Nextiva is a popular VoIP service provider for business communication. This cloud platform gives subscribers the ability to make and receive voice and video calls and exchange messages online with other team members as well as external numbers. Subscribers can get local or toll-free numbers and access to a range of other features including contact management, auto attendants, voicemail and integration with select apps. These services are available in 3 plans with a monthly user subscription fee. Subscription fees are inversely proportional to the number of users. Nextiva services can be accessed from desktop and mobile applications, web browser extensions and IP deskphones.
With 3 monthly subscription plans, Ooma offers an alternative to Nextiva's communication plans. This VoIP service provider’s plans include a wide range of services such as three-way calling, virtual faxes, call forwarding, etc. in addition to unlimited calling to certain destinations. Add-on packs are also available for international calling. Ooma services can be accessed through smartphone apps, analog and IP phones, chrome extensions and devices with pre-installed software. Desktop apps are included in the Pro and Pro+ plans.
The Nextiva Essential plan allows businesses requiring local/ toll free numbers to make and receive unlimited voice/ video calls with numbers in the USA and Canada. The plan costs $30.95 per user per month and also includes voicemail access, call recording, etc.
Businesses need to budget for $35.95 per user per month for the Nextiva Professional plan. If they have more than 4 users, the per user cost will reduce. This plan offers all the Essential plan features as well as advanced features as call conferencing for 40 callers and Salesforce/HubSpot integrations.
Subscribers to the Nextiva Enterprise plan get access to all the Professional plan features as well as certain others such as call recording and CRM integration. They can also hold conference calls with unlimited participants. This upgrade can cost between $39.95 and 45.95 per user per month depending on the number of users.
Ooma offers more budget-friendly solutions as compared to Nextiva.
The Ooma Essentials plan has a $19.95 monthly subscription fee for each user. This plan is inclusive of free calling to certain destinations and 50+ standard features such as voicemail, ring groups and incoming call routing through a virtual receptionist.
Businesses can upgrade to the Ooma Pro plan by paying a $24.95 monthly user license fee. In addition to all the Essentials plan features, Pro plan subscribers can also access call recordings, voicemail transcriptions, etc.
Larger teams can benefit from a Pro+ plan subscription. This is priced at $29.95 per user per month. It is inclusive of features from both other plans as well as exclusive features such as Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrations and hot desking.
Options available to make or receive calls in the office include the Nextiva app, web browser and IP deskphone.
Ooma starter pan subscribers may find themselves at a slight disadvantage as compared to Nextiva subscribers.
To make and receive calls, subscribers can use IP desk phones. Pro and Pro+ users can also use the Ooma desktop app.
Out of the office, Nextiva subscribers can make and receive voice/ video calls and exchange messages through a smartphone app.
Like Nextiva, Ooma subscribers can make and receive calls through Android and iOS apps.
All Nextiva subscribers can route incoming calls to relevant agents and departments on the basis of caller inputs. Essential plan users can set up an intuitive phone menu while Professional and Enterprise plan users can customize multi-level auto attendants with as many menus as required.
While Nextiva relies on auto attendants, Ooma offers a virtual receptionist with customizable sub menus to route incoming calls to relevant departments.
Nextiva subscribers can customize call greetings. All new messages must be recorded and available in 8 or 16 bit .wav files. This can be done by anyone with admin capabilities.
1. Login to your Nextiva account.
2. Click on Sites on the dashboard.
3. Go to the Greetings section and click on Auto attendant.
4. Upload your custom recording.
All Nextiva and Ooma plans include custom greetings for incoming calls.
Step 1. Sign in to the Ooma dashboard as admin.
Step 2. Go to settings and set business hours.
Step 3. You can either upload a recorded greeting to type a message and select the text to speech option.
Understanding the need to monitor agent productivity, Nextiva gives its subscribers a few ways to do so. All plans give team supervisors the ability to read call logs and call history sheets for incoming and outgoing calls. In addition, the Enterprise plan also includes call recording and voicemail transcription services. However, live call monitoring facilities are not included in any plans.
When it comes to call monitoring capabilities, Nextiva and Ooma seem to be at par.
The ability to listen to live calls, coach agents through a call or join a call are not included in any Ooma plans. However, supervisors can initiate 3-way conversations between themselves, agents and customers. They can also access call log reports on individual and team activities from their dashboards or download the same as CSV files to study agent productivity. In addition, voicemails are forwarded to user inboxes for easier access.
Along with voicemail recordings, Pro and Pro+ plan users can also read voicemail transcriptions in their email inboxes.
Call recording is not included in the Nextiva Essential and Professional plans. Enterprise plan subscribers can access this feature to manually or automatically record all incoming and outgoing calls. Thes recording can be accessed for up to 6 months.
Nextiva and Ooma take a similar approach to call recording capabilities.
Calls cannot be recorded by Essential plan subscribers. This feature is limited to the Pro and Pro+ plans.
International calls are billed on usage. Nextiva only includes calls to numbers within the USA and Canada in its subscription fee. Other calls are billed on a per minute rate. For example, calls to landlines in Argentina are billed at a rate of $0.02 per minute while calls to Australia are billed at $0.03 per minute rate.
While domestic calling is free for Nextiva and Ooma subscribers, there may be a difference in billing for international calls. Calls to any number within the USA are included in the Ooma plans. Other international calls are billed at country-specific rates. Add-on international calling packs are also available.
Subscribers can create Nextiva accounts online on the Nextiva website and then assign user licenses. They can use a drag-and-drop call flow builder to set up a business phone system with greetings and call menus customized to the business brand language. Once accounts have been created, users can download and install Nextiva apps on their desktops, laptops and smartphones. Calls can also be made and received through an IP deskphone.
Setting up an Ooma account is easy and comparable to Nextiva. Subscribers can port their existing numbers or get a new telephone number. Ooma services are accessible through a smartphone app for Android and iOS devices, analog phones or IP phones. The latter is available on the Ooma website. Subscribers can also use a chrome extension to make and receive calls from laptops and desktops. Pro and Pro+ plan subscribers also have the option of using a desktop app.
