Call Queue vs Hunt Group: What's the Difference?
A hunt group rings a group of phones — either one at a time or all together — until someone answers, with no real waiting experience for the caller beyond ringing. A call queue holds callers in an ordered line, plays hold music and often a position or wait-time update, then distributes them to available agents using a chosen routing method. Both solve the same basic problem — making sure an incoming call reaches someone in a team rather than one specific person — but a call queue is the more sophisticated of the two, built for genuinely busy call handling.
What Is a Hunt Group?
A hunt group is a group of phones set up to ring together when a single number is called, following a defined pattern rather than each phone being dialled individually. Common patterns include:
- Simultaneous ring — every phone in the group rings at once, and whoever answers first takes the call
- Sequential ring — phones ring one at a time, in a set order, moving to the next if the current one isn't answered
- Round robin — rotates evenly through the group, spreading calls out over time
Hunt groups are a long-standing feature of business phone systems, and they work well for smaller teams handling a manageable call volume, where a caller ringing straight through to whoever's free is enough.
What Is a Call Queue?
A call queue is built specifically for situations where more calls come in than can be answered immediately. Rather than simply ringing available phones, it holds callers in an ordered line, plays hold music or a message, and often gives an estimated wait time or queue position. Calls are then distributed to agents using a routing method such as longest idle, round robin, or attendant routing, and most call queue features come with detailed reporting on wait times, abandoned calls, and agent performance.
Key Differences
| Hunt Group | Call Queue | |
|---|---|---|
| Caller experience while waiting | Just ringing, no queue position or hold message | Hold music, often with position or wait-time updates |
| Routing methods | Simultaneous, sequential, or round robin | Longest idle, round robin, attendant routing, and more |
| Reporting | Usually minimal or none | Detailed reporting on wait times, volumes, and agent activity |
| Best suited to | Smaller teams, lower call volumes | Busier teams, reception desks, or anywhere call volume regularly exceeds available agents |
Which Should Your Business Use?
A hunt group is often enough for a small team fielding a manageable number of calls, where simplicity matters more than detailed reporting or a polished waiting experience. A call queue is worth the extra setup for busier teams — a reception desk, a sales team, or anywhere calls regularly arrive faster than they can be answered — since it keeps callers informed while they wait and gives you genuine visibility into how calls are actually being handled.
Can They Be Used Together?
Yes, and it's a common setup. An auto attendant might route "Press 2 for Sales" into a call queue for a busy sales team, while "Press 3 for Accounts" goes straight to a smaller hunt group where ringing through immediately works perfectly well. There's no rule that every part of your call routing needs to use the same approach — the right choice depends on how busy and how important detailed handling is for each specific team or department. Our guide to what an auto attendant is covers how these pieces fit together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a call queue always better than a hunt group? Not necessarily — it depends on your call volume and what actually matters for that team. A call queue's extra features are wasted on a team that rarely has more calls than people available to answer them.
Does a hunt group tell callers their position in line? No, this is one of the clearest differences. A hunt group simply rings phones according to its pattern; it doesn't hold callers in a visible queue or give position updates the way a call queue does.
Can I switch from a hunt group to a call queue later? Yes, this is a common upgrade as a team or call volume grows, and most phone systems support reconfiguring this without a major overhaul.
Which is easier to set up? Hunt groups are generally simpler, since there's less to configure — fewer routing options, no hold music or queue settings, no detailed reporting to define.
Getting the right call routing for each team makes a real difference to how professional your business sounds on the phone. Request a quote for advice on the right setup, or read our guide to setting up a call queue if you're using Microsoft Teams.
