If you’ve been comparing business VoIP providers for more than five minutes, you’ve almost certainly come across both Vonage and 8×8. Both are well-established, well-known platforms serving businesses that have moved beyond basic calling and want something with more substance.
While both offer unified communications with CRM integrations, video conferencing and tiered pricing plans, their differences are also evident.
Vonage has leaned heavily into customisation and flexibility, allowing businesses to build their setup with a range of add-ons and integrations. Meanwhile, 8×8 makes a compelling case for businesses who have a global footprint and rely on international calling.
Who Are Vonage And 8×8 Built For?
Both platforms target small to medium-size businesses and upward, but they appeal to slightly different buyer profiles.
Vonage: First and foremost, it’s highly customisable. Businesses can tailor their setup to fit their team’s specific workflows. They support over 120,000 businesses globally and integrate with a range of third-party tools. It’s a natural fit for businesses who already have a CRM or helpdesk and want their phone system to slot neatly into that ecosystem.
8×8: They have been part of the industry since 1987 and have evolved into a full cloud communications platform. The company serves over 3 million business users, with their strongest selling point being international reach.
Features: Flexibility vs All-in-One Depth
Vonage: Their plans come with more than 40 standard features which cover the essentials. Unlimited calling, team messaging, video conferencing as well as mobile and desktop apps. On higher-tier plans, teams can get CRM integrations, a virtual receptionist, advanced analytics and call monitoring.
The platform’s real strength, though, is its flexibility. Through an admin portal, users can add on additional features from shared business inboxes to call recording and toll-free numbers. It’s ideal because you only pay for what you actually use.
8×8: They take an integrated approach which they call their XCaaS platform (Experience Communications as a Service). Essentially, voice, video and team messaging all live in one place under one license. The cohesion is a real advantage for businesses who want everything to work together without piecing together different products.
All voice plans include enterprise-grade features from auto-attendant and call recording to call queues and call monitoring. Their video meetings can support up to 500 participants on the higher plans, which is well above average for the category.
Pricing: Add-Ons vs Bundles
Vonage: Pricing starts at £10 per user per month for its entry-level Express plan. The Core plan adds unlimited domestic calling and vide meetings with up to 200 participants sits at £18 per user per month. The most popular tier is the Pro plan at £20 per user per month with CRM integrations, on-demand call recording and advanced analytics. For £25 per user per month, the Max plan adds company-wide call recording and the full Vonage Integration Suite.
The add-on model means your monthly bill can creep up if you start adding features, so it’s recommended to get an itemised quote before signing a contract.
8×8: The X2 tier includes unlimited calling to 14 countries including the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany and Australia for around £22 per user per month. The X4 extends to 48 countries with no per-minute charges, at £32 per user per month. For businesses making heavy international calls, there are significant savings there compared to paying per-minute rates elsewhere.
It is worth noting that 8×8 bundles more into its core plans compared to Vonage’s add-on model, which makes the total cost of ownership easier to forecast. The trade-off is less flexibility because you get a set package rather than a customisable build.
Ease Of Use And Support
Vonage: The platform is user-friendly with a clean interface and straightforward onboarding process. Opinions around customer support are a bit more varied, some find it responsive and helpful, others less so. It’s best to check what support level is included in your desired plan ahead of time so you know what to expect.
8×8: They have a 99.999% uptime guarantee and overall, the platform is reliable. Some users have indicated that calls are occasionally dropped and notifications missed, specifically on the mobile app.
The Verdict: Is Vonage Or 8×8 Right For Your Business?
Overall, both platforms are highly capable of giving your team a solid phone system. But ultimately, they suit different types of businesses.
If you prefer a more flexible platform where you an customise as you’d like, Vonage is the preferable option. It also works well if your business already uses tools like Salesforce or Microsoft Teams because it integrates smoothly with them.
On the other hand, 8×8 is the ideal choice if you want an all-in-one platform where everything is bundled and works together. Or, if international calling is a big part of your business.
Simply put, Vonage gives you the freedom to build exactly what you need while 8×8 gives you a platform that’s already been built.
