A standalone SMB phone system vs. a native Microsoft 365 add-on. The honest answer almost always depends on one thing: how deeply committed your org is to the Microsoft ecosystem.
If your org is already on Microsoft 365 E3 or E5, Teams Phone is a $10/user/mo add-on that keeps everything in one pane. Hard to beat for knowledge workers. If you're not a Microsoft shop, or if you have complex call routing needs, GoTo Connect's visual dial plan editor and purpose-built phone system experience will serve you better. GoTo wins on phone system depth; Teams wins on M365 consolidation.
| Scenario | GoTo Connect | Teams Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Base platform | $18–22/user/mo (all-in) | M365 E3 ($22/user/mo) + Phone add-on ($10) + Calling Plan ($12) |
| If already on M365 E3 | Still pay full GoTo price | Phone add-on only: $10–22/user/mo on top of existing license |
| If NOT on M365 | Simpler. No M365 license required | Must buy M365 separately. Total cost rises significantly |
For orgs already paying for M365, Teams Phone can be the cheapest complete solution. For orgs not on M365, GoTo Connect is almost always cheaper and simpler.
| Area | GoTo Connect | Teams Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Dial plan / routing | Visual drag-and-drop, purpose-built telecom admin experience | Functional but less flexible. Teams Admin Center |
| Microsoft 365 integration | Good via connectors | Native (same platform, same admin pane |
| Call queues | Full queue management with overflow rules | Basic queues with limited agent features |
| Auto-attendant / IVR | Strong, flexible nested routing | Capable for basic menus; limited depth |
| Video meetings | Included; functional | Teams Meetings, familiar for Microsoft users |
| SSO / Azure AD | Via SAML | Native Azure AD |
| E911 configuration | Per-user setup required | Per-site config also required |
| Contact center | GoTo Contact Center add-on | Via certified CCaaS partner (separate vendor) |
| HIPAA | Yes | Yes (with M365 BAA) |
| Uptime SLA | 99.99% | 99.9% (Microsoft published) |
If yes and your call routing is simple, Teams Phone is the most cost-effective path. If no, or if you need real telecom flexibility (multi-level IVR, advanced queues, visual dial plan management), GoTo Connect is the purpose-built phone system that does those things better.
You're not a Microsoft shop, have complex routing needs, or want a purpose-built phone system with the best visual admin in SMB.
You're already on M365, your workers are knowledge workers, and you want to consolidate to one vendor.
Tell us your M365 situation and we'll model the full cost for both options.
Get a personalized recommendationWe'll quote GoTo Connect and Teams Phone based on your actual M365 situation and tell you which path makes sense.