--- title: '3CX Price Increase and Licence Renewal: What Changed and Your Options' description: >- 3CX raised Enterprise/AI prices about 15%, capped extensions per licence and cut 4SC hosting support. 2026 renewal prices and options for Kenyan offices. summary: >- 3CX raised Enterprise/AI licence prices about 15% in November 2025, capped extensions per licence size and cut back 4SC hosting. Here is what renewal costs now and what to do. date: 2026-11-05T00:00:00.000Z type: blog --- ## Summary On 3 November 2025, 3CX raised the price of its Enterprise (now called AI) edition by about 15%, published a maximum number of extensions for each licence size, and reduced support for small 4-call (4SC) hosted systems ([3CX blog](https://www.3cx.com/blog/news/pricing-update-enterprise-ai/)). As listed on [3cx.com](https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/pricelist/) on 5 November 2026, an 8-call licence renews at $300 a year on Basic, $395 on PRO and $575 on AI, before tax and hosting. None of that includes phone numbers or call minutes. If your renewal has gone up, you can drop to a smaller licence or edition, move to SMB Free if you have 10 users or fewer, keep 3CX but switch to a cheaper SIP trunk, or replace the PBX with a cloud phone system. In Kenya, Sautikit gives you a number at KES 500 a month with free inbound calls and no licence to renew. ## What changed ### Enterprise / AI edition up about 15% 3CX's CEO wrote that the price gap between PRO and Enterprise was "outdated" and announced an increase of approximately 15% on the Enterprise edition, renamed AI. The reason given was new features: transcription, analytics and the AI Receptionist all ship in that edition. PRO prices were not part of that announcement. ### A cap on extensions per licence 3CX licences are priced by simultaneous calls (SC), not by user. The same post published a maximum number of users or extensions for each size: | Licence | Maximum extensions | |---|---| | 4SC | 15 | | 8SC | 40 | | 16SC | 80 | | 24SC | 120 | | 32SC | 192 | | 48SC | 288 | If your system has more extensions than its licence allows, renewal may push you up a size even if your call volume has not changed. ### 4SC hosting cut back For 4SC systems hosted by 3CX, there are no more per-instance follow-up alerts, no specific hosting support requests, and release candidates are installed automatically, during which you cannot move out of 3CX hosting. ### Partner quotes On the 3CX community forum, partners reported renewal quotes changing between quote and payment, and 3CX staff said quotes are valid for a maximum of two weeks. Get your renewal quote close to the date you pay. ## What renewal costs in 2026 As listed on 5 November 2026, before tax: | Simultaneous calls | Basic | PRO | AI | |---|---|---|---| | 8SC | $300 | $395 | $575 | | 16SC | $600 | $795 | $1,095 | | 24SC | $745 | $990 | $1,350 | | 32SC | $915 | $1,215 | $1,620 | 3CX hosting adds $295 a year at 8SC and $450 at 16SC. On top of the licence, a 3CX system in Kenya also needs: - a SIP trunk and phone numbers from a separate provider; - call minutes on that trunk; - a server or hosting, if you are not on 3CX hosting; - usually a 3CX partner to install and support it. ## Your options ### 1. Right-size the licence Count your real peak simultaneous calls in the 3CX call reports. Many offices bought 16SC for growth that never came. Check your extension count against the table above before stepping down, and remember the trade: on 8SC, the ninth call at once cannot get through. ### 2. Drop an edition If you do not use transcription, AI Receptionist or the analytics in the AI edition, PRO costs less for the same call count. Basic is cheaper again but leaves out features such as IP phone support and call queues on some licences; check before you switch. ### 3. SMB Free 3CX still advertises a free edition for up to 10 users, hosted. It has fewer features and 3CX has announced changes to it, so read the current terms on [3cx.com/free](https://www.3cx.com/free/) before you plan on it. ### 4. Keep 3CX, cut the trunk cost The licence is only part of the bill. A Sautikit number works as a 3CX SIP trunk on `sip.sautikit.com`, port 5080: KES 500 a month per number, free inbound calls, and outbound calls at KES 3.00 a minute billed per second, with no trunk fee or contract. Setup takes about ten minutes: [Connect 3CX to a Kenyan SIP trunk](/developers/guides/connect-3cx). ### 5. Replace the PBX If you use 3CX for a business number, extensions, call routing and staff apps, Sautikit covers that without a PBX licence (other boxes and their KSh prices are in [PBX systems in Kenya](/blog/pbx-system-kenya)): - a Kenyan number live in minutes, KES 500 a month; - no simultaneous-call size to buy, so no licence limit on calls at once; - free inbound calls, outbound at KES 3.00 a minute billed per second; - phone apps for iPhone, Android and desktop; - call routing, menus, business hours and voicemail; - AI agents that answer calls at KES 4.00 a minute. Side-by-side detail is in [Sautikit vs 3CX](/compare/3cx). ## FAQ ### Did 3CX increase its prices? Yes. On 3 November 2025, 3CX raised the Enterprise (AI) edition by about 15% and published maximum extension counts per licence size. PRO was not part of that increase. ### How much is a 3CX licence renewal in 2026? As listed on 5 November 2026, an 8 simultaneous-call licence is $300 a year on Basic, $395 on PRO and $575 on AI, before tax. 16SC is $600, $795 and $1,095. ### What happens if my 3CX licence expires? The system stops receiving updates and support, and depending on edition and version, features can be limited until you renew. Check with your 3CX partner before the expiry date. ### How many extensions can a 3CX 8SC licence have? Up to 40, according to the table 3CX published in November 2025. A 4SC licence allows up to 15 and a 16SC up to 80. ### Is there a cheaper alternative to renewing 3CX in Kenya? Sautikit gives you a Kenyan business number at KES 500 a month with free inbound calls, outbound calls at KES 3.00 a minute and phone apps, with no licence to renew. It can also be the SIP trunk for an existing 3CX system.