While 8×8 is a great voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) platform for global communications, many businesses consider 8×8 alternatives, as the software solution falls short on several aspects, including pricing transparency, third-party integrations, and niche features like artificial intelligence. Currently, its subscription rates are not published on the website, requiring businesses to take the extra step of reaching out to the provider to know the exact fees.
Although 8×8 integrates with 59 business tools, other VoIP platforms have hundreds of integrations. Most of 8×8’s features that improve call management efficiency, such as speech analytics, are locked behind its higher-tier contact center subscription packages. If you’re in the market comparing the best 8×8 competitors, consider the following providers we evaluated:
- RingCentral: Best for unified communications
- Nextiva: Best for customer engagement
- Vonage: Best for customized phone system
- Phone.com: Best for global presence expansion
- Dialpad: Best for agent support
- Ooma: Best for brick-and-mortar operations
8×8 & Best Alternatives Compared
Providers & FSB Rating | Monthly Starting Price (per User) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
 3.86 out of 5 | Pricing isn’t published on the provider’s website |
|
 4.62 out of 5 |
| |
 4.61 out of 5 |
| |
 4.51 out of 5 | From $19.99 per user |
|
 4.50 out of 5 |
| |
 4.45 out of 5 |
| |
 4.34 out of 5 | From $19.95 per user |
|
If you need to consider 8×8’s general and niche features again, check out our comprehensive 8×8 review. Refer to the guide to learn if it’s worth adopting the software solution or exploring alternative solutions.
RingCentral: Best for Unified Communications
What We Liked
- Provides up to 10,000 toll-free minutes
- Offers access to application programming interface (APIs) in the entry-level plan
- Complies with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards
Where It Falls Behind
- Locks unlimited storage for files in the highest-tier plan
- Doesn't have unlimited texting
- Phone rentals are only available for multi-year contract subscribers
How It Compares to 8x8
- RingCentral’s pricing is readily available on the website, along with the discounts applied to annual billing and volume users. 8×8 doesn’t publish its rates.
- Unlike 8×8, RingCentral provides a toll-free minute allowance across all its subscription plans.
- RingCentral integrates with over 300 third-party apps, while 8×8 connects with less than 60 platforms.
- Both RingCentral and 8×8 support 500 video meeting participants.
RingCentral places first in our list of the top 8×8 alternatives, featuring robust unified communications tools for businesses. Valuable call management features like the receptionist console, call recording, and analytics are available in RingCentral’s entry-level plan. On 8×8, you need to upgrade to the second-tier or the higher-tier contact center subscription packages to unlock these tools.
The receptionist console on RingCentral allows administrators to traffic calls more efficiently across departments. Call recording and analytics provide insights for improving call center efficiency and individual agent performance. On top of that, the business phone system features instant messaging and video conferencing that facilitate easier, faster team collaboration. Video meetings host up to 500 participants when you get the provider’s large meeting add-on.
However, compared to other 8×8 competitors, RingCentral has expensive monthly subscription plans. It starts at $30 per user. If you’re a new or small business, you may choose Phone.com for a more affordable business phone subscription at $14.99 per user, charged on a monthly basis.
RingCentral Monthly Pricing at a Glance*
- Core: $30 per user for unlimited domestic calling, 100 toll-free minutes, 25 text credits per user, interactive voice response (IVR) system, and on-demand call recording
- Advanced: $35 per user for 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 text credits per user, automatic and on-demand call recording, call monitoring, and unlimited internet fax
- Ultimate: $45 per user for 10,000 toll-free minutes, unlimited storage for files, messaging, and recordings, and device analytics and alerts
- Free trial: 14 days
*Save up to 33% by paying annually; volume discounts for 50-plus users are available.
RingCentral Features
See RingCentral’s meeting insights to know what the session is about. (Source: RingCentral)
- Meeting insights: Learn what the virtual meeting is about by referring to the Summary tab in live sessions. The content is automatically generated by RingCentral’s conversation intelligence. Aside from the summary, the meeting insights include a video highlight reel, meeting transcription, and keywords.
- Desktop control: Gain control of another meeting participant’s screen from your device. This lets you fix technical issues remotely and take over presentation slides to help a colleague.
- Task replies: Provide better context to instructions about tasks by responding directly to the action items posted on chats. This tool makes following up on the progress of assignments much easier.
Nextiva: Best for Customer Engagement
What We Like
- Offers phone rental options and supports Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
- Guarantees 99.999% uptime regardless of your subscription plan
- Allows unlimited participants in conference calls
Where It Falls Behind
- Limited third-party integrations
- Voicemail transcription is locked behind the most expensive plan
- Maximum video meeting duration is 45 minutes only
How It Compares to 8x8
- Unlike 8×8, Nextiva offers short messaging service (SMS) credits.
- Nextiva has threaded conversations, which organizes all communications from different channels in one place and allows agents to see all the previous communications with a contact. 8×8 doesn’t have this feature.
- Unlike 8×8, Nextiva offers a toll-free minute allowance, the maximum being 12,500.
- Both providers offer 24/7 customer support.
Nextiva is the best 8×8 alternative for customer engagement thanks to its robust help desk and sales tools built into the phone system. The help desk allows you to create and assign customer support tickets to team members and set reminders and priorities. Its customer journey tool features customer experience score, automatic conversation analysis, and smart recommendations, which offer meaningful insights about customers.
The customer experience score displays the current mood of leads and existing clients. Conversation analysis uses natural language processing (NLP) technology to evaluate customers’ needs. Meanwhile, smart recommendations automatically suggest responses based on the conversation at hand.
While Nextiva is great for customer engagement, it’s not ideal for video conferencing. For one, it limits sessions to 45 minutes only. In contrast, Phone.com has unlimited video meeting duration.
Nextiva Monthly Pricing at a Glance*
- Essential: $30.95 for unlimited voice calling within the U.S. and Canada, free local and toll-free numbers, free number porting, call history and log reports, and a maximum of 1,500 toll-free minutes
- Professional: $35.95 for multi-level auto-attendant, voicemail-to-SMS notifications, up to 1,000 messages sent and received per user, and a maximum of 3,000 toll-free minutes
- Enterprise: $45.95 for voicemail transcription, enterprise integrations, single sign-on, and a maximum of 12,500 toll-free minutes
- Free trial: 7 days
*Save up to 22% by paying annually; volume discounts are available for more than four users.
Nextiva Features
Share files with colleagues via Nextiva’s team chat. (Source: Nextiva)
- Custom caller ID: Configure the name that shows up when your business calls customers and other stakeholders. Call recipients are more likely to answer when they recognize the number calling them.
- Instant messaging: Collaborate with team members smoothly by chatting with them one-on-one or as a team. Upload files directly to your collaboration rooms.
- Voicemail transcription: Rather than playing voicemails, read the transcribed text to get the message right away. With this feature, it’s easier to remember details and reply to the caller instantly.
Vonage: Best for Customized Phone System
What We Like
- Mobile app is equipped with robust call management and unified communications tools
- Offers hardware devices, including IP and conference phones from Poly and Yealink
- Complies with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) policies
Where It Falls Behind
- Call recording is limited to 15 hours per month only
- Integrates with less than 20 apps
- Entry-level plan doesn't have a virtual receptionist and analytics
How It Compares to 8x8
- Unlike 8×8, Vonage offers unlimited SMS.
- Vonage features smart numbers, which use APIs to build custom voice workflows. 8×8 doesn’t have this feature.
- 8×8 provides 24/7 customer support. But Vonage has a more hands-on solution for customer care, offering an orange glove setup, wherein the provider’s technical team installs the software solution that comes with the subscription.
- 8×8 and Vonage have a 99.999% uptime service level agreement (SLA).
While 8×8 offers flexibility by allowing businesses to mix and match plans, Vonage offers better versatility by enabling users to add and remove phone features through its a la carte pricing approach. For this reason, the VoIP phone system is among the top alternatives to 8×8 when it comes to customizability.
By default, you have access to standard VoIP features, such as call forwarding, conference call, call hold, and call waiting. When your business experiences more calls than usual, add call queues, secondary line appearance, and virtual phone extensions to manage the huge volume of inquiries. These additional tools are charged monthly.
Unfortunately, Vonage’s call recording is limited to 15 hours per month. Moreover, it’s only available at the most expensive subscription package. In contrast, RingCentral’s entry-level plan has on-demand call recording and allows 100,000 recordings per account.
Vonage Monthly Pricing at a Glance*
- Mobile: $19.99 per user for unlimited calls in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, unlimited SMS, unlimited team messaging, and desktop and mobile apps
- Premium: $29.99 per user for multi-level auto-attendant, third-party integrations, and unlimited video meetings for up to 200 participants
- Advanced: $39.99 per user for call group, on-demand call recording, and voicemail transcription
*Volume discounts are available for more than four users.
Vonage Features
Manage calls more efficiently with Vonage’s receptionist console. (Source: Vonage)
- Receptionist console: Accommodate a maximum of 50 concurrent calls and allow front-desk employees to manage high call volumes more efficiently. The receptionist console displays the list of calls waiting, team members and their call status, parked calls, and call queues.
- AI virtual assistant: Let conversational AI handle customers’ frequently asked questions and process routine requests. With menial tasks taken care of, human agents focus on concerns needing more attention.
- Call announce: Hear the custom tag associated with the call before being connected to the caller. This allows you to adjust your spiels according to the caller’s need or interest.
Phone.com: Best for Global Presence Expansion
What We Like
- Most affordable entry-level plan among the providers listed in this article
- Entry-level plan includes almost all call management features
- Simple, clean user interface that makes navigation effortless
Where It Falls Behind
- Natively integrates with four third-party apps only
- Basic and Pro subscribers need to pay an extra fee for call recording
- Call analytics is locked behind the most expensive plan
How It Compares to 8x8
- Unlike 8×8, Phone.com features unlimited calling minutes.
- Phone.com provides an allowance of 1,000 text segments in its entry-level plan. 8×8 doesn’t offer this.
- Unlike 8×8, Phone.com gives businesses the option to get live receptionist services.
- Both Phone.com and 8×8 offer unlimited duration for video meetings.
Phone.com is the best alternative to 8×8 for expanding global presence because it offers international numbers and global calling capabilities at affordable rates. The local numbers at “standard rate countries” like Australia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and the UK cost $4.99 only.
Meanwhile, you’ll only pay U.S. local rates when calling landline numbers in France, Germany, Israel, Italy, and Puerto Rico. Phone.com supports international calling to 150-plus destinations, including Brazil, China, India, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. Low international calling rates apply to these overseas locations.
Although Phone.com is the best for establishing a global presence, it falls short on third-party integrations. It only natively works with four apps. RingCentral is the better option if you want to connect business tools with your phone system, as the provider integrates with 300-plus platforms.
Phone.com Monthly Pricing at a Glance*
- Basic: $14.99 per user for one phone number per account, 500 minutes, call forwarding, call transfer, and video meetings for up to 10 participants
- Plus: $21.99 per user for one phone number per user, unlimited minutes, SMS, video meetings for up to 25 participants, and video recording
- Pro: $31.99 per user for call analytics, third-party integrations, video conferencing for up to 100 participants, breakout rooms, and whiteboards
- Free trial: 30-day money-back guarantee
*Save 15% by paying annually; volume discounts are available for more than four users.
Phone.com Features
Set up call forwarding on Phone.com to receive phone calls even when you’re not in the office. (Source: Phone.com)
- Call queue: Create virtual lines for different departments in your company. Configure the greetings and hold music, and set the maximum number of minutes callers can wait in the queue.
- Call forwarding: Send incoming calls automatically to a designated phone number, e.g., a personal mobile phone or your team’s direct number. This ensures you don’t miss any important phone calls even when you’re not in the office.
- Audio conferencing: Host a meeting for a maximum of 300 participants. The conference bridge has a password-protected, dedicated number that ensures only authorized individuals have access to the conferencing session.
Dialpad: Best for Agent Support
What We Like
- Offers unlimited call recording
- Single sign-on is available across all plans
- Provides local, toll-free, and international numbers
Where It Falls Behind
- Phone extensions are locked behind the most expensive subscription package
- Limited number of video meeting participants
- Maximum meeting duration is five hours
How It Compares to 8x8
- While 8×8 offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee, Dialpad has a 100% availability.
- Although 8×8 features ring groups, it’s unclear how many it allows for each subscription plan. In contrast, Dialpad provides an unlimited number of ring groups in its most expensive package.
- 8×8 limits its outbound text messaging to numbers in the U.S. and Canada. Dialpad supports international SMS to more than 100 countries.
- 8×8 connects with 59 third-party apps, while Dialpad has over 60 integrations.
Dialpad is on this list of the best 8×8 alternatives because of its excellent agent support powered by robust artificial intelligence. The software solutions’ call transcriptions happen in real time, not after the customer interaction, completely removing the need for service representatives to write down details of the conversation. It automatically captures the next action steps mentioned in phone calls, allowing agents to work on the tasks immediately.
On top of this, Dialpad AI automatically detects call purpose and displays the appropriate labels in the Live Calls view. When monitoring ongoing calls, supervisors readily see what the call is about even without listening to the actual conversations one by one.
Unfortunately, Dialpad has a limited video meeting participant capacity, accommodating 10 users only. If you regularly conduct large meetings, it’s best to go with RingCentral because it hosts up to 500 attendees.
Dialpad Monthly Pricing at a Glance*
- Standard: $23 per user for unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada, multi-level auto-attendant, maximum of three ring groups, SMS, MMS, and team messaging, and unlimited meeting for up to 10 participants
- Pro: $35 per user for hold queues, maximum of 25 ring groups, international SMS, and access to open APIs
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for extensions, unlimited ring groups, integrations with single sign-on solutions, and priority routing
*Pay only $15 and $25 per user for Standard and Pro plans when you choose annual billing.
Dialpad Features
Send direct messages to colleagues with Dialpad’s chat feature. (Source: Dialpad)
- Custom routing rules: Speed up customer waiting times by directing callers to the proper departments and team members. Dialpad allows you to set round-robin, simultaneous, or fixed-order call distribution.
- Action items: Through speech recognition technology, Dialpad automatically generates a list of action items based on your meeting discussion. With this feature, no task gets overlooked.
- Team chat: Message team members individually or as a group. Create channels for specific projects and topics and easily share files.
Ooma: Best for Brick & Mortar Operations
What We Like
- Unlimited calling isn’t limited to U.S. and Canada—includes Mexico and Puerto Rico
- Provides analog fax machine support
- Low rates for international calling
Where It Falls Behind
- Limited third-party integrations
- Doesn’t offer international phone numbers
- Only allows a maximum of 100 participants in video meetings
How It Compares to 8x8
- Unlike 8×8, Ooma has first-party hardware.
- Ooma offers a home phone solution free of monthly charge for solopreneurs. 8×8 doesn’t have a dedicated plan for freelancers.
- Unlike 8×8, Ooma includes 500 toll-free minutes in its subscription plans.
- Both providers offer virtual fax in all their subscription plans.
Ooma is the best alternative solution to 8×8 for companies with brick-and-mortar operations, as it’s equipped with business phone features that facilitate streamlined building communications. For one, it has overhead paging that allows supervisors to broadcast announcements within the establishment. If you only need to address a specific room or people, use intercom calling to deliver your message via a speakerphone.
Similarly, IP phone paging is useful in sharing information with several team members simultaneously. Ooma offers hot desking, allowing employees from different brick-and-mortar locations to log into any phone within the system and access their unique profile settings and contacts. However, one disadvantage of using Ooma is that it doesn’t offer international phone numbers. Phone.com is a better option if you want to establish a local presence overseas.
Ooma Monthly Pricing at a Glance*
- Essentials: $19.95 per user for unlimited calling in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, virtual receptionist, call forwarding, and ring groups
- Pro: $24.95 per user for call recording, enhanced call blocking, voicemail transcription, text messaging, and integration with Google and Office 365
- Pro Plus: $29.95 per user for call queues, call deflection, call screening, CRM integration, and video conferencing for up to 100 participants
*Pricing is for monthly billing. There’s no annual billing option.
Ooma Features
Set up ring groups to alert multiple devices when there’s an incoming call. (Source: Ooma)
- Ring groups: Distribute calls more efficiently to specific teams. Choose between simultaneous or sequential ringing to ensure no call will go unanswered.
- Conference bridge: Let team members join virtual meetings from a phone wherever they are. Share the conference dial-in number and meeting ID with team members to access the video meeting session.
- Intercom calling: Make an announcement over the phone without the hassle. Simply dial *40 followed by the phone extension. When the receiving device is picked up, it will be on speakerphone mode automatically.
How We Evaluated the Best 8×8 Alternatives
To objectively assess VoIP providers, we developed a scoring guide that includes accessible pricing points, call management capabilities, user-friendliness, and customer assistance as criteria points.
Learn how we evaluated the best 8×8 alternatives by clicking on the tabs below:
15% of Overall Score
Since businesses prioritize affordability, the cost of per user, monthly subscription plans is among our pricing considerations. We favored providers with entry-level packages priced less than $35. Those with second-tier plans priced less than $60 earned more points. Finally, we checked if the provider offers cheaper annual pricing and volume discounts.
25% of Overall Score
The essential features of a VoIP solution were part of our evaluation, namely unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada, mobile app, and video and audio conferencing. We evaluated each provider’s SLA, giving more points to those with a guarantee of 99.999% availability or higher.
20% of Overall Score
We checked if the vendor supports international calling and provides an IVR system. Those offering more than three types of virtual numbers earned more points, as well as providers with a wide range of integrations.
10% of Overall Score
Since not all team members are tech-savvy, we checked if the software solution requires technical know-how to set up and operate. We considered how intuitive the interface is to ensure there’s little to no learning curve in using the platform.
10% of Overall Score
The providers that offer 24/7 customer support earned more points in our evaluation. We checked the types of communication channels they have, particularly if they have phone, email, and live chat support.
20% of Overall Score
We assessed the ease of use and popularity of each platform, as well as their standout features. Looking at the subscription plans and inclusions, we weighed if the vendor offered excellent value for money.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. Ooma Basic, a phone subscription plan for homepreneurs, is free of monthly charge, as it only charges a one-time fee for the analog telephone adapter (ATA) Telo. The plan comes with unlimited calling within the U.S., PureVoice HD technology, low-cost international calling, and online call logs. Google Voice is another free alternative solution to 8×8, offering a local number, unlimited calling within the U.S., and voicemail.
While both are unified communications platforms offering call management, team chat, and video conferencing capabilities, the providers differ in the range of features and inclusions for each subscription plan. RingCentral offers the receptionist console in the entry-level plan while 8×8 keeps it in the second-tier package. Call activity analytics is in 8×8’s Contact Center subscription tiers, while RingCentral includes such in the entry-level business phone plan.
In terms of instant messaging, RingCentral is equipped with task management tools. 8×8 doesn’t have this. For video conferencing, RingCentral supports up to 50 breakout rooms. The maximum number of breakout rooms on 8×8 is unclear.
8×8 doesn’t publish its pricing for the subscription plans. Businesses must reach out to the provider to get the exact rates. However, in 2022, 8×8 had three business phone subscription plans, priced at $15, $28, and $57 per user.
Bottom Line
8×8 is a great business phone system, but other platforms offer transparent pricing, provide more features on their basic plans, and integrate with a comprehensive range of third-party tools. After assessing alternative solutions to 8×8, we found that RingCentral is the best among the options.
It packs useful VoIP features, such as the receptionist console and analytics, while providing integrations with 300-plus tools, including popular CRM platforms. It enables users to collaborate via instant messaging and video conferencing that accommodates up to 200 participants. Sign up for RingCentral’s free trial today to learn if its features fit your communication needs.
