RingCentral Review and Pricing

RingCentral Ranked vs. Similar Products

Why We Chose RingCentral for Collaboration

RingCentral’s services help employees connect with fellow team members and their company’s customers using their preferred channels. Like its peers on our list of the best business phone systems, the platform facilitates several communication methods, including chat, voice, video, fax and SMS text messaging. However, this solution sets itself apart because organizations can use RingCentral MVP to increase engagement and spontaneous interactions, which is critical for successful workplace collaboration between distributed teams and clients.

Up to 30 users can work together with RingCentral’s whiteboard tools. You can pin sticky notes, add graphics and upload images using the toolbar or keyboard shortcuts. When finished, you can share or download whiteboards from the program’s “Recordings” tab. With the Team Huddle feature, employees can open a group channel and invite collaborators, a function few competitors offer. All invitees receive a notification instead of a phone call. Users can join the huddle via the RingCentral app or a web browser when ready. We love that users can swap devices or turn the huddle into a video meeting without disrupting workflows. 

We appreciate that RingCentral has upgraded its AI-powered online meeting features with advanced noise reduction and other tools that make finding and muting attendees easier. Along with video recordings and real-time transcriptions, users can download the meeting chat log and review summaries or highlight reels; you simply click on keywords to view related moments in the recorded video or transcription. You can also send a time-stamped URL to a co-worker, directing them to a precise meeting moment. 

RingCentral lets users share files and seamlessly collaborate on documents. Additionally, most subscriptions allow unlimited audio conferences with 1,000 attendees, making RingCentral also one of the best conference call services. With these capabilities in mind, it’s the ideal unified communications solution for companies looking to foster teamwork and improve the customer experience.

View recordings with AI-generated keywords from a single, searchable repository. Source: RingCentral 

Ease of Use

We were satisfied with the consistent experience across RingCentral’s mobile and desktop applications during our testing. We like that we could change the order of the navigation menu, placing our most-used features near the top, and choose from several color themes, including a dark mode to reduce eye strain and a high-contrast mode to improve accessibility. 

The refreshed desktop dashboard greatly improves the user experience. It has a larger dial pad, but you can also minimize the softphone app to work in other applications. The updates also put voicemail transcriptions next to caller information under the “Voicemail” tab, which is more intuitive than previous versions. 

We like how we could manage internal and external user permissions (like allowing or restricting document sharing) through the online administrative portal. One drawback is the learning curve, which is partly due to RingCentral’s many features. You might want to check out our Ooma Office review for a phone system with fewer configurations and unlimited calling.

That said, we appreciate RingCentral’s built-in resource center for desktop and mobile users. It suggests helpful features and links to informative guides. Plus, you can submit feedback or get customer support without leaving the app. RingCentral frequently implements updates based on user requests and feedback, and it also responds to Google Play and Apple App Store user reviews. It’s nice to see a brand regularly listening to its customers and using feedback to improve its product.

Of course, RingCentral is always evolving, with the vendor iterating on previous versions of the software. In the video below, the provider highlights some of the most recent changes, namely the introduction of a unified inbox. Additionally, we especially like that the dashboard now has increased customization options. 

A new addition to the RingCentral MVP platform that we are impressed by is the AI-powered RingSense, which is designed to help businesses easily gather insights from voice conversations. Those insights can then be used to boost productivity and improve business results Specific features and tools offered by RingSense include live transcription of voice calls, call summaries and conversation sentiment analysis.

You can access self-help resources from RingCentral’s desktop and mobile devices. Source: RingCentral

RingCentral Features

All RingCentral subscriptions come with advanced call-handling and -management tools, including one-click calling from a softphone application or web browser. Higher plan tiers integrate with popular business apps. Here are the collaboration and calling features we found most valuable.

Team Huddle

Team Huddle is an informal, chat-enabled video space perfect for connecting remote employees. RingCentral sends an alert to invitees, which notifies them on their computer or mobile phone. Team Huddle rooms work well for virtual break rooms, lunch-and-learn sessions, and instant HR or IT support access. Notably, we didn’t find this kind of feature on many VoIP systems. The increasingly popular Slack offers a similar huddle function, but, of course, it doesn’t have all the traditional features of business phone platforms like RingCentral.

Encourage spontaneous interactions with RingCentral’s Team Huddle feature. Source: RingCentral

Team Messaging

Many platforms, including RingCentral, offer one-to-one and group messaging with rich text, GIFs and emojis, but few provide efficient ways to organize conversations. With RingCentral, we like that you can bookmark messages for private viewing or pin them for all team members in the chat. Pinned messages may include scheduled events, tasks and attachments. [Learn how to be a good leader when your team is remote.]

App Gallery and Custom Integrations

RingCentral’s phone system also stands out for its more than 330 integrations and open APIs (application programming interfaces). Most communication solutions we reviewed offered a few dozen in comparison. Many RingCentral integrations are bidirectional, with two-way sync for advanced functionality. For instance, while using HubSpot, your team can listen to voicemails, review faxes and send business SMS messages without toggling to the RingCentral MVP app. This also goes a long way toward improving collaboration and communication across your business, especially if you’re interested in streamlining operations.

Use RingCentral’s Hubspot integration to access voicemail and faxes without switching between apps. Source: RingCentral

Audio and Video Conferencing

Audio conferencing lets leaders communicate with the entire business workforce, including those without an internet connection. RingCentral MVP supports up to 1,000 attendees on audio conference calls, which is just as many as past versions of the software but more than we found in our Dialpad and GoTo Connect reviews. Likewise, users can host video meetings on a desktop or mobile phone with 100 to 200 participants, but this is a smaller capacity than noted in our reviews of 8×8 and Zoom.

In 2020, the company debuted a standalone video service known as RingCentral Video Pro, but it is incapable of making regular phone calls. RingCentral MVP is an all-in-one product for businesses seeking both communication tools.

Overall, RingCentral offers a host of video options. In addition to RingCentral Video for traditional online meetings, it also provides RingCentral Webinar, which supports larger audiences of up to 10,000 users. For those working in-office, RingCentral Rooms delivers all of the needed technology to turn conference rooms into a space where employees can easily collaborate with those outside the office. Most recently, RingCentral acquired Hopin, which provides a robust platform to support businesses hosting virtual or hybrid events. Specifically, it supports conferences and other events where there are multiple sessions over multiple days.

Personal Folders

This is another tool that’s unique to RingCentral. Any group, individual or team messaging conversations can go into a folder. Users can change the folder color, rearrange the section tabs and reorder content within the folder by dragging and dropping it. We like how this helps employees keep their communication organized for recordkeeping and future reference.

Task Management

Users can manage and assign tasks in conversations and user workspaces. While other unified communications platforms like Dialpad have task management capabilities, RingCentral enriches the experience by letting you group tasks by color or category. Tasks can be assigned to multiple users, and the program adds a status message when someone completes the job. [Compare RingCentral’s features to those described in our Dialpad review.]

You can create one-time or recurring tasks for one or more team members. Source: RingCentral

Advanced Call Handling 

Business phone services typically provide basic tools like call transfer. We love that RingCentral MVP offers advanced call handling, allowing users to customize call flows for incoming calls. Users can route inbound phone calls to the main line and, if unanswered, send them to a cell phone. The multilevel auto-attendant menu directs calls based on user input and works with a local or toll-free number. 

Customize call flows to maximize productivity and ensure all customer calls are answered. Source: RingCentral

Business Phone System Security

Impressively, RingCentral’s unified communication solution meets Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards. The vendor expanded its dynamic end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to video, phone and messaging services, making RingCentral HIPAA-compliant across multiple channels. E2EE works on the RingCentral mobile app and desktop versions but comes with the highest plan (Ultra) only. 

RingCentral Pricing Plans and Subscription Costs

RingCentral MVP offers three service plans, ranging from $30 to $45 per user per month for one to 49 users. The vendor doesn’t charge a setup fee and provides discounts for annual billing and companies purchasing 50 or more licenses. The entry-tier plan costs more than RingCentral alternatives like Zoom and Dialpad, but we like that it provides several features not commonly found on base plans, like Microsoft Teams integrations and unlimited video and audio conferencing.

The plan tiers build upon each other, meaning the higher-priced packages include all the features from the lower options. However, we appreciate that a business phone number, unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada, and AI insights come with all service packages, as do the collaboration tools, like team messaging and document sharing. 

RingCentral used to offer four service plans but today sells three. Here’s how RingCentral’s current options differ.

RingCentral recently started offering several add-on products, including live reports for real-time call queue management and RingSense Conversation Intelligence for sales assistance. The vendor also sells contact center software and a webinar platform. If you want to be able to customize your calling system further, see our review of Vonage, as it’s our top pick for businesses seeking add-on options and flexibility.

Implementation and Onboarding

RingCentral’s recent updates improved the system’s administrative user interface on the IT side, making bulk-uploading new users and configuring permissions easier. Professional implementation assistance is available for a fee to help you migrate from an on-premises PBX to a cloud PBX, deploy analog gateways and set up global services.

During onboarding and beyond, your IT team can support new users via the remote access feature. It allows your IT staff to request control during a screen-sharing session and troubleshoot issues, regardless of whether your employees work remotely or on-site. 

RingCentral also offers the largest database of tutorials and training guides of all the phone system vendors we investigated. We like how most of the knowledge base documents include screenshots, videos and GIFs. RingCentral University also has dozens of free on-demand webinars for users and administrators and paid live training courses.

Customer Service

RingCentral now provides live phone support and chat 24/7 for all RingCentral MVP accounts. This is uncommon, as only a few business phone vendors we reviewed offer phone support for entry-level subscribers. However, RingCentral users will find live chat is usually the fastest technical support channel. 

Users can open a support case online, which RingCentral recommends for non-time-sensitive matters. The company’s newly redesigned community forum is easier to navigate than before and relatively active, with fellow users answering questions within an hour or two. Additionally, as mentioned above, RingCentral provides a plethora of self-guided resources and makes it easy to request additional help without leaving the app. 

Notably, RingCentral maintained an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau in recent years and still has that score today. The company has been accredited with the BBB since 2004.

Limitations

RingCentral packs many features into its phone system but costs more than rivals like Zoom, Dialpad and the also relatively pricey Vonage. If you’re choosing a business phone system based on the available collaboration tools and have a small team, these alternatives can save you money without sacrificing key features like video conferencing and team messaging. However, if you want the best of the best for collaboration and have a large enough staff to justify the cost, RingCentral would be a wise investment.

One functional drawback to keep in mind is that RingCentral’s base plan lacks digital faxing capabilities. This missing feature can negatively impact businesses wanting to fax contracts and inventory requests but keep expenses down. In contrast, our review of Nextiva found that it allows unlimited internet fax services on the entry-tier package, which could make a significant difference for some companies.

Methodology

We evaluated dozens of business phone systems to identify the top solutions on the market for different business needs. As part of our research and examinations, we downloaded mobile and desktop apps, interacted with customer service departments, and explored integrations. Factors we considered included features and tools, pricing, usability, and setup. When searching for the best option for companies prioritizing collaboration features, we looked closely at whether each solution supported brainstorming and project management objectives and how well the platforms facilitated teamwork. 

Bottom Line

We recommend RingCentral MVP for …

• Businesses with remote or hybrid teams.
• Organizations needing toll-free numbers and unlimited calls. 
• Private medical practices handling patient communications. 

We don’t recommend RingCentral MVP for …

• Solopreneurs.
• Very small brick-and-mortar businesses.
• Companies that make a lot of international calls.