A cloud phone system may have seemed like science fiction just a few years ago, but in an ever-expanding global market, this next-generation communications technology is becoming increasingly popular. More and more businesses are recognizing the value of managed mobile phone systems and RingCentral is one of the best providers available. In our RingCentral Phone review, we put one of the best business phone services in the industry to the test, testing the standout features of this virtual phone system so you can decide if the service could benefit your business.
Plans and prices
RingCentral offers four plans, Essentials, Standard, Premium and Ultimate. Its Essentials plan is geared towards small businesses with up to 20 employees and, as the name suggests, gives users access to RingCentral's basic calling features. The plan starts at €29.99 per user per month. The Standard plan starts at €34.99 per user per month and includes all the features of the Essentials plan plus some welcome extras like 24/7 support and video facilities. RingCentral's Standard plan costs €44.99 per user per month when paid monthly and includes custom integration, while the Ultimate plan, for business customers, starts at €59.99 per user per month and includes unlimited storage. RingCentral is willing to encourage annual subscribers, and if you make a one-time annual payment, you'll get up to 33% off. If you want to add more than 100 users, you'll get a further discount on your plan, but that's only a few dollars saved per month. All plans also come with a 15-day free trial. We were excited to see how easy it was to expand as well, with options to add international and toll-free numbers as needed.
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RingCentral plans range from entry level to enterprise level. (Image credit: RingCentral)
Features
RingCentral's phone service is packed with features. In fact, there are more than 50 in all. For the purposes of this review, we have focused on the most relevant ones on the list. Call quality is a very important consideration when choosing business phone service, and RingCentral guarantees HD audio wherever you call. The provider also limits the disruption of switching to a new phone service by allowing you to keep your current number. However, it is also possible to set up local numbers if your business is focused on a particular geographic location. We found RingCentral's voicemail-to-email feature particularly interesting because it allows you to receive voicemail messages while you're out of the office, a great feature for remote teams. Much attention has also been paid to incoming call management, with call screening, call delegation and call forwarding options available to users. Finally, RingCentral's Call Flip feature allows users to place calls from a desktop computer to a mobile phone during a conversation.
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RingCentral is feature rich. (Image credit: RingCentral)
Interface and in use
Once registered with RingCentral, you will need to download the desktop app. There is also a fully functional mobile app if you need it. The process is quick and easy, and the RingCentral interface is easy to use and navigable. You should know that the RingCentral app doesn't just display the carrier's phone settings. From the admin panel, you can also access videos, messages, and upcoming tasks. However, clear icons on the left side of the screen make it easy to access the service you need. The basic functionality of RingCentral's business phone service is fairly easy to understand. A pop-up dial pad allows you to make calls from a selection of numbers listed in a drop-down list, and voice messages are easily accessible and visually displayed. That being said, the advanced features are harder to locate. For example, call screening features must first be enabled and you will not be able to confirm that you have enabled them when you receive a call. RingCentral offers many features, but we would have preferred to see them in a more prominent place.
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Desktop and mobile applications are available. (Image credit: RingCentral Phone)
Support
With RingCentral Support, you get what you pay for. 24/7 support is available, but only for users subscribed to the Standard plan and higher. That being said, RingCentral does have a dedicated support site where you can access comprehensive FAQs divided into well-defined categories, watch how-to videos, download technical information, and join their community development group. There's also a live chat feature, but with such a comprehensive documentation cache, you probably won't need it.
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RingCentral has a dedicated support site. (Image credit: RingCentral)
fullfilment of security requirements
Reliability is one of RingCentral's top concerns. As a result, the measures put in place to prevent downtime and service interruption from the provider have led to outstanding security features. These include end-to-end network monitoring to ensure performance and real-time analysis of network stability, disaster recovery protocols that involve data migration to alternate data centers, and cloud-based measures for a continuous service, even during a period of interruption of Internet service.
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RingCentral implements end-to-end network monitoring. (Image credit: RingCentral Phone)
Competition
Nextiva offers a similar service to RingCentral, but at a reduced cost: Their Enterprise plan costs just a few dollars more than RingCentral's Essential plan and includes up to 10,000 free minutes. That said, RingCentral's multi-tool platform, with video and messaging capabilities, gives it an edge, and the provider's Essential plan is competitively priced if you don't need the extra features. But small businesses that just want a simple and inexpensive way to integrate their phone services might prefer Nextiva. By comparison, Verizon's Preferred Voice service starts at $59.00 per month. This includes unlimited calling within the US, but we felt RingCentral offered much better value here.
Final verdict
RingCentral is one of the best cloud phone providers available. Obviously, the team behind the platform is well aware of the requirements of business phone users and the wide range of features ticks all the boxes. However, one could argue that such a long list of features actually complicates the product, and we would have preferred to see fewer of them but in more accessible places.