GoToConnect (formerly known as Jive) and RingCentral are two of the best platforms for voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services. They provide cloud-based communications for businesses to better communicate internally and externally with features like unlimited calling, SMS, voicemail, and more. GoToConnect and RingCentral both provide easy-to-use platforms, but each has its own perks and quirks that make it more appropriate for certain small businesses.
Small businesses and freelancers who want basic business phone system capabilities at an affordable price will find themselves drawn to GoToConnect. It delivers on the essentials with plans that fluctuate in price depending on the number of users, but each plan includes all the features that GoToConnect offers. RingCentral has higher costs, but it makes up for the price tag with advanced unified communication features like team messaging, file sharing, and multilevel auto-attendants.
- GoToConnect: Best for small teams and freelancers who need a basic VoIP solution
- RingCentral: Best for small businesses looking for a powerful, unified communications platform
GoToConnect vs RingCentral at a Glance
Feature | GoToConnect | RingCentral |
|---|---|---|
Starting Price | $19.95 per user, per month | $29.99 per user, per month |
Free Trial | N/A | 15 days |
Maximum Video Participants | 250 | 200 |
Local and Toll-free Numbers | ✔ | ✔ |
Auto-attendant | ✔ | ✔ |
Unlimited Domestic Calling | ✔ | ✔ |
Mobile App | ✔ | ✔ |
Business SMS Messaging | ✔ | ✔ |
Advanced Call Analytics | ✔ | ✔ |
Video Conferencing | ✔ | ✔ |
Voicemail Transcription | ✔ | ✔ |
Open API | ✔ | ✔ |
Team Messaging | N/A | ✔ |
File Sharing | N/A | ✔ |
More Information |
Takeaway: While GoToConnect and RingCentral have a lot in common, RingCentral comes out on top when it comes to scalability and functionality. Unlike most of its popular alternatives, RingCentral goes above and beyond traditional VoIP services with more unified communications features like team messaging and file sharing. GoToConnect, on the other hand, caters more to freelancers and small teams who need basic VoIP services like unlimited calling and business text.
How We Evaluated GoToConnect vs RingCentral
We looked at a variety of factors to determine which platform better serves small businesses. While GoToConnect and RingCentral fulfill different use cases, they share a fair amount of similarities. To distinguish the two, we looked at the following criteria:
- Price: We looked at entry-level prices and compared what features came with higher-tiered plans.
- Basic features: We looked at the basic functionality of each service.
- Advanced features: We compared services to see which had more extensive calling and communications features. Although advanced features tend to be exclusive to the highest-tiered plans, we looked to see which platform made the features most affordable.
- Scalability: We looked at the features and pricing structure to evaluate each platform’s ability to satisfy a business’ evolving demands.
- Call management features: We compared the call management functionalities (virtual waiting rooms, multilevel interactive voice response (IVR), caller ID, call forwarding, call recording, and so on) to see which provides better user and customer experiences.
- Integrations: We checked which integrations were available for each platform.
- Overall customer reviews: We looked at user reviews to see what end users thought about each platform.
When to Use GoToConnect
GoToConnect (formerly known as Jive) is a combination of Jive’s original cloud VoIP phone system and GoToMeeting’s video and audio conferencing solution. This powerful, all-in-one solution enables users to talk, text, chat, and video conference via web browsers, desktop applications, phones, and mobile apps.
Pricing plans start at $19.95 per user, per month, making it straightforward, easy, and downright affordable for small teams and freelancers to get started with cloud communications. While GoToConnect has an essential omnichannel presence, it keeps it basic with the call management features it delivers. Businesses looking for a cloud-based communications solution but don’t need all the bells and whistles will appreciate GoToConnect’s simple setup and pricing.
GoToConnect Pros & Cons
GoToConnect Pros | GoToConnect Cons |
|---|---|
Simple, affordable pricing plans | Mobile app can be buggy and lacks functionality |
Up to 250 video meeting participants | Limited SMS and MMS capabilities |
All pricing tiers include full-feature functionality |
GoToConnect Pricing
GoToConnect’s tiers scale in price according to the number of users you have. The more users you have, the less you pay per user. Unlike other VoIP communication platforms, it provides all service features across all tiers (however, the “advanced” features aren’t quite as advanced as most other platforms).
Tailored quotes are available for each plan.
- Tier 1: $29.95 per user, per month for one to four users
- Tier 2: $25.95 per user, per month for five to nine users
- Tier 3: $23.95 per user, per month for 10 to 24 users
- Tier 4: $21.95 per user, per month for 25 to 49 users
- Tier 5: $19.95 per user, per month for 50 and more users
Why GoToConnect Is the Better Choice for Small Teams & Freelancers
- Affordable pricing: While it gets exceptionally cheaper with more users, it delivers all the features and functionality a small team could ask for on the lowest-tier plan.
- Customer support: GoToConnect provides fantastic 24/7 support over email, phone, and tickets. Plus, it has a helpful community for crowdsourcing your questions.
- Ease of use: It is simple to set up and easy to use. Users and customers alike enjoy its no-frills user interface.
When to Use RingCentral
RingCentral is a cloud-based VoIP business phone system provider that connects employees and customers together with a unified communications platform. Call, text, video conference, chat, message teammates—RingCentral does it all from one integrated app.
Pricing plans start at $29.99 per user, per month and include the basics, unlimited domestic calls, unlimited SMS, team messaging, and file sharing. For more advanced features like multilevel auto-attendants, HD video conferencing, and unlimited fax, you’ll need to purchase one of the premium price plans.
RingCentral Pros & Cons
RingCentral Pros | RingCentral Cons |
|---|---|
Advanced unified communication platform features | Less affordable for small teams |
Powerful third-party integrations | Advanced features are limited to premium plans |
Easy to set up and use | Extensive features can be overwhelming for those with limited use case |
RingCentral Pricing
RingCentral provides pricing plans based on the number of estimated users and the desired features. More users will drive down your price per user, and it’ll also unlock powerful features. Additional toll-free, local, and international numbers are available for purchase too, regardless of which plan you choose. Read our RingCentral review for more information.
The following pricing plans were calculated based on the assumption of two to 20 users on the plan, billed on a monthly basis:
- Essentials: $29.99 per user, per month with up to 20 users and 100 toll-free minutes. Unlimited domestic calls and unlimited business SMS are included, as well as basic features like voicemail-to-text, team messaging, and file sharing.
- Standard: $34.99 per user, per month with no limit on users and 1,000 toll-free minutes. Expands features to include unlimited internet fax and audio conferencing, as well as 100-participant video meetings and basic integrations.
- Premium: $44.99 per user, per month with no limit on users and 2,500 toll-free minutes. Includes functionality like advanced call management, single sign-on (SSO), 200-participant video meetings, advanced integrations, and access to open APIs.
- Ultimate: $59.99 per user, per month with no limit on users and 10,000 toll-free minutes. Plan includes unlimited storage and device status reports and alerts.
Annual pricing is available at a discounted rate.
RingCentral also has three tiers of Contact Center solutions (Basic, Advanced, and Ultimate), but you’ll need to contact sales for pricing:
- Basic: Collaborate using basic video, phone, and team messaging
- Advanced: Adds omnichannel routing for chat and email
- Ultimate: Includes advanced outbound dialing capabilities and campaign management
Why RingCentral Is the Better Choice for Small Businesses
- Advanced functionality: With extensive calling management features, omnichannel communications, and real-time analytics, RingCentral provides much more than a simple VoIP solution.
- Scalability: RingCentral makes it straightforward and affordable to scale your communications operations to match growing demand.
- Team features: External communications is only one part of the engagement puzzle. RingCentral’s team messaging, task management, and calendar-sharing features keep employees aligned so they can better serve customers.
GoToConnect vs RingCentral: Which Is Better for Small Businesses?
GoToConnect and RingCentral cater to different business use cases, but they both provide the following essentials:
- VoIP services: Both VoIP providers offer phone calls, text, video conferencing, and more.
- Call management: RingCentral and GoToConnect both provide great call management features, like auto-attendants, queues, recording, routing, analytics, and more.
- Unlimited calling and SMS: All GoToConnect and RingCentral plans provide unlimited domestic calling and business SMS.
GoToConnect and RingCentral have a lot in common, but RingCentral goes above and beyond in providing a more unified communications platform. With team collaboration functionality, advanced phone system features, and easier scalability, RingCentral is the best cloud-based VoIP provider for small businesses.
Bottom Line
Cloud communication platforms like GoToConnect and RingCentral make it easier than ever for small businesses to power their employee and customer engagement strategies. With the rise of remote work and social distancing, it’s more important than ever for businesses to prioritize their digital communications.
While GoToConnect and RingCentral offer robust VoIP services, RingCentral takes the lead with a more feature-packed solution that unites all internal and external communication functions under one integrated platform.
