Choosing a unified communications platform influences how teams communicate, how customers contact you, and how resilient your operations are when disruptions occur.
Sangoma and 8×8 are two well-established players in the UCaaS and CCaaS fields. Both platforms cover voice, video, messaging, and contact center functions. The real difference lies in how each solution is built, deployed, and managed over time.
This comparison details these distinctions so IT teams and executives can assess which platform best fits their infrastructure, operational complexity, and future growth.
Why Compare Sangoma and 8×8?
Most organizations comparing Sangoma and 8×8 are already evaluating unified communications (UCaaS) and contact center (CCaaS) platforms capable of supporting both internal collaboration and customer interactions.
Sangoma and 8×8 often appear on the same shortlist because both platforms cover essential communication needs. Each offers voice, video, messaging, and contact center in one system. On paper, the convergence of features makes them seem similar.
The decision becomes clearer when teams look beyond feature lists. Differences in deployment flexibility, infrastructure ownership, and architectural control determine how each platform performs in real-world environments. Sangoma supports cloud, hybrid, and on-premises deployments, while 8×8 is cloud-only. This difference directly affects how systems are managed, how outages are handled, and how much control IT teams retain.
The comparison is especially relevant for multi-site businesses. Retail chains, restaurant groups, manufacturers, and healthcare organizations often need consistent communication across sites while maintaining local reliability. These environments benefit from flexible deployment and built-in survivability, which closely match Sangoma’s strengths.
This guide breaks down these differences in clear terms so buyers can assess both platforms based on how they actually work, not just how they appear in a feature list.
Sangoma vs 8×8: Key Differences at a Glance
Most buyers want a quick way to narrow down their decision before getting into the technical details. The comparison below highlights where each platform excels based on common requirements.
| Consideration | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment options | Cloud, hybrid, on-premises | Cloud only |
| Infrastructure control | High control and flexibility | Limited to the hosted environment |
| Multi-site support | Designed for distributed operations | Less optimized for complex multi-site setups |
| Hardware ecosystem | Native hardware + software | Third-party devices only |
| Contact center deployment | Works across all environments | Cloud-native only |
| International calling & SMS | Available depending on configuration | Strong base plan with international calling and SMS |
| Video meetings | Standard collaboration features | Up to 500 participants |
Choose Sangoma if:
- Your company operates across multiple sites
- Your IT team needs to control the infrastructure and deployment
- Your environment includes legacy systems or compliance requirements
- Your operations require local survivability during outages
Choose 8×8 if:
- Your organization prefers a fully cloud-managed system
- Your usage relies heavily on international calls and SMS
- Your team needs large-scale video meetings included in the base plan
Deployment flexibility for different needs
The deployment model determines a communications platform’s ability to integrate with the existing IT environment. Many organizations do not operate in a fully cloud-native environment, particularly in sectors subject to compliance requirements or with legacy systems.
Sangoma supports cloud, hybrid, and on-premises deployments. This allows businesses to migrate gradually, keep critical systems on premises, or maintain a mixed environment across sites.
8×8 operates only in the cloud. Each deployment requires a complete migration to its hosted environment, which can limit flexibility for organizations that need partial control or phased deployments.
| Deployment type | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid | Yes | No |
| On-premises | Yes | No |
| Gradual migration | Supported | Not supported |
Organizations with multiple sites often prefer hybrid configurations to maintain availability and reduce risks during transitions. Sangoma supports this approach directly.
One detail worth highlighting: Sangoma’s UC platform is developed in-house rather than resold or rebranded. Support goes directly to the engineering team behind the software, customizations are not subject to an external vendor’s roadmap, and issues do not bounce between multiple parties when an outage occurs.
Infrastructure and administrative control
Infrastructure control influences how systems are configured, secured, and maintained over time. IT teams often need visibility and flexibility, especially in distributed environments.
Sangoma allows businesses to control infrastructure according to their deployment choice. Teams can manage configurations, customize call flows, and maintain local systems when necessary.
8×8 centralizes infrastructure in its cloud environment. Configuration options are available, but control is limited to what the platform allows.
Administrative usability is another criterion. The 8×8 administration portal often requires training to navigate complex configurations, particularly for organizations managing multiple sites.
| Capability | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure ownership | Flexible | Vendor-controlled |
| Configuration control | Extensive | Limited |
| Admin usability | Structured and intuitive | Steeper learning curve |
| Multi-site management | Designed to scale | Can become complex |
For multi-site businesses with small IT teams, ease of administration and control are essential. Sangoma is designed with this structure in mind.
Hardware ecosystem and integration capabilities
Hardware strategy directly affects deployment speed, troubleshooting, and long-term maintenance.
Sangoma manufactures its own phones and network hardware. This creates a tightly integrated system where firmware updates, feature support, and compatibility are controlled by a single vendor.
8×8 relies on third-party certified devices. This adds dependence on external manufacturers for updates and feature support.
| Capability | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| Native hardware | Yes | No |
| Third-party devices | Supported | Required |
| Firmware control | Direct | Indirect |
| Vendor management | Single vendor | Multiple vendors |
Managing multiple vendors increases complexity, especially at scale. Sangoma reduces this overhead by offering a full-stack solution.
Contact center adaptability
Contact center performance depends on both the features and how they are deployed across the organization.
Sangoma integrates contact center functions across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. This allows businesses to route calls locally, centrally, or between sites according to operational needs.
8×8 offers a native cloud contact center. All features depend on cloud availability and centralized routing.
Both platforms include core features such as IVR, queue management, monitoring, reporting, and call recording.
Sangoma CCaaS vs 8×8 CCaaS
| Feature | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| IVR | Yes | Yes |
| Queue management | Yes | Yes |
| Monitoring, whisper, barge | Yes | Yes |
| Reporting | Yes | Yes |
| Call recording | Yes | Yes |
| AI‑Analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Compliance | HIPAA | HIPAA, GDPR |
| CCaaS support | 24/7 with white-glove implementation and dedicated project management | 24/7 live support, chatbot |
| Availability SLA | 99.999 % network guarantee | 99.99 %–99.999 % SLA (varies by plan) |
| Deployment flexibility | High | Cloud only |
Sangoma’s approach offers greater control over how calls are handled across sites, which is important for distributed teams and high-volume environments.
Pricing
The pricing structure affects both short-term cost and long-term value. The difference between Sangoma and 8×8 is not limited to the monthly rate, but also concerns how features are packaged.
8×8 uses tiered plans with bundled features. The basic plan includes international calling to several countries, SMS, and video meetings, which appeals to organizations with these specific needs.
Sangoma adopts a more flexible pricing model. Costs depend on the deployment type, number of users, and selected features.
| Cost item | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Custom | Tiered plans |
| Starting UCaaS price | $19.99/user | $24‑32/user |
| Contact center pricing | Lower per seat | Higher per seat |
| International calling | Optional or plan-based | Included in plans |
| Hardware | Bundled options available | Separate |
Organizations that do not need bundled features often end up paying for unused services with 8×8.
How each platform handles outages
Business continuity determines whether communication systems remain operational during network failures or outages.
Sangoma includes local survivability options. Phones and internal extensions can continue to operate even if the internet connection fails. Failover options include secondary internet connections and wireless backups.
8×8 relies entirely on cloud availability. If the connection to the cloud is interrupted, communication services are affected.
| Capability | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| Availability target | 99.999 % | 99.999 % |
| Local extension calls | Supported | Not supported |
| Wireless failover | Supported | Limited |
| On-site survivability | Yes | No |
In industries where downtime directly affects operations, local survivability becomes a critical requirement.
Support quality
Support quality affects how quickly problems are resolved and how systems evolve over time.
Sangoma offers in-house support focused on infrastructure and long-term system performance. This model suits organizations that need ongoing configuration, optimization, and troubleshooting. The figures confirm it: over the past year, Sangoma’s support team improved CSAT from 73.8 % to 94.6 % and added 29 points to NPS — a reflection of what partners and customers describe as a “safe pair of hands” when reliability is crucial.
8×8 support is structured around a SaaS model, which can lead to longer resolution times and less direct control over incident management.
| Support aspect | Sangoma | 8×8 |
|---|---|---|
| Support model | In-house | Outsourced |
| Response time | Faster | Reported as slower |
| Multi-site expertise | Strong | Limited |
| Long-term support | High | Moderate |
Support becomes more important as systems expand across multiple sites and use cases.
Why businesses choose Sangoma over 8×8
Organizations choose Sangoma when operational control and reliability take precedence over bundled cloud features.
- Keep communications running during outages through local survivability
- Cloud, hybrid, or on-premises deployment
- Manage the entire communications infrastructure through a single provider
- Simplify multi-site operations with centralized control
- Reduce dependence on third-party hardware vendors
- Lower total cost by avoiding unused bundled features
Switching to Sangoma is simple with minimal downtime
Changing communications platforms should not disrupt operations when a migration is properly planned.
Sangoma supports phased migrations, allowing businesses to move users, sites, or systems in stages. Hybrid deployment makes it possible to run existing infrastructure alongside new systems during the transition.
This approach reduces downtime and allows teams to test configurations before finalizing the full deployment.
The best alternative to 8×8
Sangoma is a strong alternative for organizations that need more control over how communications systems are deployed and managed.
The platform suits businesses operating across multiple sites, requiring infrastructure flexibility or continuity during outages. Sangoma also reduces vendor complexity by combining hardware, software, and network services into one solution.
Explore Sangoma to build a communications system that aligns with how your business operates.
Sangoma vs 8×8 FAQ
Does 8×8 offer hybrid or on-premises deployment options?
8×8 operates only in the cloud and does not support hybrid or on-premises deployments.
Which platform gives IT teams more infrastructure control?
Sangoma offers more control through flexible deployment and configuration options.
Which is the best platform for multi-site organizations?
Sangoma is better suited to multi-site organizations thanks to its architecture and deployment flexibility.
Which platform offers better support?
Sangoma provides in-house support with faster resolutions and stronger infrastructure expertise.
Sangoma vs 8×8: Which is the best unified communications platform?
Sangoma is preferable for flexibility and control. 8×8 suits cloud-only environments with bundled features.
Which platform is the best choice for scalability?
Sangoma scales across different deployment types. 8×8 scales within a cloud-only model.