8x8 vs Microsoft Teams
We give 8x8 a 2.0 GPA and Microsoft Teams a 3.0, out of 4.0. 8x8 grades higher on platforms. Microsoft Teams grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video meetings and calling tied into Microsoft 365
How we grade them
| 2.0GPA8x8Fair | 3.0GPAMicrosoft TeamsVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BTeams Essentials is $4.00 a user a month paid yearly, which is the cheap end of the category, and it isn't a toy plan: 300-person meetings of up to 30 hours, recordings with transcripts, 10 GB each. Business Basic at $7.00 adds Office and business email. Webinars, Phone and Copilot cost extra. |
| 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. | CMicrosoft's own page says the free version is for one person, so it won't run a team. Chat is unlimited, but group calls stop at 60 minutes and 100 people with 5 GB of storage. The one-month trial of the paid plans wants a card and turns into a subscription on its own. |
| 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. | BThe whole job in one window: chat and channels, 300-person meetings with breakout rooms and noise suppression, recordings with transcripts, shared Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, and Teams Phone if you want the office line in here too. Webinars, Phone, Premium and Copilot are all priced separately. |
| 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. | A4.8 on the App Store from about 3.4 million ratings, and for most people it's already installed and signed in by work. Chat, meetings, calls and files are in one window, so there's no second app to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, iPhone, Android and the browser, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, ServiceNow, NetSuite and Microsoft Teams, plus a public API. | BWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. No Linux desktop app: Microsoft says the Linux client is no longer supported and points you at a web app. The integrations on record are all Microsoft's own, Loop, OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Whiteboard, Exchange and Copilot. |
| Best for | busy front desks and Microsoft Teams offices | offices that already pay for Microsoft 365 |
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 Microsoft Teams. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft Teams has a free plan. 8x8 does not.
- 8x8 also covers business phone line and business texting.
- Microsoft Teams also covers transcription, noise cancellation, whiteboard and file sharing.
At a glance
| 8x8 | Microsoft Teams | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $4.00 per user / month, paid yearly |
| Free plan | None | Microsoft Teams (free) is for one person: unlimited chat, group calls of up to 60 minutes and 100 participants, and 5 GB of cloud storage. |
| Free trial | None listed | One-month free trial of the paid plans; a credit card is required and it converts to a paid subscription. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | 8x8 | Microsoft |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
8x8
- Companies that want phone, chat and meetings from one provider
- Offices with a receptionist handling many incoming calls
- Businesses that use Microsoft Teams but need a phone carrier
Microsoft Teams
- Organizations that already pay for Microsoft 365
- Small businesses that want meetings and chat without the full suite
- Companies that want phone calling inside their chat app
- Teams that co-edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
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.
Microsoft Teams
- The free version is built for one person: group calls stop at 60 minutes and 100 participants, with 5 GB of cloud storage.
- Teams Essentials and the Microsoft 365 Business plans stop at 300 users; larger organizations need Teams Enterprise or Microsoft 365 E3 or E5.
- There is no Linux desktop app: Microsoft points Linux users to a progressive web app and says the Linux client is no longer supported.
- Webinar hosting is left out of Teams Essentials and Business Basic, and phone service, Teams Premium and Copilot are separately priced add-ons.
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.
Microsoft Teams
- Chat and channels
- Chats and channels hold conversations, shared files, Loop and OneNote pages and third-party apps. Paid plans include unlimited chat messages, file attachments and search.
- Video meetings
- Business plans allow meetings of up to 300 participants and 30 hours, with screen sharing, breakout rooms, custom backgrounds, Together mode and noise suppression.
- Recordings, transcripts and captions
- Paid plans record meetings with transcripts. Live captions cover more than 30 languages on the Microsoft 365 business plans and English only on Teams Essentials.
- Webinars
- Webinar hosting with attendee registration and reporting comes with Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot and the enterprise suites, not with Business Basic or Essentials.
- Teams Phone
- A cloud phone system added to a Teams license. Teams Phone Standard is $10.00 per user / month paid yearly, and US bundles that add a calling plan start at $13.00.
- Copilot and Teams Premium
- Microsoft 365 Copilot and Teams Premium are add-ons. Teams Premium costs $10.00 per user / month paid yearly and needs a plan with a Teams Enterprise license.
Plans
8x8
Pricing could not be confirmed. See 8x8.com.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams (free)$0
For one person: unlimited chat, group calls of up to 60 minutes and 100 participants, tasks and polling, and 5 GB of cloud storage.
Microsoft Teams Essentials$4.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Teams on its own for up to 300 users: meetings of up to 300 people and 30 hours, recordings with transcripts, and 10 GB of storage per user.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic$7.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Suite plan that includes Teams, plus web and mobile Office apps, custom business email and 1 TB of cloud storage per user. Up to 300 users.
Microsoft Teams Enterprise$8.55
per user / month, paid yearly
Teams on its own for organizations of more than 300 people, with recordings, transcripts and 10 GB of cloud storage per user.
M365 Business Standard with Copilot$23.50
per user / month, paid yearly
Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot: Teams with webinar hosting, desktop Office apps and Copilot in the apps. Up to 300 users.
Microsoft 365 E3$39.00
per user / month, paid yearly (annual commitment)
Enterprise suite for any size that includes Teams with webinars, desktop Office apps and added security. Microsoft 365 E5 is $60.00.
Ways to pay less
8x8
No public discounts listed.
Microsoft Teams
- Nonprofit
75% off Microsoft 365 Business Premium for nonprofits
Eligible nonprofits can get Microsoft 365 Business Premium, a suite that includes Microsoft Teams, at a 75% discount after registering and confirming eligibility.
