RingCentral is recognized as a leading voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) provider, offering features like videoconferencing, team messaging, and advanced call analytics. While it’s a go-to solution for communication needs and reliability, it can be pricey. Alternatives with unlimited messaging or simpler phone systems may better suit smaller businesses or beginners. When considering an alternative, look for affordable, user-friendly options that scale with your needs.
Read our list of the seven best RingCentral alternatives to find the right fit for your company.
- Nextiva: Best for streamlined communications
- Talkroute: Best for messaging
- Zoom Phone: Best value for money
- Ooma: Best VoIP hardware
- GoTo Connect: Best global calling
- Phone.com: Best for fluctuating call volumes
- Grasshopper: Best for VoIP beginners
- Best RingCentral Alternatives Compared
- Nextiva: Best for Streamlined Communications
- Talkroute: Best for Messaging
- Zoom Phone: Best Value for Money
- Ooma: Best VoIP Hardware
- GoTo Connect: Best for Global Calling
- Phone.com: Best for Fluctuating Call Volumes
- Grasshopper: Best for VoIP Beginners
- How to Choose the Right Provider for Your Business Type & Needs
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Bottom Line
Best RingCentral Alternatives Compared
| Alternatives to RingCentral | Monthly Starting Price | Key Features | FSB Rating (out of 5) |
|---|---|---|---|
 | $30 per user |
| 4.52 |
| Visit RingCentral | |||
 | $25 per user |
| 4.68 |
| Visit Nextiva | |||
 | $19(Single user) |
| 4.57 |
| Visit Talkroute | |||
 | $10 per user |
| 4.54 |
| Visit Zoom Phone | |||
 | $9.99 (Home Phone); $19.95 per user (Office) |
| 4.23 |
| Visit Ooma | |||
 | Custom pricing |
| 4.13 |
| Visit GoTo Connect | |||
 | $14.99 per user |
| 4.01 |
| Visit Phone.com | |||
 | $18 for one user |
| 3.91 |
| Visit Grasshopper | |||
Our
details the provider’s pricing and features if you want to revisit its offerings. We enumerated its advantages and disadvantages, along with its best use cases.
Why You Can Trust Fit Small Business
Nextiva: Best for Streamlined Communications
Talkroute: Best for Messaging
Zoom Phone: Best Value for Money
Ooma: Best VoIP Hardware
GoTo Connect: Best for Global Calling
Phone.com: Best for Fluctuating Call Volumes
Grasshopper: Best for VoIP Beginners
How to Choose the Right Provider for Your Business Type & Needs
When choosing the best RingCentral alternative for your business, evaluating your specific needs and the features each provider offers is essential. Crucial points to consider include your industry, growth projection, team size, operational needs, and budget. Different solutions may be better suited for your communication needs. Below are the key factors to keep in mind when making your decision:
- Team size and growth: Consider the size of your present team and where you forecast your size to be in the short to medium term, at the very least. For example, an expanding startup such as healthcare will want a scalable solution with advanced features like call routing and group messaging for seamless coordination across departments.
- Available features: Carefully evaluate subscription options and identify which solution offers what you need. For instance, a healthcare provider will need secure, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant videoconferencing and call management for patient interactions. At the same time, remote teams can benefit from robust video and messaging tools to stay connected.
- User-friendliness and experience: Small businesses with limited technology know-how or teams with minimal tech background are better off with a solution that comes with an intuitive interface and strong customer support. Your phone system provider must be easy to set up and responsive. If you have a remote team, evaluate their app because it’s crucial to have an application that allows quick troubleshooting and access to support.
- Cost and value: Regardless of your company size, affordability and flexibility are key, so choosing a provider with low-cost plans and essential VoIP features may be the route. Ensure there’s a difference between cost and features to gain a feature-rich platform without overpaying.
How We Evaluated the Best RingCentral Alternative
To objectively identify the best RingCentral alternatives for this buyer’s guide, I drafted a scoring rubric with the following factors: affordability, robustness of unified communications features, ease of use, and customer service. Each vendor’s value for money and level of popularity were also part of the evaluation. Learn the details of my assessment by clicking on the tabs below:
To see if VoIP solutions are budget-friendly for small businesses, I checked the cost of entry-level subscription plans. I gave higher points to providers offering rates less than $30 per user, monthly, free plans, and free trials or demos. I likewise favored those with annual and volume discounts and minimal to no termination fees or added charges.
The general features I looked at were tools for handling phone calls: unlimited domestic calling within the US and Canada, robust call management tools, and business messaging. I checked each vendor’s call recording and visual voicemail inclusions because these are crucial for small teams that cannot answer every call.
The advanced features I considered were unified communications tools, namely videoconferencing and team chat, and automation and AI capabilities. I also noted each solution’s analytics and reporting tools and gave higher points if robust integrations exist.
I determined the ease of use by considering the learning curve when setting up and navigating the system. I assigned more points to those with a modern, intuitive interface.
Small businesses without in-house information technology (IT) departments rely on third-party providers to assist with technical concerns. Thus, I checked the available customer support channels and whether the vendor offers 24/7 service.
My expert score includes assessing the provider’s value for money, unique features, and ease of use. I also examined reviews on third-party websites to evaluate their popularity among business professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. Ooma is a free alternative to RingCentral, with no monthly charges, only a one-time $99.99 fee for the ATA to enable internet-based calls. However, it offers limited call management features, so if you need advanced functionalities like those on RingCentral, consider a paid but affordable RingCentral alternative such as Zoom Phone, starting at just $10 per user monthly.
Yes. RingCentral uses various security measures to ensure secure communications across all channels. These include network security, toll fraud protection, penetration testing, data encryption, and incident response. Visit the RingCentral Trust Center to learn more about its security policy controls across all RingCentral platforms.
While RingCentral offers full communication features, smaller companies with limited budgets find their subscription packages too pricey. All plans have a strict cap on business SMS, and features like auto-call recording, internet faxing, and business analytics won’t be available without an upgrade. These capabilities do come with other VoIP providers.
Bottom Line
RingCentral is an all-in-one solution for managing calls and collaboration, but its higher pricing and lack of unlimited messaging may only suit some small businesses. Nextiva topped our list of the best RingCentral alternatives because it offers similar VoIP features like videoconferencing, team messaging, call analytics, and a user-friendly mobile app. It’s ideal for small businesses seeking digital communication tools. Contact their sales team for a demo to see if it fits your business well.
