RingCentral is considered one of the best options out there when it comes to VoIP services for your business. Users like their feature-rich service and the ability to access their phones across a variety of devices. And they’ve made it to the top of Gartner’s UCaaS Magic Quadrant for the last five years.
But they’re not for everyone. Whether it’s pricing, customer service, or something else that you don’t like, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of the best RingCentral alternatives.
Here Are the Top RingCentral Alternatives for 2021
Why RingCentral?
RingCentral helps companies stay connected to their business and their customers, no matter where they are. Some prime benefits of RingCentral are:
- Their unified cloud communication solution makes it possible to manage calls, text messages, and collaborate with colleagues.
- Their features are usable from any device, including smartphones, computers, and tablets.
- Their simul-ring feature offers call management, routing to the next available person if the main phone line is busy.
- Auto-attendants and IVR offer call routing to keep callers from being sent to voicemail.
These are great, but where does the service falter? Here are a few sticking points:
- Some RingCentral reviewers complain about the support they receive from RingCentral, and problems can take days to resolve.
- When sending texts with RingCentral, they may come out garbled and glitch on the other end.
While the above list has some of the most reliable RingCentral features, you’ll find many of these service providers offer comparable packages. RingCentral alternatives must compete with more than just RingCentral pricing. Here are the top business VoIP providers to consider as RingCentral alternatives in 2021.
9 Best RingCentral Alternatives and Competitors
1. Vonage
Originally, called Min-X when it was launched in 2001, Vonage is one of the business VoIP providers that are widely recognizable, even outside the industry. Vonage Cloud is their business solution that’s designed to use cloud-based technology to continually update a business’s communication ability as it grows.
With Vonage Business, like RingCentral, you can make phone calls, text, and set up video conferences from any device you want. Their desktop and mobile VoIP apps help link all the services together, so you can be there for your business, regardless of whether or not you’re in the building. The software uses Amazon Chime Pro Tier, which provides security in intra-company communications as well as providing features like screen share and chats.
Vonage Pricing
| Mobile | Premium | Advanced |
| $19.99
per month/per line |
$29.99
per month/per line |
$39.99
per month/per line |
| Features: | All Mobile Plan features PLUS: | All Premium Plan features PLUS: |
| Unlimited Calls1 | Unlimited meetings for up to 100 | Call Recording: on-demand (15 hours) |
| Unlimited SMS1 | Multi-level auto attendant | Call Group |
| Vonage App Center2 | CRM Integration3 | Visual Voicemail |
| Unlimited Team Messaging | IP desk phone capability |
1Reasonable and acceptable usage applies for unlimited calls and unlimited SMS. Mobile data charges may apply. SMS is not available in Mexico.
2Vonage App Center includes over 20 third party integrations.
3CRM Integration includes Bullhorn, G-Suite, Hubspot, Office 365, Salesforce, Sugar CRM, Zendesk, Clio, Connectwise, JobDiva, Microsoft Dynamics & Zoho.
[Source: Vonage UC Plans & Pricing, updated on 09/21/2021]
Vonage Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Customers often worry about the quality of phone calls with business VoIP services, but call quality with Vonage Business is excellent. | Vonage Transcription can sometimes be inaccurate. |
| Their follow-me feature allows you to easily route desk phone or call center calls to your cell phone or another device. | Features like call recording aren’t available in the standard plan. |
| Vonage Business has mobile and desktop applications that will allow teams to coordinate from anywhere. |
2. Nextiva
Since 2006 Nextiva has helped over 150,000 businesses by providing best-in-class VoIP services. Nextiva works with companies ranging from small businesses to international airlines. While RingCentral is one of the top Nextiva alternatives, Nextiva is a service that’s continually building on their offerings to compete as a RingCentral alternative.
Nextiva offers customers features like hosted voice calling, voicemail transcription, video conferencing, toll-free numbers, texting, and even online faxing. The company also has an unlimited calling and virtual fax for those that need it. While RingCentral is an excellent choice for conferences, Nextiva has a robust conference bridge that will allow up to nine people to attend.
Nextiva Pricing
| Essential | Professional | Enterprise | Ultimate |
| From $18.95 /user/mo |
From $22.95 /user/mo |
From $32.95 /user/mo |
From $57.95 /user/mo |
| Unlimited voice & video calling | Everything in Essential, Plus | Everything in Professional, Plus | Everything in Enterprise, Plus |
| Auto-attendant & toll free numbers | Unlimited conference calls, 40 participants | Unlimited participants on voice & video conferencing | Sales productivity & pipeline management |
| Integrations with Outlook & Google Contacts | Unlimited video conferencing, up to 250 participants | Unlimited video conference recording & call recording | Service productivity & ticket management |
| Voicemail to email notifications | Call Pop, up to 250 contacts | Unlimited call pop | Automated surveys |
| Unlimited internet fax | Mobile SMS/MMS | Voice analytics & voicemail transcription | Customer journey analytics |
| Mobile & desktop app | Extended integrations with Salesforce, Hubspot, Zendesk | Extended integrations with Microsoft Teams, Oracle Sales Cloud, ServiceNow | |
| 24×7 customer support | Professional setup | Single Sign On |
[Source: Nextiva Pricing & Plans, updated on 09/21/2021]
Nextiva Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Nextiva users report a level of service that they’ve never experienced before. | While their support is excellent, some users wish it was easier to deal with problems themselves. |
| Calls are clear, with no static or background noise. | Business voicemail can be difficult to access when not in the office. |
| With the Nextiva Office Pro plan, the company offers unlimited domestic calling. | The online manuals are sometimes outdated. |
3. 8×8
Bringing 25 years of experience to the table, 8×8 offers users multiple solutions to best suit their needs. 8×8 is one of the industry leaders, and with its new free video conferencing software, they are set to have an even larger install base.
8×8 provides standard offerings like hosted voice calls, voicemail, video conferencing, and text messaging, making them one of the top RingCentral alternatives. They serve small- to medium-sized businesses as well as enterprise-level customers. The company also provides actionable call analytics for your team.
8×8 Pricing
| 8×8 Express | X2 | X4 |
| $12 /user/month | $24 /user/month | $44 /user/month |
| 8×8 Express Features | X2 Features | X4 Features |
| Voice, Video and Messaging in one app | Unlimited voice calling to 14 countries | Unlimited voice calling to 47 countries |
| Unlimited calling in the US and Canada | Video & audio conferencing | Call quality reporting |
| Auto-attendant, intelligent call routing, music on hold & voice mail | SMS, MMS and Team Chat | Supervisor analytics |
| Small business & enterprise integrations and fax | Monitor, whisper and barge |
You can all check for a more extensive list of features in a plan on their product page.
[Source: 8×8 Business Phone Pricing, updated on 09/21/2021]
8×8 Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| 8×8 has built-in CRM integration for a variety of different platforms, including GSuite, Hubspot, Salesforce, and more. | 8×8 users report that support services could be better with 8×8, and technical issues tend to take a long time to get resolved. |
| The real-time analytics and built-in reporting give users the ability to track results with a high level of accuracy. | The setup process can be lengthy and complicated. |
| Their VoIP solution is known for its ability to produce HD levels of audio. |
4. GoToConnect
GoToConnect was previously known as Jive Communications, which is now a part of the LogMeIn family. Jive was founded in 2006, but in 2019 LogMeIn made the decision to merge the product with its GoTo products to create GoToConnect. This new offering pairs together Jive’s hosted PBX service with GoToMeeting’s video meeting capabilities.
GoToConnect provides customers with a full suite of tools to help grow your business. This includes auto attendants, mobile apps, call forwarding, virtual voicemail, ring groups, and more. The company boasts savings of up to 87% when moving from a traditional phone service to their system.
GoToConnect Pricing
| Basic | Standard | Premium | |
| Starting at $24.00 /user /month | Starting at $29.00 /user /month | Starting at $39.00 /user /month | |
| Flexible Cloud Phone System | |||
| Call from Any Device, Anywhere | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Existing Number Porting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Local, Toll-Free & Vanity Numbers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Smart Call Routing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited Extensions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call Forwarding | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Attendant Recorded Greetings | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Customizable Dial Plans | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Ring Groups | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Call Queues | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Multi-Site Compatible | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Hot Desking | ✓ | ✓ | |
| E-Fax | ✓ | ✓ | |
| International Calling | Per minute | 50+ included (other countries per minute) | 50+ included (other countries per minute) |
| Voicemail to Email | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Seamless Call Management | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Paging | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Intercom | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Call Recording | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Caller Hold Time Report | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Real-Time Analytics | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Toll-Free Minutes | $.03 /min | 1,000 included per account ($.019 /min thereafter) | 1,000 included per account ($.019 /min thereafter) |
|
Built-In Meetings & Messaging |
|||
| Team Messaging | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audio Conferencing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meeting Duration | 40 mins | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Meeting Participants | 4 | 150 | 250 |
| Simultaneous Webcams | 4 | 25 | 25 |
|
Customizable Cloud Contact Center |
|||
| Call Analytics | ✓ | ||
| Inbound & Outbound Call Monitoring | ✓ | ||
| Listen, Whisper & Barge | ✓ | ||
| Supervisor Dashboard | ✓ | ||
| Customizable Admin Controls | ✓ | ||
| Real-Time Queue Updates | ✓ | ||
| Agent Effectiveness Reporting | ✓ |
[Source: GoToConnect Pricing – updated on 09/21/2021]
GoToConnect Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Solid support team | UI and navigation has room for improvement |
| Affordable product | Difficult to set up without support’s assistance |
| Easy to make changes to your existing plan | Occasional service outages |
5. Dialpad
Dialpad brings a wide range of tools to the table on a platform that was built on the Google Cloud Platform. Dialpad started as Uberconference, which is included in Dialpad offerings. The company is cloud-based, and they also offer AI and contact center solutions. Dialpad Talk is their business phone service, and this software has built a reputation for clarity and call quality.
Dialpad now provides business owners with voice calling, video conferencing, desk-to-desk calling, and more. They also have several integrations with tools like GSuite and Office365. Dialpad is known for the saying, “Work is a thing you do, not a place you go,” and their design supports this. Users can utilize all of the Dialpad features from virtually any device or in any location.
Dialpad Pricing
| Standard | Pro | Enterprise |
| $15 /user/mo $20 USD if billed monthly 1 License Minimum |
$25 /user/mo $30 USD if billed monthly 3 License Minimum |
You’ll need to contact them for pricing 100 License Minimum |
| Unlimited calling2 | All Standard plan features, plus: | All Pro plan features, plus: |
| Unlimited SMS & MMS1 | Local number support in 50+ countries | 100% uptime Service Level Agreements (SLA) |
| Call controls (call forwarding, transfer, hold, mute) | CRM integrations (Salesforce, Hubspot) | Extensions |
| Custom voicemail greeting | 24/7 phone support | Unlimited office locations |
| Voicemail transcription | Unlimited meetings | Enhanced 24/7 Phone Support |
| G Suite & Office 365 integrations | 5 hour meeting duration | Unlimited ring groups (departments) |
| Fax (add-on)1 | API & webhooks | Azure Integration |
| Custom off-hours routing | 10 offices | IAM/SSO Integrations (Okta, OneLogin) |
| 25 ring groups (departments) | Retention policies | |
| Hold queues | ||
| International SMS | ||
| Zapier, Zendesk, Slack integrations and more | ||
| Deskphone support |
1Only available in the United States and Canada.
2Unlimited inbound and outbound calls within your country, the US and Canada. For other locations please see their international rates.
[Source: Dialpad Pricing, updated on 09/21/2021]
Dialpad Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Dialpad works seamlessly across all devices, which grants users the ability to work from anywhere. | Some Dialpad users complain about call quality issues. |
| There’s an AI transcription service that will transcribe calls for optimized record keeping and analytics. | Phone support is minimal for the lower-priced plans. |
| This is a solution that is easy to deploy quickly across an organization. |
6. Mitel
Mitel is a Canadian company that has been offering its services for over 40 years and began as a lawnmower company. Over time, the company shifted focus towards communications, and today, it’s entire focus is VoIP for businesses.
Mitel brings experience to the table and offers companies the ability to make voice calls, video conferencing, texting, and more. Their solution is device-agnostic, and the company even provides a mobile-first collaboration tool that works for both Android and iOS. Through this tool, users can start a conference with just one click.
Mitel Pricing
| Essentials | Premier | Elite |
| Starting at $20.99 /user/mo. * |
Starting at $26.59 /user/mo. * |
Starting at $38.49 /user/mo. * |
|
PBX Features
|
All Essential Features + |
All Premier Features +
|
| Collaboration |
CRM Integration
|
Archiving |
| Conferencing |
Call Recording
|
Operator |
*Prices are based on 50-100 total users and do not include additional taxes, fees or surcharges. For a guaranteed quote contact their sales team.
You can all check for a more extensive list of features in a plan on their pricing page.
[Source: Mitel website, updated on 09/21/2021]
Mitel Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Everything from setting the system up to on-going maintenance is done much easier than competitors like RingCentral. | Mitel user reviews report spending too much time on the phone. And having support tickets stack up as a result of the delays in getting things sorted out. |
| The core offering is excellent and is scalable for companies that are growing. | Some users report that Mitel support could improve. |
| There is Siri integration on iOS devices. |
7. Intermedia
Intermedia’s Unite product has been a VoIP favorite for several years. They’ve been recognized as one of PCMag’s Editors’ Choice winners since 2017. Competitive RingCentral alternatives must aim at enterprise solutions like Intermedia does through their tiered services that attract clients of all sizes.
Intermedia is built for businesses that don’t want a complicated setup process or a solution that’s hard to manage on a day-to-day basis. The solution has apps for both desktop and mobile use, and file sharing is easy through either platform type. Intermedia is a service provider with no annual contracts, which can be an easier setup for smaller businesses.
Intermedia Pricing
| Unite Pro | Unite Enterprise | |
| $27.99 | $32.99 | |
| Mix and match | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free Phone or Device Each Unite user can choose one of the following options |
Poly VVX 450 Yealink T54W Logitech C270 AND Blackwire C3210 Headset Poly Sync 20 BT Speaker |
Poly VVX 450 Yealink T54W Savi 8210 Headset Poly Sync 20 BT Speaker |
| Number of concurrent endpoints | 5 | 5 |
| Mobile apps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Desktop app | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited calling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Attendant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call Pickup | ✓ | ✓ |
| Caller ID | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call transfer, Call Hold, 3-way calling, Music on hold | ✓ | ✓ |
| Paging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call park/Pickup | ✓ | ✓ |
| Intercom | ✓ | ✓ |
| SPAM Call blocking/tagging | ✓ | ✓ |
| 911 admin notification | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voicemail | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voicemail transcription | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call recording | ✓ | ✓ |
| Receptionist mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web fax | ✓ | ✓ |
|
Collaboration |
||
| Presence detection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Team messaging | ✓ | ✓ |
| Business SMS | ✓ | ✓ |
| File backup, sync and share | 10 GB | 10 GB |
| Exchange Mailbox | ✓ | |
|
Video Meetings and Conferencing |
||
| HD video conferencing | 100 Participants | 200 Participants |
| HD audio conferencing | 200 Participants | 200 Participants |
| Screen sharing | 100 Participants | 200 Participants |
| Max videos on screen | 30 | 30 |
| Meeting transcription | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited recordings | ✓ | ✓ |
| Screen annotation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transcriptions & meeting insights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote control | ✓ | ✓ |
|
Unite Envision Analytics |
||
| QoS Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call History | ✓ | ✓ |
| Supervisor Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wallboards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Detailed contact center analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
|
Unite Extend Integrations |
||
| Active Directory | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chrome (click to call), G Suite integration, Outlook integration, Slack (meeting integration), Outlook/ Office 365 (meetings integration), Generic CRM screen pop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sugar CRM, Zoho CRM, Zendesk | ✓ | ✓ |
| Salesforce, Service Now, NetSuite, MS Dynamics | ✓ | |
|
Call and Contact Center |
||
| Agent Log in and Log out | ✓ | ✓ |
| Call Queuing, Configurable Wrap up time, Configurable agent removal from the queue, Greetings Management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wall boards, Scheduled Reports, Graphical Reports, Real time Status | ✓ | ✓ |
| Supervisor functions (Monitor, whisper, barge) | ✓ |
[Source: Intermdia Pricing page, updated on 09/21/2021]
Intermedia Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Intermedia promises 99.999% uptime and underscore that aspect with a service-level agreement that’s backed financially. | Feature rollout is notoriously slow. They are often working on upgrading their legacy users and prioritize them over new users. |
| Intermedia offers an interface to check out your support tickets and access live chat when you need it. | A few notable features will cost users additional monthly fees. |
| Customer support is open 24/7. |
8. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is one of the most well-known business phone providers for small businesses and individuals. If you’re looking to run an office from home, it’s the perfect solution for projecting professionalism. They offer a fast and easy set up at multiple tiers to cover your business as it scales up.
Grasshopper makes it easy to have two phone numbers on a single phone so that clients can reach users without the need to have their personal local number. They also have a robust set of desktop and mobile apps that grant access to business texting, call forwarding, and virtual fax. They even provides voicemail transcription, better than most Grasshopper alternatives.
Grasshopper Pricing
| Solo | Partner | Small Business |
| $26/mo billed annually | $44/mo billed annually | $80/mo billed annually |
| 1 Phone Number | 3 Phone Numbers* | 5 Phone Numbers* |
| 3 Extensions | 6 Extensions | Unlimited Extensions |
All Grasshopper plans include:
- Mobile + Desktop Apps
- Business Phone Number*
- Business Texting
- Call Forwarding
- VoIP + WiFi Calling
- Virtual Fax
- Voicemail
- Read Your Voicemail
- Extensions
- Instant Response
- Custom Greetings
- Call Transfers
- Simultaneous Call Handling
- Incoming Call Control
- Reporting
*Additional phone numbers can be added, post-purchase, for $10/mo each.
[Source: Grasshopper Pricing page, updated on 09/21/2021]
Grasshopper Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Grasshopper has a great voicemail system to collect messages from callers. | Some users complain of high latency with their service. This leads to a delay when you’re talking to users on the system. |
| Faxing is fast and straightforward with Grasshopper with inbound and outbound faxes from the same business number. | The support staff is adequate, but they don’t follow up with a call or email. |
| The voicemail transcription feature is convenient for record keeping and analytics. | Number porting takes seven to 10 business days. |
9. Ooma
Ooma creates an innovative communications experience for businesses. Their communications hub, Ooma Office, provides users with cloud-based telephony services. The platform offers more than 35 distinct features to ensure customers save money and never miss a call.
Ooma Office offers features curated specifically for small businesses. This includes high-definition voice and advanced features such as enhanced call blocking and call recording. The platform also offers integrations with mobile devices so you can take your calls on the go.
Ooma Pricing
| USD Price | CAD Price | Billing Frequency | |
| Ooma Office base price (includes a user extension, a local phone number, and unlimited calling to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico) | $19.95 | $24.95 | Monthly |
| Ooma Office Pro (includes all standard Ooma Office features plus Ooma Meetings, Call Recording, enhanced call blocking, Voicemail Transcriptions, and more.) | $24.95 | $29.95 | Monthly |
| Capacity | |||
| User extension (includes Virtual Fax and a local phone number) | $19.95 Base $24.95 Pro |
$24.95 Base $29.95 Pro |
Monthly |
| Local phone number | $9.95 | $14.95 | Monthly |
| Toll free phone number (includes 500 minutes, 3.4¢ per additional minute) | $9.95 | $14.95 | Monthly |
| Conference bridge (includes phone number) | Free | Free | N/A |
| Ring groups | Free | Free | N/A |
| Virtual receptionist | Free | Free | N/A |
| Services | |||
| Number porting | Free* | Free* | N/A |
| Toll-free calling plan (includes 1,500 minutes, 2.9¢ per additional minute) | $15.00 | $15.00 | Monthly |
| Toll-free calling plan (includes 3,000 minutes, 2.4¢ per additional minute) | $30.00 | $30.00 | Monthly |
| International calling | Varies by use | Varies by use | Deducted from prepaid account after each call |
| Hardware | |||
| Expansion Base Station | $99.99 | $99.99 | One-time |
| Ooma DP1 desk phone | $89.99 | $109.99 | One-time |
| Ooma Linx | $49.99 | $49.99 | One-time |
| Ooma DP1 desk phone | $89.99 | $109.99 | One-time |
| Ooma Wireless Adapter | $49.99 | $49.99 | One-time |
| Yealink IP phones | Starting at $99.99 | Starting at $129.99 | One-time |
| Yealink Conference IP phone | $399.99 | $529.99 | One-time |
| Cisco IP phones | Starting at $109.99 | Starting at $109.99 | One-time |
[Source: Ooma’s website, updated on 09/21/2021]
Ooma Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Reasonably priced product | Room for improvement with Ooma-branded phones |
| Easy to set up | Occasional issues with call quality |
| Impressive call forwarding feature | Mobile app could be fleshed out more |
RingCentral Alternatives: Which One to Choose
To establish a baseline for your needs, ask the following question, “Which features are most important to me today?”
Once you’ve established your starting point, the next question should be, “What features are going to be important to me next year?”
You need to project out when investing in technology like VoIP to ensure you’re not going through the whole process one, two, or even three years from now. Switching isn’t always easy, or cheap, so finding a solution that allows you to grow, add users, and take advantage of increased functionality is essential.
The same holds for pricing. You’ll want a solution that remains in your budget as you scale. There are fewer things less pleasant than discovering the next pricing tier for your cloud phone system is way out of your budget. This will force you to go through the selection process all over again, which no one wants.
To find out which provider offers the best prices for the services you currently need and for what you may need tomorrow, check out our business VoIP pricing guide.
