Nextiva vs RingCentral
We give Nextiva a 2.2 GPA and RingCentral a 3.0, out of 4.0. RingCentral grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Nextiva
Business phone, texting and video with an optional AI receptionist
RingCentral
Cloud phone system with texting, fax, video meetings and team chat
How we grade them
| 2.2GPANextivaFair | 3.0GPARingCentralVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$15 a head for five on Core with a 12-month term, or $23 paid monthly. That's just over this category's cheaper quarter ($14). Recording, a toll-free number and fax are add-ons on Core, and Engage is $25, or $50 paid monthly. | C$20 a head for a team of five on Core, billed yearly ($30 monthly), which is the price for 1-5 users. That's just past this category's dearer quarter ($19.99), so middle of the road, not cheap. Automatic recording and CRM links need Advanced at $25. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no free trial of the phone plans. Only the XBert AI Receptionist add-on has a 14-day trial. | CA 14-day free trial for new subscribers, with texting left out of it. No free plan, and the listing doesn't say whether the trial needs a card. |
| Features | BCalls with an auto-attendant, texts, video meetings, team chat and one inbox for calls, texts, email, social and reviews. Scale adds a call center and AI call notes. That's the whole job, though CRMs are add-ons on every plan. | BUnlimited US and Canada calls, phone menus, call queues, fax, 300-person video meetings, team chat and an AI assistant for call notes. That's the whole phone job, though Core's 25 texts a person a month is stingy. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. Core is self-serve, but Engage and Scale go through a sales demo, and there are phone menus to build before you're running. | A4.83 from about 78,000 App Store ratings, which is about as good as it gets for a work phone app. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, more than most here, with Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, HubSpot, Outlook and Google Contacts. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace and Slack on the integrations list. |
| Best for | phone, texts, video and web chat from one provider | calls, texts, fax and meetings in one app |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Nextiva and RingCentral. How we grade
Price against what you get
Nextiva starts at $15 a month for each person and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. RingCentral starts at $20 a month for each person and scores 3.7.
RingCentral scores higher, and starts $5 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other business phone systems on the chart, none scores higher than Nextiva for less, and none scores higher than RingCentral for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Nextiva starts at $15 per user / month, billed annually ($23 billed monthly). RingCentral starts at $20 per user / month for 1-5 users, billed annually ($30 billed monthly).
- Only Nextiva lists a Linux app.
At a glance
| Nextiva | RingCentral | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $15 per user / month, billed annually ($23 billed monthly) | $20 per user / month for 1-5 users, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial for new subscribers; texting is not included in the trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Nextiva | RingCentral |
| Price read from | nextiva.com | ringcentral.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Nextiva
- Small businesses that want phone, texting and video from one provider
- Teams leaving a phone contract that qualify for free months
- Businesses that also answer website chat and online reviews
RingCentral
- Businesses that want calls, texts, meetings and chat in one app
- Teams spread over several offices or locations
- Companies using Microsoft Teams that want RingCentral calling inside it
Worth knowing
Nextiva
- Annual prices apply to new small businesses with 1-100 employees on a 12-month term; paid monthly, Core is $23 and Engage $50.
- On Core, call recording, a toll-free number, fax and Microsoft Teams are add-ons; Salesforce, HubSpot and other CRMs are add-ons on every plan.
- There is no free trial of the phone plans; Engage and Scale are offered through a demo with sales.
- Contact center plans, from $75 per agent a month, are a separate product line on the Enterprise tab.
RingCentral
- The listed prices are for 1-5 users; the page switches to other prices for 6-100 users, and 100+ users must contact sales.
- Automatic call recording and CRM integrations need Advanced; Core records calls on demand only.
- Add-ons are extra: AI Receptionist from $39, Business SMS Booster $25 and Call Queues Booster $35, as shown on the pricing page.
- Texting needs TCR registration, which may carry fees, and is not available during the free trial.
Key features
Nextiva
- Calling and phone menus
- Unlimited calls with an auto-attendant and call menus on every plan. Smart call routing comes with Scale or with the call center add-on on Engage.
- Business texting
- Texts from the business number: 100 per user a month on Core, 500 on Engage and unlimited on Scale. Customers texting the team needs Engage.
- Video meetings and team chat
- Video calls with screen and file sharing and team messaging sit in the same app. Recording video meetings needs Engage or Scale.
- Shared inbox and reviews
- One inbox gathers calls, texts and email, with shared team email accounts and a set number of connected social media and online review accounts per plan.
- AI call notes on Scale
- Scale transcribes calls in real time, writes call notes and summaries, and suggests answers during calls. Other plans get voicemail transcription.
- XBert AI Receptionist
- An add-on that answers calls, texts and chats around the clock. It costs $99 a month for 100 AI conversations and has a 14-day free trial.
RingCentral
- Calling and numbers
- Unlimited calling within the US and Canada. The plan includes one company number; each extra local or toll-free number costs $4.99 a month.
- Business texting
- Texts from the business number: 25 per user a month on Core, 100 on Advanced and 200 in the bundles. SMS needs carrier (TCR) registration first.
- Call menus and routing
- Multi-level phone menus, call queues and rules by business hours or availability, managed for several locations from one admin portal.
- Video meetings, chat and fax
- The same app runs video meetings for up to 300 people, team messaging with file sharing, and fax from the business number.
- AI assistant
- Included at no extra cost: real-time call and meeting notes, transcription, meeting summaries, and help writing and translating messages.
- AI Receptionist
- Answers calls around the clock, handles FAQs, books appointments and routes callers to staff. An add-on starting at $39, included in the bundles.
Plans
Nextiva
Core$15
per user / month, billed annually ($23 billed monthly)
Calls, 100 texts per user a month, video meetings, team chat and phone menus. Annual price needs a 12-month term.
Engage$25
per user / month, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)
Adds call recording, a toll-free number with up to 2,000 minutes, 500 texts per user a month, live chat, fax and Microsoft Teams. Sold through sales.
Scale$75
per user / month, billed monthly or annually
Adds unlimited texts, real-time transcription, AI call notes and summaries, a built-in call center and smart routing. Sold through sales.
RingCentral
Core$20
per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
Price for 1-5 users. Unlimited US and Canada calling, on-demand call recording, 100 toll-free minutes, 25 texts per user a month and 300-person meetings.
Advanced$25
per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
Price for 1-5 users. Adds CRM integrations, multiple sites, automatic call recording, reports, 1,000 toll-free minutes and 100 texts per user a month.
AI CE Bundle with AIRCustom
AI Customer Engagement Bundle: adds AI Receptionist, the SMS and call queue boosters, Webinar, 10,000 toll-free minutes and 200 texts per user a month.
AI CE Bundle with AIR and ACECustom
Adds AI Conversation Expert: call scoring, coaching, automatic call summaries and multi-level reporting on top of the bundle above.
Ways to pay less
Nextiva
- Annual discount
Save up to 50% with annual pricing
Nextiva's pricing page lists Core at $15 per user a month annually against $23 monthly, and Engage at $25 against $50.
- Other savings
Switch and Save: up to 12 months free
Businesses under 200 employees leaving another provider's contract get free months matching its remaining term, with proof and a 12-month Core or Engage plan.
RingCentral
- Annual discount
Save up to 33% by paying annually
The pricing page lists Core at $20 per user a month billed annually against $30 billed monthly, and Advanced at $25 against $35.
