Choose Simplicity and Cloud Power. Stop Managing Servers and Start Talking to Customers
3CX offers an open-platform PBX with a unique pricing model based on simultaneous calls, not users, which can be cost-effective for some. However, this comes with significant hidden complexity and costs. You are responsible for hosting, SSL certificates, and technical support (which starts at $75 per ticket). It is fundamentally a phone system, not a native omnichannel platform. Seasalt.ai is a fully managed, cloud-native solution.
Managed Cloud vs. Self-Hosted Complexity
See why fully managed beats do-it-yourself for growing businesses
| Feature | Seasalt.ai | 3CX |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | Cloud-Native Unified Communications | Self-Hosted or Hosted IP PBX |
| Pricing Model | Simple per-agent fee | Per-Simultaneous Call + Hosting + Support |
| Management Overhead | None (Fully managed by Seasalt.ai) | High (Requires technical expertise for setup & maintenance) |
| Omnichannel Inbox | Yes, native | No, primarily a phone system |
| AI Capabilities | Yes, native Voice & Chatbots | Coming Soon" Add-on |
| Best For | Businesses that want a powerful, easy-to-use, all-in-one solution | Tech-savvy organizations that want full control over their PBX |
The Hidden Costs of "Affordable" 3CX
See what 3CX doesn't include in their advertised pricing
Seasalt.ai: All-Inclusive
$25/agent/month
Everything included
Cloud Hosting
Included - no server management
Support
Included - unlimited support
Updates & Maintenance
Included - automatic updates
SSL Certificates
Included - managed automatically
3CX: Hidden Costs
~$25/mo (4 calls)
Base license only
Hosting Costs
$20-100+/month for VPS/cloud hosting
Support Tickets
$75+ per support ticket
IT Management
Your time or consultant fees
SSL Certificates
$50-200+/year for certificates
The Real Total Cost of Ownership
3CX's advertised pricing doesn't include hosting, support, maintenance, or the time you'll spend managing it. For most businesses, the total cost quickly exceeds a fully managed solution.
3CX "Real" Cost: $25 license + $50 hosting + $75 support ticket + your time = $150+ per month
Focus on Business, Not IT Management
See what you'll need to manage with 3CX vs. what Seasalt.ai handles for you
What You Manage with 3CX
- Server provisioning and configuration
- Operating system updates and security patches
- SSL certificate installation and renewal
- Firewall configuration and security
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Troubleshooting and support tickets
- Capacity planning and scaling
What Seasalt.ai Handles
- Complete infrastructure management
- Automatic security updates
- SSL certificates managed automatically
- Enterprise-grade security built-in
- Automated backups and redundancy
- 24/7 monitoring and support
- Automatic scaling and optimization
Focus on Growing Your Business, Not Managing Servers
Why spend time on IT management when you could be talking to customers? Get a fully managed solution that just works.