Key Points
- Softphones and desk phones offer the same core function: Both take care of calls and connect to VoIP systems, so the choice is not about features, but about how they fit into daily work.
- Softphones reduce hardware and support overhead: They run on existing devices, are a lot easier to deploy, and can be supported remotely without needing to ship devices or maintain extra equipment.
- Desk phones provide separation and reliability: They continue to work if a user’s computer fails and offer a dedicated communication device.
- Workforce setup drives the decision: Remote teams benefit from softphones, while fixed office roles or specific environments could still require desk phones.
- Hybrid setups are often the most practical: Many organizations use both, matching the device type to the role, location, and reliability needs.
Choosing between using softphones vs. desk phones for voice communication in your business is far from trivial: it impacts upfront costs and maintenance, as well as employee convenience and productivity. Whether you use softphones, desk phones (also known as hardphones), or a mix will largely depend on how your business operates.
This guide explains the practical differences of soft phones vs desk phones, in what scenarios you may select each, and the operational requirements for deploying and securing them.
What are desk phones (hardphones), and what are they designed for?
Desk phones are the modern evolution of the telephone – a handset and cradle with some buttons and maybe a screen in a plastic case that sits on your desk. This design has gone largely unchanged for decades, but now, rather than separate twisted pairs of copper wire that only carry audio for phone calls (or faxes), desk phones connect to your network and the internet to make calls.
Desk phones are generally used in office environments, though some prefer to use them even when working from home for a traditional ‘telephone’ experience.
What are softphones, and what are they designed for?
Softphones are implemented entirely as software, existing entirely as an app on your mobile device, laptop, or desktop. They have all the functionality of a desk phone (and due to not being bound to limited hardware, can have more features), but without requiring separate physical hardware.
Softphones can still dial and receive calls from traditional phone numbers. They are typically preferred by work-from-home users as they don’t require additional hardware taking up space, and don’t require mobile workers to pack additional devices.
They also reduce support overheads as there’s no hardware to ship or break, and remote support to softphones can be performed using standard remote access tools.
Key differences that affect enterprise decisions
Functionally, softphones and desk phones offer the same core features. The decision on which to deploy to staff usually depends on practical considerations, including:
- Flexibility and mobility: Softphones require no additional hardware and can be quickly reconfigured. The same number can also be configured on multiple devices, or multiple numbers for the same device.
- Cost of ownership: Softphones don’t require the purchase of additional hardware (that also needs to be shipped to remote workers), and often have lower ongoing support/repair costs.
- User preference: Many users prefer a separate device with a handset for taking calls, while others dislike having their desk space taken up.
- Reliability and support: Desk phones may remain available when a user’s PC is malfunctioning, providing a channel to seek support. However, they are additional devices that can have something go wrong with them. Desk phone hardware can also become obsolete, requiring mitigation measures if it stops receiving security patches.
Softphones vs. desk phones: workforce and use case considerations
Organizations with remote workers will likely find softphones more practical, as they can be quickly deployed to users’ existing devices remotely. They are also easier to support using existing remote support tools.
Centralized offices where staff work at an assigned desk may prefer desk phones, optionally running on a separate VLAN, for redundancy and to ensure there is always an additional line of communication should their devices be unavailable. Hot-desking is possible with desk phones, but less convenient.
From a usability standpoint, wireless headsets have become the most popular communication device, replacing the handset. This means that dedicated phone hardware is often unnecessary, and it’s possible to get Bluetooth handsets in the traditional phone shape for users who find them more comfortable.
Softphone functionality is also already available in many existing VOIP and conferencing products that have been widely adopted for remote work, meaning one less IT product to deploy and support.
Hybrid models in modern enterprises
It is not necessary to choose one or the other: softphones can be deployed in the same environment as desk phones to fit specific use-cases or user workflows.
For example, a restaurant may install a rugged desk phone in the kitchen, where a soft phone running on a fragile device is likely to be damaged by heat or splashback. Meanwhile, a soft phone is appropriate for use in the restaurant’s back office where a PC is already located.
In an office environment, users with fixed workstations may request a desk phone, or mission-critical use cases may require one for redundancy, while remote workers rely on softphones that are automatically deployed to their devices.
Common decision pitfalls
Business IT is not one size fits all, especially when end-user preferences are involved. What enables the productivity of one user may hold another back, so chasing cost-cutting or convenience by ignoring proven, reliable workflows that staff have evolved over years can be detrimental.
Maintaining oversight over communication hardware and supporting softphones remotely
NinjaOne provides a comprehensive suite of IT tools, including remote support, software deployment, and network and device monitoring.
Softphones can be automatically deployed and configured when users onboard their devices, and monitored and supported using remote access tools – wherever the user and device are located. Desk phones can be monitored at a network level, and support tickets automatically created when a device falls offline, ensuring they don’t become a blind spot in your IT operations.
