The Top 6 UCaaS Providers of 2024

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Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a must for modern businesses to stay connected in today’s fast-paced business world. Offering cloud-based solutions that consolidate multiple communication methods, whether through video conferencing, VoIP, or instant messaging, UCaaS enables teams to stay connected and collaborative in real time, regardless of their physical location. It’s critical for businesses to choose the right UCaaS provider, especially if they are transitioning to remote or hybrid models.

We’ll evaluate the top 6 UCaaS providers of 2024, focusing on key criteria — such as core features, cost, scalability, ease of use, security, and customer support — to help you identify which UCaaS solution aligns best with your organization’s needs.

What is UCaaS?

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is the integration of communication services like voice, video conferencing, messaging, and collaboration tools, delivered through a cloud platform. The biggest case for UCaaS is that you can eliminate the need for expensive on-premises equipment, as communication is managed through internet-based infrastructure. This flexibility allows UCaaS to scale seamlessly, offering solutions for both small businesses and large enterprises. 

Who Should Use UCaaS?

Any organization that requires frequent communication, both internally and externally, can benefit from a UCaaS solution. For instance, organizations in industries such as retail, healthcare, customer service, finance, and education have UCaaS use cases. UCaaS proves attractive to small businesses as they appreciate the low upfront costs and easy setup, while large enterprises rely on UCaaS for its scalability and ability to support global teams.

Additionally, organizations looking to implement flexible work arrangements, such as remote or hybrid teams, cherish UCaaS for maintaining communication across dispersed locations.

Who Should Sell UCaaS?

Managed Service Providers (MSPs), telecom providers, and IT resellers are in a strong position to sell UCaaS solutions since more businesses are moving towards digital transformation. This presents a valuable opportunity for channel partners to offer a unified communications platform that enhances client productivity while lowering infrastructure costs.

In the case of MSPs specifically, UCaaS allows service providers to offer more than just basic IT support. By bundling communication tools into their service offerings, MSPs can deliver a comprehensive package that includes network management, cloud services, and unified communications, catering to businesses of all sizes. Organizations specializing in cloud solutions, network management, and IT consulting can also benefit from including UCaaS in their portfolio, as it’s a growing market with significant demand across industries.

• GoTo Connect: Best overall for security and support
• RingCentral: Best for transparent pricing
• Zoom: Best for scalability and AI features
• Vonage: Best for VoIP tools
• Nextiva: Best for user experience
• 8×8: Best for comprehensive feature set

Top UCaaS providers comparison

Here’s a tabulated summary of what to expect from each of the top providers across features and pricing.

✔=Yes —= Limited

GoTo Connect

Best overall for security and support

Overall rating: 4.3/5

• Cost: 3.7/5
• Core features: 4.5/5
• Customer support: 3.8/5
• Ease of use: 4.6/5
• Scalability and flexibility: 4.6/5
• Security and compliance: 5/5

GoTo Connect is our top unified communication and collaboration pick, and it sets the bar for both security and customer support. With encryption for calls and data, and compliance with HIPAA and GDPR, it’s a platform worth considering if security is at the top of your list. Furthermore, it offers 24/7 phone support, AI-powered live chat, alongside an extensive online knowledge base with FAQs, tutorials, and flexibility to browse topics or escalate issues to human support. However, the AI live chat is still in a beta stage.

Pricing

• Phone System: $29 per user, per month.
• Connect CX: $37 per user, per month.
• Contact Center: $86 per user, per month.

Features

• VoIP and video conferencing: Offer high-quality voice and video services for business calls and meetings.
• Call analytics and reporting: Provide your users with essential insights into call performance and patterns.
• Mobile and desktop apps: Offer users access to unified communication features across multiple devices.
• Advanced security: Enjoy features like end-to-end encryption and compliance with industry standards.
• Call forwarding and routing: Deliver multi-device support to your clients for seamless call management.

Who should use GoTo Connect?

GoTo Connect is ideal for businesses giving priority to secure communication tools with comprehensive support options. It’s an effective fit for organizations that prioritize data security and compliance and need a unified communication system that scales with their business.

GoTo Connect is not for

Those who seek a budget-friendly solution, as GoTo Connect’s pricing starts at a higher rate than some competitors. For a more cost-effective option, RingCentral is worth your consideration.

RingCentral

Best for transparent pricing

Overall Rating: 4.2/5

• Cost: 4.1/5
• Core features: 4.5/5
• Customer support: 3.5/5
• Ease of use: 3.6/5
• Scalability and flexibility: 5./5
• Security and compliance: 4.7/5

RingCentral is a popular UCaaS platform that stands out for its pricing flexibility. Its flexible pricing model offers businesses a variety of transparent options, based on region and preferred features. It’s also highly scalable and capable of supporting multiple locations and international operations, with unlimited domestic VoIP calling and comprehensive video conferencing features. The solution includes essential customer support options like 24/7 chat, phone, and knowledge base access.

Pricing

• Core Plan: $9.99 per user per month billed annually and $30 per user per month monthly.
• Advanced Plan: $25 per user per month billed annually and $35 per user per month monthly.
• Ultra Plan: $35 per user per month billed annually and $45 per user per month monthly.

Features

• Unified communications: Offer a single app for calls, video meetings, messaging, SMS, and fax.
• RingSense AI: Deliver real-time AI tools like RingSense AI for capturing notes, conversation insights, and sentiment analysis.
• Call analytics and reporting: Provide detailed, real-time analytics to enhance decision-making and track performance.
• Seamless integration: Offer 400+ integrations with apps like Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and Zendesk to streamline workflows.
• Global reliability: Ensure uptime with comprehensive security and privacy certifications across 46 countries.

Who should use RingCentral?

Businesses that need transparently priced and scalable communication solutions with advanced call management tools with upfront and transparent pricing.

RingCentral is not for

Smaller businesses with simpler communication needs that don’t require advanced features or international scaling may find RingCentral’s offerings more than they need. In this case, Vonage is a great alternative, providing robust VoIP tools at a more affordable price for smaller teams, specifically with the monthly plan.

Zoom

Best for scalability and AI features

Overall rating: 3.9/5

• Cost: 3.2/5
• Core features: 3.8/5
• Customer support: 3.8/5
• Ease of use: 4.2/5
• Scalability and flexibility: 5/5
• Security and compliance: 4.5/5

Zoom is one of the top UCaaS providers, with a strong focus on AI-driven productivity and scalability. Its unified communication platform offers advanced tools such as Zoom Phone, which leverages a cloud-based architecture to provide seamless, scalable communications across businesses of all sizes. A standout feature is Zoom’s AI Companion, which includes tools like real-time transcription, message tone, length and content personalization, conversation analysis, and an AI meeting refresher.

Pricing

• Basic: Free with limited features.
• Pro: $12.49 per user per month billed annually and $14.99 per user per month billed monthly.
• Business: $18.32 per user per month billed annually and $21.99 per user per month billed monthly.
• Business Plus: Contact for quote.
• Enterprise: Contact for quote.

Features

• Zoom Phone: Provide your teams with a scalable cloud-based phone system with global call routing.
• Zoom AI Companion: Leverage real-time transcription, conversation summaries, and sentiment analysis.
• Zoom Webinars: Host large-scale webinars for up to 50,000 participants with interactive video panelists.
• Zoom Rooms: Simplify hybrid work collaboration with wireless content sharing and one-touch meeting starts.
• Zoom Meetings: Offer HD video and audio with built-in collaboration tools and calendar integration.

Who should use Zoom?

I recommend Zoom for large enterprises and organizations that need advanced AI features to optimize their communication and collaboration. Its scalability also makes it worth shortlisting for growing businesses that need reliable, global coverage.

Zoom is not for

For full UCaaS offerings, smaller businesses or those seeking simple, cost-effective solutions may find Zoom’s advanced features overly complex and expensive, especially with many add-ons. However, for standard meeting plans, Zoom is great even for small businesses. But Vonage would be a better alternative as it’s streamlined, compact, and doesn’t have many add-ons, making it cost-effective in the long run.

Vonage

Best for VoIP tools

Overall rating: 3.8/5

• Cost: 3.3/5
• Core features: 3.7/5
• Customer support: 3.3/5
• Ease of use: 4.2/5
• Scalability and flexibility: 4.5/5
• Security and compliance: 5/5

Vonage’s best foot forward is its extensive VoIP tools, as it offers an advanced, flexible phone system that runs on the cloud. The platform offers more than 40 unified communication features, including call routing, video conferencing, business SMS, and call analytics. Some of the more focused VoIP features include local and toll-free numbers, international company numbers, call recording, business messaging, and integration with CRM tools. It also delivers robust security with features like encrypted communications.

Pricing

• Mobile plan: $13.99 per line per month billed annually and $19.99 per line per month billed monthly.
• Premium plan: $20.99 per line per month billed annually and $29.99 per line per month billed monthly.
• Advanced plan: $27.99 per line per month billed annually and $39.99 per line per month billed monthly.

Features

• Call routing and forwarding: Offer seamless call management to ensure you never miss important calls.
• Business inbox: Provide centralized SMS, MMS, and social messaging across devices for easy communication.
• Video and voice conferencing: Deliver high-quality video meetings with collaboration tools and secure privacy features.
• Call recording: Offer your users automatic call recording to help you track important customer interactions.
• Virtual receptionist: Automate fully customizable call routing and direct callers to the right department.

Who should use Vonage?

If you’re an IT solution provider whose services need a complete VoIP toolset with flexible routing, strong mobile integration, and scalable call handling, shortlist Vonage, as it’s great for businesses that prioritize phone communication over other forms of collaboration.

Vonage is not for

Organizations that need simpler communication solutions or those that give priority to more comprehensive collaboration tools. 8×8 would be a more fitting choice as it’s a more feature-rich, all-in-one platform that offers unified communications with strong collaboration capabilities.

Nextiva

Best for user experience

Overall rating: 3.8/5

• Cost: 3.3/5
• Core features: 4/5
• Customer support: 2.8/5
• Ease of use: 4.8/5
• Scalability and flexibility: 4.2/5
• Security and compliance: 4.7/5

As feature-rich as Nextiva is, its strongest value proposition is its user experience. Its user-friendly interface makes it an attractive option for organizations looking for an intuitive platform. Some of the features that enhance this intuitive experience include intelligent virtual assistants, automated workflows, and call routing capabilities, all for streamlining communication and providing personalized customer interactions without additional complexity​.

Pricing

For small businesses:

• Digital: $20 per user per month billed annually and $25 per user per month billed monthly.
• Core: $30 per user per month billed annually and $35 per user per month billed monthly.
• Engage: $40 per user per month billed annually and $50 per user per month billed monthly.
• Power Suite: $60 per user per month billed annually and $75 per user per month billed monthly.

For enterprises, there are a variety of pricing approaches, ranging from per agent/per month, usage-based, and concurrent pricing.

Features

• Mobile-ready: Provide mobile access to calls, messaging, and video conferencing through the NextivaONE app.
• Voicemail to email: Offer transcription services that send voicemails directly to email for convenient reading.
• Advanced call routing and queues: Route incoming calls based on set criteria and manage queues efficiently.
• Intelligent virtual assistant: Deliver automated call handling with IVR to enhance customer experience.
• Call recording: Record phone conversations without hardware and store them securely in the cloud.

Who should use Nextiva?

Any organization that wants a feature-rich yet easy-to-use UCaaS provider. Its intuitive interface and all-in-one communication platform make it a worthy consideration for customer-facing teams, such as sales, support, and customer service, that handle a high volume of calls and rely on CRM integrations to deliver personalized experiences.​

Nextiva is not for

Any lower-tier subscribers who aim to have unlimited business voice and video, audio conferencing, video meetings, team chat, voice analytics, and AI features, among others, would not favor Nextiva. The biggest casualties are small businesses that rely heavily on long video meetings, as its lower-tier plans limit video conferencing to 45 minutes.

If video meetings and collaboration are critical for you, Zoom could be a better option with its scalable video-first approach. Its free plan offers up to 40 minutes per meeting, and paid plans start with meetings of up to 30 hours.

8×8

Best for comprehensive feature set

Overall rating: 3.6/5

• Cost: 2.5/5
• Core features: 4.7/5
• Customer support: 2/5
• Ease of use: 3.6/5
• Scalability and flexibility: 4.9/5
• Security and compliance: 4.7/5

8×8’s XCaaS (Experience Communications as a Service) platform integrates voice, video, messaging, and contact center functionalities to present a unified communication system suitable for medium to large enterprises. It offers features like intelligent call routing, team messaging, video conferencing, conversation insights, and a contact center with AI powered workflows. It also supports up to 500 participants in video meetings, which exceeds the capacity offered by most other UCaaS providers.

Pricing

Even though it details the available plans and features, 8×8 doesn’t present upfront pricing for any of the plans.

Features

• Contact Center: Provide AI-powered workflows to enhance customer interactions and automate tasks​.
• Business Phone: Offer your users global connectivity with local numbers and easy call routing from one app​.
• Video Meetings: Enjoy HD video meetings for up to 500 participants with screen-sharing capabilities.
• Team Chat: Deliver seamless collaboration with integrated chat across teams and external platforms​.
• Embeddable Communications: Leverage APIs to integrate messaging and video into apps and workflows.

Who should use 8×8?

8×8 is ideal for enterprises that need a comprehensive feature set from their communications platform. Plus, businesses that have scalability, robust security, and advanced analytics as priorities will also benefit from 8×8’s extensive feature set.

8×8 is not for

Businesses that require heavy desk phone customization or those with simpler communication needs. Additionally, any business that requires pricing information upfront may be better off checking out RingCentral, and all the other alternatives covered above.

How to choose UCaaS providers

There are several key factors to consider when selecting a UCaaS provider. Some of the top include:

• Core features: Ensure the provider offers unified communication services like voice, video, messaging, and contact center functionalities. Comprehensive solutions like 8×8 and RingCentral include features such as AI-driven analytics, call routing, and large scale video conferencing.
• Scalability: Choose a platform that can grow with your business. Providers like 8×8 and Zoom offer robust scalability options, allowing you to expand or contract services based on your team’s size and geographic reach​.
• Compatibility: Check the platform’s compatibility with your existing tools, such as CRM or collaboration systems. Seamless integration with platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, and other business applications can improve productivity​.
• Security and compliance: Evaluate the provider’s security features, including end-to-end encryption and compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA. Providers like GoTo Connect and 8×8 are known for their security certifications and global data protection measures​.
• Cost and pricing structure: Review the transparency of pricing plans and check for any hidden fees or additional costs for features like analytics or toll-free numbers. Providers such as RingCentral are recognized for offering flexible, clear pricing models​.
• Quality of support: Reliable 24/7 customer support via multiple channels like phone and chat is crucial. Therefore, use customer reviews to shortlist providers that are praised for their responsive customer service​.
• Ease of use: Prioritize platforms that are intuitive and user-friendly enough for your use case. A simple, well-designed interface can greatly shorten onboarding time and improve productivity across your team​.

How we evaluated the best UCaaS providers

To pinpoint the best UCaaS providers, we examined several platforms based on six weighted scoring categories, each with a maximum of five points. The provider with the highest score per category won that criterion. We then gave each of the top six providers a primary use case. The provider with the highest average across the six categories became our best overall provider.

Evaluation criteria

We gave cost the highest weight in our evaluation because affordability is a major consideration for businesses. Core features followed since almost all the top providers offered the same features, whereas the difference was a provider’s approach to the feature. Security and compliance were also weighed significantly, as we naturally want communication services that are highly secure. Ease of use and customer support were evaluated equally, while scalability and flexibility was assigned the lowest weight as most of the tools are highly scalable.

• Cost (25%): We analyzed pricing transparency, flexible plans, free trials, and any additional costs like integrations or add-ons. Affordable, flexible pricing models scored higher.
  • Criterion winner: RingCentral
• Core features (20%): This category assessed key features like VoIP calling, video conferencing, messaging, and contact center capabilities. Providers like 8×8 and RingCentral excelled in offering comprehensive, all-in-one solutions.
  • Criterion winner: 8×8
• Security and compliance (15%): We evaluated the platform’s encryption, compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA, and other security protocols.
  • Criterion winner: Multiple winners
• Ease of use (15%): This category focused on user experience, taking into account how intuitive and simple the platform was to navigate, based on user feedback.
  • Criterion winner: Nextiva
• Customer support (15%): We evaluated the availability of support channels (live chat, phone, email), and user feedback on responsiveness and service quality.
  • Criterion winner: Multiple winners
• Scalability and flexibility (10%): This category measured the platform’s ability to support growing businesses, including multi-location and international operations, customizable roles, and integration capabilities.
  • Criterion winner: Zoom

Bottom line: Secure communications

As mentioned, when selecting a UCaaS provider, it’s important to consider cost, features, scalability, ease of use, and security. In an age of a constantly increasing threat of cyberattacks and stricter data protection regulations, businesses must ensure their communication systems are equipped with robust and relevant security measures like encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with standards such as GDPR and HIPAA.

A secure UCaaS solution not only protects sensitive company data but also helps avoid legal repercussions associated with non-compliance. Prioritize platforms that regularly update security protocols and adhere to regulatory requirements to safeguard both internal operations and customer interactions.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How much does UCaaS cost?

UCaaS pricing varies depending on the provider and the features included in the package. From the options we evaluated, we see starting prices ranging between $9.99 and $29 per user per month for annual subscriptions. However, cost will depend on the level of service, features, duration of subscription, and the number of users​.

Who are the leading UCaaS providers?

Some of the top UCaaS providers in 2024 include RingCentral, Zoom, Nextiva, GoTo Connect, Vonage, and 8×8. Each provider offers a unique set of features, ranging from cost-efficient plans to advanced AI-powered collaboration tools​.

What’s the difference between UCaaS and CCaaS?

UCaaS focuses on internal communication tools like voice, video, and messaging for intra-organizational collaboration, while Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) is designed to improve customer interactions by offering tools like call routing and workforce management.