8x8 Alternatives: The Top 4 for Customer-Centric Teams

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Choosing the right cloud-based phone solution for your business often centres around standard features like call transfers, voicemail, and unlimited text messages. While these are key features to consider, they shouldn’t overshadow the importance of finding a tool that helps improve the service your customer support and sales teams offer.

89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience. Conversely, roughly 61% of customers say they would switch to a new brand after even just one bad experience.

That’s why it’s so important to find a reliable customer communications platform. We’ve compiled a list of the four best 8x8 alternatives on the market to help your customer-facing teams delight prospects and turn conversations into conversions.

TL;DR 8x8 Alternatives

1. Aircall

2. GoTo Connect

3. Nextiva

4. Vonage

What is 8x8?

8x8 is a contact centre and cloud communications solution that integrates voice, video conferencing, and chat functions into a centralised platform.

8x8 features

8x8 features include the following: 

• Auto-attendant

• Team messaging

• Voicemail to email

• Call management

These features help you manage both internal and external communication more effectively and create an omnichannel customer journey. 

8x8 pricing

8x8 has five pricing tiers. While prices aren’t available on the 8x8 website, customer support representatives from the company explain that the X2 package starts at $25/month/user. This plan includes limited features like calling in 14 countries, call handling, and voicemail with transcription. 

For customer-centric teams looking for a package with added features such as IVR, analytics, and call routing, you’ll need to look at their X6, X7, or X8 plans. These all fall under contact centre licenses, and the prices vary depending on your requirements.

8x8 main use cases

8x8 is primarily used for:

• Customer engagement: The platform helps you provide a solid customer experience with features like omnichannel support and customer experience analytics. 

• Internal collaboration: 8x8 helps dispersed and remote teams stay in contact via any device. 

• Sales and customer service interactions: Integrations with CRM platforms help you provide a cohesive experience to customers and prospects. 

Should Your Business Look for an 8x8 Alternative?

According to G2 reviews, some users have reported that 8x8 falls short in critical areas, such as missing features and challenges with transferring calls. These shortcomings can impact the efficiency and overall satisfaction of your team and customers.

Having advanced features and top-notch customer support in your contact centre offering is crucial. So if your business needs a phone solution that goes beyond basic call features and is purposefully built to enhance the customer experience from start to finish, then it’s worth exploring alternatives. 

The Top Four Alternatives to 8x8

To guide you through choosing the right business phone solution for your business, we’ve compiled a list of the top four 8x8 alternatives on the market. Make an informed decision based on integrations, features, price comparisons, and pros and cons.

Aircall: Best for businesses needing a scalable solution that provides exceptional customer service and sales experiences

Aircall enhances the productivity and performance of customer support and sales teams. With an intuitive interface, seamless integration with over 100 business tools, and advanced features like call routing, analytics, and real-time coaching, Aircall empowers teams to close deals faster and provide exceptional customer experiences. 

Its transparent pricing, responsive customer support, and consistently high ratings on platforms like G2 make Aircall one of the top choices for businesses looking for a reliable and efficient customer communications platform.

What makes it a good alternative to 8x8?

Aircall stands out as a superior alternative to 8x8, particularly for businesses focused on sales and customer-centric interactions. The platform’s 100+ integrations streamline workflows and help you ensure a smooth and consistent customer journey. 

And its AI features, such as call transcription, automated summaries, and key topic recognition, provide valuable insights that help teams optimise their performance. Finally, Aircall’s reliability means the customer experience never suffers, with exceptional call quality and 99.95% uptime. 

Finally, users find Aircall incredibly easy to use, with straightforward features and intuitive integrations—meaning your team will be able to start making the most of the platform in no time. 

“Aircall has completely transformed how we communicate with its seamless interface and unparalleled functionality. From effortless call management to crystal-clear audio quality, every feature enhances our productivity and professionalism. With Aircall, our communication has never been sweeter – it's simply the perfect solution for businesses of all sizes.” 
—G2 reviewer

• Free Trial? Yes

• Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 100+

• Entry-Level Features: Softphone for desktop, Android, and iOS; Warm Transfer; CRM integration; business hours; call centre analytics; call queuing; IVR; plus an additional 50+ features for all users regardless of the pricing plan they’re on

• Rating: 4.3 stars

Price: $30/month/user (annual billing)

See for yourself how Aircall can help you boost revenue and build better customer relationships. Sign up for a free 7-day trial. 

GoTo Connect: Best for organisations with multiple locations

GoTo Connect comes with convenient call scheduling features

Source

GoTo Connect’s customer engagement software centralises communications for businesses of all sizes. With an all-in-one platform that includes a phone system, softphone, and digital engagement channels, the tool simplifies customer interactions and enhances team collaboration. 

Its drag-and-drop Dial Plan Editor, customisable call-routing schedules, and in-depth analytics empower businesses to manage communications efficiently. 

What makes it a good alternative to 8x8?

GoTo Connect is a strong alternative to 8x8, particularly for businesses looking for a more intuitive and user-friendly experience. The platform’s seamless setup process and easy-to-navigate interface make it accessible even for teams without extensive technical expertise. 

Additionally, its excellent voice quality and call management features, such as customisable call flows and real-time analytics, ensure smooth and effective communication. 

• Free Trial? No

• Number of Entry-Level Integrations: Not specified (80+ available in total)

• Entry-Level Features: IVR, queues, web chat, Facebook integration, standard reporting

• Rating: 4.4 stars

• Price: Contact sales for a quote.

Nextiva: Best for creating personalised customer experiences

Use Nextiva to manage calls, send text messages, and hold video conferences from your desktop or mobile device

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Nextiva’s cloud-based Unified Customer Experience Management (CXM) platform is designed to transform how businesses engage with their customers across all touchpoints. The platform comes with a suite of features focused on personalised experiences, including inbound/outbound voice, business SMS, live chat, and social media channels, all integrated into a single platform.

AI-powered tools, such as intelligent virtual assistants and sentiment analysis, enhance customer interactions, while comprehensive analytics and reporting help businesses optimise every step of the customer journey.

What makes it a good alternative to 8x8?

Nextiva is a good alternative to 8x8 for businesses looking to use advanced AI capabilities and a unified approach to customer experience management. The platform integrates a wide range of digital channels, allowing businesses to connect with customers on their preferred platforms and track social engagement and customer reviews seamlessly. 

Nextiva’s low-cost digital plan, though limited, offers an entry point for businesses looking to explore omnichannel customer engagement without a significant upfront investment.

• Free Trial? No

• Number of Entry-Level Integrations: Limited to social media and online review platforms

• Entry-Level Features: Live chat, messaging, email, unified digital user inbox 

• Rating: 4.5 stars

• Price: Starting at $20/month/user (annual billing)

See our Nextiva alternatives comparison for more information. 

Vonage: Best for organisations with specific customisation and integration requirements

Vonage offers both a desktop and mobile app so your team can stay connected wherever they are.

Source

Vonage's cloud-native solution, Vonage Contact Centre (VCC), is designed to enhance customer engagement while improving team productivity and satisfaction. Its suite of omnichannel features, including voice, digital channels, and video conferencing, are all seamlessly integrated with CRM systems for an optimised customer experience. 

The platform's standout features include advanced AI-driven routing, customer engagement tools, and analytics for real-time insights. 

What makes it a good alternative to 8x8?

Vonage provides a more flexible and integrated solution than 8x8, especially for businesses needing a seamless omnichannel experience. It easily integrates with existing CRM systems, offering features like click-to-dial, dynamic routing, and auto-logging of calls. 

Users appreciate its unlimited domestic calling, easy-to-use admin portal, and superior texting and chatting features, which are crucial for engaging customers across various channels. With AI-driven tools like conversation analysis and virtual assistants, Vonage enhances the customer experience, making it a versatile alternative to 8x8.

• Free Trial? No

• Number of Entry-Level Integrations: 20+

• Entry-Level Features: Mobile and desktop apps, unlimited voice calls, and unlimited team messaging

• Rating: 4.3 stars

• Price: Starting at $13.99/month/line (plus taxes and fees)

See our Vonage alternatives comparison for more information, or check out an in-depth review of Grasshopper vs. Vonage.  

Top Features to Look for in an 8x8 Alternative

When looking for an alternative cloud-based phone provider, it’s easy to feel lost among so many seemingly similar platforms. Ultimately, you need a unified communications system that ensures all customer support and sales interactions are efficient and consistent, which will lead to better overall agent performance and improved customer satisfaction.

Here are the top six features to look for in an 8x8 alternative to find the right fit for your customer-centric team.

1. Warm transfer

Warm transfer feature allows team members to speak to one another on a private line before transferring phone calls. This ensures that no team member needs to play catch-up at your client’s expense and allows your customer support team to give accurate and relevant advice without unnecessary delays.

2. Call centre analytics

Call centre analytics enable teams to track critical metrics, such as wait time, missed calls, and call volume, in one place so they can improve their call centre operations and provide a better customer experience. Call centre analytics features should also allow businesses to filter information to easily track and monitor specific call data when needed.

3. Business hours

The business hours function lets your customer support team set customised schedules to confirm when each of your numbers is available to receive calls. This includes the option to change it depending on individual preferences, schedules, or seasonal changes, so you can set expectations with customers and make sure they are met.

4. CRM integration

To run an efficient and effective customer support team, your team members will need all relevant customer information available in a moment’s notice. That’s why seamless CRM integration with tools like HubSpot and Salesforce is a vital component of the ideal 8x8 alternative. The platform should also integrate with your helpdesk tools to keep all conversations connected.

5. Activity feed

An intuitive and easy-to-use activity feed helps you accurately track and manage your team’s call activity. This also allows customer support leaders to coach their team in real time and highlights any potential operational weaknesses that could use improvement.

6. User friendly interface

A user-friendly interface ensures agents are able to efficiently navigate desktop and mobile apps without wasting time on complex systems. This ease of use improves productivity, reduces training time, and leads to faster, more effective customer interactions. 

Why Aircall Takes the Lead as the Ideal 8x8 Alternative

Aircall equips businesses with all the necessary tools to enable better conversations, collaboration, and customer support. But when looking into business phone solutions for customer-centric teams, it’s vital to also look at how it integrates with your team, processes, and business tools.

Ultimately, you need a phone system that keeps the focus where it needs to be—the customer experience. Here are five reasons Aircall’s 19,000+ customers consider it the ideal 8x8 alternative:

1. Collaboration made easy. Good customer service hinges on a team’s ability to collaborate and communicate. Aircall’s collaboration features, such as call commenting and warm transfers, allow your customer support team to stay aligned and up to date about the latest updates of each call.

1. A leading app ecosystem for voice. The Aircall app marketplace includes 100+ integrations and connects with all your critical tools and workflows. All integrations are available to users regardless of their plan tier, and you can connect the platform to CRM, helpdesk, productivity, sales automation, and workforce management tools, among others. 

2. Better context into your customer’s needs. When your clients need answers, you should be able to deliver specific solutions immediately. Aircall’s analytics features allow your team to gain real-time updates and insights and better understand and prepare for each individual call. And Call Whispering enables team members to advise behind the scenes and make an impact in the moment, which is particularly helpful during employee training.

3. Consistent clear call quality. When it comes to customer support, nothing can be more damaging than poor call quality. Aircall has built a stable foundation you can trust to carry out all your conversations. Aircall works with world-class voice carriers and local providers in select markets to ensure excellent quality and reliability on every call.

4. Less manual data entry. Reduce redundant and time-consuming tasks and gain additional weekly hours. Aircall automatically syncs all call notes and tags to your helpdesk. This allows your customer-facing teams to spend less time logging information and more time where it really matters—helping customers.

With its seamless and extensive integrations, advanced call management features, and a user-friendly interface tailored for sales and support teams, Aircall is the leading 8x8 alternative. Plus, the platform’s responsive, in-house customer support ensures your team is always equipped to deliver exceptional service.

Experience Aircall for yourself and see how your customer support team can start—and continue—better conversations. 

Try Aircall today and discover a seamless communication experience designed to support your growth.

Published on September 6, 2024.