When it comes to taking business calls at your desk, there are two primary solutions: physical desk phones and softphones.
People advocate for both, and there are good reasons on both sides. Some people like having a dedicated device. Some people like the simplicity of just using an app.
But the differences go deeper than that.
In this blog, we do a comprehensive review of the pros and cons of using softphones for business communications vs using traditional VoIP desk phones.
Let’s get into it!
An Introduction to Softphones and Desk Phones
Before we get into the meat of the blog, let’s explain our terms.
Softphone is a portmanteau of software and telephone: soft + phone. It’s the most common term for a desktop or browser-based phone app. (Smartphone apps are also types of softphone, but because you use them on a physical phone, they’re kind of their own thing.)
A VoIP desk phone is exactly what you think: the thing with the handset and keypad (or touchscreen).
If you’d like an in-depth look at VoIP phones, both physical and software-based, check out our clear, detailed VoIP Phones Buyer’s Guide.
Many phone platforms support both physical desk phones and softphones, so which solution is used can be a matter of an individual worker’s preference.
Now we’re going to tackle the advantages and disadvantages of softphones.
Advantages of Softphones
Softphones are computer applications that replicate traditional telephones. More than replicate: some softphones provide expanded functionality.
Why are softphones popular?
Don’t need a desk phone. The biggest advantage a softphone offers is that you don’t need to buy a separate phone. You don’t need to find room on the desk for a phone. You don’t need to power the phone and run Ethernet cable to it.
Instead, everything runs on your computer, same as running Excel, Slack, or Chrome.
This is a particularly important advantage in a few cases. It might be more challenging for home office workers to professionally setup a VoIP phone, in which case a softphone is a great solution. Hybrid workers can take their professional account to different locations more easily (although hot desking is being supported more and more). For workers who only take calls every now and then, you don’t need to invest in a phone they basically never use.
Softphones eliminate the need for a physical desk phone.
Feature integration. Depending on the softphone application, you can have additional features on top of the phone interface: unified communications. Even features supported on phones can be easier to access via a softphone.
These features can be things like taking phone calls and live chat via the same interface. Many service providers offer video conferencing, which is primarily a computer-based technology. (Video phones are not terribly popular.) You might be able to view the call queue better. It might be easier to scroll through your contact list, to add meetings to your calendar, to view the status of your team members, and so on.
Softphones can be more convenient for many business communications features.
More familiar experience for many workers. Increasingly, the workforce is made of people who never used traditional phones growing up. They’ve grown up in the smartphone world — some won’t even have used a phone with a home button. (iPhone X was released eight years ago…) So, the idea of using a desk phone will be foreign to many workers.
Using an app for phone calls will be more familiar to smartphone-native workers.
Don’t need to worry (as much) about device compatibility. Softphones are apps developed by a phone system company for that phone system, so they work perfectly for that phone system. VoIP phones, on the other hand, are compatible with specific platforms, which makes purchasing devices potentially more difficult.
Most softphone applications will be available for both Windows and macOS computers. If they’re only available for Windows, you can run a virtual Windows app on your Mac. (If they’re available for only one, it’ll almost always be Windows over Mac.) Browser-based options will be available for the most popular browsers like Chrome or Edge. So, compatibility is much less of a problem.
Softphones are typically easier when it comes to device compatibility.
Browser-based apps. Many softphone services offer browser-based apps, which are accessible from any computer anywhere. It will be a dedicated web app that integrates with the browser or a specific website that you log into.
Disadvantages of Softphones
It’s not all sunshine and roses with softphones, though. There are certain disadvantages to using a softphone.
Need a headset (or speakerphone). If you’re using a softphone, you must ensure you have professional audio on your calls. The internal speakers and microphones on computers don’t cut it. So, if you’re using a softphone, you need a headset. That means, while you save on the investment for a VoIP phone, you need to invest in a headset — the two might equal out to the same amount of investment.
Alternately, you could use a speakerphone. If you’re curious about using a speakerphone instead of a headset, check out our blog, “Pros and Cons of Using a Speakerphone vs a Headset in the Home Office.”
One brand that produces professional headsets and speakerphones on top of their immensely popular VoIP phones is Yealink.
Using a softphone requires an investment in a professional headset (or speakerphone).
Finding the app. When a call comes in, you need to answer promptly. If you’re using a softphone, you need to be able to easily find the app. As compared with a desk phone, which is always right there, with a computer app, you need to find the correct window and click the correct button quickly. This can be a particularly big problem when you use a browser-based softphone: you need to find the correct browser window and the correct tab.
It's like the difference between having buttons and knobs in your car vs having a touchscreen interface. For many drivers, the touchscreen is more time-consuming and distracting to use.
Softphones can be more finicky than desk phones.
Secondary display. To help find their softphone app more easily, many people use a dedicated secondary display to have it surfaced all the time. Needing a secondary display means additional investment, requires more desk space, and uses more computer resources.
Using an Apple computer. Some softphone apps are only available for Windows. That means, if your business uses Macs, you’ll need to run a virtual Windows machine, which can be unreliable and negatively affect the computer’s performance.
Advantages of Desk Phones
VoIP desk phones are still the go-to communications device for many, many workers. And with good reason! Here’s why:
More familiar for many users. For many people, the interface of having a handset and keypad is familiar. And there’s no downside to using a familiar device (as we cover in the next point).
Call comes in, pick up the handset — simple. Don’t fix what ain’t broke.
Dedicated device. Many cars now use touchscreen interfaces; however, studies have shown that for most people, locating and tapping touchscreen buttons requires more attention and takes longer than having dedicated physical buttons or knobs that are always in the same place. This is especially true once you’ve established muscle memory in your car: your hand knows where to go automatically.
It's the same idea with desk phones vs softphones. With softphones, you need to locate the window of a virtual phone app. With desk phones, your muscle memory can guide you to the handset immediately.
For people who need to take or place many phone calls a day, that muscle memory can reduce cognitive load and frustration while also making the process faster. Not bad!
Excellent audio quality out-of-the-box. The average VoIP phone has much better audio quality via its handset than the average computer via its built-in mic and speakers. If you want to use a headset, you can use one with either a VoIP phone or a computer, so there isn’t much of an advantage either way.
Another noteworthy thing: many VoIP phone handsets are now Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC), which means they can help with accessibility.
A VoIP phone can make you sound more professional than a computer when no extra device is involved.
Disadvantages of Desk Phones
There are valid reasons why many companies have migrated away from having physical VoIP phones.
Device investment. A VoIP desk phone can be considered expensive for what is pretty much a single-use device. While VoIP phones have very long lives compared with other tech devices, making the ROI very respectable most of the time, they’re not going to last like the Pyramids of Giza: they will need to be replaced.
Compatibility. VoIP phones are, mostly, devices made by one company to be compatible with phone systems from other companies. SIP is an open VoIP standard used by almost everyone, but that doesn’t mean that every SIP phone works perfectly with every SIP phone system. This can lead to headaches: always check compatibility before purchase!
Take up space. If you have limited desk space, having a phone might be annoying when you could just have a computer, nothing more. Not having a phone also means one less device to connect to the IP network.
Unfamiliar for younger workers. Above, we described how younger workers have mostly grown up in smartphone-only environments. Using a physical phone with keypad and handset can be unfamiliar for them. In this case, using a softphone is a good idea.