8x8

What is 8x8

8x8 is a cloud communications provider that bundles business telephony, team collaboration, and contact center capabilities into a single platform. The company focuses on delivering hosted voice (VoIP), video conferencing, team messaging, and customer contact center services via a multi-tenant cloud architecture optimized for global calling and compliance.

8x8 positions its products to replace premise PBXs and point solutions by unifying voice, meetings, chat, and contact center controls under a common administration layer. The platform supports global phone numbers, PSTN termination, and carrier-grade routing to serve distributed teams and multi-site organizations.

Deployment options include browser and desktop clients, native iOS and Android mobile apps, SIP desk phone support, and integrations with business applications. 8x8 emphasizes uptime, call quality, and regulatory compliance for industries that must meet security and privacy standards.

8x8 features

8x8 packages capabilities across core communications and customer experience products, with features organized around business phone service, meetings, team collaboration, and contact center operations.

• Business phone service: cloud PBX, auto-attendants, call routing, call queues, voicemail-to-email, global DID numbers, emergency calling and local number portability.
• Video meetings and collaboration: HD video meetings, screen sharing, meeting recordings, meeting transcription, and webinar-style meeting modes.
• Contact center: omnichannel queues (voice, chat, email, SMS), workforce management, quality management, real-time and historical reporting, IVR, and omnichannel routing.
• Integrations and APIs: CRM connectors, single sign-on (SSO), calendar and presence sync, telephony APIs, and SDKs for embedding voice and video in customer apps.

The platform also offers administrative and security features such as multi-level administration, role-based access control, audit logs, encryption in transit, and compliance certifications for enterprise customers.

What does 8x8 do?

8x8 delivers hosted telephony and unified communications so organizations can run voice, video, and messaging without on-premises PBX hardware. Phone numbers, call routing, and user services are hosted in the provider’s cloud and managed through a centralized admin console.

For customer service operations, 8x8 provides a cloud contact center that centralizes inbound and outbound interactions across channels, applies skills-based routing, and supplies reporting and workforce management tools to optimize agent performance.

Developers and IT teams can extend 8x8 through APIs and SDKs to automate provisioning, pull call records for analytics, integrate telephony into CRMs, or embed voice/video into other business applications.

8x8 pricing

8x8 offers these pricing plans:

• Starter: $12/month per user (typical entry-level cloud phone plan when billed annually)
• Standard: $24/month per user (adds advanced call handling, integrations, and higher usage limits)
• Advanced: $44/month per user (includes contact center basics and advanced analytics)
• Enterprise: custom pricing for high-scale contact center deployments and advanced security/compliance needs

Pricing for full contact center suites, omnichannel bundles, or add-on modules (recording, WFM, QC, analytics) can increase per-user or per-seat costs. Check 8x8's detailed pricing plans and package comparisons for the latest rates and enterprise options.

Note: 8x8 frequently offers regional plans, promotional discounts for annual billing, and quotes for large deployments. Consult the vendor for final terms, international calling bundles, and carrier taxes or regulatory fees that affect total cost.

How much is 8x8 per month

8x8 starts at $12/month per user for an entry-level cloud phone plan when billed annually. Mid-tier unified communications and contact center bundles commonly range from $24/month to $44/month per user depending on features, channels, and limits.

Monthly rates for high-end contact center users or licensed supervisor seats can exceed the mid-tier range; agent seats with workforce management and advanced analytics are priced higher. For month-to-month flexibility, expect higher rates than annual commitments.

How much is 8x8 per year

8x8 costs $144/year per user for the entry-level plan when the vendor’s annual billing is applied to the $12/month baseline. Mid-tier plans billed annually fall into the $288/year to $528/year per user range depending on feature level.

Enterprise and contact center bundles are typically quoted on an annual contract basis with custom pricing that factors in seat counts, geographic coverage, and optional modules like recording retention or workforce management.

How much is 8x8 in general

8x8 pricing ranges from $12/month per user to $44+/month per user. Entry-level business phone packages are at the low end, unified communications with meetings and integrations sit in the mid-range, and full omnichannel contact center solutions with analytics and workforce management occupy the high end.

Total cost of ownership should include hardware (if using desk phones), international calling plans, add-on modules (reporting, WFM), and any professional services for migrations and PSTN porting.

What is 8x8 used for

8x8 is used to replace traditional on-premises PBX systems with a cloud telephony service that supports voice calling, conferencing, and messaging for distributed teams. Organizations use 8x8 for day-to-day communications, remote work enablement, and consolidating telephony under a single vendor support model.

Customer service teams use 8x8 to implement omnichannel contact centers that route customer interactions across voice, chat, email, and SMS, apply workforce scheduling, and produce reports for service-level management. This reduces the need to assemble multiple point products for each channel.

IT teams also use 8x8 for global number management, centralized administration, and call analytics to inform capacity planning, compliance, and business continuity. Developers use APIs and SDKs to integrate telephony workflows into CRM and business apps.

Pros and cons of 8x8

8x8 provides an integrated suite that reduces the complexity of running separate vendors for voice, meetings, and contact center functions. Customers benefit from a single admin console, unified billing, and cross-product analytics. The cloud model simplifies remote work and enables rapid scaling.

Operational pros include global PSTN coverage, built-in reporting and workforce management in higher tiers, and modern client apps for desktop and mobile. For contact centers, omnichannel routing and supervisor tools reduce the need for third-party add-ons.

Limitations can include pricing that becomes significant at large scale when many add-on modules are required, potential regional availability differences for specific features, and dependency on an external vendor for call quality and local regulatory compliance. Some organizations with very specialized telephony needs may prefer open-source platforms or telecom-focused providers for deeper protocol-level control.

8x8 free trial

8x8 typically offers free trials or demo accounts for prospective customers to test cloud phone, meeting, and contact center features. Trials allow admins to provision users, try the desktop and mobile clients, and validate call routing and meeting capabilities.

The free trial may be limited in duration (commonly 7 to 30 days) and in access to advanced contact center modules such as workforce management or long-term recording retention. Trials are useful to test call quality from specific geographic locations and to assess integrations with your CRM or directory services.

To start a trial and understand trial feature limits, contact 8x8 sales or request a trial through 8x8's official trial and demo request channels.

Is 8x8 free

No, 8x8 does not offer a fully featured free plan for business use. 8x8 provides free trials or demo access for evaluation but the production services are subscription-based and billed per user or per agent depending on the product.

Small teams evaluating options can use trial accounts or limited-time promotional offers, but long-term use requires a paid plan with associated monthly or annual fees.

8x8 API

8x8 publishes APIs and developer resources that let organizations integrate telephony data, provisioning, and real-time communications into their applications. The developer platform includes RESTful APIs for call records, provisioning, and system configuration, plus SDKs to embed voice and video into web or mobile apps.

APIs support call control, event hooks, webhook delivery for real-time events, and interfaces for retrieving historical CDRs and agent performance metrics. This enables integration with CRMs, analytics platforms, and custom reporting systems.

For teams building deeper integrations or custom embedded communications, 8x8 provides WebRTC-based SDKs and documentation on the developer portal. Developers should consult 8x8's official developer documentation to review API endpoints, rate limits, authentication patterns, and sample code: view 8x8's developer documentation for API reference and SDKs at 8x8's developer site (https://developer.8x8.com).

10 8x8 alternatives

• RingCentral — cloud phone and contact center provider with broad integrations and a large partner ecosystem
• Zoom — video-first collaboration platform with Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center options
• Cisco Webex — enterprise-grade unified communications and contact center with hardware options
• Vonage — cloud communications with programmable APIs and UCaaS bundles
• Microsoft Teams — collaboration platform with calling and contact center integrations through Microsoft 365
• 8x8 Contact Center — (see 8x8 offerings) — included here for product comparison within provider portfolio
• Twilio — programmable communications platform for building custom voice, messaging, and contact center solutions
• Google Voice — simple cloud calling for G Suite customers and SMBs
• Mitel — business phone and cloud contact center solutions for mid-market customers
• Nextiva — cloud phone service with integrated customer experience features

Paid alternatives to 8x8

• RingCentral: Offers unified communications and contact center bundles with extensive integrations and add-on modules for large deployments. RingCentral pricing is generally comparable to other enterprise UCaaS vendors and varies by plan.
• Zoom: Provides Zoom Phone and Zoom Contact Center as paid upgrades to the core meeting product; good choice where video-first collaboration is a priority.
• Cisco Webex: Enterprise-grade security, advanced meeting features, and hardware endpoints; often chosen by organizations that require deep networking and hardware integration.
• Vonage: Programmable and packaged UCaaS options with focus on APIs for developers and flexible telephony features.
• Microsoft Teams: Included in Microsoft 365 SKUs for many organizations; paid add-ons and direct routing provide telephony capabilities for enterprises.

Open source alternatives to 8x8

• Asterisk: Widely used open-source PBX engine that can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud for full control over telephony features and routing.
• FreeSWITCH: A scalable telephony platform for building custom voice, video, and messaging systems with granular control over media flows.
• Jitsi: Open-source video conferencing stack used for self-hosted video and collaboration solutions; good for organizations that want to host meetings in-house.
• Kamailio: High-performance SIP server for routing and managing SIP traffic at scale; often used by carriers and large hosted providers.
• OpenSIPS: SIP proxy/server for flexible and scalable SIP signaling and routing in custom telephony architectures.

Frequently asked questions about 8x8

What is 8x8 used for?

8x8 is used for cloud business communications and contact center operations. Organizations deploy it to replace on-premises PBXs, run remote and hybrid workforce communications, and manage customer interactions across voice, chat, and email channels.

Does 8x8 integrate with Salesforce?

Yes, 8x8 offers native and prebuilt integrations with major CRMs including Salesforce. The integration supports click-to-dial, screen-pop of customer records, call logging, and can be configured to record calls against Salesforce objects for agent workflows.

How much does 8x8 cost per user per month?

8x8 starts at $12/month per user for the entry-level cloud phone plan when billed annually; higher tiers that include contact center features range from $24/month to $44/month per user depending on the bundle and add-ons.

Is 8x8 HIPAA compliant?

Yes, 8x8 supports HIPAA-compliant deployments for healthcare customers on appropriate plans. Compliance typically requires specific contractual terms (BAA), configuration controls, and account-level settings to meet healthcare privacy requirements.

Can 8x8 be used as a business phone replacement?

Yes, 8x8 is designed to replace traditional business phone systems. It provides cloud PBX features, DID provisioning, auto-attendants, and desk phone support to migrate voice services off-premises.

Does 8x8 offer contact center features?

Yes, 8x8 includes omnichannel contact center functionality. The contact center product supports voice, chat, email, and SMS routing, supervisor controls, reporting, and workforce management in higher-tier plans.

Can I port my phone numbers to 8x8?

Yes, 8x8 supports number porting in most supported countries. Porting involves a transfer process coordinated with your current carrier and may require documentation and lead time depending on the region.

What security features does 8x8 provide?

8x8 provides encryption, role-based access control, and industry compliance controls. The platform typically offers TLS/SRTP for media and signaling, audit logging, and enterprise features such as SSO; exact certifications vary by plan and region.

Does 8x8 provide APIs and SDKs?

Yes, 8x8 offers RESTful APIs and WebRTC/SDKs for custom integrations. Developers can access call records, provisioning endpoints, and real-time events to embed or automate communications within business applications.

What support options are available for 8x8 customers?

8x8 provides tiered support including online documentation, standard support, and enterprise support plans. Support options include knowledge base articles, phone and ticketed support, and dedicated account or success managers for large deployments.

8x8 careers

8x8 hires for roles across engineering, product, sales, customer success, and contact center operations. The company often lists positions for cloud engineers, software developers, and customer service professionals as it operates a global cloud communications platform.

Candidates typically see job postings for regional offices as well as remote roles; 8x8 emphasizes experience in cloud, networking, and telecommunications for technical roles.

8x8 affiliate

8x8 works with channel partners, resellers, and technology integrators who can resell 8x8 subscriptions and provide deployment services. Partner programs commonly include training, certifications, and margin structures for selling 8x8 services.

Prospective affiliates should review 8x8's partner program details and contact the vendor for program requirements and partner onboarding resources.

Where to find 8x8 reviews

Customer reviews for 8x8 appear on major software review sites and industry publications. Look for detailed user feedback on performance, call quality, contact center features, and support experience on platforms like Gartner Peer Insights, G2, and TrustRadius.

For full product documentation, technical specifications, and the latest pricing details, consult 8x8's official pages such as the 8x8 product overview and pricing information.