Softphone vs Desk Phone: Which Does Your Business Need?

Last checked: 9 November 2026

A softphone is an app that makes and receives business calls on a computer or mobile, using your VoIP phone system and a headset. A desk phone is a physical handset doing the same job. For most staff who work from a laptop or move between home and office, a softphone is enough; desk phones still earn their place on reception, shared areas and call-heavy roles where a dedicated, always-on handset matters.

Most businesses moving to hosted VoIP end up with a mix. This guide explains the softphone vs desk phone choice role by role, with the practical points that are easy to miss: power, emergency calls, headsets and network quality.

What is a softphone?

A softphone is phone software. It signs in to your business phone system and gives the user their extension and business number on a laptop, desktop or mobile app. Calls go over the internet connection the device is using, so the same number works at the office, at home or on a mobile data connection.

Microsoft Teams is a common example: the same Teams Phone account can be used from the Teams desktop client, the mobile app or a Teams-certified desk phone. Most hosted VoIP platforms offer their own desktop and mobile apps in the same way.

What is a VoIP desk phone?

A VoIP (or IP) desk phone is a handset that plugs into your office network rather than a phone socket. It signs in to the same phone system as the softphone. Features vary by model. As an example, Yealink's T54W specification lists support for up to 16 VoIP accounts, two Gigabit Ethernet ports (so a computer can share the same cable), Power over Ethernet (PoE), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless headsets.

Microsoft says Teams "supports a portfolio of desk phones for users who require a traditional phone experience", certified with manufacturers including Yealink, Crestron, Polycom and AudioCodes. Certified Teams phones support features such as hot desking, where users sign in to any phone and get their own contacts and settings, plus delegation for assistants who manage an executive's calls.

Softphone vs desk phone: comparison table

Point	Softphone	Desk phone
Hardware needed	The user's computer or mobile, plus a headset	A handset per desk (often plus a PoE switch or power adapter)
Works away from the office	Yes, anywhere with a good internet or mobile data connection	Usually stays at one desk
Depends on the computer being on	Yes for desktop apps; mobile apps do not	No, it runs independently
Shared spaces (reception, warehouse, shop floor)	Awkward, as it is tied to a person's device	Well suited, especially as a shared or common area phone
Hot desking	The user signs in on their own device	The user signs in on any certified phone
Busy switchboard work (transfers, many lines at once)	Possible with a good headset	Dedicated keys and expansion modules can make it quicker
Location for emergency calls	Moves with the user, so needs managing	Usually fixed at one address
Upfront cost	Low if staff already have laptops and phones	A handset for each user or shared position

When is a softphone the right choice?

A softphone suits staff who already spend their day on a laptop or mobile:

Hybrid and remote workers, who need the business number at home and in the office.
Field and sales staff, who can use the mobile app to make calls that show the business number rather than a personal mobile.
Teams that live in Microsoft Teams or a CRM, where clicking to call from the screen saves time.
Small offices with no fixed desks, where buying handsets for desks nobody owns makes little sense.

The key requirement is a decent headset. A laptop's built-in microphone and speakers are fine for an occasional call but tiring and echo-prone for a full day. Budget for a headset per softphone user, and buy models your phone system supports.

When is a desk phone still worth it?

Reception and switchboard roles, where someone transfers calls all day and needs to see colleagues' status at a glance.
Shared and common areas such as reception desks, warehouses, workshops, staff rooms and meeting rooms. Microsoft notes that a common area phone "is typically placed in an area like a lobby, reception area, or a conference room" and is not tied to one user.
Staff who are not at a computer, such as shop floor, kitchen or care staff, or anyone who needs a phone that is ready without logging in to a PC.
People who simply prefer a handset. For someone on the phone most of the day, a familiar handset can be the most productive tool.

Power, power cuts and emergency calls

Power. Desk phones need power, either from a mains adapter or from the network cable through PoE. If you plan to use PoE, check your office network switch supports it and has enough power budget for every phone. A softphone runs on the device's own battery, so a laptop or mobile can keep working for a while if the office power fails, provided it still has an internet or mobile data connection.

Power cuts. Unlike an old analogue line, VoIP desk phones and the broadband router stop working in a power cut unless they are on a battery backup (UPS). A mobile on its own data connection does not have that dependency. If you have staff who must always be reachable, plan for this rather than discovering it during an outage. Our guide to 4G backup broadband covers keeping the connection itself up.

Emergency calls. With VoIP, the emergency services rely on the address your provider holds for each user. A desk phone stays in one place, but a softphone moves with the user. Microsoft's documentation shows how much setup automatic location needs on Teams: the administrator must map the network to emergency addresses, and dynamic emergency calling "isn't supported on the Teams web client". It also warns that a Teams phone that is not signed in, or has no internet connection, cannot place emergency calls. Whatever system you use, ask the provider how emergency addresses are set and updated for home and mobile workers, and tell staff to call 999 from a mobile if they are unsure.

Does a softphone sound worse than a desk phone?

Not inherently. Both send the same kind of voice traffic over the same connection, so call quality depends mainly on the network and the headset or handset. A desk phone wired to a well-run office network will usually be more consistent than a laptop on busy home Wi-Fi, but a softphone with a good headset on a solid connection can sound just as clear. Our guide to how much bandwidth VoIP needs explains how to size a connection for your busiest number of simultaneous calls.

Worked example: choosing for a 15-person office

Picture a business with a receptionist, a five-person sales team who are often out, a four-person accounts team who work hybrid, three warehouse staff and two directors.

Role	Choice	Why
Receptionist	Desk phone with an expansion module	Transfers calls all day and needs to see who is free
Sales (5)	Mobile softphone app, laptop app in the office	Out on the road, and should call from the business number
Accounts (4)	Laptop softphone with headsets	Hybrid; the same extension works at home and in the office
Warehouse (3)	One shared common area desk phone	Not at a computer; one phone covers the area
Directors (2)	Softphone, plus a desk phone if they prefer	Personal choice; both ring on the same number

That is two desk phones and 13 softphone users rather than 15 handsets. Calls into the main number can then be routed with a hunt group, call queue or auto attendant, and the routing works the same whichever device answers.

Questions to ask a phone system provider

Are desktop and mobile softphone apps included in the user licence, or extra?
Which desk phones and headsets are supported, and can we reuse any we already own?
Can one user have a softphone and a desk phone ringing on the same extension?
How are emergency addresses set for users who work from home or on the move?
What happens to calls during a broadband or power failure, and can they divert to mobiles?

Frequently asked questions

What is a softphone?

A softphone is an app on a computer or mobile that makes and receives calls through your business phone system, using your business number and extension. You use it with a headset instead of a physical handset.

Softphone vs desk phone: which is better for small business?

For most small businesses, softphones suit staff who work from laptops or move around, while a small number of desk phones cover reception, shared areas and anyone who is on the phone all day. Most businesses use a mix rather than choosing one.

Do I need desk phones for VoIP?

No. A VoIP phone system works entirely through softphone apps if you want it to. Desk phones are optional hardware for roles or locations where a dedicated handset is more practical.

Can I use a softphone and a desk phone on the same number?

On most hosted VoIP systems, yes: the same user can sign in on a desk phone, a laptop app and a mobile app, and calls can ring on all of them. Check the provider's licence terms, as some limit the number of devices per user.

Do VoIP desk phones work in a power cut?

Not without backup power. A VoIP desk phone and the router it relies on both need mains power (or PoE from a powered switch), so they stop in a power cut unless they are on a UPS. A charged mobile on its own data connection can keep working.

Related guides

Sources

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