6 Top RingCentral Alternatives Compared (2025)

If you’re tired of high costs for your business phone, or a new business seeking affordable features, this guide is for you.

RingCentral suits many businesses (including CanadaCreate readers), but it isn’t ideal for every single business.

I’ve researched many business phone systems to identify top RingCentral alternatives, considering pricing, ease of use, call quality, and support, for diverse business owners.

Whether you need advanced features or simplicity and affordability, I believe there’s a suitable RingCentral alternative foryour needs.

Quick Recommendations: RingCentral Alternatives

Short on time? Here are my top picks to quickly select a RingCentral alternative for your website.

How I Tested & Reviewed Ring Central Alternatives

Finding the right communication platform can be daunting and high-stakes, I realize. If you choose poorly, your remote team’s collaboration could suffer. You might also miss crucial customer inquiries, deliver poor customer experiences, or fail to capture potential leads.

I’m dedicated to providing you with the best advice on RingCentral alternatives, given the stakes.

That said, here’s how I tested the different options in this article: 

• We have actually used them at CanadaCreate: For instance, we have used Nextiva for our own business phone system for many years and Zoom for company meetings. This real-world experience means we understand how these tools perform in a real business, and not just in a perfect demo environment.
• I put the most popular ones to the test: I carefully examined these solutions, analyzing them based on whatreallycounts: How intuitive are they? What features are included? Are there AI tools for efficiency? And, of course, what is the cost?
• I tried customizing them:Because every business has specific communication requirements, it’s important to ensure that your chosen system is adaptable. I personally evaluated each RingCentral alternative, paying close attention to the level of customization offered for call flows, greetings, and overall user experience. Ask yourself: Can you adjust the VoIP solution to match your business needs, or are you limited to standard configurations?
• I categorized themThere is no universally ‘best’ RingCentral alternative. A small startup’s communication needs differ significantly from those of a large call center. To help you identify the most suitable platform for your unique needs, I have categorized each solution.

6 Best RingCentral Alternatives

Consider these RingCentral alternatives for your business.

1. Nextiva – Best for Remote Teams

Nextiva stands out as a robust business phone solution, particularly advantageous for remote teams. Its cloud-based nature means you can manage calls from any location via a computer or smartphone app.

We utilize Nextiva throughout our own operations. We found Nextiva provides an optimal combination of features, user-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness as a business phone system, making it ideal for distributed teams like ours.

Refer to our comprehensive Nextiva review for further details.

Nextiva excels in its capacity to integrate diverse communication methods, encompassing phone, SMS, live chat, video conferencing, team messaging, and social media platforms.

This unified approach makes it exceptionally valuable for customer service, ensuring smooth and integrated customer interactions.

Nexitva’s IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system is also incredibly useful. This automated phone menu allows callers to interact with Nextiva using their keyboard or voice.

If you’ve ever rang a phone number and heard a pre-recorded greeting say something like “Press 1 for…” then you’ve encountered an IVR system before.

This feature lets you automatically direct callers to the appropriate department or individual, improving your ability to manage substantial call volumes. By automating straightforward, repetitive tasks, you can allocate your time to more intricate customer matters.

Furthermore, Nextiva delivers valuable call analytics and reporting features. These metrics provide insight into your team’s call handling capabilities, which helps refine customer service and sales strategies.

In summary, Nextiva’s feature suite is quite extensive, incorporating automated reminders, video calls, an auto-attendant, and screen sharing capabilities.

It also integrates smoothly with other business tools like HubSpot, Zendesk, Zoho, and Salesforce.

✅ Pros of Nextiva:

• Cloud-based business phone service that’s perfect for remote work
• Affordable VoIP phone service
• Automated call forwarding based on your schedule
• Built-in contact management features
• Supports video chat, including screen sharing and file sharing
• Handles multiple communication channels
• Email and text voicemail transcription
• Detailed call analytics 
• Easily connects with other business tools

❌ Cons of Nextiva:

• No matter what plan you buy, you’ll need to pay for each additional user. This may make Nextiva difficult to scale, especially if you’re a rapidly expanding company that regularly onboards new employees. 
• The desktop app uses many resources and can slow down your computer.

Why I recommend Nextiva: As remote work continues to grow, I’m hearing from more and more businesses that need a reliable cloud-based phone solution. If this sounds like you, then Nextiva may be your ideal solution.

It lets you answer calls from anywhere using an app on your computer or phone, so it’s perfect for remote teams. I can also see this being a good option if your employees regularly travel or work in the field.

Pricing: Plans start at $20 per user per month for the Digital Plan and go up to $60 per user per month for the advanced Power Suite plan. 

2. Ooma – Best for Small Businesses on a Tight Budget

For small businesses, managing expenses is crucial. Ooma provides features like auto-attendant, call forwarding, and voicemail transcription at an affordable price.

A key feature of Ooma is its virtual receptionist, enabling custom messages that include information like business hours and locations. Callers will hear these messages when they dial your business number.

This gives callers quick access to important details, which is helpful if 24/7 support isn’t available.

Here’s where Ooma becomes particularly innovative.

The Virtual Receptionist can determine the caller’s needs and automatically forward them to the correct person or department. The system prompts callers to press buttons for specific extensions, like ‘Press 1 for refunds.’

This gives your business a professional and organized appearance, letting you compete effectively even with a small team.

The drag-and-drop call flow designer simplifies the creation of custom call flows. You can design custom call routes rapidly, even without specialized technical skills.

My tests showed that Ooma’s call clarity remained consistently high. Their mobile app is also quite useful, letting you place unlimited calls within the country.

You can potentially reduce international call costs by up to 90% using the app. This represents significant savings if you frequently call internationally!

The Ooma app leverages your phone’s Wi-Fi or data connection for calls. This lets you communicate freely without depleting your mobile data or affecting call quality.

✅ Pros of Ooma:

• Toll-free number with 500 minutes of inbound calls each month.
• Assign multiple devices to the same user.
• Offers scheduled, automated call forwarding.
• The Caller Info Match feature automatically fetches customer information from sources like LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, HubSpot, ServiceNow, or Zoho.
• Supports video conferencing, with features such as noise cancellation, host muting, and HD video.
• Provides a simple ‘meet now’ link for immediate virtual meetings.
• Automatically transcribes voicemails, and provides a voicemail-to-email function.
• Easily connects with other business tools, including Microsoft Dynamics 365, Zoho, FreshDesk, and Salesforce Lightning.

❌ Cons of Ooma:

• Some users reported initial setup issues with the mobile application.
• Certain features, like the IVR system, might be difficult to configure and could require some technical knowledge.

Why I recommend Ooma: For small businesses or those with budget constraints, Ooma Office Essentials is an excellent initial option. Its intuitive design simplifies phone system setup and administration, even without a dedicated IT team.

Ooma prioritizes affordability. Unlimited calls to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico are included, making it a cost-effective option if you frequently call those areas.

Pricing: Ooma Office Essentials is priced at $19.95 per month, and is our recommendation for startups, small business owners, and WordPress freelancers.

Upgrading to Ooma Office Pro ($24.95) or Ooma Office Pro Plus ($29.95) grants access to extra features like call recording, call blocking, voicemail transcriptions, and video conferencing.

3. Grasshopper – Ideal for US/Canada Solo Entrepreneurs

Implementing and managing a professional phone system can be challenging, particularly for solo business owners. Grasshopper addresses this need.

This robust virtual business phone service is tailored to help independent entrepreneurs build a solid brand and communicate effectively.

Solo entrepreneurs typically operate remotely or from home, making it difficult to project a professional phone presence. Grasshopper overcomes this obstacle by enabling you to set up a toll-free, vanity, or local number in any city.

I appreciate the local number option; it can broaden your appeal beyond your immediate geographic area. Your solo business can potentially expand internationally!

The Grasshopper application enables clients and prospects to contact you anytime, regardless of your location. Whether at home, a café, or traveling, the app facilitates business growth by preventing missed important calls.

Notably, no new phones or hardware are required; your current smartphone or computer suffices. This makes it a cost-effective option for solo business owners needing a dependable phone setup with limited funds.

It’s also suitable for startups or small firms that haven’t yet invested in specialized equipment.

To ensure responsiveness, Grasshopper can automatically text new callers when you’re unavailable. This is helpful for solo entrepreneurs, as even the most committed can’t be available constantly.

Note that Grasshopper’s services are restricted to users located in the United States and Canada.

✅ Pros of Grasshopper:

• Use your Grasshopper business number to send and receive SMS messages.
• Forward incoming calls to several phone numbers simultaneously.
• Automated voicemail-to-text transcriptions are provided.
• When cellular service is weak, utilize your internet connection for calls.
• Faxes arrive as PDF attachments directly in your email inbox.
• Use comprehensive call reports and analytics to oversee your business.

❌ Cons of Grasshopper

• It lacks advanced features such as video conferencing or team chat.
• Integration options with other programs are limited to Skype and Google Voice.
• To activate international outgoing calls, a $500 deposit is necessary.
• This service is limited to the United States and Canada.

Here’s why I suggest Grasshopper:Grasshopper eliminates the complexities of technical setup, upkeep, and hardware. While suitable for startups and small businesses, I especially suggest it for solo entrepreneurs.

Grasshopper provides toll-free, vanity, and local numbers, which aid in creating a credible phone presence. Moreover, the app gives you the flexibility to answer calls from anywhere, at any moment.

The outcome? Your business presents a more refined and professional image, critical for fostering trust and increasing sales.

Cost:Plans begin at $14 monthly for the True Solo plan, including 1 user, 1 phone number, and 1 extension, providing a solo business with essential resources.

4. Zoom Phone – Best for Video Conferencing & Team Messaging

It can be difficult for businesses to oversee calls, video conferences, and team chats. This is especially challenging for remote teams that rely on virtual communication.

Zoom Phone addresses this challenge by offering an integrated platform to handle all communication tasks, such as handling customer calls, following up with potential clients, organizing video conferences, and interacting with team members.

As a fully remote company, we rely on Zoom for larger meetings.

We require a dependable and effective platform featuring integrated team chat and video conferencing, crucial for maintaining connections among employees across different time zones.

With Zoom, we have hosted one-on-one reviews, town hall meetings, team chats, and even team-building social calls, all from the same platform.

Despite being a comprehensive all-in-one platform, Zoom Phone is incredibly easy to set up. Simply choose a cloud phone plan, and you can start making calls immediately using the Zoom mobile or desktop app.

Additionally, Zoom has an AI Companion that can streamline your workflows with advanced features like meeting and call summaries, real-time AI queries during meetings, and AI-powered whiteboard generation.

These features are ideal for video conferences in general, but they’re particularly useful for remote teams where most communication happens via video meetings. They let you keep everyone in the loop, including people who could not attend the video chat.

I also like the ability to switch between voice and video calls with one click. Once again, this is ideal if you need to handle a mix of customer calls, internal meetings, and remote collaboration.

✅ Pros of Zoom Phone:

• Unified interface for phone, video, and chat.
• One-click switch between voice and video calls.
• Convenient, centralized admin portal (monitor users, call quality, usage data, and more).
• Supports multiple devices and apps.
• Unlimited auto-attendants.
• Call queuing with automatic call distribution.
• Integrates seamlessly with Salesforce, Contact Center, Slack, and other popular solutions. 

❌ Cons of Zoom Phone:

• No free trial available (although there is a free version that’s limited to 40-minute call durations and 100 participants).
• The metered international calling fees are a bit expensive for small businesses.

Why I recommend Zoom Phone: With its advanced video conferencing and team chat features, Zoom Phone is a great option for teams that host regular virtual meetings. It’s particularly good for remote teams that rely on chat and video conferencing to work together effectively.

Pricing: Zoom plans start at $15 per user, per month for domestic US and Canada calling, with prices going up to $22.49.

5. Phone.com – Best for International Businesses

Do you have customers all over the globe? Phone.com offers competitive international calling rates to communicate with your existing customers and find new ones without breaking the bank.

Another feature that caught my attention was Phone.com’s AI-powered Answer Bot service. This service can pick up the phone using your company’s name and give a pre-written answer. This is a fantastic way to make your business appear more professional.

It’s also a great addition if you have customers in different time zones, but don’t have call center staff available 24/7. With Phone.com’s Answer Bot service, you can be confident that callers always get some form of response.

Do you work in the healthcare industry? Then I really recommend checking out Phone.com’s HIPAA compliance features.

Keeping patient data private is a huge deal, and Phone.com understands this. For example, if a patient tries to contact you via SMS, then Phone.com can automatically tell them to contact your office in a different way to discuss medical information. This is because text messaging usually isn’t HIPAA compliant.

Setting up Phone.com is also fairly straightforward. Their dashboard is user-friendly, so you can customize call routing, voicemail, and other settings without any hassle. They even have a smart call routing system where you can define custom rules based on the time of day, caller ID, and more.

Once again, these features can be particularly useful for international businesses that want to provide personalized service to customers in different locations. For example, you might route callers to a customer service agent who speaks their preferred language.

✅ Pros of Phone.com:

• Low rates for international calling.
• Connect to any traditional analog telephone.
• HIPAA compliance features.
• Track your top performers and busiest hours with built-in analytics.
• Get additional insights via call logs and call recording.

❌ Cons of Phone.com:

• Customer service response times can sometimes be slow.
• Only includes call analytics and CRM integrations in the most expensive plan.

Why I recommend Phone.com: While Phone.com has limitations, including slower customer service response times, it’s still an excellent option. Its competitive international calling rates, in particular, make it a really attractive platform for companies with customers all over the globe.

And here’s a little something extra that really stood out to me: if you work in the healthcare field, then Phone.com has dedicated HIPAA compliance features. This immediately makes it stand out from every other solution on this list.

If you’re willing to overlook some minor drawbacks, then Phone.com could be your perfect solution, especially for businesses that sell or operate globally.

Pricing: Users can choose between Basic ($15), Plus ($22.50), and Pro ($33.33), with all plans billed per user, per month. 

6. Vonage – Best for Call Centers

As a well-established name in VoIP, Vonage is an excellent option for call centers and larger businesses. After trying out their business phone service, I was impressed by its wide range of features and capabilities.

I was really surprised by how easy it was to manage company phone numbers from my admin dashboard. You can even generate local and toll-free numbers directly from the dashboard (although you will need to contact Vonage to generate international numbers). 

Vonage is a great option for call centers due to features such as team messaging, video conferencing (with up to 200 participants!), call recording, and auto-dialing.

It also supports VoIP desk phones, so you can use traditional office phones alongside the desktop and mobile apps.

However, it’s worth noting that Vonage is one of the more expensive options on this list. So, if you’re a startup or small business, then you may be better off with a different RingCentral alternative.

✅ Pros of Vonage:

• Capture more potential leads with Call Forwarding and Simultaneous Ring.
• Dedicated dial-in numbers from 60 countries.
• Record inbound and outbound calls for any or all users within your organization.
• Call center-specific features like call logs, call recordings, AI routing, and advanced call analytics.
• Admin portal for call management.
• Connects with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and other tools.

❌ Cons of Vonage:

• Expensive for small businesses.
• Long contract periods.

Why I recommend Vonage: Vonage has some seriously advanced features built explicitly with call centers in mind. That makes it a fantastic pick if you need a rock-solid VoIP solution that can handle the demands of a busy customer service team.

However, while Vonage offers many powerful features, it is pricier than some other options. If budget is a major concern for your business, then I’d definitely recommend choosing one of the other RingCentral alternatives in this guide.

Pricing: Vonage’s base plan starts from $13.99 per month, per line, and goes all the way up to $27.99 per month, per line.

What Is the Best RingCentral Alternative? 

After thoroughly testing and comparing various business phone systems and platforms, I’m excited to share my top pick for the best RingCentral alternative: Nextiva.

It’s a reliable, flexible, and secure platform with an impressive feature set. It’s also a cloud-based solution, so your team can answer calls using any computer or phone. Overall, Nextiva is a perfect fit for remote teams or employees who travel a lot, or perhaps even work in the field.

Nextiva can also automatically forward calls based on each team member’s schedule. This can help remote team members work together more seamlessly, even when they’re spread across multiple time zones.

But what about other options?

If you’re a small business with a limited budget, then Ooma and Grasshopper are both great starting points. They both offer affordable plans, and they’re easy to use, making them ideal for solo entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses alike.

However, the best RingCentral alternative for your business will ultimately depend on your specific needs and requirements. I recommend considering factors like budget, scalability, features, and user interface to help you make the right decision for your business.

Best RingCentral Alternatives: Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve been part of the CanadaCreate team for a while, so I’ve definitely heard my fair share of questions along the way.

To help you out, I’ve put together answers to some of the most common questions we get asked about RingCentral and potential alternatives. 

Why should I avoid RingCentral?

The main issue I hear from businesses is that RingCentral is considerably more expensive than other VoIP providers. Often, this means it simply isn’t an option for solo entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses, since they typically have smaller budgets.

RingCentral also has many features, so its learning curve tends to be steeper than its competitors. Once again, this tends to be a problem for smaller businesses, as they’re less likely to have a technical expert who can help them set up and maintain RingCentral.

Don’t get me wrong: RingCentral is still a great platform. In fact, it has all the features you’d expect from an advanced communication tool, including call forwarding, number sharing, call waiting, and call management. It also integrates with popular CRMs like Salesforce and Zendesk. 

So, while Nextiva is my top recommendation, RingCentral is a fantastic tool that I still recommend to larger businesses with bigger budgets or more complex needs.

If you want to learn more, then you can see our detailed RingCentral review for a deeper dive.

And if you do decide that RingCentral is the right fit for you, then you’re in luck – we have a RingCentral coupon, so you can get a discount.

Is there a free version of RingCentral?

While there isn’t a completely free version, RingCentral does offer a free trial. This means you can see if the platform is right for you before investing in a paid plan.

What is the best RingCentral alternative?

In my experience, Nextiva is the best virtual business phone service on the market. It’s loaded with advanced features, offers truly excellent support, and is designed to scale as your team grows. 

We use Nextiva across our company, and in our opinion, it’s the best cloud phone system and platform on the market, especially if you have a remote team.

Which is better, Nextiva or RingCentral?

When it comes to finding the absolute best VoIP phone provider and platform for small businesses, everything points to Nextiva.

Nextiva offers competitive pricing, a ton of features, the best call quality, lower rates for international calls, and a wide range of numbers to choose from (local, international, toll-free, and vanity numbers).

Curious to learn more? Our in-depth post compares Nextiva vs RingCentral vs Ooma, exploring their key features.

Bonus: How to Get Started With Your Business Phone System

Choosing which communication platform to use is a big step, so great job deciding! Now that you’ve got that sorted, let’s help you set up a seamless business phone system.

We’ve put together some handy guides that will show you how to set up call forwarding, voicemail greetings, and other essential features to make sure customers and potential leads can reach you with ease:

• Beginner’s Guide: What is VoIP and How Does it Work? (Explained)
• How to Set Up an Auto Attendant Phone System for Your Website
• How to Set Up Business Call Forwarding From Your Website
• How to Set Up a Business Voicemail Greeting (With Examples)
• Ways to Get an 800 Toll-Free Number for Your Business
• Best Call Center Software (Expert Pick)

I hope this article has helped you find the best RingCentral alternative for you. Next up, you might want to check out our guide on how to add a WhatsApp chatbox and share buttons in WordPress or how to get a virtual WhatsApp number for your business.

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