Companies around the world are continuously improving business communication systems and are switching to internet-enabled devices, which offer advanced and more global communication systems. If your business is thinking of making a move to IP technology, it is a possibility that you are facing difficulties in choosing the right VoIP service provider.
8×8
8×8 is the world’s first cloud-based communications provider, serving over 1 million businesses around the globe to collaborate and communicate effectively through their network. It is simple to use and comes with a bundle of features that makes it one of the best VoIP phone systems for small and mid-sized companies. It offers the service known as plug and play. The company provides you with the handset, in which you can install the 8×8 VoIP service and start working immediately. It also offers different functions through desktop and mobile applications. The hardware phones are completely optional. The following are some of the pros and cons related to the 8×8 VoIP service. Let us discuss those in a bit more detail manner.
Pros
- Pricing
8×8 offers four different pricing plans that your business can choose from depending upon the requirement. These include 8×8 Express, which will cost $12 per month per user, X2 at $25 per user per month, X4 at $45 per user per month, and X6 at $110 per user per month. With 8×8 Express, you get unlimited calling within the United States and Canada. All other plans offer unlimited calling in several countries ranging from 14 to 47 countries.
- Features
The companies offer a wide array of features that includes auto attendant, call forwarding, ring groups, screen sharing, Office 365 integrations, music on hold, voicemail to email, desktop, and mobile applications, among others depending on the plan you choose.
- Customer Support
When it comes to customer support offered by 8×8, it is one of the better ones available in the market at present. The customer support team can be reached using the phone numbers, live chat, and email. They are available 24×7, 365 days a year.
Cons
- Free Trial
The company does not offer a free trial with all of its different plan offerings. It is only available with the entry plan that is the 8×8 Express plan. For everything else, your business will have to pay the fee upfront.
Vonage
Vonage is one of the better-established names in the communication business. It has been serving customers all around the world since 2001, by delivering affordable and reliable communication system. It offers services to all sizes of companies, be it small, medium, or large. If your business is looking for a reliable and affordable VoIP service provider, Vonage Business solution is worth considering. The services are easy to set up and can get your business communication started within a few minutes. It is that simple. The following are some of the pros and cons related to Vonage VoIP service. Let us discuss those in a bit more detail manner.
Pros
- Pricing
Vonage Business solution comes in three different plan offerings, which includes Mobile, Premium, and Advanced. You can choose between these options depending upon the number of lines your business needs. The pricing for these plans is $19.99 per month per line, $29.99 per month per line, and $39.99 per month per line, respectively. You will have to pay taxes and fees separately.
- Free Trial
One good thing about Vonage as compared to 8×8 is that it offers a free trial with all of its three different plans offering. So regardless of which plan you opt for, you get a 14-day free trial to test out their service.
- Features
Vonage has several useful features to offer, including call screening tools, caller ID, and web conferencing, call log sharing, music on hold, auto-attendant, do not disturb, and tool-free numbers. In addition to this, there is an Android and iOS mobile application that allows employees to work remotely.
Cons
- Customer Support
The customer support offered by Vonage is not quite impressive as compared to other services. Though they offer live chat, phone, and email support – the customer support executives are not technically sound. At times they fail to answer your queries.
Mitel
Headquartered in Canada, Mitel is serving millions of customers in over 100 countries around the world. When it comes to business communication solutions, Mitel is one of the leaders in the industry, offering a reliable and robust solution to the business of different sizes and industries. Mitel VoIP services offer feature-rich and flexible pricing options to grow with your business as and when it expands. With multiple plans to choose from, your business can ensure that the employees receive what they want to best support their job responsibilities and duties, at affordable pricing. The following are some of the pros and cons related to Mitel VoIP service. Let us discuss those in a bit more detail manner.
Pros
- Pricing
The Mix and Match pricing offered by Mitel includes three plans to choose from as per your requirements of features and users. These plans are Essentials at $20.99 per user per month, Premier at $26.59 per user per month, and Elite at $38.49 per user per month. All of these plans are affordable and provides unlimited calling minutes per month.
- Features
It does not have a wide range of features as compared to the other two providers discussed above. Some of the features offered by Mitel Business VoIP includes instant messaging, video collaboration, call recording, salesforce integration outlook and google suite integration and others. It is missing features such as ring groups and auto-attendants, which are important for small businesses.
Cons
- Contract
All of the above-discussed plans and pricing of Mitel Business VoIP solutions are based upon a 36-month contract. It means that your business cannot leave Mitel without paying their dues, in case if you no longer want to use their service till the contract expires.
- Free Trial
It is one of those service providers that do not offer a free trial with any of their three plans. You will have to pay the fee upfront and get using the services later on.
Comparison – Which is better?
All of the three VoIP service providers are well-known for their reliable and high-quality voice call. However, in terms of feature offering, 8×8 and Vonage have a lot to offer as compared to Mitel. In terms of pricing, 8×8 is the most expensive service out of the three providers. But it also has a wide range of advanced features such as ring groups to offer, which is not provided by the other two providers. When it comes to free trials, only Vonage offers it with all of its different plans and 8×8 offers with the entry-level plan. It is not offered by Mitel, which is something that the company can consider in the future. All in all, which provider is better suited for your business depends upon the specific requirements. About other providers click here.