Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral.
8×8 tops our list of the best unified communications providers, earning an outstanding 4.7/5 overall score in our in-depth research. It continues to impress our experts, scoring the highest in our analyses of these systems’ features, customer support, security, and scalability. With a long list of functionalities, 8×8 can give you the communication versatility you need to thrive.
If you want to know more about your options, we’ve rounded up the eight best unified communications as a service (UCaaS) providers and compared them based on their communication channels and features. We’ve summarized everything you need to know about each UCaaS provider, from their price and ratings to their strengths and weaknesses.
If you want a personalized recommendation, use our free quote comparison tool. We’ll connect you with UCaaS providers that match the needs of your business, and they’ll be in touch with obligation-free quotes that are tailored to you.
Best overall | Best for small to medium businesses | Best for scaling businesses | Best for low cost 24/7 support Ooma | Best for flexible set up Nextiva | Best for low price longevity | Best for low cost international calling Net2Phone | Best for conversational AI |
| |||||||
Expert Rating 4.7 | Expert Rating 4.7 | Expert Rating 4.5 | Expert Rating 4.3 | Expert Rating 4.3 | Expert Rating 4.3 | Expert Rating 4.3 | Expert Rating 4.1 |
Price Custom | Price $20 – $35 per user, per month | Price $13.99 – $27.99 per user, per month | Price $19.95 – $29.95 per user, per month | Price $18.95 – $40.95 per user, per month | Price $26 – $32 per user, per month | Price $18.99 – $29.99 per user, per month | Price $15 per user, per month – Bespoke |
Key Features Onboarding support Call queue Ring groups Analytics Customizable call routing Call recording | Key Features Voicemail to text High-definition (HD) voice Multi-level auto attendant Visual voicemail and voicemail to email | Key Features Onboarding support Call queue Ring groups Call recording Call monitoring Analytics Web conferencing | Key Features Virtual receptionist Ring groups Music on hold One toll-free number | Key Features Unlimited calling within the US and CA Free local and toll-free number Voicemail to email notifications Auto attendant Busy lamp field Hold music | Key Features Existing number porting Local, toll-free & vanity numbers Auto attendant recorded greetings Ring groups Call queues International calling | Key Features Unlimited nationwide calling Unlimited international calling Auto attendant Call queue Ring groups Voicemail Busy lamp field | Key Features Unlimited calling High-definition (HD) voice Multi-level auto attendant Visual voicemail Departments/ring groups Hold queues |
What is UCaaS?
Unified Communications as a Service or UCaaS for short is software that brings together various communication channels.
The key features typically found in a UcaaS system include:
- Voice services: an integrated VoIP system can be used to make and receive calls.
- Video conferencing: alongside voice calls, you can also carry out virtual meetings.
- Email: you can connect with customers, clients, and colleagues via email on the software.
- Scalability: you can scale up or down with the software to meet your business needs and budget.
- Integrations: you can integrate with third-party platforms and other software such as VoIP and CRM to streamline your business operations.
UCaaS software helps to improve your business’s ability to collaborate and communicate with each other as well as customers. You can organize and streamline much more efficiently. Keep reading to find an aligned system for your business.
1. 8×8: Best Overall UCaaS Provider
When it comes to overall performance, 8x8 is the current frontrunner of all the UCaaS companies we researched, scoring an excellent 4.7/5 overall rating. 8x8 offers many features that can help you streamline your workflow, such as unlimited users, unlimited calls to up to 48 countries, and a wide variety of communication functionalities.
Comprehensive list of features
Up to 500 video conferencing participants per meeting
Extensive customer support
Widest range of pricing options
High cost
Mediocre customer score
Power dialer, predictive calling, and auto-dialer are added extras
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Express | $15 |
X2 | $24 |
X4 | $44 |
X6 | $85 |
X7 | $110 |
X8 | $140 |
8×8’s pricing is no longer public so the above prices may not be accurate. For a more accurate quote, you’ll need to contact the provider directly.
When it comes to collaboration tools, we like that 8×8 offers team messaging on all its plans to help establish synergy among your colleagues and partners. As well as its SMS and chat feature, it can also sync with various messaging apps like Fleep, Slack, and Telegram, helping you communicate seamlessly with your team.
We found that 8×8 also includes task management on its top three plans, helping you keep track of your team and their progress. There is also document tracking and Google Workspace integration across all plans, so you can share, edit and track changes on your documents for easier collaboration on paperwork.
Best of all, 8×8’s video conferencing can host up to 500 participants per meeting — that’s double what GoTo and Nextiva offer.
If there’s one thing to improve, it’s 8×8’s price. With a 2.5/5 score in our pricing evaluation, 8×8’s most advanced plan costs as much as $140 per user, per month. If you want friendlier price plans, we recommend Dialpad. Dialpad scores well on both our pricing (4.5/5) and features (4/5) analyses. For as little as $15 per user, per month, you’ll get a comprehensive list of inbound and outbound communication features: virtual receptionist, ring groups, external video calling, and SMS/chat.
▶ Read more: The Best VoIP Phone Systems in the US
2. RingCentral: Best UCaaS Provider for Small to Medium Businesses
The overall score RingCentral earnt in our research comes a close second after 8x8's. Nevertheless, it shines the brightest as the best phone system for small to medium businesses.
Up to 250 software integrations
An array of advanced call features in Premium and Ultimate plans
Some features require an upgrade to RingCentral Engage plan
Bulk of integrations are only available on Premium and Ultimate plans
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Essentials | $19.99 |
Standard | $27.99 |
Premium | $34.99 |
Ultimate | $49.99 |
With excellent scores in external connections (4.2/5), customer support (5/5), and scalability (4.9/5), we found that smaller businesses can sync a variety of the software they’re already using into RingCentral’s UCaaS interface, making for a simpler set up process. RingCentral can scale alongside your business’ growth, and can offer great support when you have a problem or question about the software.
RingCentral enables you to have unlimited users on the system, and provides unlimited domestic minutes, and local toll-free numbers. This makes it easier to connect with your clients and partners without incurring any cost. It also has an SMS feature, and video conferencing with up to 200 participants per meeting. Plus, it offers a long list of call features, such as call flip and call forwarding, so you can go mobile without worry. You’ll also get collaboration features, such as team messaging, document sharing, and task management to help streamline workflows for your team.
Based on our user testing, what truly sets RingCentral apart from the other providers on this list is that it offers 250 ready-made software integrations, empowering you to expanding your functionalities and communication channels. All this makes for increased scalability, letting you handle the demands of a growing company.
As for the drawback, RingCentral receives a mediocre 3.5/5 average user review score from sites like G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and TrustRadius. With this score ranking seventh out of eight providers, most users’ concerns revolve around contracts renewing automatically and how difficult they can be to cancel.
3. Vonage: Best UCaaS Provider for Scaling Businesses
Vonage is cloud-based and provides a simple, straightforward UCaaS for your communication needs. Earning a 4.5/5 pricing score in our research, it boasts over 50 communication and productivity features, including voicemail, customized call routing, team messaging, and video conferencing, at very reasonable prices.
Affordable plans
A variety of inbound communication features
Wide customer support channels
Most features cost extra
No 24/7 live support
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Mobile | $19.99 |
Premium | $29.99 |
Advanced | $39.99 |
We gave Vonage a scalability score of 4.5/5, as you can mix and match features, so you only pay for the functionalities you need. Offering an affordable price point and flexible plans, we recommend Vonage for businesses that start small and look to scale up. For example, features like call queue and call monitoring allow you to manage a growing number of calls.
Vonage enables an unlimited number of users, and provides unlimited domestic minutes, and localized toll-free numbers from its cheapest plan. Plus, ready-made integrations, such as Slack, Hubspot, Office 365, and Salesforce, are available across all pricing tiers. This means, as long as you operate in the US, you don’t have to get a plan upgrade when your business takes off. Vonage also has a document sharing feature and comes with workspace integrations, including Office 365 and GSuite, allowing you and your team to work efficiently.
That said, some features come at an extra cost, so you will have to pay more to increase the capabilities of your system. This includes features other UCaaS providers, like 8×8, include in their plans, such as SMS/chat and e-fax. Even Unytalk, Vonage’s UCaaS app that allows you to access its technology on your smartphone and other gadgets, costs a fee. Moreover, Vonage doesn’t come with any ready-made email integrations, like 8×8 and RingCentral do, so we recommend these systems if you’re looking for that.
4. Ooma: Best UCaaS Provider for Low-Cost 24/7 Support
Sometimes, tech issues cannot be avoided. Luckily, Ooma provides outstanding 24/7 customer service, scoring 4.5/5 in the customer support criteria of our in-depth research. So, any time you encounter an issue, reaching out to Ooma's support team is always an option.
Affordable 24/7 live support
High features score
Limited integration capabilities
Poor security features
Lack of outbound features
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Ooma Office | $19.95 |
Ooma Office Pro | $24.95 |
Ooma Office Pro Plus | $29.95 |
Starting at $19.95, we found that Ooma also has the most affordable plans of all the top UCaaS solutions that offer 24/7 live support. This means you don’t have to go over your budget to get quick, reliable assistance from this UCaaS provider.
In addition to this, Ooma provides a fantastic list of unified communications features to improve your team’s communication and productivity. We gave Ooma a 4.5/5 features score, you get a variety of functionalities, like call queues and ring groups. This will prove helpful when handling a large number of incoming calls.
One thing we recommend looking out for is Ooma’s limited collaboration and management features. For instance, Ooma’s video conferencing and analytics features are only available on the Ooma Office Pro plan and up, while team messaging, document sharing, call flip, and call forwarding are only available on Ooma’s higher-priced Enterprise plans. Unfortunately, these are essential UCaaS features that can help your team achieve streamlined communication and efficient workflow. Meanwhile, Dialpad provides these features on its cheapest plan, Standard (at $15 per user per month).
5. Nextiva: Best UCaaS Provider for a Flexible Set Up
Nextiva fared well in our research, notching a solid overall score of 4.3/5. Packed with collaboration features, including team messaging, voice and video conferencing, and file sharing, your team will have an easier time working together. It’s also one of the only two UCaaS providers on this list that offer the option to buy first-party desktop phones, alongside its compatibility with Cisco, Yealink, and Poly handsets.
Award-winning 24/7 customer support
Real-time system status alerts
Positive customer feedback
Below average security features
Limited outbound communication features
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Essential | $18.95 - $25.95 Dependent on the size of your team |
Professional | $22.95 - $30.95 Dependent on the size of your team |
Enterprise | $32.95 - $40.95 Dependent on the size of your team |
Since our last update in May 2023, Nextiva’s plans have been increased by a few dollars each.
Our research found that one of the best things about Nextiva, though, is its award-winning 24/7 customer support. Nextiva received a Stevie award for five consecutive years for excellent customer service, proving how helpful and reliable its support team is. This is because Nextiva’s 24/7 phone support is 100% human, which means more accurate problem analysis and solutions. As a result, there’s a lot of customer satisfaction in evidence across review sites like G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, and TrustRadius, with an outstanding average customer review score of 4.5/5.
The drawback is Nextiva’s limited outbound communication features, earning it a lower score of 3.9/5 in our features analysis. Advanced features such as a power dialler, predictive dialling, and call whisper, which enable you to reach your team members and communicate with clients easily, are not available. If you want these sophisticated outbound communication features, you can get them on 8×8’s top three most expensive plans at an additional cost.
6. GoTo: Best UCaaS Provider for Low-Price Longevity
Offering good value for money (scoring 4.3/5 in our pricing criteria) and great adaptability (with a 4.4 scalability score) when compared with the other top UCaaS providers, our researchers determine GoTo's unified communications software, GoToConnect, as the best UCaaS system for low-cost longevity.
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Basic | $27 |
Standard | $32 |
With GoTo, you’ll be getting great value for your money, especially if you’re looking to expand over the long term. For as little as $24 per user, per month, you’ll be able to add unlimited users to your system, and get unlimited domestic minutes, and a localized toll-free number.
GoTo also offers a generous list of inbound communication features like call queues and ring groups, helping you give a hassle-free experience to calling customers. It also boasts video conferencing with up to 250 attendees — the second-largest number of participants after 8×8. Because of all this, combined with strong security measures, our researchers found that GoTo is scalable enough to partner with you from starting your business to growing globally, as it has the capability to evolve as your business expands. Moreover, GoTo is getting glowing reviews from users on sites like G2, Capterra, TrustRadius, and Trustpilot, earning a high average review score of 4.4/5.
On the other hand, GoToConnect could benefit from more ready-made integrations, scoring only 2.6/5 in our analysis of its integrability. As of now, GoTo only offers two out-of-the-box CRM integrations: Salesforce and Zoho CRM. That’s a far cry from RingCentral’s 97 CRM integrations. GoTo also falls short of collaboration features, dropping a few points and earning 3.4/5 in our features evaluation. For example, it doesn’t have workspace integrations, and its document sharing is only allowable through MMS. GoTo also doesn’t have a 24/7 user support channel like Ooma does.
7. Net2Phone: Best UCaaS Provider for Low-Cost International Calling
Net2Phone prides itself on being the only UCaaS provider that offers free international calling to more than 40 countries across all of its price plans. This means you can freely speak and collaborate with your team, clients, and customers across countries without being bound by time and fees.
Unlimited minutes to 40+ countries across all plans
99.9% uptime guarantee
Limited software integrations
Lacks call flip, barge, or whisper
Call queue only available on the highest plan
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Office | $18.99 Dependent on the size of your team |
Office Pro | $22.99 Dependent on the size of your team |
Office Power | $29.99 Dependent on the size of your team |
Since our last update in May 2023, the Office and Office Pro plans have dropped by a couple of dollars each.
Net2Phone lets you set up virtual phone numbers in over 500 countries and 300 cities. So if you plan to make waves in Europe, the Americas, or Asia, this UCaaS will help you establish your presence without breaking the bank. If you want to operate your business globally without incurring too many fees, we recommend Net2Phone as the UCaaS system for you.
The main disadvantage of using Net2Phone is its limited software integrations, earning it a low score of 2.8/5 in our analysis of its integrability. While other UCaaS can integrate with CRM software free of extra cost, Net2Phone offers Salesforce and Zoho CRM integrations for an additional $2 per user, per month on its Office and Office Pro pricing plans. And if you upgrade to its most advanced pricing tier, the Office Power plan, you’ll only get ready-made inetragions with SalesForce, Zoho CRM, MS Teams, and Slack.
Net2Phone also misses out on some collaboration tools, including document sharing and task management, that can help you and your team work jointly on projects and paperwork.
▶ Read more: The Best Entreprise Phone Systems
8. Dialpad: Best UCaas Provider for Conversational AI
When our researchers compared the features on offer, Dialpad came third in this criteria, earning a solid 4.4/5 score in the features category. It provides an impressive list of VoIP functionalities across all pricing plans, such as call flip, call forwarding, ring groups, voicemail-to-text, and analytics.
24/7 reliable customer service
Impressive list of communication features
Stellar customer reviews
Limited external connections
Low scalability
Plan | Starting price |
---|---|
Standard | $15 |
Pro | $25 |
Enterprise | Bespoke |
Although we found that it lacks document sharing, Dialpad does come with G Suite and Office 365 integrations, so you can work closely as a team. It also has chat/SMS, and team messaging integrations like Slack, allowing you to reach your team in an instant. If you want better collaboration, you can use its voice and video conferencing features, which are a standard on all Dialpad’s plans.
We found that what makes Dialpad unique among UCaaS providers is its focus on futuristic technology. It incorporates machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze conversations, enhancing your communication prowess. For example, Dialpad features real-time assist cards that can analyze and detect trigger words from your call and provide tailored and actionable suggestions to communicate effectively with your customers.
However, it does lack external integrations, which is why we gave it an integrability score of 2.4/5. Currently, Dialpad only comes with ready-made integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, Hubspot, Slack, G-Suite, and Office 365. If you use software other than these, you would have to open these apps on a separate window instead of finding them on one interface. That’s a far cry from RingCentral’s 200+ integrations. Nevertheless, Dialpad has an open API, so you can still integrate the software you need as long as you have the technical know-how.
How to Upgrade to a New UCaaS System?
It costs an average of around $25 per user, per month when switching to a new UCaaS system. If you are currently using a system but want to switch, speak to your new provider as they can help you to switch. If you are tied into a contract, check how long you have left, you might be able to ride out the system for a little while longer or your contract terms might allow you to leave the provider without penalty.
The best way to choose your next UCaaS system is to look at the providers on this page which cover a range of business needs or use our free quote comparison tool to get matched with the right system for your business.
The right system for your business will be one that has the features you need such as video conferencing, team messaging, and third-party integrations.
Our research points to 8×8 as the overall champion among the top unified communications companies in the US. It was a close competition between 8×8 and RingCentral, with both earning overall scores of 4.7/5 in our extensive research. At the end of our research, we gave the winning trophy to 8×8 as it comes with the most comprehensive collaboration features, including video conferencing with up to 500 participants per meeting. In addition, 8×8 scores the highest in four of our research categories: features, customer support, security, and scalability.
With an impressive list of features, 8×8 will give you the power to efficiently handle your team and solidify your teamwork. However, RingCentral comes in a close second, and bests the competition as the best UCaaS provider for small to medium businesses.
If you still can’t decide on which UCaaS to choose for your business, try our free quote comparison tool. Just answer a few questions about your business and we will match you up with the best UCaaS providers for you. They’ll then be in touch directly with obligation-free quotes that are customized to your needs. It’s a quick and easy way to compare the right options for your team.
How Did We Compare the Best UCaaS Providers?
We've researched and tested 10 market-leading VoIP phone systems, evaluating them in terms of functionality, usability, cost and security options, so we can make the most useful recommendations to US businesses.
Using our in-house research framework and ranking process, we evaluated each VoIP system across seven core categories of interest, each weighted differently, and then combined the results to come up with a final score.
Our main testing categories for VoIP products and services are:
- Cost: The pricing structure associated with the VoIP service, such as monthly subscription fees, call rates, setup fees, hardware costs, and any additional charges for add-on features or services.
- Call features: The functionalities and capabilities offered by the VoIP service, including basic features such as call forwarding and voicemail, as well as advanced features like auto-attendant and conference calling.
- External connections: The VoIP service's ability to connect and integrate with external systems or devices, such as compatibility with existing phone systems or integration with mobile devices.
- Customer support: The assistance and resources provided by the VoIP service provider to customers, including technical support, online resources, and access to customer support representatives.
- Security options: The measures and features implemented by the VoIP service to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and protection of voice communications and data.
- Scalability: The ability of the VoIP service to accommodate the growth and changing needs of an organization, e.g. capacity to handle a growing number of users or support multiple locations.
- Reputation: External customer opinion; the feedback and ratings given by customers who have used a particular VoIP product – the market position and reputation a VoIP software holds.
FAQs
The difference is that VoIP refers to voice as a communication medium (in other words, phone calls). Whereas UCaaS unifies various communication channels, including voice, alongside video chat, messaging, and collaboration tools, into one software. In other words, VoIP is one of the services a UCaaS platform will offer in a multichannel communication solution.
UCaaS is best suited to businesses that don’t want to have to create a communications platform, whereas, CPaaS is suited to businesses that have the expertise and resource to create a platform and want this high level of customization.