8x8 VoIP Review (2024)

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8x8 Pricing & Plans - How much does 8x8 cost?

8x8’s plans are priced competitively with other VoIP platforms, but you get more bang for your buck. That’s because all plans include video conferencing, and the mid-tier X2 plan includes unlimited calling to 14 countries.

The 8x8 Express plan is available for businesses with 10 or fewer users. It includes unlimited calling in the US and Canada, but doesn’t offer SMS or internal team messaging. It also doesn’t support integrations. What makes this plan attractive, though, is that it supports audio and video conferences for up to 100 users with no duration limits.

The X2 plan offers all the features that most businesses need, including unlimited SMS messaging, team messaging, conferencing for up to 500 participants, and integrations for business software like Slack and Salesforce. It also offers unlimited calling to 14 countries in North America and Western Europe (the list of included countries is pre-selected).

The X4 plan is best for multinational companies since it includes unlimited calling to 48 countries around the world. It also includes 8x8’s Frontdesk feature for receptionists, call monitoring and whispering, and advanced analytics.

8x8 also offers call center plans, which start at $95 per user per month. These are higher-tier plans that include many of the features of the X2 plan, as well as advanced call analytics, an online payment system, skills-based call routing, and live chat integration. 8x8’s call center plans are designed for enterprise-scale businesses.

8x8 Available Features

International call and text

8x8 offers phone coverage and local numbers in 50 countries around the world. International businesses can take advantage of the X2 plan to get unlimited calling in the US, Canada, and Europe, or the X4 plan to get unlimited calling in most of the countries 8x8 serves. In addition, 8x8 offers unlimited SMS and MMS messaging with both the X2 and X4 plans.

Video conferencing

8x8 offers HD video conferencing for up to 500 participants with no duration limits.

The software includes many of the features you’d expect from a dedicated video conferencing platform. You can set up a virtual background, share your screen, draw on a virtual whiteboard, and join meetings on the 8x8 mobile app. In addition, 8x8 offers video recording, live streaming to YouTube, and analytics specifically for video conferences.

Team Messaging

While 8x8 integrates with messaging platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams, it also has its own team messaging features. You can set up public and private groups and add users with a single click from your company directory. In addition, 8x8’s messaging platform lets you share files and launch internal audio and video calls.

8x8 Frontdesk

8x8 Frontdesk is a set of features designed specifically for receptionists. It’s only available with the X4 plan or a contact center plan. With Frontdesk, your business’s receptionist can see which employees are active at any time and transfer calls with one click. They can also add private notes for each transfer. Frontdesk also supports automated call routing when your receptionist steps away from their desk.

Call Analytics

8x8 includes an advanced analytics dashboard that enables supervisors to track call volume and duration, hold times, missed calls, and more. You can see how many employees are on the phone in real time and set custom performance indicators to help employees stay on track. The analytics dashboard also lets you create custom reports and break down your data by call group or employee.

Security and Reliability

8x8 offers a 99.999% uptime guarantee with its X2 plan. All audio and video calls are encrypted end-to-end. 8x8 is certified to the benchmark ISO 27001 security standard and is HIPAA and PCI-compliant. On top of all that, the company pays for an annual independent security audit.

8x8 Mobile App

8x8 offers a free mobile app for iOS and Android. The app offers many of the same features as 8x8’s desktop and web platforms, including team messaging, support for video conferencing, and the ability to make and receive calls. You can set your availability to automatically route calls to your mobile device when you’re away from your desk or send calls to voicemail outside of work hours.

8x8 Integrations

8x8 integrates with dozens of popular business applications, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, G Suite, and Zoho. It also integrates with CRM software such as Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Hubspot, and with contact center software like Freshdesk and Zendesk. Single sign-on is supported with Okta and Microsoft Azure.

Help and Support

8x8 offers customer support by phone, email, and live chat from 6AM-6PM (PT) Monday-Saturday. We called and were able to connect with a support representative immediately. 

8x8 also has an online knowledge base with dozens of tutorials. However, it’s not very organized, and most tutorials do not have screenshots. Finding basic instructions for how to add users to 8x8 took several minutes.

How 8x8 Compares to Other VoIP Providers

8x8 Vs RingCentral

RingCentral is a capable VoIP platform with several features you won’t find in 8x8, such as hot desking, support for multiple offices in different locations, and an API for custom integrations. 

Although RingCentral plans start at $19.99 per user per month, they can quickly begin to cost more than plans at 8x8. For example, if you need call recording, CRM integration, or single sign-on, you’ll need to upgrade to the Premium plan for $34.99 per user per month. So, it’s worth considering how important the extra features that RingCentral can offer are to your business.

8x8 Vs Ooma Office

Ooma Office offers a wide range of features at a price point that’s slightly lower than 8x8’s X2 plan. For $24.95 per user per month, Ooma Office includes unlimited calling and SMS in the US and Canada, video conferencing, call recording, ring groups, a virtual receptionist, and virtual fax.

However, Ooma Office isn’t as user-friendly as 8x8 and doesn’t offer internal messaging or as wide range of integrations. If you can take advantage of the 8x8 Express plan, or if you don’t mind spending a little more, 8x8 offers a platform that’s better suited to grow with your business.

8x8 Vs Intermedia

Intermedia offers many similar features to 8x8, including video conferencing for up to 200 participants, team messaging, voicemail transcription, and more. 

At $27.99 per user per month, Intermedia’s base plan is comparable in price to 8x8’s X2 plan. You won’t get unlimited international calling, but you do get a desktop phone for every user. In addition, Intermedia offers basic call center features like call queuing and reception management.

Is 8x8 Right For Your Business?

8x8 is a user-friendly and full-featured VoIP platform that delivers excellent value for the money. All 8x8 plans include HD video conferencing without duration limits. In addition, the mid-tier X2 plan provides unlimited calling and SMS to 14 countries, saving your business from paying the per-minute rates that most competitors charge.

8x8 also has several other attractive features, including team messaging, real-time analytics, and an advanced suite for receptionists. The company takes security extremely seriously and is HIPAA and PCI-compliant. On top of all that, 8x8 offers integrations with dozens of popular business applications, including most major CRM software platforms.

Notably, 8x8 doesn’t have productivity tools that can help your employees place calls faster (for example, an auto-dialer) or take notes on calls (for example, AI-enabled call transcription). But for businesses that host a lot of meetings or need to place calls around the world, 8x8 is hard to beat.