8x8 Work vs. Google Hangouts (Classic) vs. Google Voice

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
8x8 Work
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
8x8 Work is a collaboration hub for phone, video, and messaging. It brings secure unified communication and collaboration experiences to every employee.
$24
per month
Google Hangouts (Classic)
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
The classic version of Google Hangouts included messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. It was replaced by the Hangouts Chat collaboration tool, and Google continues to support conferencing via the new Hangouts Meet.N/A
Google Voice
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
Google Voice is a free IP telephony service that provides users with one phone number that can be forwarded to multiple phones or devices. It includes features such as call forwarding, voicemail translation, text messaging, and voice calls. Fees may apply for international calling.
$10
per month
Pricing
8x8 WorkGoogle Hangouts (Classic)Google Voice
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Starter
$10
per user/per month
Standard
$20
per user/per month
Premier
$30
per user/per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
8x8 WorkGoogle Hangouts (Classic)Google Voice
Free Trial
NoNoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
8x8 WorkGoogle Hangouts (Classic)Google Voice
Considered Multiple Products
8x8 Work
Chose 8x8 Work
Verizon Business Digital Voice: complicated, unreliable. We lived with this system for years and never liked it.
Google Hangouts (Classic)
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
Best part of Google Hangouts is its simplicity, and performance. We never had connection problems, or quality interruptions, something that is more frequent with the other tools listed above.
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
Google Hangouts undercuts almost everyone on pricing, and has a solid feature set. In particular, it is enhanced when using with a Google Voice number. In this instance it makes outgoing calls to "real" phones trivially easy. It's great for on-the-fly use, too.

However, when …
Chose Google Hangouts (Classic)
There is a very popular product called "line" and it's very very very popular in Japan, but here Line doesn't have too many users. Plus, lines is okay but it doesn't work with Google Drive and Google Photos and all that. Line is a stand alone, whereas Hangouts is a part of …
Google Voice
Chose Google Voice
The integrations of Google Voice with all our devices are flawless, Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and Mac. Also, the call performance is far superior on wifi as well as on mobile data. With Skype, we had several problems with personal accounts, performance issues, and in …
Chose Google Voice
Google has a larger ecosystem.
Chose Google Voice
Google Voice is hard to compare because on a cost basis it is so much lower than it's competitors. As a whole, I would say it's definitely lacking features compared to Nextiva, and a few from RingCentral but the service is reliable and it has the most commonly used core …
Chose Google Voice
I found Google Voice much easier to set up a dedicated number than it was on Skype and cheaper. I had previously set up a dedicated number on Skype and although relatively cheap, I found setup complicated and it never did work seamlessly unlike Google Voice which took all of …
Chose Google Voice
There are no free competitors to Google Voice that are in the same class.
Chose Google Voice
It is cheaper in price and it also has more freedom of use and better functionality.
Chose Google Voice
Well, Google Voice was a free number, there was nothing to pay for like other services. It it also something that you can set up by yourself without having to call in and speak with a representative on the phone. Just go to the Google Voice page and set up the service and …
Chose Google Voice
None of the other small-scale VOIP systems I've tried came anywhere close to Google Voice. It is simple and simply works. Skype, on the other hand, is a bloated and convoluted junkpile of software which only barely operates, hogs resources, and puts advertisements in-app like …
Features
8x8 WorkGoogle Hangouts (Classic)Google Voice
Cloud PBX
Comparison of Cloud PBX features of Product A and Product B
8x8 Work
8.5
486 Ratings
1% above category average
Google Hangouts (Classic)
6.3
57 Ratings
23% below category average
Google Voice
5.3
53 Ratings
40% below category average
Hosted PBX8.9267 Ratings6.915 Ratings6.025 Ratings
Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)8.7131 Ratings7.725 Ratings3.027 Ratings
Directory of employee names8.5446 Ratings3.045 Ratings9.027 Ratings
User templates00 Ratings5.022 Ratings1.419 Ratings
Call reports00 Ratings9.034 Ratings7.046 Ratings
Call Management
Comparison of Call Management features of Product A and Product B
8x8 Work
8.6
539 Ratings
0% above category average
Google Hangouts (Classic)
8.0
66 Ratings
3% below category average
Google Voice
8.4
67 Ratings
2% above category average
Answering rules8.7492 Ratings8.033 Ratings8.546 Ratings
Call recording8.6416 Ratings7.937 Ratings8.152 Ratings
Call park8.5390 Ratings7.018 Ratings6.422 Ratings
Call screening8.5376 Ratings9.036 Ratings10.060 Ratings
Message alerts8.7472 Ratings8.058 Ratings9.065 Ratings
Mobile apps
Comparison of Mobile apps features of Product A and Product B
8x8 Work
9.2
471 Ratings
5% above category average
Google Hangouts (Classic)
8.0
85 Ratings
2% above category average
Google Voice
7.2
63 Ratings
9% below category average
Mobile app for iOS9.2397 Ratings8.173 Ratings6.945 Ratings
Mobile app for Android9.1304 Ratings8.071 Ratings7.451 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
8x8 Work
-
Ratings
Google Hangouts (Classic)
8.6
84 Ratings
8% above category average
Google Voice
7.5
44 Ratings
5% below category average
Video conferencing00 Ratings9.079 Ratings6.022 Ratings
Audio conferencing00 Ratings9.079 Ratings8.039 Ratings
Video screen sharing00 Ratings7.148 Ratings8.014 Ratings
Instant messaging00 Ratings9.052 Ratings8.027 Ratings
Best Alternatives
8x8 WorkGoogle Hangouts (Classic)Google Voice
Small Businesses
Broadvoice | GoContact
Broadvoice | GoContact
Score 9.1 out of 10
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 7.5 out of 10
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 7.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Webex Calling
Webex Calling
Score 8.8 out of 10
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 7.5 out of 10
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 7.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Webex Calling
Webex Calling
Score 8.8 out of 10
Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
Score 9.0 out of 10
Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
Score 9.0 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
8x8 WorkGoogle Hangouts (Classic)Google Voice
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(560 ratings)
8.0
(91 ratings)
7.5
(73 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(40 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
9.3
(7 ratings)
Usability
8.7
(205 ratings)
8.0
(7 ratings)
8.0
(11 ratings)
Availability
8.9
(14 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.5
(14 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.8
(152 ratings)
8.0
(36 ratings)
7.0
(35 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.1
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.1
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(18 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Configurability
8.2
(12 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8.2
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
8.2
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.4
(14 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
9.1
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.0
(12 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.5
(13 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
8x8 WorkGoogle Hangouts (Classic)Google Voice
Likelihood to Recommend
8x8 Inc.
Having the capability to copy and paste in phone numbers that I am trying to call directly into the 8x8 Work user interface is a massive time saver for me so that I don't have to type in each phone number like we had to do before 8x8 Work. When you are in sales and productivity and time is important that can really add up.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
Had I completed this review a couple years ago, I would have given a rating of 9 or 10 as Hangouts (Classic) is an excellent product. However, now that Google Chat has succeeded Hangouts, I would not recommend that any new users begin using it where other more modern options are available. Android users who want an internet based instant messaging that also supports calling and video calling could benefit from using Hangouts (Classic) as Google Chat requires the user to also have Google Meet installed to make video calls and there is no voice only calling option.
Read full review
Google
I do think Google Voice works well for organizations that do not have a support team meant to provide regular telephone support, and instead do so on an ad hoc basis. I would not recommend it for high-volume call activities, such as SDR motions.
Read full review
Pros
8x8 Inc.
  • 8x8 Work manages roles and permissions well. It is very simple to create permission groups needed for certain roles that may even overlap teams needs.
  • User management is fairly simple and straight forward.
  • Analytics reporting is good quality for the higher tier licenses
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) is embedded within Gmail's scheduler, so setting up the link is as quick as a click of the button. It's a one-step process.
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) is user-friendly and [has] features to share screens easily.
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) is much easier to use than its competitors.
  • Google Hangouts (Classic) have [a] good connection time and there are few glitches.
Read full review
Google
  • Google Voice has been great for setting up additional phone lines and numbers.
  • The voicemail inbox is a great feature and you can see when messages come in online and listen to the messages from your computer.
  • Google Voice allows us to have multiple phone numbers and lines for specific business purposes.
Read full review
Cons
8x8 Inc.
  • Customer support do not respond properly if you are facing any compliance issue.
  • If any person in the organisation misbehaves with a customer and the customer raises a complaint to the concerned team, they suspend the organisation's entire
  • account without any warning.
  • Rarely we face voice disturbance.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • I would like to see improved video support, so that saved videos can be sent back and forth via Hangouts more easily, without having to start a separate meet chat
  • More pronounced notifications of messages would be helpful; pop up notifications are good, but once there is one, additional messages do not pop up
  • Custom muting times would be great, so that if I am in a 90 minute Zoom meeting, I can set it for that time; right now, it is 1 hour or 2 hours. Easy to forget.
Read full review
Google
  • There has not been much innovation since the initial release.
  • It doesn't handle SMS well.
  • It does not natively integrate with CRM without legacy complication
  • It is not supported by Google as it once was
  • Call Recording is non-existent
  • Call-Tree or Virtual Auto-Attendant needs are not available
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
8x8 Inc.
All our employees love this product. No one has ever had an issue, whether it be the phone or fax. Great during the winter when employees have to work from home because of the snow. Never had an issue with the phone app. Highly recommend this product
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
Google Voice has been invaluable for us in our effort to provide exceptional customer service. With Google Voice, we have been able to increase our customer interactions while reducing the wait time to reach a live person on our team. We couldn't be more pleased with the way things have worked out since implementing Google Voice.
Read full review
Usability
8x8 Inc.
As long as the general system for your organization is up, it is a completely fine system, no issues; however, if there are any glitches, those are rarely solvable in-house. It's a completely fine system with just enough features to keep everyone happy, but not WOW anyone
Read full review
Discontinued Products
The tool is almost self-implemented. It is likely to be available in every pc or mobile device a user or potential user might have, and all you need to do is adding the company's account and you are done. Once you are setted up, you have almost all actual communication methods available in one tool
Read full review
Google
I think it works really well in the arena it operates in, but not so well in areas where an enterprise system would be more appropriate. It's great for quick solutions that just work, but not so much for more complex call management tasks.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
8x8 Inc.
The 8x8 product is absolutely the best when it comes to this! I have had zero application errors or unplanned outages allowing me the opportunity to provide a constant source of reliable customer service to my members. I know this is something I can count on. Unlike the internet, it is subject to go down without warning
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
No answers on this topic
Performance
8x8 Inc.
No problems with performance, Pages load as they should. I can't answer on the reports side as only a handful of our Admins ( call center ) currently use that side of the software. It does intergrate very well with Office for meetings and conferences. Sometimes there is a slight lag or static when users are talking, but we found this to be a cause of a users computer had not restarted in a while, Once the user restarts thier computer the problem is resolved, So this is not an issue with 8x8
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
8x8 Inc.
We are a USA based organization. Support was refreshingly quick (callback via phone or email, online live agents). Agents are knowledgeable, thorough in their explanations, and extremely patient when dealing with end-users at various levels of the ICT knowledge spectrum.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
Google Hangouts works great and does not require a lot of work to troubleshoot. Everything is simple and easy to use. Google provides all of the tools that one requires to utilize Google Hangouts and any information can be found in the built-in help tools. There is also a forum for users to report issues and typically, Google responds well and will try to work out any issues.
Read full review
Google
They do not offer support unless you have the Business account for Google Voice under G Suite. This is tough, because Google doesn't really have a customer support team for this service, so when it gets shut down for a few hours, we have no choice but to wait it out. But this doesn't happen that often, which is great.
Read full review
In-Person Training
8x8 Inc.
The representative that arrived was very prompt and knowledgeable about the product and able to provide understandable instruction for how everything worked and what to be expected by us when using the product. They did not make me feel rushed or like they were ready to get the training over with
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
No answers on this topic
Online Training
8x8 Inc.
online (video) training is good. No issues.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
8x8 Inc.
The implementation of 8x8 X was rather smooth. We had training prior to getting the system. The IT company did a good job on the training. The whole system is wonderful. Saves me so much time with the faxing, as i can just let it go by itself and not have to make sure pages don't get skipped, as with a regular fax machine.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
It is a pretty seamless program to transfer to, even for people who either have little experience with these programs or people who were stuck on Skype
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
8x8 Inc.
The customer support is not good on Zoom. They do not know about their product. When we ask something about a Zoom feature, customer support takes time and denied for that feature but those features available in Zoom and we have to find out those features by Google and logs. 8x8 Work is the best in the market.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
Google is the white cotton socks of the conferencing world. It’s a great ad-hoc tool, but not too much more. If you are not looking to spend money or operate completely on WiFi (without data charges), it’s a great free option as well. The benefit of being free and open is also the liability. It doesn’t have a great integration story with other corporate tools, but [it doesn’t have to] if you aren’t looking for that. All in all, it’s as helpful and ubiquitous as a public payphone…without the pay…and with a video capability.
Read full review
Google
The integrations of Google Voice with all our devices are flawless, Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and Mac. Also, the call performance is far superior on wifi as well as on mobile data. With Skype, we had several problems with personal accounts, performance issues, and in general, it felt awkward to use it.
Read full review
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8x8 Inc.
At this time, we’re very happy with the pricing model that we have worked out and they have provided for us. Just be sure to do your homework, and use your comparisons to work out your cost with 8x8. They will be very straightforward with you on what they can
adjust for you.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
Google Voice should be also be use to those who have difficulty in speaking English. So the contract term will need to be a little strict as Google Voice is used in navigations as the part of GPRS navigation is personal. The private data need to be in control much more securely and safely.
Read full review
Scalability
8x8 Inc.
The only issue was adding licences was not via a button click but through your account admin which seems bad practice in a SaaS world as the user should be able to sign up, amend and close their account with ease
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
8x8 Inc.
PS had all the users etc. set up by our go-live date. All hard phones were activated and when we received them, all we had to do was set them up and punch in the activation code to activate them.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Google
It help to connect with the products that we use as a part. We need to get in touch with our professional world. It is like a tool that helps us to get in touch with everything from A to Z in our professional careers. So we need to be in touch with everything as linearly as the jpb can be done.
Read full review
Return on Investment
8x8 Inc.
  • Efficiency to be on the road and still have our calls well-managed.
  • Whether on the road or in the office, the incoming caller always assumes we are at our desks and in touch.
  • The ability to change our outgoing messages to suit immediate needs is simple.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • I believe it was part of the google suite that was purchased. It was worth the cost as it was cheaper. I believe it is now free, but also becoming deprecated. It is much better to use Teams, Discord, Telegram, etc. Google does not provide enough support or features to make using hangouts worth it these days.
Read full review
Google
  • Cost for Google Voice is stellar, starting at $10/mo per user.
  • While it doesn't offer a new Audio/Video conferencing solution it does integrate with GSuite so it makes use of Google Calendar and Hangouts/ Google Meet.
  • Gets the employee's to use their company phone numbers more as texting is easy and deployment is simple.
  • The cell phone app is reliable and easy to deploy.
Read full review
ScreenShots