RingCentral vs Vonage: Which one is the best for your business?

October 10, 2023
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Witness a clash of giants: RingCentral vs. Vonage. Determine the ultimate communication solution for your business. Let the battle unfold!

Meet RingCentral: The cloud phone system transforming communication across industries. Merge calls, messages, video, faxes onto one platform. Explore 4 plans, 4 contact center options, and exclusive video communication plans.

Shifting our gaze to the opposite corner, we see Vonage, where communication evolves. Their cloud-based platform integrates voice, video, and text into 40+ features, enhancing global connectivity and remote collaboration. Explore contact center solutions and versatile APIs within three user-focused plans.

Compare RingCentral and Vonage plans and features

How many users do you need?

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Similar starter plans by RingCentral and Vonage with varied features

RingCentral has three plans for businesses. The Core plan priced at $30 per user per month is limited to businesses requiring a maximum of 20 user extensions. This is inclusive of unlimited calls within the USA and Canada as well as phone system administration, call log reports, etc.

The Advanced plan has no limit on the number of users. Pricing is inversely proportional to the number of users and costs $35 per user per month. In addition to the Core plan features, it also includes video meetings with up to 100 participants, quality-of-service reports and other advanced features.

Like the Advanced plan, there is no limit to the number of users permitted in a Ultra plan. This plan pricing is at $45 per user per month and is inclusive of multi-site admin and management, real-time analytics, automatic call recording and other such features.
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Pricing for RingCentral and Vonage plans seem at par.

The Mobile plan by Vonage will cost businesses $19.99 per line per month. This fee is inclusive of unlimited calling within the USA, team messaging and other standard features.

In addition to the features of the Mobile plan, the Premium plan includes CRM integration, unlimited meetings with up to 100 participants and IP deskphone support. Subscribing to this plan costs $29.99 per line per month.

Subscribing to the Advanced plan at $39.99 per line per month gives businesses access to features like on-demand call recording, group calls, etc. and all the features of the Premium plan.
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A step-by-step comparison between RingCentral and Vonage

To help you find what solution fits best your need between Zoom Phone and Ringcentral, we have conducted an unbiased comparison based on 8 criterias:
#1 Manage your office calls : How will you handle calls while at the office? Can you use computer-based calls or do you require an office phone?
#2 Manage your calls on the go: Does it offer a mobile app with VoIP calls? Do you need to set up call forwarding to your mobile device?
#3 Auto-attendant : Can you easily distribute calls to your team?
#4 Greetings Management : Can you set up company greetings on your own? How easy is it to create and manage announcements?
#5 Call Tracking : How easy is it to monitor your business calls?
#6 Call recording : Can you record and listen to calls?
#7 Call billing : How much does it cost to make and receive calls? Is everything included?
#8 Activation : How easy is it to activate a phone number and set up your phone system?
COMPARE
  • Manage Your Office Calls
  • Manage Your Calls On The Go
  • Auto-attendant
  • Greetings Management
  • Call Tracking
  • Call recording
  • Call billing
  • Activation

#1 Manage Your Office Calls

RingCentral or Vonage; access VoIP services from desktops or deskphones

Ringcentral subscribers can access their accounts and make and receive calls through desktop apps for Windows and Mac devices, a web browser or certain desk phones.

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RingCentral and Vonage services can be accessed through desktop apps for Mac and Windows devices. Premium and Advanced plan subscribers can also make and receive calls through IP desk phones.

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#2 Manage Your Calls On The Go

Mobile applications by Vonage and Ring Central have similar features

Remote agents can use Ringcentral apps for Android and iOS devices to make and receive calls.

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As with RingCentral, smartphone users can download a free Vonage app and use the same to handle calls and access other features.

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#3 Auto-attendant

Comparative auto-attendant capabilities for RingCentral and Vonage plan users

Auto attendant facility is not included in the RingCentral Essential plan. However, the Standard and Premium plans include a multi-level auto attendant facility with the option of customizing greetings and call menus to route incoming calls.

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Vonage offers a more universal call routing feature as compared to RingCentral.

Mobile plan subscribers can route calls through a virtual receptionist. The Premium and Advanced plans are inclusive of a multi-level auto attendant to route incoming calls.

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#4 Greetings Management

Options available from both service providers to customize greetings

Anyone in an admin role can customize company greetings for incoming calls. This will be played for all inbound calls during the company’s operational hours.

Step 1. Click on the Review Company Call Flow menu from the Company set up section in the navigation bar.

Step 2. Click on the Record button and customize the greeting by recording a message or uploading a pre-recorded message.

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Custom greetings are a feature common to RingCentral and Vonage.

All Vonage plans include customized greetings for virtual receptionists, call groups, call queues and extensions.

Step 1: Login as admin.

Step 2: Click on "phone system" and then the feature for which the greeting is to be set.

Step 3: Upload a recorded message or record a new message.

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#5 Call Tracking

Better call management options give RingCentral the advantage

Call monitoring for RingCentral Essentials plan subscribers is limited to accessing voicemail transcriptions and read previews of the same in your email inbox. Calls can be transcribed in English, Spanish, French and German.

Upgrading to the Standard plan gives you additional access to call analytics reports. These reports give supervisors a holistic view of the numbers of calls made and received as well as other KPIs like call duration.

RingCentral Premium as well as Standard plan subscribers can monitor live calls through desk phones that support presence and desktop applications. Mobile applications do not support this feature. Call monitoring facilities offered by RingCentral include listings to live calls, call whispers, call barging and call takeovers.

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RingCentral offers more advanced call monitoring features as compared to Vonage.

The admin dashboard gives team supervisors an easy way to monitor calls and agents. They can see when agents are free or busy, when their extensions are ringing and when they are unavailable for calls. They can also see reports on caller IDs and call times. If agents require help with query resolution, they can bring supervisors onto a live call and transition to 3-way conference calls. In addition, messages for calls sent to voicemail are transcribed and sent via email.

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#6 Call Recording

Call recording more affordable with RingCentral

Call recording is available only to RingCentral Standard and Premium plan subscribers. This feature is automated for Premium plan subscribers and available on-demand to Standard plan subscribers.

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As with RingCentral, call recording is included only in the Vonage Advanced plan. Here too it is limited to 15 hours. Mobile and Premium plan subscribers can get an add-on call recording pack if required.

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#7 Call Billing

Requiring an add on pack for international calling puts Vonage at a disadvantage

Calls to numbers within the USA and Canada are included in the plan subscriptions. Calls to other numbers are billed as per usage according to a location-specific per minute rate. For example, calls to mobile phone numbers in Hong Kong are billed at $0.039 per minute while calls to India are billed at $0.059 per minute.

While both RingCentral and Vonage plans are exclusive of international call minutes, billing is different for both. International calling packs are available for Vonage subscribers to make calls to numbers outside the USA and Canada. These vary according to destination and call minutes.

#8 Activation

Create accounts online and get started with Vonage and RingCentral plans

A Google account or existing email address can be used to set up RingCentral accounts through the web browser. The dashboard can also be used to define user extensions and create custom call handling rules, etc. Once the account is created, RingCentral services can be accessed through smartphone or desktop applications for Android, iOS, MAC and Windows devices or certain IP desk phones. You can use your own devices or buy a new deskphone from RingCentral. The options available include cordless, receptionist and conference phones.

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Accounts can be activated online for both RingCentral and Vonage subscribers.

Anyone wanting to subscribe to a Vonage plan can pay an initial subscription fee and create an account online. This account can be activated there and then or delayed for up to 45 days. They can then configure extensions, define user roles, etc. Once the account is activated, users can access Vonage services through a smartphone or desktop app. Premium and Advanced plan subscribers can also use IP desk phones to make and receive calls. IP desk phones that support these services can be purchased on the Vonage website.

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