Jive Review Summary
Jive offers reliable, scalable, redundant business VoIP services at great price points with no long-term contracts. Many features that cost extra with other providers, such as unlimited minutes, fax, and conferencing, come included with Jive’s reasonably priced plans. Conversely, Jive charges for some services that usually don’t incur any extra cost, including toll-free numbers and mobile apps. This service is best for those looking for a good deal on unlimited, quality service within the United States.
Jive.com Pros and Cons
Pros
- Great pricing at the lower user levels
- No contract
- 24/7 US-based phone support
- User-friendly graphical interface
- Caller analytics with all plans
- Unlimited minutes and extensions for all plans
- Virtual fax included
- No activation or cancellation fees
- Fully redundant network
Cons
- No Free Trial – money back guarantee instead
- Extra charge for mobile app, porting in numbers, and toll-free numbers
- No toll-free minutes included
- No service to Canada
- Administrator interface doesn’t self-refresh
- Separate storage required for call recording
Jive Pricing
1 – 4 Users: $29.95/mo/user
5 – 9 Users: $25.95/mo/user
10 – 24 Users: $23.95/mo/user
25 – 49 Users: $21.95/mo/user
50+ Users: $19.95/mo/user
Jive Small Business
Jive Small Business turns out to be a relative term – the service is for companies with up to 100 users. All of the advanced features associated with VoIP, such as click-to-call, dial-by-name directory, and answering rules, are included in every Jive plan. Even better, all small business plans come with unlimited domestic minutes and have no activation fees.
Jive Small Business Plans
Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 | Tier 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 Users | 5-9 Users | 10-24 Users | 25-49 Users | 50-100 Users |
| $29.95 per user | $25.95 per user | $23.95 per User | $21.95 per User | $19.95 per User |
Jive Enterprise
Jive Enterprise is a larger-scale version of Jive Small Business. It offers the calling and management features necessary for any larger venture, from automatic menus to the managerial ability to eavesdrop on phone calls. Pricing is negotiated on a case-by-case basis by Jive’s US-based sales team.
Detailed Features of Jive
Jive Communications, located in Orem, UT, was founded in 2006 by John Pope, Stephen Todd and Brent Thomson. Jive has made an enormous investment in developing its platform from the ground up. This cloud-based platform, called Jive Core, was designed to deliver reliable, scalable, and affordable hosted communications services.
| Setup/Installation Fee | No |
| Cancellation/Deactivation Fee | No |
| Free Trial | No, but offer a 30 day Money back guarantee |
| Customer Service | Excellent 24/7 US-based customer service |
| Included Minutes | Unlimited Local and Long Distance Zero Toll Free Minutes |
| Overage Minutes | 1.9¢ on all toll free minutes |
| Included Phone Numbers(Professional) | 1 |
| Cost for Additional Phone Numbers | 1 to 4 user plans: $5.00/each per month all other plans: $1.75/mo |
| Extensions(Professional) | unlimited |
| Local and Toll Free Transfer Fee | $15 - one time fee |
| Vanity Number Fee | Not Available |
| True 800 Number Fee | $15 - one time fee, but not always available |
What We Like About Jive Hosted VoIP
Customer Service
Jive’s US-based customer service department is available anytime. Customers can contact them via phone, email, or live chat for assistance. In addition to troubleshooting, service agents are notable for providing excellent training to help new customers get the most out of the system.
No Activation or Cancellation Fees
Unlike some other VoIP providers, Jive does not charge activation or cancellation fees. This is due to the company’s lack of annual contracts. Jive operates its small business plans solely on a month-to-month basis, making it the ideal choice for anyone who doesn’t like getting stuck in long contracts.
True ACD Queuing
Jive’s ACD (automatic caller distribution) queuing feature means that callers spent minimal time waiting on hold. Calls are distributed to representatives in the order that they are received, providing the fairest situation for anyone who dials in. This is a premium feature that is not often included in VoIP plans. VirtualPBX is the only other merchant in our reviews that provides true ACD queuing.
Unlimited Domestic Calling on all Plans
While many other VoIP providers charge hefty prices for unlimited plans, Jive charges very reasonable ones – and all of its plans are unlimited. This is perfect for small businesses that make a large number of calls within the United States.
Internet FAx included
Internet fax is another one of those VoIP features that often costs extra. Not so at Jive – internet faxing (both inbound and outbound) is included with all plans.
What We Don’t Like About Jive
No Free Trial
Jive does not offer a free trial. They do have a 30-day money back guarantee, but with so many other VoIP companies offering 30-day free trials, this is a bit of a letdown.
Paid Mobile App
Jive recently released a mobile app called Jive Mobility, which is compatible with computers, iPhones, androids, and tablets. However, the app costs $20 per user. In a field where mobile apps are free most of the time, charging customers for mobility is a serious disadvantage.
Calls to Canada Cost Extra
If you have customers across the northern border, you’re out of luck. Jive charges international rates of 3¢ per minute for calls to Canada. It does the same for US territories, such as Guam and Puerto Rico, which are often included in phone plans.
Porting Fees
Jive charges $15 for every outside number that you port into their service (or vise versa). Although the fee isn’t that steep, it is larger than those of most other VoIP services.
Toll Free Number Fees
Jive charges 1.9¢ per minute for incoming calls on toll-free numbers. They also charge a monthly fee for toll-free numbers. If you have an established toll-free number already, or if you want to offer your customers the option of a toll-free number in general, Jive may not be the best choice for you.
Non-Refreshing Reporting Interface
Strangely enough, Jive’s analytics page does not have live updating capabilities. In order to update the statistics, users have to manually refresh the page. This kind of analytics page clearly isn’t as tech-savvy as self-refreshing pages that keep your data updated for you.
Jive Review Summary
Jive is an excellent choice for any company with high-volume domestic calling needs, especially for those who do not care to sign an annual contract. With enterprise-level VoIP features such as click-to-call, internet fax, voicemail to email, conferencing, and more included in every plan, Jive offers great value as long as you don’t need toll-free or international calling. With any luck, they will take the price tag off of their mobile app and update their antiquated non-refreshing interface soon enough.
Christina Sterling
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