want to understand. Here are some common keywords and phrases along with their meanings.
Related: The 3 Essentials of Small Business VoIP
What is BLF?
Busy Lamp Field (BLF) Keys are programmable buttons that enable you to register multiple lines into a phone, and contain flashing indicators to let you know which lines are busy. Also known as presence. BLF is a critical feature for teams who handle busy customer service lines.
What are Codecs?
A codec is a technical term used to describe audio transmission in VoIP. Opus and G.722 are standard codecs used in VoIP phones.
What is SIP?
Short for Session Initiation Protocol, SIP is the method of transmitting calls that is used to engineer the phone's software. It is the most commonly used protocol with VoIP systems, which makes it easy for devices to work with different platforms. The terms SIP phones and VoIP phones are used interchangeably.
Related: Hosted PBX vs SIP Trunking - What's the Difference?
What is a SIP Account?
Another way of saying "user" or phone line. A SIP account enables you to log into a VoIP phone and start calling. A SIP account registers with the phone the details of your caller ID, extension, and voicemail. When a phone says it can register up to 10 SIP accounts, that means you can manage up to 10 different numbers or extensions on that phone.
What are Soft Keys?
A soft key is a programmable key on office phones. Higher end business phones will offer soft keys that can be programmed to function as anything from a BLF key, to a parking extension, to do-not-disturb.
What is PoE?
Power over Ethernet (PoE) means the phone gets power from the ethernet cable, and does not require an additional power source. PoE is a nice feature to have because it eliminates cord clutter and can keep your phones running in the case of a power outage.
What is a RJ9 Headset?
The RJ9 headset is the standard headset jack which plugs into the telephone.
Related: The Basics of Troubleshooting IP Phones
Frequently asked questions
What is the best VoIP phone for a small business?
Yealink. After testing phones from Cisco, Polycom, Mitel, Grandstream, and other brands, we found Yealink to be the best combination of quality, ease of use, and price for small businesses.
How much does a VoIP phone cost for a small business?
The Yealink desk phones we recommend here start at $89 for the entry level T31G and go up to $329 for the touchscreen T48U. The T46U sits in the middle at $242, and the T33G is a budget pick at $109. Premium models such as the T58W cost more.
Is a SIP phone the same as a VoIP phone?
Yes. The terms SIP phone and VoIP phone are used interchangeably, because SIP is the protocol most VoIP systems use to transmit calls.
Can I use a cordless phone with a VoIP system?
Yes. Yealink cordless IP phones pair a base station with one or more handsets, which lets you make and receive calls while moving around a large office or warehouse.
Can I keep my existing phones when I switch to Telzio?
In many cases, yes. Telzio supports auto provisioning for Yealink, Cisco, Polycom, and Grandstream phones, though Polycom phones are the hardest to provision.
Next steps
Pick your Yealink phones from the Telzio shop and they arrive pre-configured for your account, so your team can plug them in and start calling. If you want help choosing between models, or you need to move your existing numbers over, our team can walk you through it.
