RingCentral Overview
RingCentral is a popular VoIP provider offering both cloud-based and hosted solutions for businesses of various sizes. They position themselves as a leading digital phone system solution that eliminates the need for on-premise PBX hardware. RingCentral offers in-demand unified communication features for companies, such as mobile communication, video conferencing, team messaging, VoIP analytics, and much more.
Features, Pricing, and Plans
One of the most important things to look at when considering RingCentral as a business VoIP provider is their offered features, pricing, and plans. Make sure their offerings fit with your business budget as well as everyday telecommunication needs.
Features
RingCentral offers several different packages with robust features that can be catered towards both small businesses with simple needs or enterprise businesses with demanding communication needs. One of the most convenient and appealing parts of partnering with RingCentral is that you can pick and choose which features and which pricing plan works for your team. Their VoIP solution is designed to be flexible so that a variety of different companies can find what they’re looking for, in terms of features. Some of RingCentral’s most popular features among its users are video conferencing, mobile app, team messaging, voicemail to text transcription, and CRM integration.
Pricing and Plans
RingCentral offers four different plans at different prices – essentially, the higher the plan you choose, the more features you’ll be able to use. However, note that the higher plan you choose, the more you will also pay on a monthly basis. Take a look at some examples of RingCentral’s features under each of their four business plans and how much each plan costs monthly.
| Essentials Plan | $19.99 per user/month (if paying annually) $29.99 per user/month (if paying monthly) | Up to 20 users 100 toll free minutes Free U.S. business number Unlimited domestic calls Unlimited SMS messaging Voicemail to text transcription Team messaging Document sharing |
| Standard Plan | $24.99 per user/month (if paying annually) $34.99 per user/month (if paying monthly) | All Essentials features plus: Unlimited users 1,000 toll free minutes Free business number in 100+ countries Unlimited internet fax 100-person video meetings 24-hour meeting duration Quality of service reports CRM integrations 247 customer support |
| Premium Plan | $34.99 per user/month (if paying annually) $44.99 per user/month (if paying monthly) | All Standard features plus: 2,500 toll free minutes Automatic call recording Single sign-on Multi-site admin management Up to 8-digit extensions Hot desking Advanced call handling 200-user video meetings Real-time analytics Industry-specific integrations Developer platform |
| Ultimate Plan | $49.99 per user/month (if paying annually) $59.99 per user/month (if paying monthly) | All Premium features plus: 10,000 toll free minutes Device status reports/alerts Unlimited storage |
Note: at RingCentral, you will save around 30% if you pay annually rather than month-to-month. RingCentral also has single add-on options for a small monthly fee. Take a look at additional details about RingCentral’s pricing and plans here. You can also see how this features and plans list compares to competitors like Jive (GoToConnect), Nextiva, and Vonage.
Customer Support
RingCentral’s customer support system compares well with other VoIP competitors on the market. When it comes to the need for assistance, they make themselves available to their customers in a variety of forms:
- How-to guides
- Online tips and resources
- Digital training via “RingCentral University”
- User community
- Live chat
- Social media
- Online case filing
- Call-in support
One important thing to note about RingCentral’s customer support system is that they only offer 247 call-in support to business plans of 2+ users. Smaller plans can only utilize assistance from 5am-6pm PST from Mon-Fri. This may be a caveat to your business needs if you work outside workday business hours and may need additional hands-on assistance.
Pros and Cons
Overall, there are several different pros and cons to RingCentral’s business VoIP phone system. Keep in mind that they are currently one of the top business VoIP providers on the market and are widely used by many businesses. Therefore, there’s lots of compelling reasons to use RingCentral as your business phone system, but it’s always smart to make sure it’s the perfect fit for you before buying. Consider some of the pros and cons of RingCentral according to customer reviews and our expert analysis.
Pros
- Great voice quality. One thing to love about RingCentral is that they provide great voice quality compared to competitors on the market. Users complain very little about latency during voice calls and report high satisfaction with call quality.
- Flexible, easy call management features. RingCentral offers many call management features, even with lower tiered plans. The phone system allows you to transfer or reroute calls to any device. They also offer call forwarding, screening, and virtual receptionist options.
- Hassle-free management. Since RingCentral is predominantly a cloud-based provider, there is little to no management on your end. They are a great “plug-and-play” option with an easy-to-use interface, and you won’t need technical skills to use it everyday!
Cons
- There are cheaper alternatives. RingCentral’s pricing and plans are competitive, but there are cheaper alternatives on the market. This is especially the case once you require higher tiered features, such as multi-user video calls. Look into Grasshopper and Ooma if you’re in search of a more affordable plan.
- Limited customer support for smaller plans. As noted, businesses who are on lower tiered plans may not have full access to RingCentral’s call-in customer support. This can be an issue for businesses who may need assistance on nights and weekends.
- Inconsistency across desktop and mobile apps. Some customers report that there is a difference in terms of user interface with RingCentral’s mobile app vs. desktop app. In some cases, there have been some reports of confusion due to the inconsistency between the two platforms.
Compare Additional Options
Alternatives to RingCentral
If you are in the market for a new VoIP business phone system, know that you have more options beyond RingCentral. Today, there are tons of reliable VoIP providers that can help with your business communication needs on your budget. We recommend looking into the following providers next:
Side-by-Side Provider Comparisons
You can also take a look at your different options in terms of business communication systems. Additionally, 360Connect can help you find the best provider for your needs! Our free online comparison tool matches you with the best providers based on your business so you can make the smartest choice on your budget. Our service saves you time as well as up to 30% on a business VoIP system!