Communication Platforms

8x8 vs Dialpad

Independent comparison for enterprise buyers. Updated May 2026.

Quick verdict: Choose 8x8 when integrated UCaaS and contact centre on a single platform is the decisive criterion, particularly for mid-market and large enterprises procuring telephony and contact centre together with multinational reach. Choose Dialpad when AI-native voice features, real-time call transcription, and a lighter modern client are priorities, particularly for technology, professional services, and sales-led organisations. The differentiator is portfolio shape: 8x8 leads on contact centre depth and global PSTN reach; Dialpad leads on AI features built into every call.

Criteria8x8Dialpad
Editorial score4.1 / 5.04.3 / 5.0
DeploymentCloud SaaS; desktop, mobile, browser, IP phone clientsCloud SaaS; desktop, mobile, browser, supported IP phones
Pricing ModelPer-user subscription; UCaaS and combined UCaaS-plus-CCaaS plansPer-user subscription; Standard, Pro, Enterprise tiers and Ai Contact Center
Target BuyerMid-market and enterprise UC, particularly with contact centre scopeSmall business through enterprise; technology, sales, and services teams
Cloud Availability / RegionsCalling in 55+ countries; direct PSTN replacement footprintCalling in approximately 70 countries via direct and partner routes
Ecosystem / IntegrationsMicrosoft Teams, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Dynamics 365Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Google Workspace
Key StrengthIntegrated UCaaS plus CCaaS on a single platformAI-native real-time transcription and call coaching
Key LimitationSmaller channel ecosystem; narrower marketplace breadthLess developed in large complex CCaaS deployments than incumbents
How we researched this comparison. Assessments here synthesise vendor documentation, independent analyst coverage, and aggregated public review-platform sentiment, applied through our methodology. The Editorial score is TechVendorIndex's own editorial estimate — not a count of reviews we collected. How our scores work →

Feature comparison

8x8 and Dialpad both compete in the UCaaS market but with different strategic shapes. 8x8 X Series was designed as a single platform for UCaaS, video, messaging, and contact centre from the outset, and the integrated administration and reporting across UC and CC workloads is a recurring buying-side reason for choosing it. Dialpad was built around AI-augmented voice, with real-time transcription, sentiment analysis, and post-call summaries as native features rather than premium add-ons.

On telephony, 8x8 X Series provides direct PSTN replacement in 55+ countries with strong coverage in North America, the UK, Australia, and EMEA. Dialpad offers calling in approximately 70 countries through a combination of direct and carrier-partner routes, with strong coverage in North America, the UK, and selected EMEA and APAC markets. For multinational telephony with broad local-number requirements, 8x8 is typically more straightforward to deploy as a single direct-supplier estate; Dialpad is competitive in markets where its native footprint aligns.

On meetings and messaging, both products provide native meetings, video, messaging, and softphone clients. Dialpad Ai Meetings includes the same AI features as voice — real-time transcription, action item capture, and post-meeting summaries — and the integrated client is lightweight and well regarded by sales-led teams. 8x8 Work provides native meetings and messaging integrated with telephony and additionally supports Microsoft Teams Phone via Direct Routing for organisations standardised on Teams.

On contact centre, 8x8 Contact Center is the deeper offering, with workforce management, quality management, speech analytics, omnichannel routing, and outbound campaigns as integrated capabilities on the same platform as UCaaS. Dialpad Ai Contact Center is competitive for small and mid-sized contact centres, particularly inbound voice and digital with strong AI assistance, but it is less developed for large complex CCaaS deployments with deep WFM, quality management, and outbound dialler requirements.

On AI features, Dialpad has a structural advantage. Dialpad AI is embedded across every call and meeting at no incremental licence cost, including real-time transcription, sentiment detection, action item extraction, and supervisor coaching. 8x8 Intelligent Customer Assistant and Engagement Analytics provide similar features in contact centre but typically as higher-tier or add-on capabilities rather than baseline. For organisations where pervasive call intelligence across all users is decisive, Dialpad is the cleaner fit.

On integrations, 8x8 covers the standard enterprise stack including Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk, and Dynamics 365 adequately. Dialpad has invested heavily in Salesforce, HubSpot, and Google Workspace integrations and tends to be the more natural choice for sales-led teams whose primary system of record is a modern CRM.

Pricing comparison

8x8 X Series list pricing as of mid-2026 ranges from approximately $24 per user per month for X2 to $44 for X4, with combined UCaaS-plus-CCaaS plans (X6, X7, X8) at $85–140 per user per month including agent functionality. For an enterprise procuring UCaaS and CCaaS together, 8x8 combined plans are commercially competitive against piecing together separate UCaaS and CCaaS suppliers at similar feature depth. Annual enterprise contracts for 1,000-seat deployments typically land in the $300K–$1.5M range depending on contact centre scope.

Dialpad list pricing as of mid-2026 starts at approximately $15 per user per month for Standard, $25 for Pro, and bespoke pricing for Enterprise. Dialpad Ai Contact Center licensing typically lists at $80–150 per agent per month depending on tier. Dialpad bundles AI features across every tier at no additional licence cost, which is a structural pricing advantage versus suppliers that licence AI separately. The principal buying-side caveat for either supplier is that international calling tariffs and country-by-country PSTN charges materially affect total cost; organisations with heavy international dialling should model country-specific minute charges before commercial comparison.

When to choose 8x8

Choose 8x8 when integrated UCaaS and CCaaS on a single platform is decisive, when contact centre is procured in the same cycle as telephony, when administration simplicity and consolidated reporting across UC and CC workloads matter, or when the organisation operates primarily in markets covered by 8x8's 55-country footprint. 8x8 is well suited to mid-market and enterprise organisations in financial services, healthcare, retail, and higher education where the contact centre is a critical operational asset and platform unification simplifies operations meaningfully.

When to choose Dialpad

Choose Dialpad when AI-native voice features across every call are decisive, when sales-led teams prioritise real-time transcription, coaching, and CRM auto-population, when the modern lightweight client improves adoption versus legacy PBX replacements, or when Google Workspace is the primary productivity platform and tight Workspace integration matters. Dialpad is well suited to technology companies, professional services firms, modern sales organisations, and mid-market enterprises where contact centre scope is moderate but pervasive call intelligence is strategically valuable.

Alternatives to both

RingCentral
Broadest global telephony footprint with mature channel ecosystem
4.2
Zoom Phone
Integrated with Zoom Workplace for meetings-first deployments
4.6
Microsoft Teams Phone
Bundled with Microsoft 365, deepest Teams chat integration
4.4
Vonage Business Communications
Voice-first UCaaS with strong CPaaS adjacency
4.1
Full 8x8 Review Full Dialpad Review All Communication Platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 8x8 or Dialpad better for contact centre?
8x8 Contact Center is the deeper offering with integrated workforce management, quality management, speech analytics, omnichannel routing, and outbound campaigns on the same platform as UCaaS. Dialpad Ai Contact Center is competitive for small and mid-sized inbound contact centres but is less developed for large complex deployments with deep WFM and dialler requirements.
How do the two products compare on AI features?
Dialpad has a structural advantage on AI. Dialpad AI is embedded across every call and meeting at no incremental licence cost, including real-time transcription, sentiment detection, and supervisor coaching. 8x8 provides comparable features in contact centre but typically as higher-tier or add-on capabilities rather than baseline for every user.
Which has the larger global telephony footprint?
Dialpad offers calling in approximately 70 countries via direct and partner routes. 8x8 X Series provides direct PSTN replacement in 55+ countries. For broad multinational telephony as a single direct-supplier estate, 8x8 is often more straightforward; Dialpad is competitive where its native footprint aligns with the buyer's markets.
How do the two products price for a 500-seat deployment?
8x8 X4 for 500 UCaaS seats typically lands in the $250K–$300K annual range, with combined X8 plans at higher tiers. Dialpad Pro at 500 seats typically lands in the $120K–$180K annual range, with Ai Contact Center licensed separately. Final pricing varies by country mix, contact centre scope, and discount.
Is migration between the two products complex?
Migrating a multi-thousand-seat UCaaS deployment between cloud suppliers typically takes 4–10 months including number porting, IP phone replacement or reconfiguration, identity integration, and parallel running. Contact centre migration adds further complexity if 8x8 CC routing, scripts, and integrations need to be rebuilt on Dialpad's contact centre platform.
Last updated: May 2026

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