What Is Nextiva?
Nextiva has a variety of cloud-based communication tools, primarily emphasizing VoIP. It offers a single platform to engage customers or collaborate with team members. With pricing as low as $17.95 per month per user, every Nextiva plan includes:
- Unlimited calling throughout the U.S. and Canada
- Free online faxing
- A toll-free number
- Video calls up to 45 minutes
- Video conference recording
- Voicemail-to-email notifications
- Microsoft and Google contact integrations
- Migration for existing phone numbers with no added cost
Nextiva is available in a downloadable desktop application called NextivaONE and in a mobile app compatible with iOS and Android. When testing Nextiva, we could download the desktop and mobile app versions. We also used Nextiva’s software while operating Google Chrome.
In addition to communication software, Nextiva also offers business phones, headsets and other equipment. Items sell for as low as $70, with leasing starting at $3.80 per month. If you prefer, you can use Nextiva with your existing VoIP equipment, as the company says it helps customers convert their traditional hardware systems.
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How Nextiva Works
Nextiva primarily focuses on two business-centric purposes: providing companies with a professional phone number and system and a method of cross-company collaboration. You may download its NextivaONE software to your desktop, download the mobile app to your phone or use it in a browser.
What Sets Nextiva Apart?
Nextiva has a great range of communication and collaboration tools that could effectively allow it to operate as a business’s central hub. Nextiva provides video and audio conferencing, multiple rooms for video meetings and easy one-on-one messaging for team members. You can easily access a calendar, file attachments and integrations, and quickly share relevant information with employees or peers.
We found in testing Nextiva’s features that it quickly demonstrates its capabilities of replacing certain apps such as Slack, Zoom and Google Calendar for businesses that might not be able to afford the premium versions of similar tools for business teams. By using Nextiva as a replacement for multiple collaboration tools, some companies may find it helps cut costs.
Nextiva Features
Nextiva’s software allows companies to easily create a professional phone system and a singular hub for team collaboration and keeping track of important meetings and events. Other aspects of the software are covered in the following sections.
Ease of Use
Nextiva is relatively easy to set up and use. Once we had our account, we could quickly download the software to a desktop and smartphone. It was easy to add users, make customizations or place calls. We recognize that experience with VoIP can vary; if someone is new to VoIP, there might be a slight learning curve. Still, Nextiva provides resources on its website for managing standard features such as setting up users, voice mail and more.
Hardware
Nextiva provides businesses with VoIP-compatible hardware for sale or lease. It offers products from recognized brands including Yealink, Cisco and Poly; Nextiva also has its own hardware brand available to purchase.
Hardware pricing options are as follows:
- Desktop phones: Start at $90; lease for as low as $3.90 per month
- Cordless phones: Start at $90; lease for as low as $4.40 per month
- Conference phones: Start at $170; lease for as low as $11.20 per month
- Headsets: Start at $45; no leasing options available
- Adapters: Start at $160; no leasing options available
If you want to use your existing VoIP equipment, Nextiva provides options for converting your traditional systems. If you prefer not to use hardware, the Nextiva software is efficient enough to operate your business phone and related system from smartphones and desktop computers.
Software
Nextiva’s software is usable across web browsers, desktop computers and mobile devices. The software supports:
- Voice calling: Unlimited domestic calling and a complimentary toll-free number
- Video conferencing: Hold meetings for up to 45 minutes per session
- Voice mail: Nextiva supports voice mail to email or SMS
- Google and Microsoft integrations: Link with Microsoft Outlook and Google Contacts
- Auto-attendants: Set up multilevel auto-attendants
- Internet faxing: Send unlimited online faxes
Be mindful that your overall experience with Nextiva’s software may vary according to the device you use to access it, whether via phone or desktop. Your device’s hardware may impact software performance.
Call Quality
When testing Nextiva’s call quality, we had a 350.2 Mbps download speed and 20.9 upload speed on desktop; on mobile, we had a 100.6 Mbps download and 20.8 Mbps upload speed. We considered this factor as internet speed can affect connectivity issues.
We found the call quality very good, and we had clear video and audio when testing meeting features; there were no delays or problems with lagging. In the mobile app, enabling the Acoustic Echo Cancellation option further boosted audio quality by eliminating echoes, especially when testing Nextiva-enabled devices near each other.
Uptime
Uptime references the amount of time a cloud-based app is up and running. Downtime is measured across days, weeks, months or annually. Ultimately, the goal is to commit to an acceptable uptime standard while reducing anticipated downtime by as much as possible.
Nextiva strives for 99.999% of uptime, which it achieves through having eight points of presence (POP) globally so that if one location goes down, another is available to maintain the connection. Nextiva also employs data centers it describes as “carrier-grade,” meaning that the brand relies on telecommunication industry leaders including AT&T, Comcast and more to power its core network.
Security
Communication through Nextiva’s networks receives end-to-end protection through Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) encryption. Nextiva also routinely employs third-party audits to frequently check for potential vulnerabilities so that it can eliminate them. Additionally, the company monitors accounts for any irregular or suspicious activity that could be fraudulent.
Nextiva relies on training techniques and a flexible approach to security to ensure that the company can adapt to necessary changes to ensure the safety of its product. It also heavily monitors and physically secures its networks through a series of steps, including:
- 24/7/365 data monitoring
- An uninterruptible power source in the event of a disaster
- Setting up the geographical network to be low risk for national disasters
- Keeping data centers adequately heated, cooled and ventilated
- Adhering to security standards set by the ISO/IEC 27001 certification
- Setting up a series of checkpoints, including guards and biometric hand readers
Nextiva has taken various steps to ensure product security, whether working with white hat hackers to test for flaws or employing a globe-spanning team to monitor for potential problems.
Third-Party Integrations
Nextiva integrates with many top productivity, CRM, ERP and help desk-related apps. However, app access will depend primarily on which service plan you sign up for. When we tested Nextiva, we could access and integrate with Microsoft and Google contacts.
As the Essential tier has minimal integration capabilities, you must upgrade to the Professional subscription level to use more common integrations such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk or Microsoft Dynamics. Though the Professional plan grants access to most Nextiva integrations, some options such as ServiceNow or Oracle Sales Cloud are only available at the Enterprise level.
Nextiva Pricing and Plans
Essential
Nextiva’s standard tier, the Essential plan, provides a fully functioning professional phone system you can tailor to employee availability. We found we could set it up to work 24/7 or with a standard Monday through Friday schedule; we could also adjust the hours of availability.
This plan includes unlimited domestic calls throughout the U.S. and Canada; you must upgrade to the Professional tier for SMS. The most limiting aspect of the Essential level is its integrations. Customers at this tier could import contacts from Google and Microsoft, but no noteworthy integration access exists.
Professional
The Professional plan is the best starting point for Nextiva subscribers, especially those who genuinely want the all-in-one experience that Nextiva strives to provide. Not only do you have the phone and video capabilities of the Essential plan, but this tier includes mobile SMS and MMS and advanced integration access to popular apps such as HubSpot, Salesforce, SugarCRM, Zendesk, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and more.
Enterprise
Nextiva’s Enterprise plan is better suited to teams needing support for at least a few hundred people. At this level, you not only get unlimited conference calls, but there is no limit to the number of participants you can host. Adjustments like this make sense at the Enterprise tier. The company’s decision to force upgrades for certain features did not. For instance, Nextiva makes features such as call recording and single sign-on strictly available for Enterprise customers.
Featured Partners
1
RingCentral
$20 per user, per month (paid annually)
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2
Zoom Phone
Starts at $10 per user, per month
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3
Nextiva
$18.95 per user, per month
Yes
Yes
Customer Service and Support
Nextiva provides 24/7 support regardless of customer subscription level. Get assistance by submitting a support ticket, opening a chat window or calling 800-285-7995. For common questions about setup and app usage, Nextiva has a quick links section.
We reached out by phone and found the directions easy to follow and understand; we also appreciated that there was music to listen to. The wait was several minutes, but when we did connect with a live support team member, he was very professional and answered our questions to the best of his abilities.
We did try to use the chat window, both logged in and logged out, but we had issues opening the window. There were no issues with the support ticket contact form, which was accessible.
Additional Features Worth Noting
A specific takeaway from testing and using NextivaONE is that it has similar features to Slack and Google Calendar. It is possible to migrate team collaboration and scheduling efforts to this one app, saving time and money and creating a more streamlined teamwork experience.
Nextiva Alternatives and How They Compare
Nextiva vs. magicJack for Business
Though Nextiva’s service starts nearly as low as magicJack for Business, magicJack’s $15.99 per month price is a flat fee; it doesn’t increase or decrease according to the number of users. Still, Nextiva may be worth the investment as it provides more than VoIP phone services; you also receive video conferencing tools, team messaging features and a calendar.
Customers of magicJack can buy a VoIP phone for as low as $49.99; there are several phone options, though all are from Yealink. Nextiva has a much more comprehensive range of hardware choices available from multiple brands; Nextiva also allows businesses to lease phones instead of buying them outright.
We think magicJack for Business is an excellent choice for tiny businesses on a tight budget just beginning to use and understand VoIP services. Small to medium-sized businesses that prefer to pair VoIP phone hardware and software with video conferencing and app integrations should instead sign up with Nextiva.
Nextiva vs. RingCentral
Nextiva offers a potentially lower per-month, per-user start cost; however, you need at least 100 users to see this discount, so RingCentral is the most affordable option for smaller teams. RingCentral’s plans include unlimited domestic calling and texting features. Nextiva requires an upgrade for business SMS.
RingCentral and Nextiva each provide high-quality video and audio conferencing tools and team messaging features, but Nextiva limits meeting times to 45 minutes. RingCentral’s meetings can run for hours, with hosts able to record the sessions and store them in the cloud for up to a year.
After testing both services, RingCentral is the better service, not just in terms of pricing but also because it is easier to set up and use. Its features and settings are uniform across all devices and easier to manage, especially for small teams. If you want a better idea of which service is better for your business, please read our Nextiva vs. RingCentral comparison.
Nextiva vs. Dialpad
Dialpad’s starting cost is slightly lower than Nextiva, though Nextiva’s pricing plans are all public. With Dialpad, you must contact the sales team to determine Enterprise-level pricing. Nextiva provides a demo of its services, while Dialpad offers a free 14-day trial, during which you can use calling and texting features at no cost.
Unlike Nextiva, Dialpad not only includes a free business number, but by upgrading to its Pro plan, you also get an additional local or international number. Dialpad’s standard service includes domestic texting, though you must switch to Pro for international texting support. Dialpad lets you host meetings for up to five hours, but Nextiva meetings can host unlimited participants; Dialpad meetings host a maximum of 10 people.
Dialpad is the more small business-friendly option, not just in terms of pricing but also due to the number and types of features available at the standard level, including many useful analytical tools.
Nextiva Reviews and Consumer Sentiment
Nextiva averages a 3.8 rating for its mobile app thanks to differing iOS and Android user experiences. Though some customers were satisfied with their overall experience, there was a noticeable drop in customer satisfaction following recent updates. One Google Play store reviewer said, “[Six] months later and a new update, and it no longer functions at all.”
Meanwhile, a four-year customer of Nextiva commented on the App Store that bugs and product issues were common with new updates. “[I]n September when the new app was released, there [were] lots of bugs, but they seemed always to get fixed almost immediately.” It seems that user experience varies significantly from device to device. In the Google Play store, for instance, Nextiva’s app holds a 4.5 rating strictly for phone use; that rating drops to 2.8 for Chromebook.
Mobile software aside, many Nextiva reviews are optimistic about Nextiva’s customer support capabilities. Reviewer Candace L. wrote on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, “The customer support is amazing and they are very knowledgeable. [A]s a matter of fact, my desktop phone wasn’t working; however, I was able to communicate with Nextiva and they were able to resolve the issue.” Nextiva is a BBB-accredited business with an A+ rating.
While Nextiva reviews tend to skew more positive overall, with thousands of users submitting feedback across several reputable websites, we noted a few recurring issues mentioned by past or current customers:
- Post-update glitches: Following at least one update, customers continuously complained that the app was either notably buggier or, at times, became unusable.
- Difficulty canceling service: There were frequent complaints from clients where they mentioned being unable to cancel service immediately or were only able to do so following a series of challenging setbacks.
- Positive customer support experience: Aside from billing-related concerns, many reviewers seemed to appreciate the professional and helpful members of Nextiva’s customer support team.
When considering customer sentiments, we were mindful to consider long-term customer feedback and give weight to the most recent reviews.
Our Expert Opinion
We found that Nextiva’s software delivered on its claims of providing powerful VoIP software that’s easy to install and use. The video and audio were clear and of high quality. Additionally, we could access and customize phone system features for call flow, auto attendant and more.
During testing, we noted that Nextiva’s software settings and tools aren’t entirely uniform and that the desktop and mobile apps have options not found on other platforms. For instance, the team collaboration tools on the desktop app aren’t available on the mobile app. Some preference settings were also unavailable across platforms.
A significant takeaway is that while Nextiva works on different devices, it is not necessarily a consistent experience. For instance, we needed to access our accounts on a desktop browser to create a specific call flow accessible for use in apps; there did not appear to be a way to do this outside the website. These differences might not appeal to customers seeking as similar experience as possible across all devices, particularly for setting access.
We noted the potential for Nextiva as a central team collaboration hub, not only for its video conferencing capabilities but also for including features that make it easy for team members to coordinate better without needing to work across multiple apps.
Get Started With The Leading Cloud Phone System
Bottom Line: Is Nextiva Right for You?
Though Nextiva could work for small businesses, it seems that Nextiva’s pricing and features are closer to midsize-friendly. At the very least, it seems suited for companies that need a system that can adjust quickly to scale communications seamlessly with growth.
Nextiva Is Best For:
- Unlimited domestic calling: Customers can send and receive unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada.
- Getting a free business number: Nextiva provides a free local or toll-free number.
- Unlimited video calls: Have as many video calls as you want.
- Unlimited internet faxing: Send e-faxes at no additional cost.
- Straightforward call flow setup: Easily determine how calls are directed and to whom.
Nextiva Is Not Recommended For:
- Very small business teams: It doesn’t seem geared toward tiny companies.
- Integrations without upgrades: You must upgrade to the Professional plan to access most integrations.
- Meetings longer than 45 minutes: Nextiva limits sessions to less than an hour, while multiple communication brands allow video meetings to run much longer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Nextiva used for?
Nextiva is a VoIP company that enables businesses to set up phone systems for inbound and outbound calls. It also offers team collaboration tools for video conferencing, messaging and event planning.
Can I use Nextiva with my cellphone?
Nextiva’s app is compatible with mobile devices, making it easy to download and use on a cell phone.
Does Nextiva have an app?
The Nextiva app is available for download for iOS and Android.
How much does Nextiva cost?
Nextiva starts at $17.95 per month, per user, for those with 100 or more users.
Does Nextiva record calls?
Nextiva does offer a call recording feature. Recorded calls get securely stored for up to six months.
Is Nextiva good for small businesses?
Nextiva is a VoIP platform that serves businesses of all sizes. Based on our experience, it seems to work best for small to medium businesses.
