RingCentral vs Vonage Business Communications
We give RingCentral a 3.0 GPA and Vonage Business Communications a 2.4, out of 4.0. RingCentral grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
RingCentral
Cloud phone system with texting, fax, video meetings and team chat
Vonage Business Communications
Business phone lines with texting, video meetings and team chat
How we grade them
| 3.0GPARingCentralVery good | 2.4GPAVonage Business CommunicationsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$17.99 a head for five on Mobile, the team price per line (one line alone is $19.99), plus taxes and fees. That's mid-range for this category. Video and integrations need Premium at $27.99, and recording needs Advanced at $37.99. |
| Free plan and 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. | FNo free plan and no free trial on record. Monthly plans can be cancelled but aren't refunded. |
| Features | 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. | CCalls, texts and a virtual receptionist on every plan, with video, team chat and CRM links from Premium. The gaps: recording comes only with Advanced, on demand and capped at 15 hours a month, and the listing shows no AI call transcripts. |
| Ease of use | A4.83 from about 78,000 App Store ratings, which is about as good as it gets for a work phone app. | A4.7 from about 21,900 App Store ratings. People seem to like the app a lot. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, ServiceNow, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace and Slack on the integrations list. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Dynamics, Slack and Clio in its App Center. |
| Best for | calls, texts, fax and meetings in one app | a phone line per person with a well-rated 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: RingCentral and Vonage Business Communications. How we grade
Price against what you get
RingCentral starts at $20 a month for each person and scores 3.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Vonage Business Communications starts at $19.99 a month for each person and scores 3.3.
RingCentral scores higher, and starts $0.01 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 RingCentral for less, and none scores higher than Vonage Business Communications 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
- RingCentral starts at $20 per user / month for 1-5 users, billed annually ($30 billed monthly). Vonage Business Communications starts at $19.99 per line / month for one line, plus taxes and fees.
- Only Vonage Business Communications lists a browser extension.
At a glance
| RingCentral | Vonage Business Communications | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $20 per user / month for 1-5 users, billed annually ($30 billed monthly) | $19.99 per line / month for one line, plus taxes and fees |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial for new subscribers; texting is not included in the trial | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | RingCentral | Vonage |
| Price read from | ringcentral.com | vonage.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Vonage Business Communications
- Small businesses that want a phone line per employee
- Teams that use Salesforce or Microsoft Teams for calls
- Companies that want desk phones alongside mobile and desktop apps
Worth knowing
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.
Vonage Business Communications
- Annual plans need a 1-year contract, and leaving early costs up to the full contract price; monthly plans can be cancelled but are not refunded.
- Prices exclude taxes and fees, and business texting carries Campaign Registry fees for the required SMS registration.
- Video meetings, team messaging and integrations need Premium; call recording and voicemail transcription need Advanced.
- The page gives lower per-extension prices for larger teams; companies of 1,000 or more must contact sales.
Key features
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.
Vonage Business Communications
- Calling and texting
- Unlimited domestic calls and business SMS and MMS under a reasonable-use policy, with the main local company number included when bought online.
- Virtual receptionist
- An automated answering menu on every plan routes callers to the right person or department, managed from the VBC Admin Portal.
- Vonage Meetings and team messaging
- Premium and Advanced add video meetings for up to 200 people and internal messaging with file sharing.
- Call recording and visual voicemail
- Advanced adds on-demand recording from any device, 15 hours a month, and voicemail transcribed to text and sent by email.
- Call groups
- On Advanced, a call to the group rings several extensions at the same time.
- CRM and Teams integrations
- Premium and Advanced include the App Center of 20+ integrations. Vonage lists Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Slack and Clio, and calling inside Microsoft Teams.
Plans
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.
Vonage Business Communications
Mobile$19.99
per user / month (per line), billed monthly or annually
Price for one line; $17.99 per extension for teams, $14.99 at enterprise size. Apps, unlimited domestic calls, SMS and MMS, voicemail, virtual receptionist.
Premium$29.99
per user / month (per line), billed monthly or annually
Price for one line; $27.99 for teams, $24.99 at enterprise size. Adds desk phones, video meetings for 200, team messaging, App Center integrations and SSO.
Advanced$39.99
per user / month (per line), billed monthly or annually
Price for one line; $37.99 for teams, $34.99 at enterprise size. Adds on-demand call recording (15 hours a month), voicemail transcription and call groups.
Ways to pay less
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.
Vonage Business Communications
- Annual discount
30% off with an annual contract bought online
Annual contracts bought online get 30% off voice extensions for the life of the service, up to 99 lines, until December 30, 2026; Mobile drops to $13.99 a line.
