8x8 vs. Dialpad: Head-to-Head Comparison

Summary: While 8x8 and Dialpad both offer a unified communications platform with voice, video, and team messaging functionality, they are very different solutions. Dialpad is an affordable business phone system that excels in voicemail transcription, team messaging, and real-time analytics, while 8x8 offers a robust, enterprise-ready communication suite with high security, reliable service, and advanced call monitoring.

8x8 has a better video conferencing platform than Dialpad, with a high participant cap, and advanced security features including end-to-end encryption. 8x8 also offers more phone features than Dialpad, with hot desking, unlimited online faxing, listen, whisper, and barge. On the other hand, Dialpad is significantly less expensive than 8x8 and still offers essential UCaaS capabilities like forwarding and routing, along with some advanced features like real-time transcription and analytics.

Due to its price and user-friendly interface, Diapad is best for SMBs that need some team collaboration functionality along with a solid business phone system.

8x8 is best for enterprises that need security and reliability. Global enterprises in particular can benefit from 8x8 as the provider offers unlimited calling in over 48 countries.

How We Compared 8x8 and Dialpad

We used the following criteria to compare Dialpad and 8x8:

• User experience: We compared the UIs of Dialpad and 8x8 in desktop and mobile apps, evaluating ease of use and the installation process
• Security and reliability: We looked at the security features of the two platforms such as SSO, data encryption, compliance certificates, and uptime SLAs
• Video conferencing capabilities: We evaluated the video meeting platforms of the two solutions looking at features, security, participant caps, etc.
• Features: We compared the features offered by each provider, particularly innovative and advanced features such as speech analytics
• Price and value: We looked at transparency in pricing, the features included in each pricing tier, and available add-ons
• Integrations: We compared the number of third-party applications each provider integrated with, the depth of these integrations, and the availability of custom integrations through APIs
• Call handling functionality: We evaluated the call handling features of both platforms such as forwarding, queues, routing rules, etc.
• Customer support: We compared the availability of customer support as far as both hours and channels, and whether priority support packages were available

8x8 vs Dialpad: At A Glance

Note that, while 8x8 and Dialpad both offer enterprise-level CCaaS platforms, this article compares 8x8 and Dialpad’s UCaaS solutions.

8x8 vs Dialpad Pricing and Plans

Summary: Dialpad offers significantly lower prices than 8x8 and more transparent pricing. 8x8 had previously listed its prices starting at $24 per user, per month, but it no longer lists its prices publicly and is completely quote-based. Based on this, it is possible that 8x8’s starting plan is higher than Dialpad’s mid-range Pro plan.

As a trade-off, 8x8 includes international calling while Dialpad does not. 8x8 also offers more advanced features than Dialpad, including call monitoring and hot desking, plus better security and reliability than Dialpad.

8x8 Pricing

8x8 has not been transparent with its pricing in over a year, but in the past, it has offered its two UCaaS plans (X2 and X4) at $24 and $44 per user, per month. 8x8 also offers a couple of paid add-ons, including cold media storage, speech analytics, and quality management.

Growing businesses can scale up to 8x8’s X6, X7, or X8 plans which are CCaaS plans with skills-based routing, intelligent IVR, auto dialing, and more.

For more information, see our detailed 8x8 pricing guide.

Dialpad Pricing

Dialpad offers three paid plans for its UCaaS platform. The Standard and Pro plans are $15 and $25 per user/month, respectively. Month-to-month pricing is $27 to $35 per user/month. Dialpad’s Enterprise plan, which includes a 99.9% uptime SLA and unlimited ring groups, has quote-based pricing.

Users can add on premium support, internet faxing capabilities, and professional installation. An upgraded Dialpad AI Meetings subscription lets users host video meetings of up to 150 participants for up to 5 hours.

For more information, see our detailed Dialpad pricing guide.

8x8 vs Dialpad: Voice Calling and SMS

Summary: Both 8x8 and Dialpad include unlimited calling in the US and Canada for all users. However, 8x8 also includes unmetered calling to 14 countries in its X2 plan and unmetered calling to 48 countries in its X4 plan. That said, 8x8 only offers SMS texting in the US and Canada, while Dialpad provides unlimited domestic texting and international texting at per-message rates.

Both providers support toll-free numbers, but neither includes toll-free minutes in plans. Both include essential call handling functionality such as multi-level auto attendant, voicemail transcription, and three-way calling.

Dialpad limits the number of ring groups for most users, but 8x8 has unlimited ring groups for all plans. 8x8 also includes advanced calling features that Dialpad does not, like call monitor, barge, whisper, hot desking, and Frontdesk, a dashboard enabling receptionists to quickly manage calls using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

Both 8x8 and Dialpad support SMS, MMS, and bulk texting, but Dialpad alone offers international texting to its Pro and Enterprise plan users. International texting rates are billed per message.

8x8 vs Dialpad: Video Meetings and Team Collaboration

Summary: Even with Dialpad’s AI Meetings add-on, 8x8 has a higher participant limit (500 vs. 150), duration limit (unlimited vs. 5 hours), and more advanced features like branding, audio sharing, and end-to-end encryption.

Dialpad includes the free version of its video conferencing platform, AI Meetings, in all plans. The free version is extremely limited and only allows users to host meetings of up to 10 participants for 45 meetings.

Dialpad’s included video platform includes basic features like emoji reactions, virtual backgrounds, meeting waiting room, and meeting lock. However, access to advanced features like co-hosting, auto dial-out, and AI-powered live meeting transcriptions are restricted to the Business plan starting at $15 per user, per month.

8x8, conversely, includes all video meeting features for all its UCaaS users, enabling them to host large video meetings of up to 500 with access to AI-powered meeting insights, host delegation, video recording, and more. 8x8 also allows for dial-in from 50+ countries with 11 toll-free numbers included, while Dialpad only allows dial-in from the U.S. and Canada.

8x8 vs Dialpad: Analytics

Summary: Both 8x8 and Dialpad offer real-time call activity and supervisor analytics, but Dialpad includes this feature in all plans, while 8x8 only includes analytics in its X4 plan. 8x8 offers speech analytics as a paid add-on, while Dialpad only includes speech analytics in its contact center platform.

Dialpad uses proprietary AI technology to deliver transcriptions and call data to supervisors in real-time. All users have access to real-time reporting, which includes missed calls, average speed to answer, abandoned calls, and more.  Users can choose to view call volume in easy-to-read heat maps.

8x8 is similar, with user-friendly dashboards that provide supervisors with company-wide, department, or extension user-level call metrics. 8x8 users can access custom reports on desktop and mobile devices, apply custom filters, extract data, and export reports to CSV or Excel.

Both Dialpad and 8x8 limit quality of service reports to upper-tier plans.

8x8 vs Dialpad: Third-Party Integrations

Summary: Both 8x8 and Dialpad have limited third-party integrations compared to competitors, but Dialpad only offers about 10 out-of-the-box integrations while 8x8 offers over 60.

Both Dialpad and 8x8 have a deep integration with Microsoft Teams, but Dialpad only includes this integration in some plans, while 8x8 includes it in all plans.

Both platforms include key CRM and productivity integrations such as Salesforce, Zendesk, Google, and Slack, but 8x8 includes niche integrations with Alvaria, Verint, and Aura.

Both providers allow developers to create custom integrations with communication APIs and webhooks.

8x8 vs Dialpad: Customer Support and Security

Summary: Both Dialpad and 8x8 offer live chat and web case support for all users, and live phone support for upper-tier plans. Both platforms have self-service options as well, but Dialpad’s knowledge base is more user-friendly and up to date, while 8x8 has a better support chatbot.

8x8 includes a 99.999% uptime SLA, SSO, secure endpoint provisioning, and E2EE on video calls for all users, while Dialpad includes SSO for all users but limits its 99.9% uptime SLA and data retention policy to Enterprise users. Both providers are HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO compliant.

8x8 users can reach customer support 24/7 via live chat or web ticket submission. Upper-tiered plans also have access to 24/7 live phone support on any issue, while all users can access phone support in an emergency. 8x8 also offers premium support packages that include a named support engineer, front-of-line pass, etc.

All Dialpad users have 24/7 access to multilingual web-based and chat-based support. Dialpad Pro and Enterprise plans include phone support, and priority routing is included for Enterprise users.Enterprise users also have access to a success manager, and installation can be purchased as an add-on.

8x8 vs Dialpad: Which Provider Should You Choose?

When choosing between 8x8 and Dialpad, the best option for your business depends on the size of your business, the number of third-party integrations you need, and how you plan to leverage automation and AI to streamline operations. Below, we’ve highlighted each platform’s ideal user base and biggest weaknesses.

8x8 and Dialpad Alternatives

Although 8x8 and Dialpad offer competitive communication and collaboration platforms, they may not be the best fit for your business.

Popular 8x8 alternatives like RingCentral and Zoom offer better video conferencing capabilities, while top Dialpad alternatives like Nextiva provide better self-service and reputation management tools. Additional alternatives to Dialpad and 8x8 include GoTo Connect, Ooma Office, and Grasshopper.