Comparison
Cloud PBX or on-premise PBX for a Malaysian office?
A fair look at cost, resilience, control and moving across, with a cost model you can edit using your own quotes.
A cloud PBX runs your office phone system on the provider’s servers for a monthly fee, while an on-premise PBX is hardware and software you buy, house and maintain yourself. Cloud usually means lower upfront cost and easier remote work; on-premise can suit sites with existing equipment or strict local control. Compare total cost over several years using your own quotes, not list prices alone.
Prices checked October 2026. CloudOffice prices are published prices; on-premise figures are placeholders.
Where each option fits
Neither is right for everyone. Here is how they differ on the points that usually decide it.
| Question | Cloud PBX (CloudOffice) | On-premise PBX |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront spend | Low: a monthly plan, plus phones if you want desk phones and any setup quoted separately. | Higher: system hardware, software licences and installation are paid at the start. |
| Ongoing cost | Predictable monthly plan. Calls are billed at call rates, and setup and customisation are billed separately. | Line or trunk rental, maintenance contract, power and space, and staff or contractor time. |
| Remote and mobile staff | Built in: users sign in from the apps or a SIP phone anywhere with internet. | Possible with extra configuration and security work, such as a VPN or session border controller. |
| Resilience | Depends on the provider’s redundancy and on your internet. Keep a second connection for the office. | Depends on what you build. A single server room is a single point of failure unless you add redundancy. |
| Control and customisation | Managed through a web panel within the platform’s features. ORENCloud also offers private instances. | Full control of the equipment and configuration, with the work that brings. |
| Scaling | Move to a bigger plan as you grow. | Add licences and capacity within the limits of the hardware you bought. |
| Analog and legacy devices | Works with SIP phones and devices. Ask us about any analog equipment. | Often the easier fit when a lot of analog equipment is already installed. |
Cloud tends to suit you if
- You want to avoid a large upfront purchase.
- Staff work from home, branches or mobiles.
- You have no one to look after a phone server.
- You expect to add or remove users.
On-premise can still suit you if
- You already own a recent system that works well.
- You depend on a lot of analog equipment.
- You need everything on your own network, and have the staff to run it. A private ORENCloud instance is another route.
- Your internet connection is not dependable.
A cost model you can edit
Pick your own assumptions. Cloud figures use ORENCloud’s published CloudOffice prices. Every on-premise figure is a placeholder, so replace it with real quotes before you trust the result.
Total cost over 3 years
| Office size | On-premise | CloudOffice | Difference |
|---|
On-premiseCloudOfficeCumulative cost in ringgit; year 0 is the upfront spend.
Illustrative model. On-premise values are placeholders, not quotes or market averages. CloudOffice uses ORENCloud’s published plan prices. Excludes taxes. Check your real quotes before deciding.
Published CloudOffice prices
Prices checked October 2026, in ringgit per month, excluding taxes.
| Plan | Users | Per month | Per user at that size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | About 20 | RM 315 | RM 15.75 |
| Galaxy | About 50 | RM 955 | RM 19.10 |
| Cluster | About 200 | RM 1,899 | RM 9.50 |
| Universe | About 500 | RM 4,395 | RM 8.79 |
The widely quoted “from RM 9 per user” applies to the Universe plan of about 500 users. The entry price is RM 315 a month for Solar. Setup, customisation and 24x7 support are billed separately, and calls to other networks are billed at call rates.
Resilience and moving across
What ORENCloud commits to
At least 98% monthly uptime with service credits, in the service level guarantee. Uptime figures on the architecture page are measurements, a different thing from this guarantee.
Moving in stages
Connect your current PBX with SIP trunking first, then move users across. Or start new sites on CloudOffice.
Numbers
Choose numbers from available numbers. We do not port existing numbers.
Add AI to calls
CloudOffice lists AI-based automatic call handling among its features. For AI voice agents that answer or place calls, see Saloma AI.
Cloud and on-premise PBX questions
Is a cloud PBX cheaper than an on-premise PBX?
It depends on your numbers. Cloud typically removes the upfront hardware spend and replaces maintenance and power costs with a monthly plan, but an on-premise system you already own can be cheaper to keep running for a while. Use the cost model on this page with your own quotes.
What does CloudOffice cost for 20, 50 or 100 users?
The published plans are Solar at RM 315 a month for about 20 users, Galaxy at RM 955 for about 50, and Cluster at RM 1,899 for about 200 users, which is the smallest plan that covers 100. Calls, setup and taxes are extra. See CloudOffice pricing.
What if the internet goes down?
A cloud PBX needs internet. Plan a second connection, and set up call forwarding to mobiles so important numbers still ring. ORENCloud’s contractual commitment is at least 98% monthly uptime with service credits; read the service level guarantee.
Can I keep my existing PBX and still use ORENCloud?
Yes. SIP trunking connects your own PBX to ORENCloud numbers and calling, which lets you move in stages.
Can I keep my business phone numbers when I move?
No. We do not port existing numbers to ORENCloud, so you choose new numbers from our available numbers.
Where is the cloud PBX hosted?
ORENCloud hosts in Malaysian data centres, AIMS Kuala Lumpur and CX2 Cyberjaya. See the trust page and platform architecture.
Sources and assumptions
Read October 2026. External pages can change; follow the links for the current wording.
- ORENCloud: CloudOffice pricing Plan prices, capacity and notes used in the model.
- ORENCloud: service level guarantee 98% monthly uptime commitment and service credits.
- ORENCloud: platform architecture Hosting locations and redundancy.
Want your own numbers checked?
Send us your current phone bill and system details. We will size a CloudOffice plan and price it for your office.