The global unified communication as a service market is expected to reach around USD 433.29 billion by 2034, with an impressive growth rate of 18% from 2024 to 2034*.
This explosive surge shows the rising demand for seamless, cloud-based communication solutions that keep businesses connected and agile. However, as the competition heats up, choosing the right provider becomes more challenging.
In this article, we explore the top 9 UCaaS providers for 2024, breaking down the leaders driving this innovation and helping you decide which service best suits your organization’s needs.
Key takeaways:
- Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) combines different communication tools like voice calls, video conferencing, and messaging into a single, cloud-based platform. This unified system helps streamline internal communication, saving time and improving overall productivity by reducing the need to switch between different apps or tools.
- The UCaaS market offers a range of providers, each specializing in different features. For example, CloudTalk is ideal for remote teams seeking high-quality voice calls and a user-friendly interface.
- When choosing a UCaaS provider, ensure it fits your current and future needs, can scale with your business, has good customer support, and is easy to set up.
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What Is Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS)?
UCaaS, or Unified Communications as a Service, or Unified Cloud Communications, combines different communication tools (such as calls, video calls, messages, etc.) into one place or cloud-based platform. Users can avoid constantly switching tools by integrating everything into a single system, saving time and improving productivity.
Additionally, users can access these services through various devices: phones, computers, and even tablets.
While CCaaS sounds very similar to UCaaS, it plays a different role within a company. CCaaS stands for Contact Center as a Service and is used by companies to streamline and enhance customer support. UCaaS, on the other hand, is primarily used for internal communication.
9 Top Unified Communications as a Service Providers in 2025
Here’s a list of the 9 leading Unified Communications providers we’ll cover in this article, along with their main strengths:
- Cloudtalk: Best for Call Quality
- RingCentral: Best for Video Capabilities
- 8×8: Best for Analytics
- Vonage: Best for VoIP Capabilities
- GoTo Connect: Best for Cloud Phone Flexibility
- Nextiva: Best for Customer Service
- Dialpad: Best for Voice Intelligence Capabilities
- Cisco Unified Communications Manager: Best for Security
- Zoom: Best for Ease of Use
Before we get into the specifics, take a look at the summary in the table below:
#1 CloudTalk
Key features
- Mobile App.
- Advanced Call Routing and IVR.
- Call Recording.
- Call Transcription.
Why Cloudtalk stands out
CloudTalk stands out in global communication solutions due to its high call quality, extensive international reach (160+ international numbers), user-friendly design, robust integrations, and comprehensive features. These attributes make it a preferred choice for businesses aiming to improve their global communication strategies.
What is CloudTalk missing
CloudTalk has limited video features, as its primary focus is voice calling. It may be a drawback for users seeking a comprehensive video calling solution.
Pricing
Starting from $25/user per month, billed annually.
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#2 RingCentral
Key features
- SIP Trunking.
- IVR.
- Call Recording.
- Contact Management.
Why RingCentral stands out
RingCentral provides high-quality video with 720p for participants and 1080p for shared content, ensuring clear communication. Additionally, it supports up to 200 participants in a single meeting, making it ideal for large-scale video conferences.
What is RingCentral missing
The Call Recording tool and Toll-free numbers are only available as add-ons for an additional cost.
Furthermore, RingCentral’s implementation can take as much as 90 days and involves an implementation fee.
Pricing
Starting from $20/user per month, billed annually.
#3 8×8
Key features
- Call Center Management.
- IVR.
- Contact Management.
- Analytics & Reporting.
Why 8×8 stands out
8×8 has built an excellent analytics system that tracks large-scale business processes, centralizing data for better team organization and faster workflows, with real-time reports. It also integrates seamlessly with tools like Salesforce, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
What is 8×8 missing
If your business operates globally, you should consider that unlimited calling on the basic Express plan is limited to the US and Canada. Additionally, the SMS feature works only within the US, and 8×8 doesn’t cover costs for mobile numbers in Brazil.
Pricing
Quote-based plans.
#4 Vonage
Key features
- Auto-attendant
- CRM integrations
- Voice and video conferencing
- Call forwarding services
Why Vonage stands out
Vonage offers advanced features like Visual Voicemail, which sends voicemail transcripts to your email, and the Vonage Extensions app, letting you make calls from your mobile phone using your home phone plan. You can also manage call settings and notifications easily through a simple interface.
What is Vonage missing
Vonage has taken advantage of its reputation by charging more for its services than similar Unified Communications as a Service providers. Additionally, Vonage’s pricing includes hidden fees that make the service more expensive than anticipated. It can be a major drawback for small businesses needing to manage their resources carefully.
Pricing
Quote-based pricing.
UCaaS vs CCaaS: Find the right fit
#5 GoTo Connect
Key features
- Internal chat capabilities for team collaboration.
- SMS texting.
- Video conferencing.
- Powerful mobile app.
Why GoTo Connect stands out
GoTo Connect is best for cloud phone flexibility because it lets you make and receive calls from any device, whether you’re in the office, at home, or on the go, making it perfect for remote or hybrid work setups. Moreover, users can create unlimited phone extensions, making it easy to customize call routing and management without extra costs. This feature is especially helpful for growing businesses that need to quickly adjust to changing needs
What is GoTo Connect missing
One of the first downsides users will notice when using GoTo Connect is the solution’s lack of integrations. Furthermore, GoTo Connect’s AI features are reportedly still in beta, lagging behind competitors who offer more advanced AI-powered productivity tools, such as Automatic Summaries and Call Transcription.
Pricing
Starting from $26/user per month, billed annually.
#6 Nextiva
Key features
- Unlimited calling.
- Video conference recordings.
- Mobile & desktop apps.
- Workflow optimization.
Why Nextiva stands out
Nextiva stands out for its exceptional 24/7 customer service, with users praising the knowledgeable and responsive support team. Additionally, the NextivaONE softphone app is noted for its sleek, user-friendly design, making it easy to manage tasks like adding users and handling devices.
What is Nextiva missing
Although Nextiva is a popular unified communications solution, there are a few issues to consider. It lacks certain key integrations, such as Slack and Zapier, which could limit connectivity with other systems. Moreover, many users find Nextiva’s prices high, especially for small businesses.
Pricing
Starting from $20/user per month, billed annually.
#7 Dialpad
Key features
- Call Recording.
- Machine Learning.
- Call Analysis.
- Call Routing.
Why Dialpad stands out
Dialpad‘s main advantages are voice intelligence and uptime, which are between 99% and 100%. You’ll get conference video calls, Sentiment Analysis, voicemail transcriptions, call tracking metrics, Speech-to-Text for an automatic call recording, and much more.
What is Dialpad missing
Dialpad has a few limitations to consider. SMS messaging is restricted to the US and Canada, although this feature is expected to launch in the UK soon. Its integration options are also more limited compared to some competitors. Additionally, the Dialpad mobile app lacks advanced features, only allowing users to manually dial phone numbers, which may be a drawback for those seeking more functionality.
Pricing
Starting from $20/user per month, billed annually.
#8 Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM)
Key features
- Third-party integrations.
- Analytics capabilities.
- Call routing.
- Visual voicemail.
Why Cisco stands out
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) is valued for its strong security features and compliance with industry certifications, ensuring secure communication across various sectors. It also provides a complete collaboration infrastructure, supporting IP telephony, video calling, unified messaging, and instant messaging. This makes CUCM a reliable, all-in-one solution for seamless communication and collaboration.
What is Cisco missing
Users highlight concerns with its licensing model and costs, especially the shift to subscription-based pricing, limiting smaller clients. Additionally, CUCM’s complexity often requires organizations to hire skilled engineers, as managing the system involves a steep learning curve. These factors make it challenging for smaller businesses to adopt and maintain CUCM effectively.
Pricing
CUCM pricing is based on a per-user licensing model, with costs depending on the number of users. For organizations with fewer than 1,000 users, the Basic Single User license is priced at $135 per user.
#9 Zoom
Key features
- Unlimited one-on-one and group meetings in all Zoom plans
- Up to 1,000 third-party integrations.
- User-friendly interface.
- Team chat/instant messaging.
Why Zoom stands out
Users consistently praise Zoom for its intuitive interface and ease of use, with quick connection times across desktop, web, and mobile apps. Zoom offers a complete set of communication tools, including video conferencing, team chat, VoIP phone service, webinars, and a virtual whiteboard. This integration allows users to manage all their communication needs within a single platform, simplifying the experience and reducing complexity.
What is Zoom missing
While Zoom offers VoIP phone service, some users may find it less feature-rich compared to dedicated business phone systems. Additionally, advanced business phone features are only available in higher-tier plans, which could be a limitation for smaller organizations or those on lower-priced plans.
Pricing
Starting from $13,32/user per month, billed annually.
How to Choose the Right UCaaS Provider?
If you’re still unsure which provider to choose from the list, here are 4 key tips to help you decide:
#1 Keep Your Business Needs in Mind
The first step is to assess your organization’s communication requirements, both short-term and long-term. Think about the tools you already use, such as video conferencing, instant messaging, or file sharing.
For example, if you primarily work remotely, you should prioritize a provider that offers high-quality calls. With Cloudtalk, we guarantee 99.999% uptime and are a registered operator in multiple countries. It helps us take control over multiple aspects of phone call quality.
#2 Look for Scalability and Flexibility
Choose a provider that can scale and grow with you. As your business expands, you’ll need to add more users and features without complications.
For instance, with Cloudtalk’s flexible plans, you can add or reduce users with just a few clicks and easily upgrade your plan if you need more advanced features.
#3 Evaluate Customer Support
Technical support is crucial to ensure that the UCaaS solution runs smoothly without interruptions. Opt for providers that offer 24/7 customer support through various channels, such as phone, chat, and email.
At Cloudtalk, we offer 24/7 human customer support with a response rate of under 1 minute. If you have any issues, you can relax knowing that we’ll help you very quickly.
#4 Consider Ease of Implementation
A smooth onboarding process minimizes downtime and reduces the burden on your team, letting your employees adapt to the new system faster and with fewer disruptions. It is especially important if you want to ensure that communication tools are up and running without hindering daily operations.
With Cloudtalk, you can implement the system in less than 24 hours, and the interface is very easy to use. Additionally, we offer weekly training sessions to address any questions you may have in real-time.
Unify Your Remote Teams with One Simple Solution
With the rise of remote work, Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) has become essential. Cloud-based platforms let you integrate voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools into one system, ensuring teams stay connected no matter where they are.
Among the top UCaaS providers for 2024, CloudTalk excels in delivering high-quality voice calls and an intuitive interface, making it a perfect fit for remote teams.
Ready to streamline your communication? Try CloudTalk today.
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