If you’re looking to upgrade your business communications system, you’re probably wondering what the difference is between SIP trunking vs VoIP. While these two protocols are related, they’re certainly not the same.

In this short guide, we’ll explain the difference between VoIP and SIP trunking in a way that’s clear, concise, and easy to understand even if you’re new to the world of cloud-based business telecommunications.

Looking for seamless business communication solutions with outstanding customer service and round-the-clock technical support? Get in touch with the Infinitel team today.

SIP Trunking vs VoIP: What’s the Difference?

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It’s an alternative to traditional phone lines that enables voice calls to be made over the internet, which can help to improve business communications and save money in the long run.

VoIP phone systems deliver all the features you would expect from a traditional phone system and more, offering unified communications across multiple channels.

What is SIP trunking?

SIP trunks are virtual phone lines that connect your business phone system to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). This enables users to make, receive, and transfer calls over the internet to anyone with a phone number.

SIP is an acronym for Session Initiation Protocol and trunking refers to how all of your phone lines are connected. The main role of SIP trunking is to provide cloud-based phone services for existing PBX phone systems. It allows businesses with legacy phone systems to access features that are only available on cloud-based phone systems.

The biggest benefit of SIP trunking is that multiple people within the business can make calls at the same time. This means your business saves money in the long run, as you don’t need to add and pay for a new phone line every time someone joins the business.

So, what’s the difference between SIP trunking vs VoIP?

VoIP is an umbrella term that encompasses many different phone systems that enable voice communications over the internet. SIP, on the other hand, is a protocol that describes how VoIP calls are established, maintained, and disconnected. Therefore, SIP is a subprotocol that enables VoIP.

So, what does this mean for you as a business owner? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using VoIP on its own vs using SIP with VoIP.

The pros of just VoIP

Low cost
No on-site installation
Easy to relocate
No long-term contracts required

The cons of just VoIP

Requires strong internet connection to maintain call quality
Only voice – no multimedia communications
Lacks integration with third party apps or software

The pros of SIP with VoIP

Easy to scale – can add video, messaging, etc.
Easy to integrate with third party apps and software
Can integrate with PRI lines
Flexible pricing plans – only pay for what you need

The cons of SIP with VoIP

Requires strong internet connection to maintain call quality
Quality of service depends on your provider
Potential for quality and security issues if used on public internet

SIP trunking vs VoIP: Which should you choose for your business?

As we’ve established, SIP and VoIP can’t be directly compared. Not only do they function differently, but there is also the potential for them to work together, which makes ‘SIP trunking vs VoIP’ a redundant question. However, understanding the role that both play in business communications is key to helping you decide whether to choose VoIP alone or VoIP with SIP for your business.

If voice communication alone will meet your business needs, using just VoIP might be the best solution for you – it’s cost-effective and easy to set up. If, on the other hand, you want unified communications across multiple channels, you might benefit more from enhancing your VoIP by adding SIP capabilities.

Adding SIP can cut costs over time by streamlining calls, enhancing customer experience, and maximising your team’s productivity.

Choose Infinitel for expert business communications services you can depend on

SIP trunking is an ideal communications solution for businesses of all sizes, offering everything from two channels for a small office to thousands of channels for large businesses and contact centres.

Infinitel’s SIP trunks are cost-effective, easy to install, and extremely reliable for a high-quality end-to-end calling experience. If there is any issue with your connection, our engineers will know about it straight away thanks to 24/7 equipment monitoring.

Contact us today to learn more about switching to Infinitel’s modern business phone solutions.