Choosing a unified communications platform affects how teams communicate, how customers reach you, and how resilient your operations are during disruptions.
Sangoma and 8×8 are both established providers in the UCaaS and CCaaS space. Both platforms cover voice, video, messaging, and contact center functionality. The real difference lies in how each platform is built, deployed, and managed over time.
This comparison breaks down those differences so IT teams and business leaders can evaluate which platform fits their infrastructure, operational complexity, and long-term 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 that can support both internal collaboration and customer interactions.
Sangoma and 8×8 often appear on the same shortlist because both platforms cover core communication needs. Each offers voice, video, messaging, and contact center functionality within a single system. On paper, the overlap in features makes them look similar.
The decision becomes clearer when teams look beyond feature lists. Differences in deployment flexibility, infrastructure ownership, and architectural control shape how each platform performs in real environments. Sangoma supports cloud, hybrid, and on-premises deployments, while 8×8 operates as a cloud-only solution. That 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-location businesses. Retail chains, restaurant groups, manufacturing companies, and healthcare organizations often need consistent communication across sites while maintaining local reliability. These environments benefit from flexible deployment and built-in survivability, which aligns closely with Sangoma’s strengths.
This guide breaks down those differences in clear terms so buyers can evaluate both platforms based on how they operate in practice, 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 the decision before going deeper into technical details. The comparison below highlights where each platform fits best based on common requirements.
| What to Consider | Sangoma | 8×8 |
| Deployment options | Cloud, hybrid, on-premises | Cloud-only |
| Infrastructure control | High control and flexibility | Limited to hosted environment |
| Multi-location support | Built 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 based on setup | Strong base plan with global calling and SMS |
| Video meetings | Standard collaboration features | Up to 500 participants |
Choose Sangoma if:
- Your business operates across multiple locations
- Your IT team needs control over 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 heavily depends on international calling and SMS
- Your team needs large-scale video meetings included in base plans
Deployment Flexibility for Different Needs
The deployment model determines how well a communication platform fits into an existing IT environment. Many organizations do not operate in a fully cloud-native setup, especially in industries with compliance requirements or legacy systems.
Sangoma supports cloud, hybrid, and on-premises deployments. This allows businesses to move gradually, keep critical systems local, or maintain a mixed environment across locations.
8×8 operates as a cloud-only platform. Every deployment requires full migration into its hosted environment, which can limit flexibility for organizations that need partial control or staged rollouts.
| 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 setups to maintain uptime and reduce risk during transitions. Sangoma supports that approach directly.
One detail worth flagging: Sangoma’s UC platform is built in-house rather than resold or white-labeled. Support routes directly to the engineering team behind the software, customizations don’t wait on an outside vendor’s roadmap, and issues don’t bounce between parties when something breaks.
Infrastructure & Administrative Control
Infrastructure control affects 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 based on deployment choice. Teams can manage configurations, customize call flows, and maintain local systems where needed.
8×8 centralizes infrastructure within its cloud environment. Configuration options exist, but control is limited to what the platform allows.
Administrative usability is another consideration. The 8×8 admin portal often requires training to navigate complex setups, especially for organizations managing multiple locations.
| Capability | Sangoma | 8×8 |
| Infrastructure ownership | Flexible | Vendor-controlled |
| Configuration control | Extensive | Limited |
| Admin usability | Structured and intuitive | Steeper learning curve |
| Multi-site management | Built for scale | Can become complex |
For multi-location businesses with lean IT teams, ease of administration and control both matter. Sangoma is designed with that structure in mind.
Hardware Ecosystem & Integration Capabilities
Hardware strategy directly impacts deployment speed, troubleshooting, and long-term maintenance.
Sangoma manufactures its own phones and networking 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 dependency 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 that overhead by providing a full-stack solution.
Contact Center Fit
Contact center performance depends on both features and how those features are deployed across the organization.
Sangoma integrates contact center functionality into cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. This allows businesses to route calls locally, centrally, or across locations depending on operational needs.
8×8 offers a cloud-native contact center. All functionality depends on cloud availability and centralized routing.
Both platforms include core features such as IVR, queue management, call monitoring, reporting, and call recording.
Sangoma CCaaS vs 8×8 CCaaS
| Feature | Sangoma | 8×8 |
| IVR | Yes | Yes |
| Queue management | Yes | Yes |
| Monitor, 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 & dedicated project management | 24/7 live support, chatbot |
| Uptime SLA | 99.999% Network Availability Guarantee | 99.99 %–99.999 % SLA (varies by plan) |
| Deployment flexibility | High | Cloud-only |
Sangoma’s approach gives more control over how calls are handled across locations, which is important for distributed teams and high-volume environments.
Pricing
Pricing structure influences both short-term cost and long-term value. The difference between Sangoma and 8×8 is not just the monthly fee but how features are packaged.
8×8 uses tiered plans with bundled features. The base plan includes international calling to multiple countries, SMS, and video meetings, which appeals to organizations with those specific needs.
Sangoma uses a more flexible pricing model. Costs are based on deployment type, number of users, and selected features.
| Cost Element | Sangoma | 8×8 |
| Pricing model | Custom | Tiered plans |
| UCaaS starting price | $19.99/user | $24-32/user |
| Contact center pricing | Lower per seat | Higher per seat |
| International calling | Add-on or plan-based | Included in plans |
| Hardware | Bundled options available | Separate |
Organizations that do not need bundled features often end up paying for unused functionality with 8×8.
How Each Communication 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 working 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 disrupted, communication services are affected.
| Capability | Sangoma | 8×8 |
| Uptime target | 99.999% | 99.999% |
| Local extension calling | Supported | Not supported |
| Wireless failover | Supported | Limited |
| Site survivability | Yes | No |
For industries where downtime affects operations directly, local survivability becomes a critical requirement.
Quality of Support
Support quality affects how quickly issues are resolved and how systems evolve over time.
Sangoma provides in-house support with a focus on infrastructure and long-term system performance. This model aligns with organizations that need ongoing configuration, optimization, and troubleshooting support. That shows up in the numbers. Over the past year, Sangoma’s support team lifted 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 matters most.
8×8 support is structured around a SaaS model, which can involve longer resolution times and less direct control over issue handling.
| Support Aspect | Sangoma | 8×8 |
| Support model | In-house | Outsourced |
| Response time | Faster | Slower reported |
| Multi-location expertise | Strong | Limited |
| Long-term support | High | Moderate |
Support becomes more important as systems scale across multiple locations and use cases.
Why Businesses Pick Sangoma Over 8×8
Organizations choose Sangoma when operational control and reliability matter more than bundled cloud features.
- Maintain communication during outages with local survivability
- Deploy systems across cloud, hybrid, or on-premises environments
- Manage all communication infrastructure through a single vendor
- Simplify multi-location operations with centralized control
- Reduce dependency on third-party hardware providers
- Lower overall cost by avoiding unused bundled features
Switching to Sangoma is Easy With Minimal Downtime
Switching communication platforms does not need to disrupt operations when migration is planned correctly.
Sangoma supports phased migrations, allowing businesses to move users, locations, 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 completing the full rollout.
The Best Alternative for 8×8
Sangoma is a strong alternative for organizations that need more control over how communication systems are deployed and managed.
The platform fits businesses that operate across multiple locations, require infrastructure flexibility, or need continuity during outages. Sangoma also reduces vendor complexity by combining hardware, software, and network services into a single solution.
Explore Sangoma to build a communication system that aligns with how your business operates.
Sangoma vs 8×8 FAQs
Does 8×8 offer hybrid or on-prem deployment options?
8×8 operates as a cloud-only platform and does not support hybrid or on-premises deployments.
Which platform gives IT teams more infrastructure control?
Sangoma provides more control through flexible deployment and configuration options.
Which is better for multi-location organizations?
Sangoma is better suited for multi-location organizations due to its architecture and deployment flexibility.
Which platform offers better support?
Sangoma provides in-house support with faster resolution and stronger infrastructure expertise.
Sangoma vs 8×8: Which is a better unified communications platform?
Sangoma is better for flexibility and control. 8×8 fits cloud-only environments with bundled features.
Which platform is a better choice for scalability?
Sangoma scales across different deployment types. 8×8 scales within a cloud-only model.