RingCentral vs Vonage: Which UCaaS Is Best?
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
RingCentral and Vonage are both leading business unified communications providers. However, Vonage plans are slightly more affordable, and its new virtual assistant answers and routes calls, takes notes, and analyzes sentiment. On the other hand, RingCentral provides more robust features, especially for call handling and video conferencing, and offers far more integrations.
Based on our comparison, the best use cases for RingCentral vs Vonage business communications solutions are as follows:
- RingCentral: Better for businesses that want a unified communications solution for voice, text, fax, and video conferencing with the most advanced features and integrations
- Vonage: Better for small businesses that want an affordable, easy-to-use unified communications as a service (UCaaS) solution that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) for call handling and management, efficiency, and insights
RingCentral vs Vonage at a Glance
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
Price | $19.99 to $49.99 per user, per month* | $17.99 to $37.99 per user, per month** |
Free Trial | ✔ | N/A |
Unlimited Domestic Calls and Short Message Service (SMS) Texts | ✔ | ✔ |
Team Messaging | ✔ | ✔ |
Video Conferencing | 200-participant cap | 100-participant cap |
Integrations | 200+ integrations | 17 integrations |
Advanced Features | Voicemail transcription, call monitoring, high-definition (HD) audio and video, single sign-on (SSO), and real-time analytics | Call flip, AI virtual assistant, HD voice, music on hold, SMS automation, and voicemail-to-email |
Uptime Service Level Agreement (SLA) | 99.999% | 99.999% |
Customer Support | 24/7 chat and phone support | 24/7 chat and phone support |
For More Information |
*Pricing based on a 33% annual discount with an estimated two to 20 users.
**Pricing based on an estimated five to 19 users.
When we compared RingCentral vs Vonage business UCaaS solutions, we found that neither is universally better than the other—each serves different businesses with varying budgets. RingCentral is the best option for small businesses looking for a full-featured business VoIP service platform that can scale as their business grows. It’s also better for companies needing higher capacity video conferencing limits, more in-conference features, and higher quality video.
Vonage also offers industry-leading features and channel support, and it’s easier to use. While its features aren’t as robust as RingCentral’s, it does have unique tools, such as an AI assistant that can improve caller experiences and even resolve routine customer issues. Plus, its base plan is a bit cheaper per user, per month than RingCentral’s, which can add up to big savings over time.
See how they stack up based on specific criteria below:
Best for Pricing: Vonage
| |
|---|---|
*Pricing:
| **Pricing:
|
*Pricing based on an estimated five to 19 users.
**Pricing based on a 33% annual discount with an estimated two to 20 users.
Vonage plans are more budget-friendly. Users can get started for just $17.99 per user, per month on Vonage’s plans, while they have to pay $19.99 to begin with RingCentral. It’s highest tier caps out at $37.99 per user while RingCentral’s Ultimate plan is far more costly at $49.99 per user, per month. However, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison as users get more features and functionality for their money on RingCentral’s plans.
For example, while both base plans include unlimited domestic calls and texts in the U.S., with RingCentral, this is for the U.S. and Canada. Likewise, although Vonage’s Premium and RingCentral’s Standard plans both introduce video conferencing, Vonage only allows for up to 100 participants while RingCentral’s video participant cap is twice as high. And as we cover below, RingCentral offers far more integrations.
Despite the head-to-head value difference, many businesses also appreciate Vonage’s a la carte pricing options. Instead of forcing you to pay a premium for features your business might not need, Vonage provides low-cost plans with optional add-on features, such as toll-free numbers, call recording, visual voicemail, and upgraded tech support.
Best for UCaaS Features: RingCentral
| |
|---|---|
RingCentral provides greater meeting capacity, unlimited storage, hotdesking, SSO, and real-time analytics. | Vonage offers status indications, call handling, advanced call routing, and AI assistance. |
Both providers offer essential UCaaS communication channels, including business voice calling, texting, audio conferencing, video conferencing, team messaging, and faxing. However, RingCentral provides better call handling and phone system management features. For example, RingCentral users enjoy advanced features like hotdesking, single sign-on (SSO), and real-time analytics.
Vonage might not offer as many features, but it still delivers beyond the essentials. Vonage users get status indications, call handling (monitor, whisper, and barge), advanced call routing, and artificial intelligence (AI) assistance. While RingCentral offers most of these features, it’s only beginning to incorporate AI into its tools.
Best for Video Conferencing: RingCentral
| |
|---|---|
RingCentral provides 200-participant meeting capacity and HD audio and video. | Vonage provides 100-participant meeting capacity and offers HD voice as an add-on. |
RingCentral provides one of the highest-quality video conferencing solutions of any of the top business phone systems. Users get HD audio and video functionality, as well as support for up to 200 participants. Participants can adjust their settings to view up to 25 screens simultaneously in the gallery view.
RingCentral offers some niche video conferencing functionality other UCaaS providers have yet to match. For example, the recently introduced Team Huddle feature enables users to host a persistent video meeting that colleagues can wander in and out of, reminiscent of the ability to interact in a physical environment. RingCentral video also provides one-click call-to-video functionality as well as voice activated and smartphone remote controls.
Vonage’s video conferencing solution allows users to host meetings with up to 100 participants. However, the quality is lacking next to RingCentral. HD video isn’t offered and HD voice is only provided as an add-on at an additional cost. While Vonage doesn’t list the cost of this add-on, its HD voice feature page indicates users can purchase three different tiers of audio quality.
Best for Artificial Intelligence: Vonage
| |
|---|---|
Vonage’s AI virtual assistant answers phone calls, facilitates conversations, analyzes customer sentiment, transcribes conversations, and takes notes in real time. | RingCentral’s AI auto-follows where you are in a video meeting to keep you in the center of the screen and automatically adjusts lighting to present you at your best. |
The new AI virtual assistant in Vonage’s business phone system streamlines workflows and facilitates conversations without any human interaction. The virtual assistant can answer phone calls, analyze customer sentiment, answer questions, and route calls to a live agent when necessary. It will even automatically transcribe conversations and take notes.
RingCentral’s integration of AI is a little further behind, but the company has acquired more smart technology recently and is building out new functionality. Currently, RingCentral uses artificial intelligence to improve video meetings by auto-tracking the presenter and automatically adjusting lighting.
Live transcription during video meetings is currently a beta feature available to all RingCentral users that transcribes audio into text in real time. RingCentral is also building out a meeting summaries feature, where AI will generate a report of what’s discussed in a meeting, highlighting keywords, dates, action items, and takeaways.
Best for Integrations: RingCentral
| |
|---|---|
RingCentral connects with more than 290 third-party applications. | Vonage integrates with 17 popular integrations. |
When it comes to integrations, RingCentral is the leading VoIP solution not just compared to Vonage, but compared to most VoIP and UCaaS providers. Businesses can connect RingCentral to just under 300 applications ranging from customer relationship managers (CRMs) to customer support tools to analytics software. If there’s a tool you want to connect to your business phone system, there’s a good chance RingCentral supports it.
While Vonage doesn’t offer the massive app gallery that RingCentral does, it still provides top-notch integrations with leading business applications. These applications include Salesforce, Microsoft, Google, HubSpot, Zapier, and Zendesk. In addition, Zapier can be used to facilitate thousands of integrations. Check the integrations lists published by each provider to make sure it connects with the apps your business relies on.
Best for Ease of Use: Vonage
| |
|---|---|
Vonage users enjoy a simple, clean interface across both mobile and desktop applications. | RingCentral has a modern user interface, but the abundance of features can be overwhelming. |
Vonage is the better platform for businesses that prioritize simplicity and ease of use. Users find the applications easy to navigate, and Vonage provides the documentation needed to help its customers self-serve. Its knowledge base covers what you need to get started, how to manage the Vonage business phone system, its features and settings, and technical support.
On the other hand, RingCentral also provides a modern, easy-to-use user interface (UI.) The main reason Vonage wins for ease of use is that RingCentral’s features are more robust, which means it can take more time to navigate around the platform to find the exact tool you need.
The learning curve for RingCentral is also higher for the same reason―the sheer number of tools and features to explore and configure. The RingCentral University is the knowledge base that houses documentation for both basic and advanced features, and is broken down for both general users as well as administrators.
How We Evaluated RingCentral vs Vonage
At first glance, it’s hard to identify the key differences between RingCentral vs Vonage business solutions, since both offer voice calling, SMS texting, video conferencing, and team chat functionality. So we looked closer at the pricing packages, features, integrations, and overall ease of use to help you determine which is the best option for your small business.
Here’s a complete breakdown of the factors we used to compare Vonage and RingCentral plans:
25%
Pricing
30%
General Features
20%
Ease of Use
25%
Integrations
25% of Overall Score
We compared the features offered under each pricing tier. We also looked for annual and volume discounts, and whether a free trial is offered. Lastly, we compared add-on pricing to determine if a la carte options make either provider more affordable.
30% of Overall Score
We analyzed the features and functionality of each voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) business phone system to see if it provides fundamental features like an automated attendant, call recording, audio conferencing, and voicemail transcriptions. In addition, we looked for advanced features and unique or niche tools that might make the provider stand out.
20% of Overall Score
We tested the products ourselves to evaluate the user interface (UI) and experience. We also reviewed the setup process to see which is faster and simpler to get up and running.
25% of Overall Score
Business phone systems are just one application in a company’s tech stack, and many businesses need solutions that integrate seamlessly with the other apps they use. We compared the quantity and quality of integrations to determine which provider integrates best with other third-party software.
*Percentages of overall score
Best Alternatives
If this RingCentral vs Vonage business phone system comparison didn’t persuade you in either direction, there are alternatives that might serve your company better. Here are some of the best Vonage and RingCentral alternatives to consider:
- Nextiva: Nextiva and RingCentral have comparable features and pricing, but Nextiva delivers a better video conferencing experience (with 250-participant caps and unlimited durations) and improved customer support across all plans. Find out more in our RingCentral vs Nextiva review.
- Dialpad: Dialpad is a simple VoIP service with plans starting as low as $15 per user, per month. It doesn’t offer the advanced functionality Vonage and RingCentral do, but it provides users with similar unified communications tools at a more budget-friendly price. Plus, like Vonage, Dialpad has AI to improve caller and customer experiences. Our Dialpad vs RingCentral article explains more.
- 8×8: As far as Vonage or RingCentral vs 8×8, 8×8 offers the same communication channels and similar advanced functionality, but it’s the best VoIP service for international calling. Businesses can upgrade to 8×8’s X4 plan ($44 per user, per month) to unlock unlimited voice calling to 48 countries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which provider has a more reliable SLA?
RingCentral and Vonage both guarantee a 99.999% uptime service level agreement (SLA), ensuring top-notch reliability at scale. Businesses of all sizes can trust either provider to handle their inbound and outbound call traffic.
Can I purchase supported phone devices?
Yes, both RingCentral and Vonage sell VoIP-enabled phones. Vonage supports Cisco, Grandstream, Panasonic, Polycom, and Yealink phones. RingCentral supports ALE, Avaya, Cisco, Polycom, Unify, and Yealink phones.
Does Vonage have 3-way calling?
Yes. Vonage users can initiate a conversation and then call an additional phone number to expand the call to three separate lines.
Bottom Line
RingCentral and Vonage both provide reliable VoIP unified communications services, but each caters to different business needs. Small businesses on a budget will appreciate Vonage’s lower-priced plans and a la carte add-ons, while businesses looking for the most advanced UCaaS platform will find RingCentral has everything needed for business communication and collaboration. Read our full RingCentral review to learn more about all of the features available.
