8×8 vs Ooma Office: Which Is Best for Your Business?
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Rain is a staff writer at Fit Small Business focusing on sales, such as VoIP and video conferencing.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
Debating between 8×8 vs Ooma for your professional calling needs? 8×8 offers better support for those with a global presence, but does limit the number of users for its lowest cost plan. Ooma provides a more affordable option for larger teams who don’t need the more advanced functionality found in upgraded business phone plans. As a result, the best use cases for either voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services are as follows:
- 8×8: Best for global businesses that need unlimited calls to up to 48 countries and wide virtual phone number coverage of over 120 countries, which is why it is also one of the best services for VoIP international calling
- Ooma Office: Better option for mid-sized or growing teams looking for a basic VoIP platform to manage business calls, virtual meetings, and voicemails
Did you know? This article compares 8×8 and Ooma’s business phone solutions for small business teams. However, Ooma also offers a home-based calling solution for individuals and solopreneurs. There is no monthly cost to use this service, but does require you purchase its Telo device, which costs $99.99. However, this service is very basic. The better option is to consider signing up with Google Voice as an alternative to Ooma Telo service, unless you intend to make a number of international calls.
8×8 vs Ooma Office at a Glance
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Starting Price | $15 user, per month | $19.95 per user, per month |
Free Trial | 30 days for Express plan | 30 days for Ooma Office and Ooma Office for Mobile (under Ooma’s money-back guarantee) |
Number Porting Price | Self-service is free; managed porting services cost $5 per number (minimum of 10 numbers) | Free |
International Phone Numbers | 120+ countries | ✕ |
Desktop and Mobile Apps | ✔ | ✔ |
Voicemail Transcription* | ✔ | ✔ (only available in the Office Pro plan) |
Call Recording* | ✔ | ✔ (only available in the Office Pro plan) |
Video Conferencing With Screen Sharing** | Available for up to 500 participants | Available for up to 25 participants |
Uptime Guarantee | 99.999%* | ✕ |
For more information |
*8×8’s 99.999% uptime service level agreement (SLA) is available across UCaaS and CCaaS services from X2 plans and higher.
**Ooma requires a contract for those subscribed to its Enterprise plan.
Best for Pricing: 8×8
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*8×8 offers up to 25% annual discounts for X2 and higher plans. 8×8 Express users are limited to 10.
**Ooma requires a contract for those subscribed to its Enterprise plan.
If your small business is on a tight budget, 8×8 is a better choice for you. It provides a cheaper monthly fee and a free trial for its base plan. Additionally, it is an excellent option for those looking for a scalable platform, as it allows users to add contact center features. It also lets businesses mix and match plans based on their needs.
Both 8×8 and Ooma provide free number porting services. Moreover, Ooma does not impose user limits for its plans, unlike 8×8, which requires a maximum of 10 users for its entry-level plan. Additional local and toll-free numbers in Ooma cost $9.95 per number, per month. However, 8×8 does not publicly share rates for additional virtual numbers.
Best for Unlimited International Calling: 8×8
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Ooma provides unlimited international calling packages for up to 70 countries. However, these plans are applicable for normal residential use only.
Both 8×8 and Ooma let users call up to 200 countries. However, 8×8 is still the best option between the two, as it has wider coverage concerning unlimited international calling. It provides unmetered calls to up to 48 countries, while Ooma only allows unlimited calls within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.
Ooma has slightly lower per-minute starting fees than 8×8, and 8×8 plans that come with unlimited calls in overseas locations appear higher than Ooma. However, you should look into 8×8’s wide coverage of countries included in its unmetered offerings to ensure that you are keeping your international calling costs as low as possible. If your call recipients fall under these locations, then you can save money in per-minute costs in the long run.
Best for Establishing a Global Presence: 8×8
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If your business has an international customer base, 8×8 is an excellent choice. Aside from its unmetered calls to 48 countries, it also provides virtual phone numbers in over 120 countries. Additionally, its platform has great multilingual support, including its video conferencing feature that supports 46 languages. Its contact center is also powered for chat translation to over 20 languages.
Ooma lacks international phone numbers but has slightly cheaper per-minute calling fees in some locations. Its software can also accommodate global customers by creating virtual receptionist menus as language choices. You can also change your phone’s language—beneficial for teams with users whose mother tongue isn’t English.
Best for Virtual Numbers: 8×8
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Apart from the wide international phone number coverage, 8×8 wins this area by providing vanity phone numbers that Ooma lacks. Vanity phone numbers help your customers remember the number more easily, as it allows your numbers to spell something catchy, such as 1-800-DESIGN.
Both 8×8 and Ooma offer local and toll-free numbers that allow customers to contact businesses without having to pay long-distance fees. Virtual local phone numbers provide a sense of familiarity to your customers. Meanwhile, toll-free ones give an impression that your company is professional and is dealing with a national client base.
Interested to discover more options? Read our guide on the best virtual phone number providers to find out which on the list fits your needs.
Best for Uptime: 8×8
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99.999% uptime | No uptime guarantee |
Uptime is one of the most important factors to consider in selecting your VoIP provider to ensure your availability to your customers. In this aspect, 8×8 is the clear winner. Most providers offer a 99% uptime, equivalent to 3.65 days of annual downtime. 8×8 provides 99.999% uptime across all X-Series plans, which has an equivalent of only 5.26 minutes of downtime per year. This is comparable to other providers with more expensive plans, like RingCentral.
On the other hand, Ooma doesn’t provide an uptime service level agreement (SLA), leaving users uncertain when its services will be unavailable.
Best for Video Conferencing: 8×8
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Both 8×8 and Ooma provide impressive video conferencing with screen sharing features—a great addition to a virtual business phone system. However, 8×8 stands out with its comprehensive capabilities, supporting more meeting participants. It allows up to 500 attendees, unlike Ooma, which only enables a maximum of 25 participants to join a meeting.
Apart from Ooma’s meeting password, 8×8 also provides a participant lobby. Both providers integrate with third-party calendars for automated scheduling.
Best Alternatives
Both Ooma and 8×8 offer affordable VoIP solutions, but they do not match all business use cases. Both providers lack free versions and have fewer third-party software integrations than alternatives. Before deciding on which to purchase, check out other cloud-based phone solutions that can provide better features and inclusions for your needs.
A few Ooma and 8×8 alternatives include:
- RingCentral: Companies looking for a highly scalable platform with extensive third-party app integrations may check out RingCentral. It offers built-in connections for popular software, such as Salesforce, Slack, and Google Workspace, and open APIs for customized integrations.
- Nextiva: If your business has high toll-free usage, look into Nextiva. It offers plans with up to 12,500 toll-free minutes per month, unlike Ooma, which provides 500. 8×8 charges a per-minute fee for toll-free usage. Other features available include unlimited calls, analytics, internet fax, video conferencing, call pop, auto-attendants, and contact center tools.
- Google Voice: Solopreneurs and freelancers wanting a virtual phone number for their business may find Ooma and 8×8 overwhelming and expensive. Those starting with very tight budgets can try Google Voice’s free version. It comes with a virtual local phone number and unlimited domestic calls and texts. It also provides voicemail features with customized greetings and transcription.
Looking for more options? Check out our guide on the best Ooma alternatives to determine the right provider for you.
How We Evaluated 8×8 vs Ooma
In evaluating 8×8 vs Ooma Office, we reviewed the most common factors that small business owners are looking at when choosing a provider, such as pricing and general features. We also evaluated essential inclusions, such as video conferencing and international calling.
Here’s a complete breakdown of these factors:
25%
Pricing
30%
General Features
25%
International Calling
20%
Expert Score
25% of Overall Score
We looked into the monthly fees billed by each provider, discounts available, and the length of the trial period they offer. We also considered features present in their entry-level plan and add-ons they provide.
30% of Overall Score
In finalizing our Ooma vs 8×8 comparison, we reviewed the general features that each provider offers, including unlimited calls, virtual numbers, and multi-language support. We also looked at their uptime guarantee, as we consider this as one of the most important factors to ensure when choosing a VoIP solution.
25% of Overall Score
Both providers offer an edge in terms of international calling—8×8 coming with unlimited calls to up to 48 countries and Ooma with slightly lower per-minute fees in some locations. This is the reason why we included this feature in evaluating 8×8 vs Ooma.
20% of Overall Score
Our expert score rating is a combination of our analysis on its ease of use, value for the money, popularity, and overall user experience with each platform. We also took into account the user reviews published in popular sites, such as G2 and Capterra, and compared them to our firsthand experience.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does both 8×8 & Ooma support traditional landline phones?
Yes. Both 8×8 and Ooma services are compatible with traditional landline phones and other devices, such as IP phones, conference phones, and headsets.
What types of support does 8×8 & Ooma offer?
8×8 provides 24/7 web case, chat, and phone support, along with its extensive knowledge base of guides. 8×8 X Series (and higher) users are eligible for live assisted support. Ooma also offers 24/7 live chat support. Other channels include phones and tickets.
Are both Ooma & 8×8 Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant?
Ooma does not publish its compliance and certifications. However, 8×8 boasts its wide range of compliance and industry-standard certifications on its website, including HIPAA, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and FCC Consumer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI).
Bottom Line
8×8 and Ooma are both excellent virtual phone systems for small to medium-sized businesses. Each offers affordable plans with local and international capabilities, virtual phone numbers, and added features, like video conferencing.
8×8 wins this match with omnichannel communication features and great support for international companies. You can try 8×8’s entry-level plan for 30 days to determine if it’s a good fit for your business. Also, check out our 8×8 review for more information on its features and what other users think about its platform.
