NICE vs. Genesys: Which Contact Center Provider Is Better?

Genesys and NICE are two of the most popular contact center solutions on the market. But how do they stack up against each other? 

Depending on the size of your business and your budget, one might be a better option than the other: Do you need advanced integrations? Do you need a cloud-based service?

Let’s compare their features, pricing plans, and capabilities to see which contact center software comes out on top. As a third option, we’ll also discuss how Nextiva measures up to these platforms.

NICE CXone vs. Genesys Cloud CX: The Pros

Let’s take a quick look at the key benefits of each platform.

Pros of NICE

NICE is a leader in AI-powered self-service and human agent–assisted contact center platforms.

1. Omnichannel customer engagement

NICE serves as an all-in-one contact center software to deliver omnichannel customer experiences. It integrates over 30 digital channels, including email, live chat, social media, and mobile apps. 

This allows you to coordinate customer interactions from one central platform. Things are less likely to slip through the cracks this way, and you’ll get 360-degree data to personalize inbound and outbound interactions throughout the customer journey.

2. Extensive features 

NICE offers robust features, such as advanced call routing, interactive voice response (IVR), and advanced analytics, to boost your contact center’s efficiency. 

For example, you can set up NICE to route customer calls to the best-fit agent using skills-based criteria. This reduces wait times and eliminates the hassle of manually assigning calls to agents.

3. AI integrations

Keeping up with the latest technological advancements, NICE integrates AI into different contact center functions for a more efficient workflow. Specifically, it offers AI-powered virtual assistants and employee virtual attendants to automate customer service and improve agent performance.

Pros of Genesys

Genesys offers a robust customer experience platform, combining several digital channels in one app.

1. Intuitive user interface

Several customer reviews suggest that Genesys Cloud CX has a sleek interface that’s easy to understand and navigate. This makes agent onboarding a breeze on the platform.

You can also deploy the cloud contact center software independently without any technical oversight from the support team. This is very useful for customers, as it might take some time to receive a response from the support team.

2. AI integration

The platform offers extensive AI tools for automation, including predictive engagement, routing, scheduling, workforce management, and outbound campaigns. It also has advanced features for self-service through IVR, voicebots, and chatbots​.

3. Open cloud-based contact center 

Rather than relying on traditional on-premises infrastructure, Genesys uses cloud computing to handle customer interactions across various channels, such as phone calls, emails, chats, social media, and more.

This has several benefits. First, your agents can access the contact center from anywhere with an internet connection, allowing them to work from different locations. Cloud contact centers also offer built-in redundancy and data backups, reducing the risk of downtime due to hardware failures or natural disasters.

NICE vs. Genesys Cloud CX: The Cons

Here’s why users might start looking for an alternative to NICE and Genesys.

Cons of NICE CXone

Some of the challenges users face with NICE include:

• Cost: User reviews suggest that pricing can be an issue for NICE customers. The platform’s cheapest plan costs $71 per user per month. So, if you have a mid-sized call center with 200 agents, you’ll spend $14,200 per month, not including ad-hoc costs like set-up fees and annual recurring charges. This makes the annual cost of running your contact center very high.
• Poor user experience: NICE’s user experience isn’t the best on the market. Some users find it difficult to navigate through the platform due to its complex user interface. It also has limited integration capabilities. Although it is compatible with multiple CRM tools, it doesn’t integrate with third-party systems like customer data platforms.

Cons of Genesys Cloud Cx

Some of the drawbacks users face with Genesys include:

• Poor user interface: While the agent interface is generally well-liked, some aspects of the platform are less intuitive. Take, for example, the email client. It sometimes blocks valuable information, which can be frustrating for agents who need to refer to hidden information while speaking to a customer. 
• Limited capabilities: While Genesys offers many features, some of them aren’t fully developed, limiting users’ actual capabilities on the platform. For example, its reporting feature is missing key functionalities like the longest wait time, unlimited rows for historical data, and customization options.

Comparing NICE and Genesys vs. Nextiva

Now that you have a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of NICE and Genesys, let’s look at how Nextiva compares.

Feature	NICE	Genesys	Nextiva
Plan	Core	Digital + Voice	Professional
Monthly price	$169+	$115+	$119+
Restrictions	Dated user interface	Long implementation times	Doesn’t support every type of social media
Key feature s	AI-powered self-service Forecasting and scheduling simulation	Complex deployment specialists In-house professional services	UCaaS integration Simple implementation Built-in AI
Customer rating (G2)	4.3 out of 5 (1,617 reviews)	4.3 out of 5 (1,311 reviews)	4.5 out of 5  (3,100 reviews)
Best for	AI-ready organizations	Large businesses with complex requirements	Sales, service, and support teams of all sizes

1. Pricing

NICE and Genesys target larger enterprises with higher prices per feature, so costs quickly rack up for smaller businesses. 

Nextiva, on the other hand, offers competitive, transparent pricing that scales with features and users, making it more accessible to a range of businesses. 

Say you’re a small business with 20 agents. If you opt for Nextiva’s Essential plan, you’ll only pay $18.95 per user per month (billed annually) to access core contact center capabilities like toll-free numbers and voicemail. This is a steal compared to NICE’s cheapest plan, which costs $71 per agent per month.

2. Ease of use and integrations

You don’t need advanced technical skills to deploy and work with Nextiva because it’s easy to use. 

As one customer explains:

“I love that Nextiva’s administrator portal is so easy to use. You can make changes on your own with ease if you feel comfortable. The system we used before Nextiva required a lot of calling in, and we couldn’t make many changes ourselves.”

Genesys, on the other hand, can be complex and has a significant learning curve. Users often require lengthy training sessions to grasp the tool’s core features and use it independently.

Nextiva also has a robust third-party ecosystem comprising numerous apps you already use for your business. For example, it integrates with CRM software like Salesforce, allowing you to deliver real-time customer data to contact center agents for personalized communication.

3. Scalability

Nextiva scales quickly to match your changing business needs. Let’s say you started with the Essential plan for 20 agents, but your contact center has now grown to 50 agents. 

In that case, you can pay for more seats on your plan and enjoy a discount per agent (the more seats you purchase, the less you pay). You can also upgrade to the Professional or Enterprise plans to access advanced contact center features like a multi-level auto attendant and voicemail transcriptions.

4. Customer support

Nextiva is known for its excellent customer support and extensive resources, effectively catering to businesses of all sizes. Its support team is available via phone, email, and an in-app chat. The company also provides a comprehensive knowledge base with self-service resources to troubleshoot issues independently. 

But don’t just take their word for it. See what one of users have to say: 

“It is very quick and easy to get in touch with the customer support team at Nextiva. I had an issue with one of the new desktop phones I set up in my office, so I called Nextiva, and they fixed the issue within 15 minutes. The service rep I spoke with, Dillon, was very friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable about how to address our problem.”

5. Product offerings

Nextiva provides a comprehensive suite of straightforward and adaptable communication solutions, making it a well-rounded choice. From VoIP and SIP trunking to intelligent cloud contact center capabilities, you get everything you need for omnichannel engagement to deliver top-notch customer experiences.

Make the Switch: Get It all With Nextiva 

NICE and Genesys are both solid contact center solutions. But when you weigh their features, usability, and pricing against Nextiva’s offerings, the winner is clear. 

What makes Nextiva stand out is its affordable plans, which cater to businesses of all sizes, ease of integration, and stellar customer support.