Microsoft Teams Phone vs Quo (OpenPhone): Shared Inbox or Teams Calling?
A startup wants several coworkers to respond from one customer-facing number and see the complete conversation. This guide compares Quo’s shared calls and texts with calling inside Microsoft Teams, including handoffs, pricing, integrations, setup and real-world buyer tests.
Quick answer: Quo fits teams whose shared business number must hold customer messages, notes and call history together. Teams Phone suits organizations that want managed employee calling in Teams and can arrange a suitable PSTN connection. Price shared inbox access per person rather than assuming one shared number means one seat.
Microsoft Teams Phone
Teams-native business calling with suitable user entitlement and a supported PSTN connection. A familiar experience for Microsoft 365 staff and administrators.
4.4/5 on G2 for Microsoft Teams overall; this is not a Teams Phone-specific rating.
Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
One shared space for customer calls, SMS, contact notes and internal conversation threads. Colleagues can work from the same business number.
About 4.7/5 on G2 for Quo; ratings change as new reviews arrive.
Microsoft Teams Phone vs Quo at a glance
| Buying question | Teams Phone | Quo (OpenPhone) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary workflow | Employee calling in Microsoft Teams | Shared customer calls and texts in one inbox |
| External calling | Eligible Phone license plus Calling Plan, Operator Connect or Direct Routing | Cloud calling through Quo apps and eligible numbers |
| One team number | Set up routing, queues and delegated workflows | Grant paid teammates access to a shared number and its history |
| Customer SMS | Check your exact carrier, number and integration; not inherently a shared SMS inbox | Business texting, subject to registration and country rules |
| Administration | Teams and Microsoft tenant management | Quo workspace, number access and conversation permissions |
| Cost driver | Microsoft base license, Phone entitlement, PSTN and additions | Paid seats, tier, registration, international usage and add-ons |
Follow one customer from first text to resolution
1. Message arrives
A customer texts the public business number about an order, visit or appointment.
2. Team shares context
A coworker checks previous replies, adds an internal note and decides who should answer next.
3. Owner follows through
Another teammate sees the history, returns the call and records the outcome without asking the customer to repeat everything.
The real buying question: how consistently can staff see the context of a customer conversation, claim it, follow it up and avoid duplicate replies? Quo emphasizes that workflow. Teams Phone gives employee calling and routing inside Teams; a comparable customer texting workflow requires checking separate capabilities.
Quo shared inbox vs Teams Phone: test the handoff
Give two staff access to one Quo number and run a realistic interaction: an inbound text, a call, a voicemail and a follow-up from a different person. See whether the second teammate can view previous messages, private internal notes and customer details. Then test who receives notifications and who can modify number permissions. Quo lists shared phone numbers and internal threads on its pricing page, with Starter allowing up to 10 paid users on a shared number.
In Teams Phone, build the employee call flow you actually need: a reception number, an auto attendant, a queue, missed call handling and an after-hours option. Teams chat is not automatically the same as customer-facing SMS from a shared phone number. For background, see our call queues guide and auto attendant guide.
Detailed feature breakdown: call quality, growth, integrations and SMS
| Feature | Teams Phone | Quo | What to test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call quality | Depends on Teams client, network, device and PSTN route | Depends on internet, device and Quo calling route | Ten live calls using both Wi-Fi and mobile data |
| Shared history | Teams calling records and routing; customer SMS requires separate verification | Shared calls, texts, contacts and internal threads | Handoff after a missed call and a text reply |
| Scalability | Licenses and calling routes scale within eligible Microsoft deployment | Per-user tiers; shared-number access depends on plan | Quote 3, 10 and 25 seats and admins |
| CRM integrations | Microsoft apps and third-party connectors depend on setup | Integrations marketed for HubSpot, Salesforce and others; tier matters | Sync a contact and call log, then inspect permissions |
| SMS compliance | Confirm available external texting separately | US business messaging requires appropriate registration | Approval time, fees and opt-out workflow |
| Routing | Auto attendants and call queues | Shared numbers; more advanced routing varies by tier | Hours, transfers, fallback and greeting |
| AI and recording | Check exact licensed configuration | Call summaries and automatic recording listed in higher tier | Consent, accuracy and retention |
Quo pricing vs Teams Phone: a three-person startup
Quo currently advertises three plans. The yearly-billed rates shown in its pricing materials are Starter $15/user/month, Business $23/user/month and Scale $35/user/month. The live monthly toggle shows Starter at $19/user/month; always match the billing interval in your comparison. One eligible local or toll-free number per user is listed, and sharing one published number does not remove the need for each teammate’s paid access.
| Three users, annual-billing example | Monthly equivalent | Check before signing |
|---|---|---|
| Quo Starter (3 × $15) | $45 | Shared number, 10-user sharing cap and core messaging |
| Quo Business (3 × $23) | $69 | Routing, AI summaries, recording and CRM eligibility |
| Quo Scale (3 × $35) | $105 | Whether higher support and AI features are useful |
| Teams Phone Standard (3 × $10 US benchmark) | $30 | Plus eligible Microsoft foundation and PSTN connectivity |
Quo also lists a $19.50 one-time carrier review/setup fee and $1.50–$3 per month messaging fee for applicable US texting registration, plus add-ons for international calls, extra numbers and automated messages. Fees and country eligibility can change; get the exact quote. For Teams, calculate Microsoft licensing, numbers, carrier plan, any SMS product and support before calling it cheaper.
Microsoft Teams Phone vs Quo: pros and cons
Teams Phone pros
- Calling inside a familiar Microsoft work environment.
- Centralized identity and eligible PSTN choices.
- Strong fit for internal collaboration plus employee telephony.
Teams Phone cons
- Separate PSTN setup and eligible licensing required.
- Customer-facing shared SMS cannot simply be assumed.
- Pricing expands with carrier and optional workflow tools.
Quo pros
- Shared conversation history for calls and texts.
- Internal threads and customer context help handoffs.
- Easy to evaluate alongside existing Teams meetings.
Quo cons
- Each teammate accessing the workspace needs a paid seat.
- Texting registration and international usage may add charges.
- Advanced AI, routing and CRM features vary by tier.
Independent assessment and real customer example
G2 customer reviews put Quo at approximately 4.7/5 at review time. Microsoft Teams is around 4.4/5 overall on G2, which is broader than Teams Phone. These are user-review signals, not a head-to-head lab test. In its editorial evaluation, TechRadar Pro describes Quo as a collaborative, app-centered phone system for smaller organizations; that aligns with the shared-inbox use case but should be confirmed in your own trial.
Customer case: Quo’s published OnCentive story describes how a shared number and inbox helped a financial-services team keep client-call context visible across staff. This is a vendor-hosted account and does not prove the same outcome for every team. Reproduce the handoff in your own three-person trial.
How to run a useful Quo vs Teams Phone trial
- List each employee who answers calls, sends SMS, manages the shared inbox or needs CRM history.
- Choose one number and check whether it can be ported, whether SMS registration is required and who owns it.
- Run an inbound call, text, voicemail, internal note, handoff and callback in a realistic customer sequence.
- Test network quality on staff devices and confirm emergency calling from their work locations.
- Check the exact tier for recording, phone menus, CRM sync, analytics and AI summaries.
- Request matching three-person quotes at the same billing term, including setup, registration and international charges.
For related background, read our VoIP guide and voicemail to email guide.
Verdict: should your startup choose Quo or Teams Phone?
Choose Quo when the center of the job is responding together from a shared customer number with visible calls, SMS and notes. Choose Teams Phone when employee calling must live inside Teams and your Microsoft administrator can manage licenses, carrier service and routing. If your team needs both Microsoft meetings and a shared customer inbox, use them together only after confirming the total subscription cost and who owns each workflow.
Explore Quo for shared customer conversations Explore Microsoft Teams Phone
Microsoft Teams Phone vs Quo FAQs
Is Quo the same as OpenPhone?
Yes. Quo is the current brand for the service formerly known as OpenPhone. Check current Quo terms and the new brand when comparing plans.
Which is better for a shared customer inbox?
Quo is designed around shared phone numbers, calls, texts, internal threads and customer history. Teams Phone is a calling system inside Teams; do not assume a shared external SMS inbox is included.
Can multiple employees use one Quo phone number?
Yes. Quo supports shared numbers. Its Starter plan currently permits up to 10 paid users per shared number; Business and Scale list unlimited paid users. Each person who needs access should have the appropriate paid seat.
Can Teams Phone users send and receive shared customer SMS?
Do not assume Teams Phone includes Quo-style shared SMS. Ask the Microsoft provider about the specific number, country and supported integrations if customer texting is required.
How much does Quo cost for three users?
At the checked US annual-billing examples, Starter is $15 per user per month, Business $23 and Scale $35. Three seats would be $45, $69 or $105 monthly equivalent respectively, before messaging fees, extras and taxes. Confirm the billing toggle and live quote.
Does Quo offer a free plan?
Quo currently advertises a seven-day trial, not a permanent free plan. A payment method or eligibility requirement may apply; check the current signup terms.
Is one number included per user on Quo?
The Quo pricing page lists one new or ported local or toll-free number per paid user. Shared access to a number does not mean everyone must have a different published number.
Are SMS registration charges included?
Quo lists separate carrier review and setup fees plus a monthly messaging fee for eligible business texting. Check current A2P registration and local/toll-free requirements before forecasting launch time.
Can Quo call internationally?
Quo lists calling and texting to US and Canadian numbers as included subject to policy. International calling and messaging have destination-based charges and should be priced separately.
Can we keep Teams meetings with Quo phone calls?
Yes. Many businesses can keep Teams for internal meetings while using Quo to manage customer calls and texts. Budget for both systems and decide which app owns customer histories.
Which provider has better call quality?
Neither wins on every device or connection. Test the actual office Wi-Fi, mobile data, headsets and carrier destinations with a sample of inbound and outbound calls.
What happens when a teammate leaves?
Before removal, decide who owns their customer conversations, number permissions and follow-up tasks. Test whether another teammate can see prior calls and texts in the shared inbox.
Does Quo integrate with HubSpot or Salesforce?
Quo markets these CRM integrations, but eligibility and fields vary by plan. Test contact matching, notes, call logs and permissions using your actual account.
Can Quo replace a full Microsoft Teams deployment?
Quo can handle customer-facing phone conversations but does not replace the full Microsoft 365 collaboration and productivity suite. Compare the workflows your staff actually need.