If you’re in charge of choosing a new business communication platform—phone, chat, video, all that—you already know it’s a mess. Every vendor claims they’re the “all-in-one solution,” but after reading a few sales pages, they all blur together. This guide is for anyone who doesn’t have time for fluff and just wants to get real answers about comparing Ringcentral with other major options, so you can pick what actually fits how your team works.
Let’s break down how to compare platforms in a way that cuts through buzzwords, avoids expensive mistakes, and actually helps your company communicate better.
1. Get Clear on What You Actually Need
Before you compare anything, figure out what your team actually uses communication tools for. It sounds obvious, but most companies skip this step and end up paying for features no one touches.
Start with these questions:
- Do you mostly need phones, chat, video calls, or all three?
- Is texting (SMS) or team messaging important?
- Do you need integrations (Slack, Salesforce, Google Workspace, etc.)?
- Are there call center needs, or just regular office phones?
- How many people need to use it, and do they work remotely?
- Any must-haves for compliance or security (HIPAA, GDPR, etc.)?
Pro tip: Ask a few employees how they actually communicate. The "official" answer and reality are often different.
What to ignore: Fancy features you’re unlikely to use, like AI-powered call summaries or “gamified” dashboards. Vendors love to push these, but most teams don’t need them.
2. Make a Shortlist: Who Are You Comparing?
There are a lot of business communication platforms out there, but only a handful are worth your time if you’re looking for a mainstream, cloud-based solution. Besides Ringcentral, the usual suspects are:
- Zoom Phone: Video-first, now pushing hard into phone service.
- Microsoft Teams Phone: Great if you’re all-in on Microsoft 365.
- 8x8: Similar to Ringcentral, with some global strengths.
- Dialpad: Modern interface, leans into AI (for better or worse).
- Vonage Business: Flexible, especially for global companies.
Why these? They’re stable, supported, and not going away anytime soon. If someone pitches you a tiny company you’ve never heard of, be extra cautious.
What to ignore: Free consumer tools (WhatsApp, Google Voice) unless you’re a tiny operation. They don’t scale well or offer business support.
3. Line Up the Core Features—What Actually Matters
Don’t get distracted by long feature checklists. Focus on what most teams use every day:
- Calling: Desk phone, softphone, and mobile app support. Is call quality reliable?
- Video Meetings: Is it easy to schedule and join? Any time limits?
- Messaging/Chat: Is it built-in, or do you need a separate tool?
- Integrations: Does it connect with your existing software (CRM, calendars, etc.)?
- Admin Controls: Can you easily add/remove users, set permissions, pull reports?
- Support: Is live support included, or do you pay extra?
Comparing Ringcentral: - Strengths: Solid, reliable calling features; mature video and messaging; lots of integrations; good admin controls. - Weaknesses: The interface can feel dated; pricing gets confusing with add-ons. - Watch for: Some “unified” competitors (like Teams) make you pay extra for phone features.
Pro tip: Make a table with your real needs on the left, and see how each platform stacks up. Ignore features you’d never use.
4. Don’t Get Burned on Pricing
Vendors love to make pricing opaque. There’s the sticker price, and then there’s reality after add-ons and taxes.
What to watch:
- Base Price: Is it per user, per month? Are there contract minimums?
- Add-ons: SMS, fax, international calling, call recording—what costs extra?
- Bundled Features: Does chat or video come standard, or is it an upgrade?
- Support Fees: Is 24/7 support included?
- Volume Discounts: If you’re a bigger team, can you negotiate?
Ringcentral pricing: Not the cheapest, especially with add-ons, but you get a pretty full feature set in the base plan. Watch out for international calling fees and other “gotchas.”
Tip: Always get a custom quote for your real user count and feature needs. Don’t trust the website calculator alone.
5. Test Real-World Usability
You don’t want to roll out a new platform and spend weeks dealing with headaches. Most vendors offer a 14-30 day free trial. Use it.
Have a few real users try to:
- Make and transfer calls (internally and externally)
- Schedule and join video meetings
- Use the mobile app on iOS and Android
- Send messages and share files
- Set up a new user from scratch
What you’ll notice: - Some platforms look slick in the demo but are clunky in daily use. - Syncing contacts and calendars can be a hassle. - Mobile apps vary wildly in quality. - Some “integrations” are just basic links, not real workflow automation.
Pro tip: Don’t just test with IT staff. Let a few non-techies try it and see what trips them up.
6. Consider Support and Reliability
All the features in the world won’t help if the system is down or support ghosts you when there’s a problem. Here’s what to check out:
- Uptime guarantees: Do they offer a published SLA (service level agreement)?
- Support access: Phone, chat, and email support hours—what’s actually included?
- Self-service: Is the help center any good, or just marketing fluff?
- User community: Are there active forums or user groups for troubleshooting?
Ringcentral: Well-established support, plenty of documentation, but some users report slow first-response times during peak hours. Generally reliable, but not immune to the occasional outage.
Watch out for: Platforms that outsource all support or make you pay extra for live help.
7. Think About Migration and Lock-In
Switching platforms is always a pain, but some make it harder than others.
- Number porting: Can you easily bring your phone numbers over?
- Data export: If you ever leave, can you get your call logs, voicemails, and messages out?
- Hardware: Will your existing desk phones work, or do you need to buy new ones?
- Contract terms: Is there a penalty for leaving early?
Reality check: Most vendors want you to stick around, so make sure you’re not getting locked in with proprietary hardware or “free” devices that come with a catch.
8. Make the Call—Then Keep It Simple
When you’ve compared the options based on your real needs (not just shiny features), pick the one that fits best—even if it’s not perfect. No platform is flawless, and you can always switch later if it truly doesn’t work.
A few final tips:
- Start small: Roll out to one team or department before going company-wide.
- Get feedback: Ask for honest input after a few weeks.
- Don’t overcommit: Avoid long contracts until you’re sure.
Takeaway
Don’t let the endless sales pitches and buzzwords paralyze you. Get clear on what your team actually needs, ignore features you’ll never use, and focus on what makes daily work easier. Try before you buy, ask tough questions, and remember: it’s just a tool. The best business communication platform is the one your team will actually use—and won’t curse under their breath. Keep it simple, and don’t be afraid to change course if you need to.