The AI-first alternative to 8x8
8x8 splits your phone system and your contact center into two consoles and quotes both through a sales call. Orbit is AI-first from day one, with every channel and self-serve, usage-based pricing on one bill.
Orbit vs 8x8, in one answer
Orbit is the AI-first alternative to 8x8: instead of a seat-licensed phone system and a separately administered contact center you buy through a sales call, Orbit ships AI voice agents built into the core platform alongside SMS, WhatsApp, email, video, and a contact center — all on one self-serve, pay-as-you-go bill with published pricing.
of B2B technology search queries now surface an AI-generated answer — up from 36% a year earlier.
BrightEdge, 2026
8x8 is a UCaaS and CCaaS provider — a seat-licensed cloud phone system (8x8 Work) and a separately administered contact center (8x8 Contact Center) with an AI virtual-agent layer (Intelligent Customer Assistant), sold through a sales-led buying process.
| Feature | Orbit | 8x8 |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud phone system | ||
| Cloud PBX with visual IVR / auto-attendant | ||
| SIP trunking with bring-your-own-carrier | ||
| ACD call queues & skills-based routing | ||
| Voicemail with transcription & summary | ||
| AI & every channel, one platform | ||
| Native AI voice agents built into the platform | ||
| Published voice-agent latency budget & methodology | 1 | |
| Programmable SMS & MMS API | ||
| WhatsApp Business messaging | ||
| WhatsApp Business calling (voice on the WhatsApp channel) | ||
| RCS Business Messaging | ||
| Email API | ||
| Embeddable video / RTC | ||
| Built-in contact center (CCaaS) | ||
| Native customer data platform (identity resolution, golden records, audiences) | ||
| Commercial model | ||
| Published pricing on website | ||
| Self-serve signup (no sales call) | ||
| Pay-as-you-go usage billing (no per-seat licence) | ||
| One unified bill across every channel | ||
| Owns its wholesale voice network | ||
- 1Per-stage latency budget & methodology published on Orbit's voice-agent latency page.
Comparison data as of Q3 2026. Competitor pricing and feature details sourced from public vendor documentation, G2, and Gartner Peer Insights. Subject to change at the vendor's discretion. Yes Partial No
Orbit vs 8x8 — frequently asked
- Is Orbit a good 8x8 alternative?
- Orbit is the AI-first alternative to 8x8. 8x8 runs 8x8 Work (phone system) and 8x8 Contact Center as separate, sales-quoted products with separate admin consoles and annual seat contracts; Orbit bundles AI voice agents with every channel on one self-serve, pay-as-you-go bill. You get AI voice agents plus every other channel on one platform and one pay-as-you-go bill, with self-serve signup and no annual contract minimum.
- What does Orbit offer that 8x8 doesn't?
- 8x8 runs 8x8 Work (phone system) and 8x8 Contact Center as separate, sales-quoted products with separate admin consoles and annual seat contracts; Orbit bundles AI voice agents with every channel on one self-serve, pay-as-you-go bill. Orbit runs AI voice agents, SMS and MMS, WhatsApp, email, embeddable video, and a built-in contact center on a single platform with one unified bill, instead of separate products you integrate and reconcile yourself.
- How does Orbit's pricing compare to 8x8?
- Orbit is pay-as-you-go with pricing published on the website, self-serve signup, and no annual contract minimum. Every channel is billed on one account, so you get a single invoice across voice, messaging, email, and video instead of a separate bill per product — and the rate you see is the whole cost: no per-product fees, no carrier or compliance surcharges, and no paid support tier stacked on top of usage.
- Can I run AI voice agents on Orbit instead of 8x8?
- Yes. AI voice agents are built into Orbit's core platform, not sold as a separate per-seat add-on the way 8x8 layers AI onto its phone system. They run alongside your IVR, call queues, SMS, WhatsApp, email, and video on the same account and the same pay-as-you-go bill.
Ready to build on the AI-first platform?
Start free and ship an AI voice agent today, or talk to our team about moving from 8x8. No annual contract, one pay-as-you-go bill across every channel.
See transparent pay-as-you-go pricing · Read the full “Best CCaaS & Contact Center Platforms 2026” guide · Read “WhatsApp Business Calling API Is Now Generally Available — What It Changes for Business Voice”
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