8x8 vs Lingo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, 8x8 grades higher than Lingo: 2.0 against 1.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
8x8 grades higher on features and platforms. Lingo grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick 8x8 if
- Fits if a receptionist handles lots of calls and needs to see who's free
- Works for offices that keep Microsoft Teams and just need phone lines inside it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price before talking to sales, as none is published
- Not for you if you want to try it first, as no free plan or trial is on record
- Watch out: the phone app rates 3.78 from about 8,700 App Store ratings
- Tight if you text a lot, since texts are charged by message segment and business SMS needs a campaign registration
- Watch out: the Frontdesk console needs an X4 license or higher, and the contact center is a separate product
Pick Lingo if
- Fits if you want your phone, broadband and security from one company
- Works for Microsoft Teams users who want calling in the Teams dialer
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need a price: the cloud phone page shows placeholder text and no plans
- Watch out: Calling for Teams is a separate product from the cloud phone system
- Not for you if you want clear app support, as only an iOS app is named
- Watch out: the pages we read look unfinished, so check details with the company
How we grade them
| 2.0GPA8x8Fair | 1.4GPALingoWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo published price on record: 8x8's site turned our reader away and its help center lists none, so you'll be getting a quote. With no figure it sits at the ordinary grade, and there's no per-head cost for five to give. | CThe cloud phone page shows placeholder text and a $22.99 figure, so no price could be confirmed. With nothing on record it sits at C. Calling for Microsoft Teams is advertised from $10 a user a month, a separate product. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or free trial on record. With no prices either, there's no way to see it before talking to 8x8. | FNo free plan or trial is listed, even though the placeholder page has a Try free button. |
| Features | BCalls, voicemail, texts, team chat, fax and video meetings in one app, with auto attendants, ring groups, queues, a receptionist console and CRM links. That's the whole job. Frontdesk needs an X4 license or higher. | CCall routing, an auto attendant, unlimited US calling and a central admin portal, plus Teams calling, SIP and analog line replacement. The pages don't list texting, a contact center or CRM links. |
| Ease of use | D3.78 from about 8,700 App Store ratings for 8x8 Work, just under the 3.8 line. A score that low from that many people is worth noticing. | CNo store rating on record. A phone system with routing and an admin portal needs set-up, and the pages are unfinished. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the browser, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, ServiceNow, NetSuite and Microsoft Teams, plus a public API. | DOnly an iOS app is named, the BullsEye Unified Communicator. Other platforms aren't named on the pages read. |
| Best for | busy front desks and Microsoft Teams offices | a business phone from a broadband provider |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: 8x8 and Lingo. How we grade
Where they differ
- 8x8 also covers team chat and business texting.
In commoniOSVideo callsBusiness phone line
At a glance
| 8x8 | Lingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | 8x8 | Lingo |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
8x8
- 8x8's website turned our reader away with a bot check and its help center lists no prices, so what it costs could not be confirmed.
- Features depend on the X Series license: the Frontdesk receptionist console needs X4 or higher.
- Texts are charged by message segment, and business SMS needs a campaign registration set up in the Admin Console.
- The contact center is a separate 8x8 product with its own agent and supervisor apps.
Lingo
- The cloud phone page shows template placeholder text and a $22.99 figure, so no cloud phone plan prices could be confirmed.
- Calling for Microsoft Teams is advertised from $10 per user a month, a separate product from the cloud phone system.
- The apps download page links an iOS app (named BullsEye Unified Communicator); other platforms are not named on the pages read.
Key features
8x8
- 8x8 Work app
- Calls, voicemail, SMS and MMS, team messaging with group chat rooms, and fax in one app for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the browser.
- Auto attendants and ring groups
- Admins build call menus, ring groups and call queues with schedules in the 8x8 Admin Console, and route calls to voicemail or outside numbers.
- 8x8 Meetings
- Video meetings from the same app, with a Google Calendar plug-in, custom branding, live streaming to YouTube and an analytics dashboard for admins.
- 8x8 Frontdesk
- A receptionist console in the desktop app that handles up to six calls at once, shows who is available and transfers callers. It needs an X4 license or higher.
- Voice for Microsoft Teams
- Connects 8x8 phone service to Microsoft Teams, so a business can keep Teams as its only app while 8x8 supplies the phone lines.
- CRM and helpdesk integrations
- Integrations for Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, ServiceNow and NetSuite log calls and pop up caller records.
Lingo
- Cloud phone system
- PBX-style features with a central admin portal, and the site claims 99.999% uptime for its cloud platform.
- Call routing and auto attendant
- Routing by resource availability and time of day, plus an auto attendant that sends callers to the right person.
- Unlimited US calling
- The cloud phone page says unlimited US domestic calling is included on all plans.
- Microsoft Teams calling
- Lingo Voice for Teams adds calling to the Teams dialer, advertised as unlimited US domestic calling from $10 per user a month.
- Connectivity and security
- Broadband and fiber, 5G wireless, SD-WAN and Sophos-powered managed security from the same company.
- Line replacement
- Cloud SIP and PRI, traditional phone service and POTS or analog line replacement for fire, life and safety needs.
Plans
8x8
Pricing could not be confirmed. See 8x8.com.
Lingo
Pricing could not be confirmed. See lingo.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, 8x8 or Lingo?
As of Nov 12, 2026, 8x8 has no price we could confirm, and Lingo has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, 8x8 or Lingo?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither 8x8 nor Lingo has a free plan.
Which platforms do 8x8 and Lingo run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only 8x8 lists a web app and macOS, Windows and Android apps. Both list an iOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.