8x8
Around
| Feature | 8x8 | Around |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $28/mo | Free / from $10.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | international-businesses, contact-centers, healthcare, financial-services | remote-teams, quick-standups, pair-programming, distributed-teams |
| Founded | 1987 | 2020 |
| Unlimited Calling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Video Conferencing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Team Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Contact Center | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Call Recording | ✓ | ✗ |
| Floating Video | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auto Leveling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Screen Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Reactions | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 8x8 Pros
- Unlimited international calling
- Strong contact center features
- Good uptime and reliability
- Compliant for healthcare and finance
✗ 8x8 Cons
- Interface feels dated
- Support can be slow
- Pricing not transparent
✓ Around Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Minimal floating interface
- Good noise cancellation
- Reduces meeting fatigue
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features vs Zoom
- Smaller user base
- No recording on free
The Verdict
8x8 is built for international businesses and contact centers, with a focus on unlimited-calling and video-conferencing. Around targets remote teams and quick standups and leads with floating-video and auto-leveling.
On pricing, Around is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $10.99/mo compared to $28/mo for 8x8. That $17.009999999999998/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Around has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. 8x8 requires a paid subscription from day one.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.