The best 8x8 alternatives for business communications and why they are better

Searching for the best 8x8 alternatives? You’re not alone. While 8x8 is a recognized name in business communications, many organizations are exploring other options that offer more value, flexibility, or better features. Whether you're drawn in by 8x8’s XCaaS branding or just starting your search, it’s worth comparing the top competitors before making a decision. Let’s dive into the top 8x8 alternatives available today.

Top competitors and alternatives to 8x8

As you’re exploring top competitors and alternatives to 8x8, it’s important to consider what matters most to your business, whether it’s pricing, Ai-powered features, collaboration tools, or ease of integration. While 8x8 offers a solid unified communications and contact center solution, there are other providers that may better align with your needs, budget, or tech stack. Below, we break down the most compelling 8x8 alternatives in a quick, side-by-side comparison to help you make the right choice faster.

At-a-glance comparison of alternatives to 8X8

Take a closer look at the top 9 8x8 alternatives

There are a lot of competitors to 8x8, some of them more viable than others. Narrow down your options by checking out this list—­and to make things even simpler, we’ve divided them into two categories.

Category A: All-in-one communications

Solutions in this category provide unified communications—typically voice, video, and messaging—in one package. Many of these are also 8x8 cloud contact center competitors.

1. Dialpad: An easy-to-use communication platform with built-in Ai

Dialpad is a true all-in-one solution that enables you to keep all your conversations and customer data in one central place. The Dialpad Connect plans start at only $15 per user per month and include unlimited calls in the US and Canada, unlimited video calls, SMS/MMS and instant messaging, and more. (If you have a support or sales team, there's also a fully integrated contact center option, Diapad Support.)

What makes Dialpad an excellent alternative to 8x8?

• Combines both UCaaS and CCaaS functionality in one modern communications platform

• Includes industry-leading Ai features

• Offers a smooth onboarding and setup process—no need for IT help for basic tasks like adding new users or updating auto attendant greetings

• Provides excellent customer support through 24/7 phone and live chat support for Pro plans and above (with a real human), and 24/5 live chat support for the base plan

• Access to a detailed online Help Center

• Runs on Google Cloud Platform for greater security and reliability and better call quality

• Offers a 100% uptime SLA for Enterprise plan customers

But don't just take our word for it. Here are the TrustPilot ratings for Dialpad and 8x8:

Key features of Dialpad

• Seamless switching between devices

If you have a remote team or spend a lot of time away from your desk, you need a solution that works on all devices—and the ability to switch seamlessly between them without losing the discussion thread. 8x8 only has limited device-switching capabilities, whereas Dialpad automatically syncs your conversations across devices.

That means you can communicate and collaborate with colleagues or customers on whichever channel is most effective—or even use call flip to continue an ongoing call on another device. And you’ll be able to see all these interactions in a single interface, whether you’re using iOS, Android, Mac or PC.

• Robust business messaging

There’s a lot that Dialpad’s business messaging can do. You can ask a quick question without typing out an entire email or picking up the phone, collaborate with your team on group chat, and send updates or reminders with bulk texts.

While 8x8 does include messaging capability, Dialpad gives you robust messaging including SMS/MMS and instant messaging. And you can even start a Discord-like temporary voice chat from a messaging conversation with Dialpad’s Sidebar feature:

• Industry-leading Ai

Dialpad’s communications platform is the only one that has Ai built into the product—and it’s available on all plans. Known as “Dialpad GPT," it leverages 2 billion minutes of business conversations and harnesses natural language processing (NLP) to transcribe calls and meetings in real-time, with speech analytics picking up customer sentiment and frequent keywords and phrases.

8x8’s Ai offering largely takes place via partnerships with other vendors like OpenAI, and most of the features are only accessible to managers using the contact center product—usually at an extra cost.

• Real-time coaching features

8x8 doesn’t give you live coaching either. Its contact center plan lets managers monitor calls, but that’s about it. Dialpad Ai gives you sophisticated real-time coaching features alongside other handy tools like call monitoring and unlimited call recording.

Ai Live Coach Cards pop up automatically on an agent’s screen when a customer says a particular word or phrase. They provide relevant info so the agent doesn’t have to go look it up.

Meanwhile, managers can oversee all ongoing calls (and real-time voice transcriptions) on a live dashboard, which also shows the sentiment for all active calls in real time. This helps them immediately see which agents need support and jump in to assist while the call is still happening:

• A wide range of integrations

Dialpad integrates seamlessly with software like OneLogin, Google Workspace, and Okta, making it even easier to deploy new users and handle identity management. Automatic provisioning and de-provisioning help decrease manual workloads as well as improving security and compliance.

OneLogin’s single sign-on (SSO) integration with Dialpad means you don’t have to remember multiple passwords or usernames, while Okta ensures strict authentication for the latest cloud technology. The Google Workspace integration adds business productivity tools to Dialpad’s unified communications platform, which automatically populates meeting invites with a video meeting link, for example. No more juggling different windows, tabs, and logins.

Pricing

• Standard: $15 per user per month

• Pro: $25 per user per month

• Enterprise: Get in touch!

2. Nextiva

Nextiva is an 8x8 competitor that used to be a UCaaS provider, but has pivoted its solution to focus more on customer-facing communications.

What makes Nextiva a good alternative to 8x8?

• Offers live chat features with customizable chat buttons

• Includes call analytics and a customizable auto attendant

• Call recording is available—but only on top-tier plans (these come standard with all Dialpad plans)²

Key features of Nextiva

• Social selling: Using social messaging channels such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM, and WhatsApp

• Social monitoring: Respond, listen, and publish on social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and X

• Call routing to direct calls to the right department or virtual receptionist

Pricing

• Digital: $20 per user per month

• Core: $30 per user per month

• Engage: $40 per user per month

• Power Suite: $60 per user per month²

3. RingCentral RingEX

RingEX offers an all-in-one cloud solution for enterprise VoIP, video, SMS and team chat. The higher plans have a decent array of features, which we’ll cover shortly.

What makes RingEX a good alternative to 8x8?

• Smooth device-switching between desktop and mobile apps, with a call flip feature similar to Dialpad

• Includes team chat and messaging, plus more integrations and a wider range of Ai features than 8x8

• Offers real-time analytics, voicemail transcription, and a contact center solution (RingCX)—though most customers are still on the older, whitelabelled  platform

Key features of RingEX

• Team messaging and video meetings: Built-in tools for team collaboration, including video conferencing and chat

• Real-time analytics and call reporting: Monitor call performance and usage metrics across teams

• Voicemail transcription and call recording: Review and manage conversations without replaying audio

Pricing

• Core: $30 per user per month

• Advanced: $35 per user per month

• Ultra: $45 per user per month (regular pricing)³

4. Aircall

Aircall is a cloud phone system that provides voice calling and VoIP call center features that let you manage your calls. However, it’s a little more expensive than most of the other competitors on this list.

What makes Aircall a good alternative to 8x8?

• User-friendly and flexible, with desktop and mobile apps, plus a large set of integrations (though notably missing Google Workspace and Microsoft 365)

• The Essentials tier includes strong call management features like call recording, IVR, custom hold music, ring groups, and voicemail by email—but it comes at a higher price point

• Lacks built-in video functionality and Salesforce integration—Ai features are available, but as paid add-ons

(Learn more about the top Aircall alternatives.)

Key features of Aircall

• Click-to-dial and power dialing: Speed up outbound calling directly from your CRM or helpdesk tool

• Unlimited calling within US and Canada

• Essential telephony features including IVR, call recording and click-to-dial

Pricing

• Essentials: $30 per user per month

• Professional: $50 per user per month

• Custom: (ask for quote). You have to pay an additional $6 for each new number added to your account.⁴

5. GoTo Connect

GoTo Connect is another of the more popular 8x8 VoIP competitors, offering video, chat and texting, alongside phone calls and IT management and support solutions. Formerly known as Jive, it’s now part of LogMeIn, which houses all the GoTo products.

What makes GoTo Connect a good alternative to 8x8?

• Good customer support options via phone, email, tickets, and a user community, along with guides and videos

• Includes video meetings for up to 250 participants

• Base tier includes essential features like auto attendant, call forwarding, and ring groups—though most Ai features are limited to higher-tier plans (unlike Dialpad, which includes them at all pricing levels)

Key features of GoTo Connect

• Visual call flow editor for easy setup and customization of call routing

• Free international calling to over 50 countries included with the mobile app

• Multi-channel support including voice, video meetings, and team messaging

Pricing

GoToConnect has three plans available, but pricing is not published for any of them.

• Connect Phone System

• Connect CX

• Connect Contact Center

Category B: Bare-bones entry-level options

The following options are aimed at smaller businesses that don’t require so much in the way of communications. They have limited features and often don’t have a unified platform—but the funny thing is their pricing is comparable to the more robust options in Category A. In fact, Dialpad, for instance, is cheaper than many of these.

6. Grasshopper

Grasshopper adds a business line and virtual phone system to your personal phone so that you can keep work and personal calls separate. It’s aimed at smaller businesses and solopreneurs.

What makes Grasshopper a good alternative to 8x8?

• Better for small businesses that don’t need complex features—allows two numbers on one phone to protect personal privacy

• Offers vanity, local, and toll-free numbers—includes desktop and mobile apps, plus voicemail, call forwarding, and Wi-Fi calling in all plans

• Simple pricing based on the number of phone numbers and extensions, with the same features across all plans

Key features of Grasshopper

• Dual phone numbers on one device to separate business and personal calls

• Wide selection of phone numbers including vanity, local, and toll-free options

• Built-in voicemail, call forwarding, and Wi-Fi calling across all plans

Pricing

Grasshopper has three pricing tiers:

• True Solo (for a single user): $14 when billed annually—$1 less than Dialpad

• Solo Plus: $25 per month

• Small Business: $55 per month⁵

7. Ooma Enterprise

Designed for businesses who want to get up and running quickly, Ooma is a business phone system with a decent selection of call management features.

What makes Ooma Enterprise a good alternative to 8x8?

• Good for teams using multiple devices with features like seamless call transfer, call flip, call forwarding, and simultaneous ring

• The cheaper tier includes HD voice calling, hold music, call blocking, internet fax, virtual receptionist, call park, ring groups, and SMS messaging (just no video conferencing)

• The Enhanced tier adds video conferencing, CRM integrations, call recording, and voicemail transcription, but neither plan supports team messaging, making other alternatives more appealing for collaboration

Note that neither plan has team messaging, which is another reason you’d be better off with almost any of the options in Category A.

Key features of Ooma Enterprise

• Call transfer and call flip for smooth device switching during calls

• Virtual receptionist and call park to manage incoming calls efficiently

• Unlimited calling to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico included in the basic plan

Pricing

• Standard: $19.99 per user per month

• Enhanced: $27.99 per user per month

• Call Center: $49.99 per user per month⁶

8. OnSIP

OnSIP is a cloud-based VoIP phone system with apps for mobile, desktop, and browser. It claims to be able to replace your existing phone system in less than an hour.

What makes OnSIP a good alternative to 8x8?

• Flexible pricing structure with a base plan plus optional add-ons; no long-term contracts and scalable features

• The Unlimited plan includes free desk phones or headsets, auto attendants, ring groups, call park, music on hold, voicemail-to-email, and unlimited standard calling minutes

• The Basic plan offers many core features but with user limits—add-ons like extended call area, e911 service, and number porting are priced separately

• Features “sayso” web chat for customer interaction via your website

Key features of OnSIP

• Auto attendant to professionally greet and route incoming calls

• Dial by name directory for easy caller navigation and connection

• Call park to put calls on hold and retrieve them from another device

Pricing

• Unlimited: $18.95 per user per month (min. 5 users)

• Basic: $49.95 per month per account⁷

9. Phone.com

Phone.com is a business communications solution with voice calling, video conferencing, and text messaging. Each of the three pricing bands offer a different range of features.

What makes Phone.com a good alternative to 8x8?

• Basic plan includes call forwarding, call transfer, and a mobile app that turns your iPhone or Android into a Phone.com extension, using mobile carrier, 3G/4G, or Wi-Fi

• Basic also offers video conferencing, toll-free number support, and 50 standard voice features (outbound SMS requires Plus, and recording, analytics, CRM integration, and voicemail transcription require Pro)

Key features of Phone.com

• Mobile and web apps for calling and messaging on the go

• Video conferencing to support virtual meetings and collaboration

• Customizable hold music for a better caller experience during wait times

Pricing

Basic: $15 per user per month

Plus: $22.50 per user per month

Pro: $33.33 per user per month⁸

What is 8x8?

8x8 has been around for a while, and offers a VoIP phone system with advanced call management, video conferencing, team chat, and a contact center option. There’s also 24/7 technical support via live chat and phone for users of some products (depending on the plan you're on).

Why seek an 8x8 alternative?

You’re looking for a fully integrated platform

Although it’s presented as a unified communications platform, 8x8’s features aren’t quite as tightly bound together as, for example, Dialpad’s. The Ai offerings are a case in point—unlike some competitors like Dialpad, which has built its own proprietary Ai technology, 8x8 offers Ai-powered contact center features through its partnership with OpenAI¹⁰. 

A fully integrated platform also makes for a much more consistent user experience, and also allows for tighter control over security and privacy protocols—something Dialpad emphasizes with its proprietary Ai and in-house data management, whereas 8x8’s reliance on third-party partnerships can introduce additional complexity in safeguarding sensitive information.

You want pricing transparency and the best value for money

You’ve probably realized already that “value for money” can mean different things to different businesses, but it’s something to keep a close eye on when you’re researching 8x8 virtual office alternatives.

8x8 no longer lists pricing transparently on its website, instead only providing rough descriptions of its three plans. This lack of clear pricing can make it difficult to accurately compare costs and assess true value, potentially leading to unexpected expenses or choosing a plan that doesn’t fully meet your needs.

Always consider how much it will cost to implement, configure, and support your chosen software. If it’s tricky to set up and learn, the hassle could negate the affordable price point.

To use Dialpad as an example again, the lowest-priced tier is $15 and includes not only basic features like smart call routing and call transfer, but also additional value such as built-in Ai, call analytics, and voicemail transcription:

And because it’s truly integrated, it offers a much lower total cost of ownership than paying for a group of separate apps.

You need a wide variety of features

8x8 isn’t short on features—it’s just that some of them may only be available if you’re willing to pay top dollar. Which isn’t ideal when you’re looking for a comprehensive platform. That’s why it’s crucial to take any solution for a free trial test-drive before embarking on a greater commitment.

What's the best 8x8 alternative for your business?

• Choose Dialpad for an all-in-one communications platform with built-in Ai, seamless device switching, superior messaging, and transparent pricing. 

• Choose Nextiva for a business that relies on social media for customer communication.

• Choose RingCentral RingEX for complex organizations looking for VoIP with real-time analytics and integrations.

• Choose Aircall for a focus on voice who need deep CRM integrations and easy outbound calling.

• Choose GoTo Connect for video meeting capacity and flexible support options.

• Choose Grasshopper for a very small business that just needs a simple way to separate business and personal calls.

• Choose Ooma Office for a quick setup with essential call management features.

• Choose OnSIP for flexible pricing and the ability to mix and match features.

• Choose Phone.com for a budget-conscious operation that needs a basic communications tool with optional video and mobile and web access.

The field of business communications is a crowded one, and there are a few serious competitors to 8x8.

In our opinion, Dialpad’s easy-to-use unified communications platform packs a wealth of advanced features into its basic plan, and is a truly integrated all-in-one platform that’s entirely owned and built in-house—and at the very least, it's worth checking out with a free trial or product tour.

Alongside its powerful Ai technology, Dialpad is also recognized for its reliability, security, scalability, and customer service. If you need any more reasons why it’s the best alternative to 8x8, check out the review comparisons on GetApp:

¹8x8.com/products/plans-and-pricing

²nextiva.com/nextiva-pricing.html

³ringcentral.com/office/plansandpricing.html#office

⁴aircall.io/pricing