RingCentral and Vonage both provide voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services. Vonage lets you customize your plan with add-on services, but doesn’t include numbers for international locations. In contrast, all RingCentral plans are more robust and all-inclusive, but are more expensive. However, the differences don’t stop there. Learn how these services compare to find out which is best for your company.
- RingCentral: Best for companies looking to expand with robust call handling requirements
- Vonage: Best for small businesses that want a local business number and reliable service, but don’t need a lot of extras
RingCentral vs Vonage at a Glance
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Price* | $19.99 to $49.99 per user, per month, no contract required | $17.99 to $37.99 per user, per month with a one-year contract |
Free Trial | 15 days | 14 days |
Basic Calling Options | Unlimited calling to the U.S. and Canada; local or toll-free number with 100 to 10,000 toll-free minutes included | Unlimited calling to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; local business number |
Advanced Features on Entry-level Plan | Voicemail transcription, document sharing, call forwarding, presence, call flip, and team messaging | Team messaging, call flip, team messaging |
Integrations | Integrations available on upper-tier plans | Vonage App Center on all plans and CRM integration on upper tiers |
Meeting Features | Plans support six to 1,000 audio callers and 100 to 200 video participants | Plans offer three-way calling, an add-on conferencing bridge, and up to 16 video participants |
Customer Service | Phone support on upper-tier plans, knowledge base, community forum, live chat, and RingCentral University | Phone support, FAQs, live chat, community forum, and support tickets |
* Pricing is for 2 to 20 users with an annual billing agreement
Best Price: Vonage
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Plans start at $19.99 per month for two users when billed annually with no contract required | Plans start at $17.99 per month for two users with an annual contract, volume discounts offered |
Vonage costs $17.99 per user for its entry-level plan, whereas you’ll pay $19.99 per user for the same service level with RingCentral. In addition, RingCentral’s lowest-priced plan is capped at 20 users. After that, you’ll need to upgrade to the Standard plan at $29.99 per user, per month.
Vonage, on the other hand, does not force you to purchase features such as call groups, call monitoring, or a customer relationship manager (CRM) integration that your team may not need as you scale. It also offers a volume discount on its entry-level plan. For example, the price goes down to $14.99 for teams of more than 20.
It is worth noting though that Vonage does make you sign an annual contract, Vonage’s service add-ons can also add up quickly. For instance, a toll-free number costs $4.99 per line, per month, plus you must buy a package with toll-free minutes.
Winner: Vonage is a less expensive business phone system, giving it an edge over RingCentral for basic service. But, if you want a toll-free number or more advanced features, RingCentral costs less than Vonage plans.
Most Flexible Calling Options: RingCentral
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All plans offer a toll-free or local number, toll-free calling minutes, and every package (except the entry-level plan) offers international numbers | All plans provide a local number, but a toll-free number is an extra $4.99 per month plus extra fees to buy toll-free minutes; international numbers aren’t available |
For globally distributed teams or companies wanting to scale their business internationally, RingCentral is the best option. All plans come with your choice of a toll-free or local number, and monthly packages include 100 to 10,000 toll-free minutes. Additionally, business phone numbers are available in over 100 countries.
Like RingCentral, Vonage offers unlimited calls and text messages. But, Vonage supports free calling to the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, whereas RingCentral allows unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada.
Vonage provides a local number with all plans, but there’s an extra monthly fee to add a toll-free number. Plus, you’ll pay $2.99 for 100 minutes and $199.99 for 10,000 minutes per month. In contrast, RingCentral’s Ultimate plan costs $49.99 per month and comes standard with a 1-800 number and 10,000 toll-free minutes.
Winner: RingCentral provides more phone number options and supports international employees, making it an excellent choice for companies wanting to grow globally.
Best for Collaboration & Conference Calling: RingCentral
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Up to 1,000 audio conference attendees and up to 200 video meeting participants | Up to 16 video meeting participants and up to 100 audio conference attendees |
Both platforms use third-party team chat solutions offering collaboration tools similar to Slack. RingCentral uses Glip, whereas Vonage uses Amazon Chime. The collaboration channels support document sharing, team messaging, audio, and video calling.
RingCentral stands out for its built-in audio and video conferencing features. You can host an audio conference for up to six people on the entry-level plan and up to 1,000 participants on other packages. Furthermore, RingCentral supports up to 200 video meeting attendees compared to only 16 with Vonage Meetings.
Vonage is more limited in conferencing capabilities. You can hold a three-way audio conference on all plans, pay an extra $14.99 per line, per month to host audio calls with up to 30 attendees, or use the Vonage Meeting app to host audio calls with up to 100 participants.
Winner: For companies that regularly host large meetings, RingCentral is the best solution because it supports more participants and features plenty of engagement tools.
Best Advanced Features: RingCentral
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Entry-level plans provide voicemail transcription, auto-attendant, and work on desk phones, while upper-tier plans come with call recording, call whisper, and barge | Entry-level plans offer an auto-attendant while some advanced features, like call recording, come on upper-tier plans; other functionalities, such as call whisper and barge, are available as add-ons |
RingCentral’s basic plan provides voicemail-to-email, and you can make calls using any device from IP phones to mobile phones. This gives it an edge over Vonage’s entry-level plan, which does not support desk phones.
RingCentral’s plans also include more robust features overall. Its upper-tier plans come with call recording, call whisper, call barge, and call queues. Vonage supports this functionality with its higher-tiered plans, but at an additional cost. For example, you’ll pay $14.99 per line for call queues on other plans plus a 3 cents per minute charge for waiting callers.
Winner: RingCentral gives users a huge range of call management and handling features on all plans, making it the clear winner for advanced call handling and call monitoring functionality. For more information about these advanced features and how they can help small businesses, check out our complete RingCentral review.
Best for Integrations: Vonage
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No integrations on the entry-level package; CRM integrations available on the Premium plan | Vonage App Center available on all plans with CRM integrations on the Premium package |
Vonage edges out RingCentral by offering integrations on the entry-level plan. All business subscribers can access the Vonage App Center, where you’ll find over 20 free and paid integrations. On the Premium plan, users can connect with popular customer relationship management (CRM) platforms. CRM integration includes Bullhorn, Google Workspace, HubSpot, Salesforce, Sugar CRM, Zendesk, Clio, Connectwise, JobDiva, Microsoft Dynamics, and Zoho.
Overall, RingCentral offers a broader range of integrations, but they’re locked behind upper-tier plans, and none are available on the entry-level package. With the Standard plan, you can access Office 365, Google Workspace, and Slack. The Premium package integrates with CRMs such as Salesforce and Zendesk, and industry-specific applications like Smarsh and Canvas.
Winner: While Vonage wins for offering integrations on the cheapest plan, you’re limited to around 20 apps. In comparison, RingCentral provides over 100 integrations in its upper-level packages, which can make it the more attractive option for businesses that want a phone service that can work with almost all business software tools.
Best for Customer Service: RingCentral
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24/7 phone support on all but solo lines, live chat, support tickets, social media support, community forum, knowledge base, and RingCentral University | 12 to 15 hours daily of phone support on all plans, live chat, support tickets, community forum, FAQs, and a training center with videos and tutorials |
RingCentral gives users more ways to contact customer service and also provides non-English support. For plans with two or more lines, phone support is available 24/7, whereas plans with one user have access between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday. You can also reach out to customer service on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Moreover, RingCentral offers live chat and online support tickets.
In comparison, Vonage provides phone support Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. You can also contact Vonage via live chat or an online support ticket.
Winner: RingCentral provides more customer service options and covers phones 24/7, making it an excellent choice for American or international users.
Best Alternatives
RingCentral and Vonage offer comparable plans and pricing, but the platforms may not be the right fit for every business. Fortunately, there are several reliable virtual phone numbers and VoIP providers to choose from.
A few Vonage and RingCentral alternatives include:
- Nextiva: Like Vonage, Nextiva offers volume discounts, which can help companies save money when adding users. Plus, Nextiva plans offer over 45 features.
- Grasshopper: Avoid per-user fees with a Grasshopper plan that comes with three or more extensions per plan and a local, vanity, or toll-free number.
- Google Voice: Solopreneurs needing a free or cheap virtual phone service can take advantage of the free Google Voice plan for unlimited calling and voicemail.
Select the best VoIP provider by considering the total cost of your plans and add-on fees. Plus, look for options that integrate with your existing tools and give your teams access to customer service and support channels.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can international callers join VoIP conferences?
Yes, RingCentral and Vonage provide dial-in numbers for international callers. However, in some cases, participants may pay a per-minute fee to dial into your audio conference. Users who join via computer for a video conference won’t incur additional charges.
How much do toll-free minutes cost?
RingCentral plans come with 100 to 10,000 toll-free minutes per plan, and you’ll pay 3.9 cents per minute for overage minutes. Vonage plans don’t come with toll-free minutes, but you can buy a separate monthly package for 100 to 100,000 minutes. The price for Vonage minutes ranges from $2.99 per month to $1,799.99 per month.
Can I set up VoIP service without technical assistance?
Yes, RingCentral and Vonage offer straightforward installation processes with step-by-step guidance. Furthermore, for an additional charge, you can schedule an appointment with the Vonage installation team.
Bottom Line
RingCentral and Vonage provide reliable small business VoIP services with many valuable features. Companies appreciate the a la carte offerings with Vonage plans, whereas RingCentral’s full-featured platform makes communication and collaboration easy.
