Selecting the right business phone system has become increasingly complex as companies navigate remote work arrangements and digital transformation initiatives. VoIP technology offers businesses the flexibility to maintain professional communications regardless of location, while providing cost savings that traditional phone systems simply cannot match. Two established providers, Jive (now GoTo Connect) and Nextiva, have positioned themselves as leading solutions for organizations seeking reliable, feature-rich communication platforms that can adapt to changing workplace demands.

Both Jive (GoTo Connect) and Nextiva recognized early on that businesses needed more than just voice calling capabilities. They’ve developed comprehensive unified communications platforms that integrate voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools into single, cohesive systems. This integration eliminates the need for multiple disparate applications and creates streamlined workflows that boost productivity across teams.

The competitive landscape between these providers has driven continuous innovation, resulting in sophisticated features that were once exclusive to enterprise-level solutions. Small and medium-sized businesses now have access to advanced call routing, analytics, CRM integrations, and mobile capabilities that rival those used by Fortune 500 companies. This democratization of communication technology has leveled the playing field for businesses of all sizes.

Key Platform Differentiators

GoTo Connect brings the legacy strength of Jive’s telephony expertise combined with GoTo’s established meeting and collaboration technologies. This merger has created a platform that excels in visual call flow management and seamless integration between voice and video communications. The system’s intuitive design makes complex configurations accessible to users without extensive technical backgrounds.

Nextiva has built its reputation on exceptional customer service and comprehensive business communication tools. Their platform emphasizes customer relationship management integration and provides robust analytics that help businesses understand and improve their communication effectiveness. The company’s focus on reliability and support has made it a preferred choice for organizations where communication uptime is mission-critical.

How Much Should You Expect to Pay

Pricing structures between these platforms reveal fundamentally different philosophies about feature accessibility and value delivery. GoTo Connect maintains a straightforward approach where all core features remain available across every pricing tier, with differences primarily in meeting capabilities and contact center access. Their Basic plan starts at $24 per user monthly, Standard at $29, and Premium at $39, making advanced functionality accessible even to budget-conscious organizations.

Nextiva employs a tiered feature model that reserves certain capabilities for higher-priced plans. Their Essential plan begins at $18.95 per user monthly for 20-99 users, Professional at $22.95, and Enterprise at $32.95. While this creates more affordable entry points, businesses requiring advanced features like extensive video conferencing, call recording, or CRM integrations must upgrade to access these capabilities.

The cost implications extend beyond monthly fees when considering implementation and ongoing management. GoTo Connect’s uniform feature availability means businesses can start with basic plans and scale users without worrying about feature limitations. Nextiva’s approach may require careful planning to ensure chosen plans include necessary features, potentially leading to mid-contract upgrades as business needs evolve.

Volume discounts and annual commitment savings are available from both providers, though the actual value depends heavily on your specific feature requirements. Organizations with fewer than 20 users might find GoTo Connect’s consistent feature access more valuable, while larger enterprises with varied departmental needs may benefit from Nextiva’s scalable approach.

What Core Features Can You Expect

Both platforms deliver comprehensive telephony capabilities that form the foundation of professional business communications. Unlimited calling within the United States and Canada, virtual faxing, customizable caller ID, and standard call management functions like hold, transfer, and forwarding come standard with both services. However, the implementation details and additional capabilities reveal important distinctions.

Nextiva’s platform includes several standout features that enhance daily operations:

• Call Pop functionality: Displays caller information from integrated CRM systems during incoming calls, providing immediate context for representatives
• Advanced routing capabilities: NextOS platform enables sophisticated call flow management with multi-level autoattendant configuration options
• Voicemail transcription: Automatically converts voice messages to text and delivers them via email, improving accessibility and response times
• 99.999% uptime guarantee: Ensures exceptional reliability with less than six minutes of potential downtime annually

GoTo Connect leverages Jive’s telephony heritage with features designed for ease of use and flexibility:

• Visual Dial Plan Editor: Drag-and-drop interface allows non-technical users to create complex call routing scenarios with color-coded elements
• Comprehensive analytics: Detailed reporting tools provide insights into call volumes, durations, and team performance metrics
• Find Me/Follow Me: Ensures calls reach the right person by sequentially ringing multiple devices or numbers
• Custom hold music and greetings: Professional touch points that enhance customer experience during call interactions

Hardware Compatibility Considerations

Device compatibility plays a crucial role in implementation success and ongoing operational efficiency. Nextiva supports over 200 IP phone models from major manufacturers including Poly, Cisco, Yealink, and Panasonic. Their streamlined provisioning process is particularly noteworthy for phones purchased directly from Nextiva, which arrive pre-configured and ready for immediate use.

GoTo Connect maintains compatibility with over 180 desk phone models, focusing primarily on Poly, Cisco, and Yealink devices. Their centralized management approach allows administrators to configure and update multiple devices simultaneously through their web portal. Both services support analog telephone adapters for incorporating legacy equipment and offer softphone applications that eliminate hardware requirements entirely.

Which Platform Offers Better Advanced Features

Modern business communication extends far beyond basic voice calling, requiring integrated solutions that support video conferencing, team collaboration, and mobile connectivity. GoTo Connect provides robust video conferencing capabilities supporting up to 250 participants with 25 simultaneous video feeds. This functionality stems from its integration with GoToMeeting technology, offering screen sharing, recording, and browser-based participation that doesn’t require additional software downloads.

Nextiva’s video conferencing supports up to 250 participants with 16 simultaneous video streams, including screen sharing, meeting recording, and in-meeting chat functionality. Their Cospace collaboration tool combines video conferencing with document sharing, task management, and persistent messaging in a virtual workspace designed to replicate in-office experiences for remote teams.

Team messaging capabilities differ significantly between platforms. Nextiva’s Cospace provides a comprehensive environment for internal communication, allowing employees to create channels, share files, manage tasks, and conduct meetings within a unified interface. GoTo Connect offers comparable messaging features, though some users report that the interface feels less intuitive than Nextiva’s implementation.

Mobile Workforce Support

Mobile capabilities have become essential as workforces embrace flexible arrangements and remote operations. Nextiva’s mobile application transforms smartphones into business extensions, allowing employees to make and receive calls using their business numbers regardless of location. The app includes most desktop features while maintaining consistent quality across cellular and Wi-Fi connections with intelligent network switching.

GoTo Connect’s mobile application provides similar functionality with the added benefit of seamless call transfer between devices without disruption. Users can begin conversations at their desks and continue them while mobile without any interruption to the call experience. Both platforms support SMS messaging through business numbers and offer “find me/follow me” functionality for comprehensive call coverage.

How Well Do These Platforms Integrate

Integration capabilities can dramatically impact workflow efficiency and data management across your organization. Nextiva’s approach varies by pricing tier, with Essential plans including basic integrations with Outlook and Google Contacts. Professional plans add Microsoft Teams and custom application support, while Enterprise plans provide full integration access including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Oracle, and Microsoft Dynamics.

GoTo Connect takes a different approach by offering approximately 29 pre-built integrations across all pricing plans. These connections include popular CRM platforms like Salesforce and Zoho, collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack, and helpdesk solutions like Zendesk. While their integration library is smaller, the uniform availability across all pricing tiers makes advanced integrations accessible even to smaller businesses on entry-level plans.

API availability differs between platforms, with Nextiva offering more robust and better-documented APIs for custom integrations. This advantage becomes particularly important for businesses with proprietary systems or unique integration requirements. GoTo Connect provides API access, though it’s generally considered less comprehensive than Nextiva’s offering.

CRM Integration Depth

Customer relationship management integration represents a critical differentiator for businesses focused on customer experience. Nextiva’s deeper CRM connections provide significant advantages in call logging, customer data synchronization, and workflow automation. Their system can automatically log calls, update customer records, and trigger follow-up actions based on call outcomes.

GoTo Connect’s CRM integrations, while functional, don’t typically offer the same depth of automation and data synchronization. However, their approach of making all integrations available at every price point may appeal more to budget-conscious organizations that still require key connections with their existing software ecosystem.

What Support and Reliability Can You Count On

Customer support quality and system reliability often prove just as important as feature sets when evaluating business communication platforms. Nextiva has built its brand around customer service excellence, offering 24/7 support via phone, email, and chat across all pricing tiers. Their support team operates from the United States, which many customers appreciate for communication clarity and cultural understanding.

The company’s 99.999% uptime guarantee translates to less than six minutes of potential downtime annually, backed by redundant data centers and robust failover systems. Their comprehensive knowledge base includes video tutorials, setup guides, and troubleshooting resources that help users resolve common issues independently. However, some users report that during peak times, initial response times can occasionally extend beyond expectations, particularly for lower-tier customers.

GoTo Connect provides customer support through phone and email channels, though they don’t explicitly advertise 24/7 availability like Nextiva. Their support quality generally receives positive reviews, with users noting the professionalism and technical knowledge of support representatives. The platform maintains a 99.996% uptime guarantee, which while slightly lower than Nextiva’s promise, still ensures excellent reliability with approximately 20 minutes of potential downtime per year.

Both providers employ comprehensive self-service resources including knowledge bases, community forums, and video tutorials. GoTo Connect’s resources are accessible to all users regardless of plan level, while Nextiva’s tiered approach may provide more personalized support options for higher-tier customers.

Which Platform Suits Your Business Best

Determining the optimal VoIP provider requires matching platform strengths with your specific business requirements and operational priorities. Nextiva typically emerges as the superior choice for businesses prioritizing customer relationship management and service operations. Their advanced CRM integrations, analytics capabilities, and customer sentiment analysis tools create a unified communication ecosystem that enhances customer interactions.

Medium to large enterprises with diverse departmental needs often benefit from Nextiva’s tiered approach to features, allowing customization based on specific team requirements. Organizations with international operations appreciate the platform’s reliable call quality and competitive international calling rates. Companies in regulated industries such as healthcare and finance frequently select Nextiva for its robust security measures and compliance capabilities, including HIPAA-compliant communication options.

GoTo Connect presents a compelling solution for small to medium-sized businesses seeking comprehensive features without complex pricing structures. The uniform feature availability across all pricing tiers makes advanced capabilities accessible even to cost-conscious organizations. Businesses with limited IT resources value the intuitive Dial Plan Editor, which enables non-technical staff to configure sophisticated call routing without extensive training.

Specific Business Scenarios

Educational institutions and nonprofits frequently choose GoTo Connect for its competitive pricing and straightforward administration. The platform’s approach of providing consistent features across all plans aligns well with budget-constrained organizations that still require professional communication capabilities. Companies requiring extensive video conferencing capabilities benefit from GoTo Connect’s robust meeting platform, which evolved from the established GoToMeeting technology.

For remote and hybrid workforces, both platforms offer strong mobile capabilities, though Nextiva’s team collaboration tools provide advantages for distributed teams. Call centers and support operations might prefer GoTo Connect’s visual call flow management, which simplifies complex routing scenarios. Organizations heavily invested in customer experience management will appreciate Nextiva’s analytics and integration capabilities, which create cohesive systems for tracking and enhancing customer interactions across multiple communication channels.

Best Practices for Implementation Success

Successfully implementing either platform requires careful planning and adherence to proven deployment strategies. Organizations should begin by conducting thorough needs assessments that identify current communication pain points, required features, and integration requirements. This assessment should involve stakeholders from IT, operations, and end-user departments to ensure comprehensive requirement gathering.

• Start with a pilot program involving a small group of users to test functionality and identify potential issues before full deployment.
• Develop comprehensive training programs that cover both basic features and advanced capabilities relevant to each user role within your organization.
• Create detailed documentation for call flows, user procedures, and troubleshooting steps to ensure consistent implementation across all departments.
• Establish clear success metrics and monitoring procedures to track system performance, user adoption, and business impact after implementation.
• Plan for gradual feature rollout rather than attempting to implement all capabilities simultaneously, allowing users to adapt progressively to new functionality.
• Coordinate with your chosen provider’s support team to ensure proper configuration of integrations, security settings, and backup procedures before going live.

Choose Your Business Communication Partner Wisely

Both GoTo Connect and Nextiva offer robust VoIP solutions with distinct advantages that can significantly impact your organization’s communication effectiveness. Your optimal choice depends on balancing feature requirements, budget constraints, integration needs, and long-term growth projections. Nextiva excels for businesses prioritizing customer experience management, requiring advanced CRM capabilities, or needing guaranteed 24/7 support availability.

GoTo Connect delivers exceptional value through uniform feature availability across all pricing tiers, making it ideal for cost-conscious organizations that still require professional communication capabilities. The platform’s intuitive design and visual call flow management reduce technical complexity while providing powerful functionality. Consider arranging demonstrations of both systems with your specific use cases in mind, paying particular attention to daily-use interfaces, integration capabilities with existing software, and support resource quality.

Your communication platform choice will impact daily operations for years to come, making thorough evaluation essential for long-term success. Focus on how each platform aligns with your business objectives, operational requirements, and team preferences rather than simply comparing feature lists or pricing structures.