Once you have decided to move off traditional lines – our VoIP vs traditional phone comparison covers that decision – the next question is what to actually buy. This is the buying guide we wish clients had before they signed: system types, real Singapore hardware prices, SIP trunks, and the network checklist that determines whether calls sound crisp or robotic.
Start with the system, not the handset
The phones are the visible part, but the system is the decision. You have two real options:
- Cloud PBX (hosted) – the phone system runs in the provider’s cloud; you pay per user per month. No hardware to own beyond handsets, updates and features included, works anywhere. This is the right default for almost every SME.
- On-premise IP PBX – you buy and run the PBX box in your office. Larger upfront cost, you own maintenance, but no per-seat fees. It only pencils out for bigger, stable teams with in-house IT – and even then, cloud usually wins on total cost once you count the admin hours.
Choosing a VoIP system Singapore offices actually use
Feature lists all look identical in brochures. These are the ones that matter in practice:
- Auto-attendant / IVR – “press 1 for sales” routing, so calls land with the right person.
- Ring groups and call queues – one number ringing a team, not a desk.
- Mobile and desktop apps – your office number on every laptop and phone; this is also your power-cut failover.
- Call recording – included or an add-on; check retention and where recordings are stored.
- Microsoft Teams integration – if your team lives in Teams, direct routing can put calling inside it; pairs with a Microsoft 365 setup done properly.
- Local support and licensing – Singapore has a healthy provider market, from the big telcos to smaller specialists. Telecommunication services here are licensed by IMDA, so treat licence status as a question rather than an assumption: ask which IMDA licence covers the service you are buying, in whose company name it is held, and ask to see it in writing before you sign. Entry systems are advertised from about S$49/month – what separates providers is support response, not the feature grid.
SIP trunk Singapore: when you need one (and when you don’t)
A SIP trunk is the VoIP replacement for the bundle of lines that used to connect a PBX to the phone network – each channel carries one concurrent call. The signalling underneath is SIP, specified in RFC 3261, which sets up, changes and ends each call. If you already own a capable IP PBX, a sip trunk singapore subscription lets you keep it and just swap the lines underneath – the cheapest migration path. If you are buying fresh, you do not buy SIP trunks at all; a cloud PBX includes the calling. Sizing rule of thumb: one channel per 3-4 staff is plenty for most offices, because everyone is never on the phone at once.
VoIP phone hardware: what it really costs
Singapore street prices for common handsets, as listed on Google Shopping SG in August 2026:
| Handset | Class | SG street price |
|---|---|---|
| Yealink SIP-T31W (Wi-Fi) | Entry, 2-line | ~S$78 |
| Yealink SIP-T31P (PoE) | Entry, 2-line | ~S$92 |
| Fanvil entry IP phone | Entry | ~S$110 |
| Yealink SIP-T31G (gigabit) | Entry-plus | ~S$169 |
| Polycom VVX 101 | Entry, 1-line | ~S$199 |
| Grandstream GRP2616 (Wi-Fi, colour) | Mid-range | ~S$290 |
| Softphone app (desktop/mobile) | – | Free with most plans |
Practical buying pattern: softphones for most staff, desk phones only where a shared physical phone earns its desk space – reception, meeting rooms, workshop floor. A normal analogue phone can also be kept alive with an ATA adapter (~S$50-80) if someone truly loves their old handset.
Numbers and porting
Two reassurances worth knowing before you buy. First, your existing office number can move: Singapore supports fixed-line number portability, so the number on your signage ports to the new system in most cases. Second, new VoIP numbers are real regulated numbers – IMDA allocates 8-digit numbers starting with “3” specifically for IP telephony. IMDA publishes that allocation in its National Numbering Plan. Ask the provider for direct-inward-dial (DID) numbers per staff member if you want everyone reachable without the auto-attendant.
Network readiness: where call quality is decided
- PoE switch – desk phones power themselves over the network cable (802.3af); no power bricks on desks.
- QoS – the switch and router prioritise voice packets so a big file upload never crackles a call. Each call only needs ~100 kbps, but it needs it consistently.
- A UPS on the comms rack – keeps calls alive through short outages; apps on 4G/5G cover longer ones.
- Clean cabling – flaky patch panels cause more “VoIP problems” than any provider does. If the office wiring predates your last renovation, get the structured cabling checked before go-live day.
The buying checklist
- Count seats and concurrent calls – seats set the subscription; concurrency sizes trunks (if keeping a PBX).
- Pick cloud unless you have a reason not to – and write the reason down if you do.
- Shortlist two providers – compare support SLAs and porting process, not feature grids.
- Order handsets only where they earn a desk – softphones for everyone else.
- Book the network work first – PoE, QoS, UPS before the first phone rings.
- Port, test, then cancel – keep old lines until the new system has carried a full week of real calls.
Frequently asked questions
What does a VoIP phone cost in Singapore?
Entry desk IP phones sell in Singapore for about S$78-S$169 (Yealink T31 series), with single-line models like the Polycom VVX 101 around S$199 and mid-range Wi-Fi colour-screen models near S$290. The system behind them runs roughly S$5-S$15 per user per month on cloud plans, and softphone apps for laptop and mobile are typically free with the plan.
Can I use a normal phone for VoIP?
Yes – an ATA (analogue telephone adapter), usually S$50-S$80, converts a standard phone to work with a VoIP system. It is a sensible bridge for a beloved handset or a legacy device, but for new purchases a native IP phone or the free softphone app is simpler and unlocks the system’s features properly.
Do I need special internet for VoIP?
No – each call needs only about 100 kbps in each direction, so any Singapore office fibre plan has capacity for far more simultaneous calls than you have staff. What you do need is a well-configured network: QoS to prioritise voice traffic, PoE to power desk phones, and a UPS so short power cuts do not drop calls. Configuration, not bandwidth, decides call quality.
How many SIP trunk channels do I need?
One channel carries one concurrent call, and a good rule of thumb is one channel per 3-4 staff – a 20-person office rarely needs more than 6 channels, because everyone is never on the phone simultaneously. Watch your peak usage for a month and adjust; adding channels is a subscription change, not a hardware purchase.
Can I keep my existing office number?
In most cases, yes. Singapore supports fixed-line number portability, so your current number can be ported to the new VoIP provider – plan for a short cutover window and keep the old line active until porting completes. New numbers, if you need them, are regulated 8-digit Singapore numbers starting with “3”, issued for IP telephony.
Cloud PBX or on-premise PBX for an SME?
Cloud, for almost every SME. A cloud PBX has no hardware to buy or maintain, includes updates and features, and scales per user. An on-premise PBX only makes financial sense for larger stable teams with in-house IT to run it – and even then the admin hours often erase the per-seat savings. If you already own a good IP PBX, a SIP trunk lets you keep it while still leaving the old lines behind.
About the author
Written by the Rezolva IT team – we look after the networks Singapore offices run their calls over, as part of managed IT: cabling, switches, voice VLANs, QoS and Wi-Fi. We do not sell or run VoIP services, so this guide has no provider to push. Hardware prices are Singapore street prices checked August 2026.