6 Best VoIP Hardware for IT Departments: 2025’s Comparison

Any IT department concerned about secure and cost-effective telecommunication solutions has likely been informed about Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) hardware.

VoIP hardware, which helps IT teams communicate over the internet instead of traditional phone lines, brings improved efficiency, lower costs, and better scalability.

Due to the benefits organizations can achieve with VoIP hardware, the market continues to grow. It was valued at $151.21 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $236.25 billion by 2028, which is an annual growth rate of 11.8%.

This raises the question: What is the best VoIP hardware? And what VoIP hardware is required for IT departments to build a reliable system?

In this article, we’ll answer those exact questions! We’ll cover the six best VoIP hardware options for IT departments and look at the three key buying considerations for VoIP hardware.

Key considerations when selecting VoIP hardware

1. VoIP hardware required

To take advantage of business VoIP phones, your IT department needs more than the phones themselves. At a minimum, you’ll need:

• Internet connection – A stable, high-speed connection with sufficient bandwidth is essential for any VoIP device.
• Router – Business routers direct VoIP traffic and ensure secure network communication.
• Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch – Provides power and data to VoIP devices via a single cable.
• Ethernet cables – Help to connect VoIP phones and hardware to your network.
• Analog Telephone Adapters (ATAs) – Let you use traditional phones with VoIP systems.
• Headsets and speakerphones – Ideal for hands-free calling or conference rooms.
• VoIP phones – The actual devices used to make and receive calls.

In addition, enterprises with more complex setups can benefit from advanced VoIP hardware such as voice quality monitoring systems, unified communications platforms, session border controllers (SBCs), and on-premises PBX servers.

2. Examine the features of VoIP hardware

Once you know the types of VoIP hardware needed, it’s time to look at the features your organization needs. In particular, the VoIP phone features.

Key VoIP phone capabilities to look for include:

• Call forwarding and routing options
• Auto-attendant and IVR
• Conference calling
• Voicemail-to-email
• Programmable soft keys
• HD audio quality
• Call recording

As part of comparing the features, you should clarify your business needs. Consider how many employees will be using the VoIP phones, what your budget is, and if integrations with third-party tools are important.

3. Integration and compatibility

When selecting VoIP hardware, ensure it’s compatible with your existing IT infrastructure and the VoIP service providers.

Incompatibility with VoIP providers can cause disruptions and interfere with your communication efforts.

The best VoIP hardware for IT departments in 2025

Let’s now move to the main topic of the article: the best VoIP hardware for IT departments.

To find the best VoIP server hardware, we compared dozens of manufacturers and looked at what other IT managers recommend on platforms like Spiceworks and Reddit. For each of the VoIP hardware, we also highlighted reviews from IT managers.

Based on our findings, the best VoIP hardware in 2025 is:

• Yealink T46W – Best overall VoIP hardware for IT departments
• Poly Edge E500 Series – Best VoIP hardware for enterprise power users
• Poly Edge E350 – Best VoIP hardware for hybrid workers
• Fanvil V64 – Best VoIP hardware for SMBs
• Grandstream GXP2170 – Best VoIP hardware for customer service teams & call center
• Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series – Best VoIP Hardware for Cisco environments

Below is a detailed review of each of these.

Yealink T46W – Best overall VoIP hardware for IT departments

Alongside Poly (formerly Polycom), Yealink IP phones are highly regarded as industry leaders in the VoIP hardware space. Their Yealink T46U is an ideal choice for office workers and IT professionals who require a feature-rich desk phone with exceptional audio quality and broad compatibility. 

This model’s basic features include support for up to 16 SIP accounts, PoE support, and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports. More advanced features include built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, USB recoding support, and a smart noise filtering feature.

One Reddit user recommended Yealink VoIP phones and said: “We use a bunch of Yealink kits for the meeting rooms, and it’s been pretty much bulletproof since day one. It’s a pretty smooth experience, I have to say.”

Poly Edge E500 Series – Best VoIP hardware for enterprise power users

If you’re looking for the top-of-the-line IP phone for your enterprise, the Poly Edge E500 truly delivers. Available from $390 on HP’s website, it’s one of the most expensive VoIP phones in our article, but it offers support for up to 48 line keys, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a large color display with easy navigation.

Compared to the Poly VVX series, one user described the Edge series and said: “Edge series feels like a premium phone, and has that price tag too. Beautiful UI, great sound, we’ve not seen any hardware button issues others here mention. One downside is no physical hookswitch – the handset cradle is magnetic.”

With NFC technology, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi available, it offers versatile connectivity options.

Poly Edge E350 – Best VoIP hardware for hybrid workers

The Poly Edge E350 comes with all the features you’d want from a VoIP phone, including versatile connectivity with dual Gigabit Ethernet and PoE ports, 8 line keys supporting 32 SIP lines, and a noise-blocking technology that eliminates distracting background noises. 

The integrated Bluetooth 5.0 allows you to move freely around your office with the Poli headset and answer phone calls hands-free.

The E300 Series is often compared to Poly’s VVX 350 and VVX 450 models. If you’re deciding between them, this is what one user recommended: “Edge is newer. Better design. Macroban coding to fight off viruses (supposedly). I’d go with the Edge unless there is a big difference in price.”

Fanvil V64 – Best VoIP hardware for SMBs

If you’re an SMB looking to invest in VoIP hardware, the Fanvil V64 is our recommendation. At an affordable price of ~$100, it offers comparable features to its competitors, such as built-in 2.4/5G Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, dual Gigabit Ethernet with PoE, and support for up to 12 SIP accounts.

The Fanvil V64 is compatible with the major SIP and mainstream platforms, which means it can be customized for a variety of IT setups. In addition, it supports 6-way audio conference, meaning you can easily hold, remove, and mute the calls of participants.

Compared to other providers like Poly and Yealink, many prefer Fanvil because they’re more affordable. One Fanvil user specifically said, “I got about 8 in the wild. No issues. Not as good provisioning support as Yealink, but they are cheaper for almost the same or the same feature set.”

Grandstream GXP2170 – Best VoIP hardware for customer service teams & call center

The Grandstream GXP2170 is made for those working in busy customer service teams or call centers. With support for up to 12 line keys and 48 digital BLF/speed-dial keys, it’s designed to handle high call volumes. The secondary display screen gives you an overview of active lines, call statuses, and speed dials, so managing your calls is more efficient.

Perhaps the main downside of Grandstream VoIP hardware is the lack of modernization, which has led many users to choose alternatives.

Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series – Best VoIP Hardware for Cisco environments

If you already have other Cisco hardware, such as business routers or network switches, the Cisco IP Phone 8800 Series is a natural fit. Their IP phones are made for IT admins, knowledge workers, and executive staff who need secure VoIP hardware and easy integration with existing Cisco systems.

One thing you should be aware of is that Cisco’s IP phones are some of the most expensive on the market. If price is a concern for you, we recommend looking for alternative options.

What are the benefits of using VoIP hardware for IT departments?

If you’re still not sure whether it makes sense to invest in VoIP hardware for your organization, consider these benefits it can bring:

• Low cost-per-call: Over 50% of voice conversations are silent, and while traditional phone lines constantly send data both ways, VoIP phones only transmit data when someone is speaking. This leads to drastic cost savings.
• Easy for remote workers: According to Globe Newswire, the drastic growth in the VoIP hardware market can be largely attributed to the adoption of remote work. This makes sense; VoIP phones give remote employees a secure way to stay connected while keeping costs down. 
• Versatile features: VoIP hardware features such as call forwarding, voicemail-to-email, HD audio, call recording, and programmable soft keys allow you to multitask, making you more productive.
• Extremely scalable: As your organization grows, VoIP hardware can scale without incurring ridiculous expenses. There is no need to install new phone lines or overhaul your IT infrastructure.

That said, some of the disadvantages of VoIP hardware are the need for a reliable internet connection, compatibility issues with traditional alarm systems, and security concerns when not managed properly.

Investing in VoIP hardware doesn’t make sense for every organization, but it can lead to drastic cost savings when implemented right.