As a cloud phone service provider, RingCentral helps small and large businesses improve their internal and external communication. Their services include unlimited calling within the USA and Canada from local or toll-free numbers, messaging, faxes and document sharing on the same platform. In addition, businesses can access advanced services such as call routing, call recording and app integrations. These services are bundled into 4 MVP (messaging, video, phone) plans and 4 contact center plans. Alternatively, businesses can opt for an exclusive video communication plan. Subscribers can start using the services from apps for their smartphones or desktops or certain IP desk phones.
Vonage is an alternative to RingCentral with similar services.
Businesses looking to unify communication channels to a single platform should consider Vonage. This cloud communication service provider allows businesses to leverage VoIP technology to make and receive voice and video calls and exchange text messages. They also offer several other communication and collaboration features. These features are bundled into 3 business communication plans with a monthly subscription.
RingCentral has three plans for businesses. The Essential plan priced at $19.99 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 Standard plan has no limit on the number of users. Pricing is inversely proportional to the number of users and ranges from $22.99 to $27.99 per user per month. In addition to the Essential plan features, it also includes video meetings with up to 100 participants, quality-of-service reports and other advanced features.
Like the Standard plan, there is no limit to the number of users permitted in a Premium plan. This plan pricing ranges between $32.99 to $34.99 per user per month and is inclusive of multi-site admin and management, real-time analytics, automatic call recording and other such features.
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.
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.
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.
Remote agents can use Ringcentral apps for Android and iOS devices to make and receive calls.
As with RingCentral, smartphone users can download a free Vonage app and use the same to handle calls and access other features.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
