Layla UsmanIs It Actually Worth It for Australian Businesses?
| WEBEX IS A POWERFUL PLATFORM. BUT POWERFUL DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS. Cisco Webex is built for enterprise. It’s used by banks, governments, and multinationals. But thousands of Australian small businesses are paying enterprise prices for features they’ll never use. Here’s an honest assessment — who Webex is right for, and who’s wasting money on it. |
Cisco Webex has been around since 1995. It’s a genuine enterprise-grade platform — battle-tested, deeply featured, and trusted by some of the world’s largest organisations. When Cisco acquired Webex in 2007, it became the backbone of corporate communications for thousands of global companies.
But here’s the thing: most Australian small businesses aren’t global companies. They’re 5–50 person teams that need reliable phones, decent video meetings, and a system that doesn’t require an IT department to manage. And for those businesses, Webex’s pricing, complexity, and feature depth can be more burden than benefit.
So let’s cut through the marketing and answer the question honestly: is Cisco Webex worth it for your Australian small business?
| $17/user per month for Webex Calling (cloud calling only, no meetings) | $25/user per month for Webex Suite (calling + meetings combined) | $4/user per month to add Teams audio conferencing to Microsoft 365 | 80% of Webex features reported as unused by small business customers |
What Webex actually is — and what it isn’t
Webex is a unified communications platform that covers three core areas:
- Webex Meet — video conferencing and online meetings (up to 200 participants on paid plans)
- Webex Call — a cloud-based phone system with PSTN connectivity, call routing, voicemail, and call recording
- Webex Messaging — team chat, file sharing, and collaborative spaces
The Webex Suite bundles all three for $25 per user per month. On top of that, Cisco sells Webex Webinars, Webex Contact Centre, and a range of certified room devices and desk phones that integrate with the platform.
What Webex is not: a budget tool. It’s not designed to compete with Zoom’s free tier or Google Meet. It’s positioned as an enterprise solution with enterprise pricing to match. For a 10-person team, the Webex Suite costs $250 per month — before you factor in hardware, setup, or support.
Webex for small business: the honest pros and cons
| Pros for small business | Cons for small business |
| ✓ Enterprise-grade security — end-to-end encryption built in | ❌ Expensive per user — $17–$25/user/month for calling features |
| ✓ Best-in-class video quality — adaptive bandwidth management | ❌ Overkill for small teams — most features go unused |
| ✓ AI features — noise cancellation, auto transcription, real-time translation | ❌ Duplicates Microsoft 365 — costly if your team already uses Teams |
| ✓ Cisco hardware integration — seamless with Webex room devices | ❌ Complex admin — steep learning curve for non-IT business owners |
| ✓ Webex Calling is a genuine cloud PBX with real PSTN connectivity | ❌ Hardware lock-in — Cisco room devices are expensive to exit |
| ✓ Strong contact centre functionality for customer-facing teams | ❌ Support quality varies — SMB customers often feel deprioritised |
The biggest problem: you’re probably already paying for something that does this
Here’s the question most Webex sales conversations skip: does your business already pay for Microsoft 365?
If the answer is yes — and for most Australian small businesses it is — you already have access to Microsoft Teams, which covers video meetings, team chat, and file sharing at no additional cost above your existing licence. Adding external calling via Microsoft Teams Phone (Direct Routing) through a provider like Broadconnect costs a fraction of Webex’s per-user fee.
Running Webex alongside Microsoft 365 means paying twice for overlapping functionality. That’s a significant and unnecessary cost for any small business watching its bottom line.
| 💡 THE MATHS A 15-person business on Microsoft 365 Business Standard ($17.20/user/month) adding Webex Suite ($25/user/month) pays $375/month just for Webex — on top of their existing Microsoft bill. The same business could add Teams Phone via Direct Routing for approximately $10–15/user/month and have a fully unified system inside Teams, with zero duplication. |
When Webex IS the right call for Australian businesses
To be fair to Cisco: there are genuine use cases where Webex is the right choice. Here’s when it makes sense:
- You’re already invested in Cisco hardware — Webex room systems, Cisco IP phones, or Cisco networking gear. The integration is seamless and migration costs are high.
- You operate in a regulated industry — healthcare, finance, or government — where Webex’s enterprise-grade security, compliance certifications, and data sovereignty options are non-negotiable.
- You have a contact centre — Webex Contact Centre is a genuinely powerful customer engagement platform for businesses handling high call volumes.
- You run large external events — Webex Webinars handles large-scale virtual events better than most SMB platforms.
- Your team is 50+ and growing — at scale, Webex’s admin controls, analytics, and enterprise features start to justify the cost.
For businesses that fit these criteria, Broadconnect can help deploy and support Webex Calling with SIP trunking — connecting Webex to the Australian phone network with local carrier pricing, Australian number support, and fully managed service.
Who Webex is NOT right for
Equally important to know:
- Businesses with fewer than 20 staff who don’t have complex call routing needs — a Hosted Cloud PBX is simpler and significantly cheaper
- Businesses already on Microsoft 365 — Teams Phone does 90% of what Webex does at a fraction of the cost
- Businesses that want easy self-management — Webex’s admin interface has a steep learning curve for non-IT owners
- Businesses on tight budgets — $25/user/month adds up fast and most features will go unused
- Businesses that need quick setup — Webex deployments typically require professional services involvement
The Broadconnect verdict: how to choose the right platform
| Business type | Webex verdict | Better alternative? |
| 1–10 staff, tight budget | ❌ Overkill — too expensive | Hosted Cloud PBX via Broadconnect |
| 10–50 staff, already on Microsoft 365 | ⚠ Risky — paying twice | Microsoft Teams Phone via Direct Routing |
| 50–200 staff, Cisco hardware on-site | ✓ Worth it — Cisco ecosystem fit | Webex Calling with SIP Trunk via Broadconnect |
| Enterprise with contact centre needs | ✓ Strong fit — Webex Contact Centre | Webex Contact Centre — speak to Broadconnect |
The right communication platform for your business depends on what you already have, how many people you employ, and what you actually need your phone system to do. There’s no single right answer — but there is a right answer for your specific situation, and it’s worth getting an expert opinion before committing to a platform that could lock you in for years.
| ✔ BROADCONNECT’S APPROACHWe’re platform-agnostic. Whether the right answer for your business is Webex Calling, Teams Phone, or a Hosted Cloud PBX, we’ll tell you which one fits — and why. We’d rather set you up on the right platform than sell you the wrong one. |
| Not sure which platform is right for your business?Book a free 20-minute consultation with our team. We’ll ask the right questions, assess your current setup, and give you a straight answer — no sales pitch, no obligation.Call 1300 880 330 | broadconnect.com.au |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cisco Webex free for small businesses?
Webex offers a free plan that supports meetings with up to 100 participants, limited to 50 minutes per session. For external phone calling (PSTN), you need the Webex Call plan at $17/user/month or the Webex Suite at $25/user/month. There is no free calling option.
Can I use Webex as my business phone system in Australia?
Yes. Webex Calling is a cloud-based phone system that supports Australian phone numbers and PSTN connectivity. You’ll need a SIP trunk provider — like Broadconnect — to connect Webex to the Australian phone network with local carrier pricing and number portability.
Is Webex better than Microsoft Teams for small business?
For most Australian small businesses already using Microsoft 365, Teams is the better choice — it’s already included in your licence and adding external calling via Direct Routing is significantly cheaper than Webex Calling. Webex edges out Teams for businesses with Cisco hardware, contact centre needs, or strict compliance requirements.
How does Webex Calling connect to Australian phone numbers?
Webex Calling connects to the Australian PSTN via SIP trunking. A carrier like Broadconnect provides the SIP trunk and manages your Australian phone numbers — local, 1300, and 1800 — which are then routed through the Webex platform. Broadconnect handles number porting from your existing provider.
What’s the difference between Webex Meet and Webex Calling?
Webex Meet covers video conferencing and online meetings. Webex Calling is a separate cloud phone system for making and receiving calls to external phone numbers via the PSTN. The Webex Suite ($25/user/month) bundles both. You need Webex Calling (or the Suite) if you want to replace your existing phone system.
Can Broadconnect help me set up Webex Calling in Australia?
Yes. Broadconnect can supply and manage SIP trunking for Webex Calling, including porting your existing Australian phone numbers, configuring call flows, and providing ongoing Australian-based support. We can also advise whether Webex Calling or an alternative platform is the right fit for your business.
Pricing figures sourced from publicly available Webex and Microsoft pricing pages as of April 2026 and are subject to change. This article is for informational purposes only. Broadconnect is an Australia-wide business phone and internet provider — call 1300 880 330 or visit broadconnect.com.au.