European Alternatives to 8x8
Looking for a European alternative to 8x8? 8x8 is a US cloud communications provider headquartered in Campbell, California, so organisations that want their phone system under an EU, UK or Swiss contract and jurisdiction look at European vendors instead. Another reason is price transparency, as many European vendors publish per-user prices.
The European phone systems below run under German, Dutch, French, British, Swedish and Estonian contracting entities, and several host in Germany or the EU.
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10 European Alternatives to 8x8
sipgate
Cloud phone system hosted in Germany with prices published per user
Voys
Dutch cloud telephony with published per-user prices and EU hosting
Placetel
Cologne cloud PBX from EUR 6.90 per user per month
STARFACE
Karlsruhe PBX as cloud, appliance or self-hosted VM
NFON
Munich cloud PBX with Cloudya, hosted in Germany
Ringover
French cloud phone system with AI receptionist and published entry pricing
Gradwell
Bath-based UK VoIP provider with the Wave phone system
Enreach
Pan-European UCaaS group behind Swyx, sold through partners
Telavox
Malmo telephony platform with PBX, softphone and AI receptionist
Wildix
Tallinn-registered unified communications platform sold through partners
Key takeaways
- 8x8 is a US cloud communications provider headquartered in Campbell, California, so a standard agreement is with a US company rather than an EU, UK or Swiss one.
- sipgate (Germany) publishes business plans at EUR 12.95, 17.95 and 22.95 per user per month and states that its cloud phone system is hosted in Germany.
- STARFACE (Germany) offers the same PBX as hosted cloud, hardware appliance or self-hosted VM, with a German data centre for the cloud edition.
- Placetel (Germany) starts at EUR 6.90 per user per month on a 24-month term, and the price is higher on a one-month term.
- NFON, Enreach, Telavox, STARFACE and Wildix publish no list prices, so a quote is needed before the monthly cost can be compared.
Why people leave 8x8
8x8 is a US cloud communications provider headquartered in Campbell, California. In a business phone system, the vendor sits in the middle of every conversation your company has: inbound customer calls, internal extensions, voicemail, call recordings and the log of who rang whom and when. Choosing a provider is therefore partly a choice about which contract and which legal system that traffic falls under.
That is the first reason European organisations look beyond 8x8. A company in Munich, Utrecht or Lyon that buys from a Californian vendor signs with a US business, and a works council, a data protection officer or a public-sector procurement rulebook may ask for a supplier that contracts under EU, UK or Swiss law instead. The European providers on this page answer that with German, Dutch, French, British, Swedish and Estonian companies.
The second reason is simpler: buyers want to see a price before they book a call. Several European vendors print their per-user rates on the website, which makes a first comparison a matter of minutes. We could not open 8x8's own pages when we checked, so this page does not compare prices or features against 8x8 line by line. It sets out what the European side offers, so you can hold your current 8x8 quote next to it.
- The contract is American, the traffic is European 8x8 is based in Campbell, California, so a standard agreement is with a US company. For a business phone system the data in question is call recordings, voicemail and call metadata about your own customers. If your procurement rules or your data protection officer prefer a supplier in the EU, the UK or Switzerland, that preference excludes 8x8 before any feature is compared. The providers below contract from Germany, the Netherlands, France, the UK, Sweden and Estonia.
- Published per-user prices are easier to compare sipgate lists three plans at EUR 12.95, 17.95 and 22.95 per user per month, Voys lists EUR 19.95 per user excluding VAT for up to three users, Placetel starts at EUR 6.90 on a 24-month term and Gradwell shows Wave from GBP 7.90. A buyer can put those numbers in a spreadsheet the same afternoon. Quote-based vendors exist on the European side as well, but there is a real choice of published rates.
- You can choose where the PBX runs A hosted phone system is not the only shape of the product. STARFACE sells a cloud PBX hosted in a German data centre, a hardware appliance and a VM edition you run yourself, and says you can switch between them later. Wildix offers cloud, on-premise or hybrid. If call data must stay on your own network, a self-hosted European PBX removes the question of a third-party cloud entirely.
- Local partners and local-language support NFON works through more than 3,000 partners in 15 European countries and Enreach through nearly 4,500 partners in ten countries. For a business with desk phones, a site network and a few hundred extensions, an installer in your own country who speaks your language is a practical advantage over a vendor you reach through a global support queue.
What you have to replace, not just match
Moving off 8x8 means replacing more than the dial pad. Start with the list of what the system does today: the phone numbers and who answers them, the call flows (opening hours, menus, queues, voicemail to email), the desk phones and softphones, the integration with your CRM or Microsoft Teams, and the recordings you may be legally required to keep. Each item needs an owner and an equivalent on the new platform before you set a cutover date.
Numbers are the item with a calendar attached. Providers that run their own telephone network, such as sipgate and Voys, handle porting in, and sipgate states that porting numbers in is free. The notice period and any porting terms on the 8x8 side are yours to check in your own contract, because we could not read 8x8's terms. Do not cancel the old service until the new provider confirms the porting date in writing.
Then there are the pieces that are not telephony. If your team calls from inside Microsoft Teams, ask each vendor whether calls route through Teams or through the vendor's own app: Voys, NFON and sipgate offer an integration, Placetel lists Teams in its app store, and Gradwell sells Wave Teams+. If you rely on a built-in contact centre, look at Wildix, NFON's Ncontactcenter module or Ringover's Business tier rather than a basic office PBX.
The alternatives compared
| Position | Tool | Headquarters | Pricing | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | sipgate | Duesseldorf, Germany | eu-eea | |
| #2 | Voys | Groningen, Netherlands | eu-eea | |
| #3 | Placetel | Cologne, Germany | Cloud PBX per user and month on a 24-month term: Essentials from EUR 6.90, Business from EUR 9.90, Enterprise from EUR 14.90 (EUR 8.90, 11.90 and 16.90 on a one-month term) | EU (Germany) |
| #4 | STARFACE | Karlsruhe, Germany | eu-eea | |
| #5 | NFON | Munich, Germany | eu-eea | |
| #6 | Ringover | Montrouge (Paris area), France | eu-eea | |
| #7 | Gradwell | Bath, United Kingdom | Wave phone system per user and month: Wave 100 from GBP 7.90, Wave 1000 from GBP 11.10, Wave 3000 from GBP 15.90 | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #8 | Enreach | Almere, Netherlands | eu-eea | |
| #9 | Telavox | Malmo, Sweden | eu-eea | |
| #10 | Wildix | Tallinn, Estonia | eu-eea |
How each alternative compares to 8x8
Best for: German-speaking small and mid-sized teams that want to start without hardware or a sales call
Against 8x8, sipgate is the plainest swap for a team that wants a phone system as a subscription with no installation project. sipgate GmbH is registered in Duesseldorf and states that its cloud phone system is hosted in Germany. Business S, L and XL cost EUR 12.95, 17.95 and 22.95 per user per month with a two-user minimum, and the pricing page says monthly cancellation applies.
It also brings a few parts of a larger telecom bundle: an integrated mobile offer with SIM and eSIM, SIP trunking compatible with Asterisk, 3CX and STARFACE, and SSO with SAML 2.0 on higher plans. Call charges are billed on top of the user price, so total cost depends on your minutes.
What sipgate does better than 8x8
- Contract with a German company, hosting stated in Germany
- Three published per-user prices
- Number porting in stated as free
- 30-day trial before you commit
Where sipgate is a step down from 8x8
- Website, imprint and pricing pages mostly in German
- No self-hosted edition
- Call charges billed separately
Standout against 8x8. The only plan list here where the number you see on the page is the number per user, with monthly cancellation.
Best for: Dutch and Belgian businesses from a single user up to a few hundred seats
Compared with 8x8, Voys is a Groningen company that runs its platform in the EU and says it follows ISO 27001. The Basic plan for one to three users costs EUR 19.95 per user per month excluding VAT, includes calling in the Netherlands under a fair use policy, and is cancelled per day. Each phone number adds EUR 1.65 per month.
Integrations are the main reason a company with an existing stack would look at it: Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp Business, CRM links and a contact centre, with numbers in more than 40 countries. The Professional plan for four users and up is usage-based and has no list price, so a larger team needs a conversation.
What Voys does better than 8x8
- Dutch entity, platform stated as made and hosted in the EU
- ISO 27001 working method stated on the site
- Per-day cancellation on the Basic plan
- WhatsApp Business next to Teams and CRM links
Where Voys is a step down from 8x8
- Strongest in the Netherlands and Belgium
- International calls, numbers and desk phones are extra
- Larger-team pricing on request only
Standout against 8x8. Plans can be cancelled per day, which is rare for a business phone contract.
Best for: German businesses of two or more users that watch the monthly price and accept a 24-month term
Placetel, run by Gamma Placetel GmbH in Cologne and supervised by the Bundesnetzagentur, starts at EUR 6.90 per user per month on the Essentials plan with a 24-month term. Over a one-month term the same plan is EUR 8.90. Business at EUR 9.90 adds the German all-net flat rate and an app store with Teams, HubSpot, Salesforce and DATEV.
The weak points are specific. The pages we checked do not state where the data is hosted, and some options cost extra: TAPI at EUR 5.90 and the E-fax add-on at EUR 6.90 on Essentials. Placetel belongs to the UK Gamma group, so check that ownership if UK jurisdiction matters to you.
What Placetel does better than 8x8
- Lowest published per-user entry price among these vendors
- 30-day trial without payment details
- DATEV and CRM integrations in the app store
- Calls from 1 cent per minute
Where Placetel is a step down from 8x8
- Hosting location not stated on the pages checked
- Lowest price needs a 24-month term
- Extras such as TAPI and fax billed separately
Standout against 8x8. A 30-day trial with test credit and test numbers, without payment details.
Best for: Mid-sized organisations that want to choose where the PBX runs and work with a local partner
STARFACE changes the question you ask when leaving 8x8: instead of which cloud, you can ask where the PBX should live. STARFACE GmbH, registered at the Amtsgericht Mannheim, sells a pre-installed appliance, a VM edition for your own servers and a cloud PBX hosted in a German data centre, and says you can move between them at any time.
Sales go through certified partners, who handle rollout, and the site offers a SIP trunk and DSL as well. No prices are published. The optional AI services, such as transcription and call routing, run on a separate cloud platform called STARFACE Hub, so check where that data is processed before you switch them on.
What STARFACE does better than 8x8
- Self-hosted VM edition keeps call data on your own network
- Cloud, appliance and VM from one vendor, switchable
- SIP trunk and DSL from the same supplier
- German data centre stated for the cloud PBX
Where STARFACE is a step down from 8x8
- No published prices, partner quote needed
- Not built for a quick self-serve start
- Optional AI services use a separate cloud platform
Standout against 8x8. The same PBX can move from the vendor's cloud to your own server later.
Best for: DACH-region SMEs that want German hosting and a contact centre module from the same vendor
NFON AG, founded in 2007 and based in Munich, runs the Cloudya cloud PBX for more than 54,000 customers through over 3,000 partners in 15 European countries. Against 8x8, the contract is German and the platform is stated as hosted in Germany, which is its clearest selling point in the DACH market.
Its Ncontactcenter module adds drag-and-drop IVR design, skills-based routing and scales to 2,500 parallel conversations, but it is sold as a module of Cloudya, not as a standalone product. Pricing is not published and goes through a partner or a sales quote, so an NFON quote is the item to put next to your 8x8 invoice.
What NFON does better than 8x8
- German contract with hosting in Germany
- Large partner network across 15 European countries
- Contact centre module with a visual IVR builder
- Teams integration available
Where NFON is a step down from 8x8
- No published pricing
- Smaller profile outside the DACH region and the UK
- AI and omnichannel depth lighter than dedicated customer-service platforms
Standout against 8x8. Contact centre routing for up to 2,500 parallel conversations sits inside the same German-hosted platform.
Best for: Small sales and support teams that want to buy online and add routing and CRM links as they grow
Ringover is run from Montrouge near Paris, with offices in Barcelona, London and Atlanta, and has existed since 2005. Its Talk plan can be bought online and includes a local or toll-free number, unlimited domestic calling, call recording with summaries and transcription, and an AI virtual receptionist from the start.
The jump to the Business plan is the part to read carefully. It adds local numbers in 65+ countries, advanced IVR, 100+ CRM and helpdesk integrations and a power dialer, but it needs a 12-month commitment and at least three seats. Conversational AI and AI voice agents are priced separately per minute.
What Ringover does better than 8x8
- French entity under EU law
- AI receptionist and transcription on the entry plan
- Entry plan bought online without a sales call
- 100+ CRM and helpdesk integrations on Business
Where Ringover is a step down from 8x8
- Business plan needs 12 months and three seats
- AI voice agents and omnichannel messaging cost extra
- Advanced plan is custom-quoted after a demo
Standout against 8x8. An AI receptionist with call summaries is part of the cheapest published plan.
Best for: UK businesses that want per-user prices in sterling and a long-running telecom supplier
Gradwell Communications Limited is registered in England and Wales with its office in Bath, and says it has delivered cloud technology since 1998. Wave 100, 1000 and 3000 cost GBP 7.90, 11.10 and 15.90 per user per month, each with included landline and mobile minutes, and Wave Teams+ adds Microsoft Teams integration.
Against 8x8 the jurisdiction is the UK, not the EU. Gradwell's privacy notice states that some processors sit outside the UK and EEA and names an Indian group company, and the hosting location is not stated on the pages we checked. It also sells 3CX hosting, SIP trunks, mobile and broadband, so it fits a firm that wants one telecom bill.
What Gradwell does better than 8x8
- UK company with published sterling prices
- Included minutes in every plan
- Hosting for 3CX as an alternative PBX
- Teams direct routing available
Where Gradwell is a step down from 8x8
- UK law rather than EU law governs the contract
- Some processors outside the UK and EEA
- Included minutes are capped per plan
Standout against 8x8. Wave prices in pounds with minutes included, plus 3CX hosting from the same supplier.
Best for: Businesses in the Netherlands, Germany or the UK that want one UC vendor through a local reseller
Enreach, headquartered in Almere in the Netherlands, was formed in 2018 from national UC and telephony businesses, among them Voiceworks, Swyx and Centile, and now reports over 1,000 employees, nearly 4,500 partners and close to three million users across ten countries. It is a buying route more than a single product.
That structure cuts both ways. A local reseller handles contract and installation in your language, while product experience and documentation vary by country, and pricing is not published. Public detail on the contact centre module is thinner than for specialist vendors, so ask for a demonstration against your own call flows.
What Enreach does better than 8x8
- Local reseller and contract in your own country
- Voice, contact centre and UC from one group
- Strongest in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK
Where Enreach is a step down from 8x8
- No published pricing
- Experience differs between national entities
Standout against 8x8. Nearly 4,500 partners across ten countries sell and install it.
Best for: Businesses in Nordic and UK markets that want a telephony operator with a listed AI add-on
Telavox AB has its registered address in Malmo and describes itself on its UK site as a telephony operator in five countries with about 500 employees. The Fixed Premium plan includes a softphone, an admin portal, a PBX with queues and IVR, and apps for mobile, desktop and Teams. Fixed Max adds tickets and more features.
Main telephony pricing is not published, which makes it hard to set against an 8x8 invoice. The AI Receptionist has a list price of GBP 99 per month excluding VAT on the UK site, with per-minute charges above the included minutes. Its global site is now aimed at telecom operators, so the buying route differs per country.
What Telavox does better than 8x8
- Swedish entity under EU law
- AI receptionist with a listed monthly price
- Admin portal and call recording in the PBX
Where Telavox is a step down from 8x8
- Core telephony pricing only on request
- Hosting location not stated on the pages checked
Standout against 8x8. A published monthly price for the AI receptionist, which most quote-based vendors lack.
Best for: Partner-led deployments that need cloud, on-premise or hybrid PBX with a contact centre included
Wildix OU in Tallinn is the holding company, with entities in Italy, the UK and Switzerland. It also lists Wildix Inc. in Ohio, so check which entity would sign your contract. Each cloud customer gets a dedicated single-tenant PBX instance, which Wildix says runs on AWS, with the region not stated on the page we checked.
That makes it the least clear-cut European option for a buyer leaving a US vendor for jurisdiction reasons. Its strengths are practical: on-premise deployment on VMware or Hyper-V, hybrid failover, a contact centre inside the PBX and SOC 2 compliance. No prices are published and sales go through partners.
What Wildix does better than 8x8
- Cloud, on-premise or hybrid in one product
- Contact centre built into the PBX
- Self-hosting on your own VMware or Hyper-V
Where Wildix is a step down from 8x8
- Cloud PBX runs on AWS, a US provider's infrastructure
- A US subsidiary exists, so contract entity needs checking
- Prices not published
Standout against 8x8. Hybrid setups where an on-premise PBX and a cloud PBX back each other up.
What actually breaks when you switch
The costs of leaving 8x8 are mostly operational. Number porting has a lead time, so the new system has to run in parallel for days, not hours, and any number you forget to list stays with the old account.
Call recordings stored on the old platform need an export plan if you must retain them; ask for a bulk download before the contract ends, because we could not read what 8x8 offers here. Call history and voicemail rarely transfer into another system.
Then there is retraining and equipment. Receptionists, hunt groups and call menus have to be rebuilt in the new vendor's tool, so write the current call flow on paper first and test each path with a real call. Check desk phone compatibility, any contract minimum on the 8x8 side, and the term on the new one: Placetel's lowest price needs 24 months and Ringover's Business plan needs 12 and three seats. Plan the cutover for a quiet week.
Can I move my existing 8x8 phone numbers to a European provider?
Usually yes, if the new provider is a licensed telephone operator for your country. sipgate states that porting numbers in is free of charge, and Voys runs its own network and sells numbers in more than 40 countries. The porting itself is a request from the new provider to the old one, and it needs the account holder's details and a date both sides agree on.
What we cannot tell you is the notice period or the exit terms in your 8x8 agreement, because 8x8's contract pages were not readable for this article. Open your own order form, find the term and the cancellation window, and order the new numbers or the port before you send notice. A gap of a day without inbound calls costs more than a month of double billing.
Do I need a different set of devices when I leave 8x8?
Softphone users need nothing: the web, desktop and mobile apps of the new provider replace the old ones. Desk phones are the open question. Many SIP desk phones can be re-provisioned to another platform, but some are locked to the original provider, and some vendors sell their own handsets. Ask your new provider for a compatibility list with the exact phone models you own before you buy anything.
STARFACE, Wildix and Gradwell also sell or support on-site equipment, appliances or DECT systems, which helps if the office has cordless handsets and a warehouse floor. A cloud-only provider such as sipgate suits a team that works from laptops and mobiles and wants no hardware at all.
Which one to pick
If you want something you can price this week, start with sipgate, Voys and Placetel. sipgate fits German-speaking teams that want hardware-free cloud with monthly cancellation, Voys fits Dutch and Belgian companies that want EU hosting and per-day cancellation, and Placetel fits a German team that accepts a 24-month term for the lowest entry price. Ringover is the pick if an AI receptionist and online signup matter more than a local-language site.
If control over where the system runs is the point, look at STARFACE first and Wildix second, noting that Wildix's cloud sits on AWS and the group has a US subsidiary.
For a large site with desk phones, a contact centre or an existing partner, NFON, Enreach and Telavox are quote-led routes through resellers, and Gradwell covers the UK in sterling. Since 8x8's own pages could not be read for this page, compare any of these against your current 8x8 invoice before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
For small and mid-sized teams that want a price list, sipgate (Germany), Voys (Netherlands) and Placetel (Germany) are the easiest to compare with an 8x8 quote. STARFACE suits organisations that want to choose between cloud, appliance and self-hosted. Ringover is the French option with an AI receptionist on its entry plan. Wildix and Enreach are mostly sold through partners, so expect a quote.
Yes. 8x8 is a cloud communications provider with its headquarters in Campbell, California. Organisations that need their phone system under an EU, UK or Swiss contract and jurisdiction usually move to a provider with a registered entity in one of those places, as the vendors on this page have.
sipgate lists business S, L and XL at EUR 12.95, 17.95 and 22.95 per user per month with a two-user minimum. Voys lists Basic at EUR 19.95 per user excluding VAT. Placetel lists plans from EUR 6.90 and Gradwell lists Wave from GBP 7.90. Ringover has a published entry plan. NFON, Enreach, Telavox, STARFACE and Wildix quote on request.
STARFACE sells a VM edition you host yourself and a hardware appliance, and Wildix can be deployed on your own VMware or Hyper-V infrastructure or combined with a cloud PBX for failover. sipgate, Voys, Placetel, NFON and Gradwell are cloud services run by the vendor.
Several do. sipgate, Voys and NFON offer a Teams integration, Placetel lists Teams in its app store, Telavox has a Teams app and Gradwell sells Wave Teams+ as an add-on. The depth differs between vendors, so ask whether calls run inside Teams itself or through the vendor's app.
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