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RingCentral has become the market leader in the cloud business phone system space. As per latest statistics, RingCentral commands over 32% market share based on hosted VoIP users.
RingCentral market share stats Source
So why is RingCentral so popular despite its high pricing?
Well, you cannot deny that RingCentral offers an exceptionally reliable enterprise-grade solution. Over 400,000 businesses trust RingCentral to power their mission-critical communications.
It provides over 100 built-in features like auto-receptionists, call analytics, interactive voice menus, etc. This means less reliance on expensive add-ons or integrations.
However, for many startups and small businesses this is overkill. You might just need basic call routing, forwarding, music-on-hold features. In this case, you‘ll be better off with more affordable and easy to manage options in the market.
Keeping cost and usability challenges in mind I have compiled the top alternatives to substitute RingCentral this year.
Key Differences: RingCentral vs Top Alternatives
Here is a quick features matrix highlighting the key aspects that set popular RingCentral alternatives apart:
| Features | RingCentral | Nextiva | Vonage Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Expensive (starts at $29.99 per user/month | Affordable (starts at $18.95 per user/month) | Flexible (starts at $19.99 per user/month |
| Ease of use | Steep learning curve | Intuitive interface | Easy setup wizards |
| Customer support | Slow, poor satisfaction | Exceptional 24/7 support | Good support via multiple channels |
| Scalability | Up to 10000 users | Flexibly scales with usage | Medium-large deployments |
| Mobile apps | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| CRMs integration | 30+ apps | 30+ apps | Integrates with popular CRMs |
| Call routing methods | Graphical call flows | Visual call builder | Drag and drop interface |
| International calling | Extra add-on costs | Free in higher plans | Competitive international rates |
This gives you an idea of how the more affordable competitors stack up against the industry giant RingCentral.
Next, let‘s look at why business VoIP systems are gaining immense traction over traditional premises-based phone infrastructure.
Why Choose a Cloud Phone Service?
Before comparing the RingCentral alternatives, it‘s important to understand what are VoIP business phone systems and why they are better than legacy solutions.
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Instead of making calls via a regular phone line, your voice conversation gets converted into digital data packets. These get transmitted using the internet.
Some benefits this enables are:
- Cost efficiency – By using the internet to connect calls, monthly phone bills reduce by 50% or more
- Flexibility – Employees can use the software phone system anywhere with internet access
- Agility – Easy to add, remove extensions and features on demand
- Continuity – Never miss customer calls due to power outages or inclement weather
- Productivity – Unified systems with video meetings, chat for better collaboration
This is driving more businesses to ditch their restrictive on-premise phone systems and migrate to flexible cloud-based VoIP solutions.
Now let‘s look at the best RingCentral alternative options I recommend.
7 Best RingCentral Competitors & Alternatives
Based on key parameters like pricing, call quality, reliability, ease of use, scalability, support, I have curated this list of top RingCentral competitors:
1. Nextiva – Best Overall Alternative
Nextiva is used by 130,000+ businesses globally to power their core communications. It brings together telephony, video meetings, team chat, contact center capabilities on a single cloud platform.
The unified interface provides a consistent experience across devices like desktop and mobile. I really like how intuitive the admin portal is with visual call routing options.
Additionally, Nextiva offers the best value starting at just $18.95 per user / month. The Basic plan includes unlimited domestic local & long distance calling.
As your needs evolve, you can add more advanced features like automated attendants, shared lines, call monitoring API access, etc. Nextiva makes scaling frictionless.
This combination of affordability, reliability, and ease of use makes Nextiva my top recommendation for most small businesses.
Nextiva Features Highlights
- Reliability – 99.999% SLA uptime record
- Value – Affordable pricing, free phone rentals
- Simplicity – Visual call flows builder
- Support – Exceptional customer service
- Scalability – Grow on demand
NextOS Platform Capabilities
- Cloud business phone system
- Video and audio conferencing
- Team chat and SMS
- Intelligent call routing
- Advanced call analytics
- CRM, helpdesk integrations
Ideal For
- Growing small-medium businesses
- Distributed teams
- Companies with customer service needs
Pricing
Starts at $18.95 per user/month
Free trial for 7 days
2. Vonage Business Communications – Most Flexible
Vonage Business Communications makes it simple for employees to connect and collaborate from anywhere. It consolidates all communication channels – video meetings, business SMS, live chat along with the cloud phone system.
Vonage stands out with its flexibility to add and remove features instantly via self-service. For example, you can enable call recording rules or conference bridges only during required times. This helps optimize costs.
I like how seamlessly Vonage integrates with popular business apps employees use daily – Office 365, G Suite, Salesforce, Zoho etc.
Over 130,000 growing businesses leverages Vonage as their complete communications infrastructure. It works for mobile workforce across devices and locations to stay productive.
If you are looking for easily customizable business phone plans, definitely consider Vonage.
Vonage Business Highlights
- Flexibility – Choose features/users monthly
- Customization – Personalized call flows
- Continuity – Never miss calls
Features
- Cloud phone system
- Video meetings
- Team chat, SMS
- Visual call management
- CRM, Helpdesk integrations
- Mobile and desktop apps
Ideal For
- Growing mobile teams
- Remote collaboration
- Sales teams
Pricing
Starts at $19.99 per user/month
Free trial for 14 days
3. Ooma Office – Best for Small Businesses
Over 150,000 small businesses rely on Ooma Office for its enterprise-level calling quality and management simplicity.
It offers all standard business phone system features like extensions, hold music, ring groups, faxing under one roof. The easy-to-use portal lets you control call flows, greetings, call forwarding visually.
A major perk of Ooma is the predictable pricing model at just $19.95 monthly per user. All capabilities come built-in without any extra fees or commitments needed.
The customer support center located in the US provides prompt resolution in case any issues come up. Ooma Office is specially designed keeping lean teams and single business owners in mind.
Ooma Office Highlights
- Value – Low monthly pricing
- Simplicity – Easy admin portal
- Support – Excellent customer service
- Mobility – Apps for on-the-go usage
Features
- Cloud business phone service
- Call forwarding, recording
- Multi-ring distribution
- Auto attendant, virtual fax
- Visual call flow builder
- CRM integrations
Ideal For
- Solo entrepreneurs
- Small business teams
- Single office locations
Pricing
Starts at $19.95 per user/month
Free trial for 1 month
4. 8×8 Voice – Most Cost Effective
8×8 Voice brings enterprise-level calling quality starting at just $14 per user / month. It offers an easy admin portal to manage call routing flows, queues, attendants, analytics reporting.
Integrated mobile apps ensure employees never miss an important call whether in office, home, or on field. 8×8 also provides chat, video meetings, contact center options in case you need to upgrade in future.
I recommend 8×8 for startups or medium businesses that want a fully-loaded hosted VoIP system on a budget. It reliably serves over a million subscribers globally through their resilient cloud infrastructure.
8×8 Voice offers the best bang for buck without compromising on essential functionalities.
8×8 Voice Highlights
- Affordability – Plans starting $14
- Simplicity – Easy web interface
- Mobility – Apps for connectivity
- Reliability – Redundant global network
Features
- Cloud business phone system
- Unlimited local & long distance calls
- Call forwarding
- Ring groups, call queues
- CRM, helpdesk integrations
- Desktop and mobile apps
Ideal For
- Bootstrapped startups
- Lean remote teams
- Multi-location offices
Pricing
Starts at $14 per user/month
Free trial available
5. Aircall – Fast-Growing Startups
Aircall is a popular cloud phone service built specifically for high-growth companies. It makes it easy to set up a scalable call center as your business expands.
Smart features like IVRs, skills based routing, real-time dashboards automate mundane tasks so agents can focus on customers.
Over 10,000 high-velocity startups and SMBs across the globe rely on Aircall for increasing sales and support productivity.
It integrates tightly with help desk tools like Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, Intercom, etc for a seamless workflow.
If you expect call volumes growing rapidly, Aircall is tailored to scale up businesses efficiently.
Aircall Highlights
- Scalability – Manage surging call traffic
- Flexibility – Multi-channel support
- Analytics – Actionable insights
- Continuity – Never drop customer calls
Features
- Cloud contact center
- Interactive voice menus
- Smart call routing
- Helpdesk integrations
- Real-time supervisor dashboards
Ideal For
- High-growth startups
- SMBs upgrading call centers
- Sales and support teams
Pricing
Starts at $30 per user/month
Free trial for 2 weeks
6. Jive VoIP – Most Reliable
Jive Communications is the business VoIP brand of LogMeIn, publicly listed for over $3 Billion. It is renowned for rock-solid reliability and call quality.
The phone system auto-scales to thousands of call agents without drops or lags. You get built-in redundancy across Jive‘s tier-one global telephony infrastructure.
I like how you can easily build call flows, queues, IVRs yourself using the drag-and-drop tool. This simplifies call management for internal teams.
Over 60,000 businesses trust Jive VoIP for ensuring business continuity without interruptions. It brings piece of mind knowing customer calls will flow smoothly no matter what.
For mission-critical communications, evaluate Jive VoIP‘s Always-on Cloud Phone Service.
Jive VoIP Highlights
- Reliability – Carrier-grade quality
- Scalability – Zero downtime at scale
- Simplicity – Easy call routing
- Continuity – Bulletproof redundancy
Features
- Auto-scaling cloud PBX
- Visual call flow builder
- Built-in geo-redundancy
- Call monitoring, recording
- CRM integrations
- 99.999% SLA uptime
Ideal For
- Essential business operations
- Large call centers
- Multi-site offices
Pricing
Contact Jive Directly for Quotes
Free Trial available
7. Dialpad – Best AI Phone System
Dialpad brings the power of AI to make business calling smarter. It provides enterprise-grade VoIP along with convenient video meetings and team chat.
The speech recognition engine transcribes calls, meetings, and voicemails with high accuracy. These actionable conversational intelligence capabilities boost sales and support productivity.
I like how easy it is to customize professional greetings, hold music, call routing sequences right from the admin portal.
Over 25,000 innovative companies use Dialpad across 85 countries to elevate customer experiences. If you want leverage AI on calls, evaluate their modern business phone service.
Dialpad Highlights
- Automation – AI powered system
- Insights – Speech analytics
- Productivity – Real-time transcription
- Personalization – Custom voice menus
Features
- Voice Intelligence engine
- Real-time call transcription
- Customizable greetings
- Skills based routing
- CRM integrations
- Salesforce Einstein Analytics
Ideal For
- AI-driven businesses
- Call centers
- Remote sales teams
Pricing
Starts at $15 per user/month
Free trial for 14 days
VoIP Provider Comparison Chart
Here is a features matrix comparing the relevant aspects to consider when choosing among top RingCentral competitors:
| Features | Nextiva | Vonage Business | 8×8 | Ooma Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price Per User | $18.95 | $19.99 | $14 | $19.95 |
| Call Recording Options | Additional Fee | Additional Fee | Built-in | Built-in |
| Video Conferencing | Built-in | Built-in | Additional Fee | 3rd Party Integration |
| Call Analytics Dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Basic Reports |
| Number Porting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile Apps | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Customer Support | 24/7 Exceptional | Good | Average | Excellent |
| Reliability SLA | 99.999% | 99.999% | 99.999% | 99.9% |
This gives you an idea of how the core features compare across top alternatives. Evaluate them further based on your specific teams needs.
Recommendations by Business Size
Here is my take on which RingCentral competitor works best for your specific business category and use case:
Startups & Very Small Businesses
- Ooma Office – Simple and affordable VoIP plans starting $19.95. Excellent value for single owners.
- Nextiva – Grow reliably with strong SMB focus and great support response.
- 8×8 Voice – Cost effective full-featured phone plans starting $14.
Growing Small-Medium Businesses
- Nextiva – Visual call flows to manage surging traffic. Scales flexibly.
- Vonage – Custom fit communication capabilities as needs evolve.
- Ooma Office – Maximize savings with sustained growth. Expand smartly.
Mid-Market Companies
- RingCentral – Proven solution for larger deployments with in-house IT skills
- Jive VoIP – Built to scale across locations with geo-redundancy included
- 8×8 Voice – Complete unified communications affordably.
I hope this analysis provides helpful insights to choose the most viable RingCentral alternative matching your unique business requirements. Do let me know if you need any clarification by commenting below!