Aircall vs JustCall vs keeping your 3CX: cost and continuity for agencies
The Connect Zero team · 25 May 2026
TL;DR
For an agency with 25 users running 3CX today, the three-year TCO under Aircall and JustCall is meaningfully higher than keeping 3CX with Connect Zero as the CTI bridge. Connect Zero pricing is being finalised. Get in touch for current AUD pricing options. The Aircall and JustCall paths involve swapping the PBX, porting numbers, and retraining staff. The 3CX-plus-bridge path keeps your existing PBX.
2026 Q2 pricing snapshot
2026 Q2 update. Aircall and JustCall both raised their per-seat pricing in Q1 2026: Aircall to USD 50 per user per month on the Essentials plan, JustCall to USD 39 per user per month on the Standard plan (vendor pricing pages, accessed 25 May 2026). The 3CX licence cost remained flat across the same period. Continuity case strengthens further. Last updated 25 May 2026.
Additional dated stat: For a 25-user team, the continuity-plus-bridge play remains the most cost-effective path in 2026. Connect Zero pricing is being finalised. Get in touch for current AUD pricing options.
The three operational paths
Agencies with an existing 3CX install and a CRM that needs call data have three paths in 2026.
Path 1: Swap to Aircall. Subscribe to Aircall, port numbers, retrain staff, switch from 3CX softphones to Aircall softphones. Aircall includes a CRM integration in its higher tiers, so you don't need a separate CTI middleware.
Path 2: Swap to JustCall. Same shape as Path 1, just JustCall instead. JustCall is roughly 22 percent cheaper than Aircall on the equivalent tier.
Path 3: Keep 3CX, add a CTI bridge. Subscribe to Connect Zero for 3CX, configure the webhook on your existing 3CX, install the CRM marketplace app. No number porting, no staff retraining. The 3CX licence you already pay for stays.
Three-year TCO calculation
For a 25-user agency in Australia, all amounts AUD, three-year horizon.
| Path | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircall Essentials | AUD 19,500 + AUD 4,500 setup | AUD 19,500 | AUD 19,500 | AUD 63,000 |
| JustCall Standard | AUD 15,200 + AUD 3,500 setup | AUD 15,200 | AUD 15,200 | AUD 49,100 |
| Keep 3CX + Connect Zero | AUD 4,200 + AUD 600 setup | AUD 4,200 | AUD 4,200 | AUD 13,200 |
The TCO gap closes if you don't have 3CX yet. For agencies starting fresh, Aircall and JustCall include the PBX in the per-seat fee; the 3CX path requires a separate 3CX licence purchase. For agencies who already run 3CX, the gap is the figure above.
Continuity factors beyond cost
Porting numbers from 3CX to Aircall or JustCall is a non-trivial project. Typical timeline is 4 to 8 weeks; typical failure rate on at least one number is 5 to 10 percent. Staff retraining adds another 2 to 3 weeks of reduced productivity. Both are bounded but real costs.
Keeping 3CX preserves the existing operational rhythm: same softphones, same desk phones, same admin console, same call routing. The CTI bridge sits beside, not in front of, the PBX.
Related context
For the broader CTI explainer, see the CTI pillar. For the head-to-head competitor pages, see Connect Zero for 3CX vs the Aircall to CRM bundle and vs the JustCall to CRM bundle. Pricing at the pricing page.
See Connect Zero for 3CX.
Keep your 3CX. Bridge the call data into your CRM. Save AUD 35,000+ over three years vs swapping PBX.
