Skip to content

Alternatives / AI Tools

RingCentral alternatives

9 comparable AI tools to RingCentral — with starting prices and when to choose each. Prices checked November 12, 2026.

Full comparison with pricesBest Business Phone Systems (2026): Quo, Grasshopper, Dialpad and 14 More, Priced and Rated →

RingCentral RingEX is a cloud phone system with calling, SMS, fax, team chat and video meetings in one app: Core is $20/user/mo paid annually or $30 monthly, with an AI virtual assistant on every plan and an AI receptionist add-on from $39. People look elsewhere for lower seat prices, more texting, AI agents in the base price, or a phone inside the suite they already use.

RingCentral alternatives at a glance

ToolStarting priceFree planBest for
Zoom Phone$16/user/mo billed annually ($18 monthly, US and CA Unlimited)No (adds to the free Zoom Workplace Basic plan)Teams that already run meetings on Zoom
Microsoft Teams PhoneSee pricing pageNoCompanies standardized on Microsoft 365
Google Voice$10/user/mo (Starter, up to 10 users; Google Workspace required for teams)Yes: Basic, a free second number for individuals (existing mobile number required)Google Workspace shops that need simple calling
Quo (formerly OpenPhone)$15/user/mo billed annually ($19 monthly, Starter)Free trial (7 days)Small teams that text customers from shared numbers
Dialpad$15/user/month (Connect Standard)Free trial (14 days)Teams that want AI transcripts on the entry plan
Nextiva$15/user/mo billed annually ($23 monthly, NEXT Core)NoBusinesses wanting similar breadth at a lower entry price
Aircall$30/license/mo billed annually (Essentials, 3-license minimum)Free trial (length not stated)Sales and support teams on a CRM
JustCall$29/user/mo billed annually ($39 monthly, Team, 2-license minimum)Free trial (14 days)SMS-heavy sales and support teams
KrispCall$12/user/mo billed annually ($15 monthly, Starter, up to 5 users)No (14-day refund on the subscription)Budget teams calling the US, Canada, UK and Australia

Prices read from each vendor's own pricing page on November 12, 2026. Vendors change plans often; follow the pricing link on each card to confirm.

When to choose each one

  • Zoom Phone

    $16/user/mo billed annually ($18 monthly, US and CA Unlimited)

    Choose it when: you want the closest like-for-like replacement at a lower seat price: calling, SMS, fax, desk phones and AI post-call summaries on every plan, in the Zoom app your team already uses, from $16 per user billed annually.

  • Microsoft Teams Phone

    See pricing page

    Choose it when: your company already works in Microsoft 365 and Teams and wants calling inside Teams from Microsoft itself. Note RingCentral also offers calling inside Teams, so this is about vendor count, not features.

  • Google Voice

    $10/user/mo (Starter, up to 10 users; Google Workspace required for teams) · Free: Yes: Basic, a free second number for individuals (existing mobile number required)

    Choose it when: your business runs on Google Workspace and needs numbers, auto attendants and ring groups without fax or contact center depth; Standard is $20 per user and adds Gemini call notes.

  • Quo (formerly OpenPhone)

    $15/user/mo billed annually ($19 monthly, Starter) · Free: Free trial (7 days)

    Choose it when: you are a small US or Canadian team that mainly calls and texts customers and finds RingEX more system than you need; Quo includes calling and texting to US and Canadian numbers and its Sona AI agent from $15 per user.

  • Dialpad

    $15/user/month (Connect Standard) · Free: Free trial (14 days)

    Choose it when: you want real-time transcripts and AI call summaries in the $15 seat instead of as add-ons, with desk phones and numbers in 50+ countries. Dialpad announced a combination with Ada on Nov 4, 2026, so its AI roadmap may change.

  • Nextiva

    $15/user/mo billed annually ($23 monthly, NEXT Core)

    Choose it when: you want a full UCaaS vendor with contact center plans on the same platform but a cheaper entry seat; NEXT Core is $15 per user on a 12-month term and the XBert AI agent is $1.50 per conversation.

  • Aircall

    $30/license/mo billed annually (Essentials, 3-license minimum) · Free: Free trial (length not stated)

    Choose it when: your phone use is mostly a sales or support team working from a CRM and you want AI Voice Agents included in the plan; Essentials is $30 per license a month on annual billing, at least 3 licenses.

  • JustCall

    $29/user/mo billed annually ($39 monthly, Team, 2-license minimum) · Free: Free trial (14 days)

    Choose it when: your team texts far more than RingEX Core's 25 SMS per user allows; JustCall Team includes 500 SMS segments and unlimited AI transcription (fair use) per user.

  • KrispCall

    $12/user/mo billed annually ($15 monthly, Starter, up to 5 users)

    Choose it when: cost matters most and you do not need fax, meetings or desk phones; Starter includes a free US, Canadian or UK number per user and 200 outbound minutes per user a month.

"Visit" buttons are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never decides which tools are listed or their order.

Why people look for RingCentral alternatives

  • Monthly billing costs 50% more than annual on Core ($30 vs $20), and taxes and cost recovery fees are added on top (RingCentral pricing).
  • Core includes only 25 SMS per user a month, and SMS is not available during the free trial (RingCentral pricing).
  • The AI Receptionist and conversation intelligence are add-ons (from $39 and $60) or part of a bundle priced by sales (RingCentral pricing).
  • G2 reviewers most often cite difficult configuration and navigation, and customer support, as RingEX downsides (G2, Nov 2026).
  • Teams already paying for Zoom, Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace can add calling to the suite they have.

Frequently asked questions

When should I stay on RingCentral?

Staying is reasonable if you are mid-contract, rely on fax, desk phones and multi-site admin, need HIPAA or HITRUST paperwork, or run RingCX as your contact center. Switching mid-term and re-provisioning desk phones can cost more than the seat savings.

What is cheaper than RingCentral?

KrispCall Starter is $12 per user billed annually, Google Voice Starter $10 for Workspace customers, Quo, Dialpad and Nextiva $15, and Zoom Phone $16. RingEX Core is $20 paid annually or $30 monthly.

RingCentral vs Zoom Phone: which is better?

Zoom Phone is cheaper ($16 vs $20 per user annually) and includes AI post-call summaries on every plan; it fits teams already on Zoom. RingEX includes more SMS on higher plans, fax, and a broad integration list. On G2, Zoom Phone scores about 4.6 and RingEX about 4.2.

Which RingCentral alternative is best for Microsoft 365 companies?

Microsoft Teams Phone keeps calling inside Teams from one vendor. RingCentral also offers calling inside Teams, so for M365 shops the choice is mostly about vendor count and which carrier and admin tools you prefer.

Which alternative includes more texting than RingCentral?

JustCall Team includes 500 SMS segments per user a month and KrispCall Starter 100, against 25 on RingEX Core. Quo includes texting to US and Canadian numbers on all plans under its fair use policy.

Sources (13) · checked November 12, 2026

For builders

This page is doing a job for someone else’s tool.

AI agents read it. Buyers land on it. It answers in eight languages and over MCP. Your tool can have one like it — live in 24 hours.

One short daily email of tools worth shipping. No drip funnel.

one email a day · unsubscribe in two clicks · no third-party tracking

Is your product an alternative to RingCentral? Add a labelled sponsored entry