We Compared RingCentral vs Vonage - Here's What You Should Know

Summary: RingEX by RingCentral and Vonage are two of the most popular Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) providers, but they are very different platforms.

Both RingEX and Vonage Business Communications (VBC) offer essential business communication and collaboration tools like video meetings, team messaging, call recording, SMS/MMS, and analytics. RingCentral excels in security, analytics, and included features, while Vonage provides superior flexibility and a higher ease of use.

RingCentral has a traditional three-tiered pricing structure with scalable plans from $20/month per user, while Vonage offers more add-on features for increased customizability.

How We Compared Vonage and RingCentral

We used the below criteria to compare Vonage vs. RingCentral:

• Phone System Features: We compared Vonage and RingCentral’s call management features, including call monitoring, voicemail-to-email, and call recording
• Video Conferencing: We compared the video conferencing platform on both systems looking at user experience, in-meeting features, security, and more
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): We tried out each platform’s IVR systems to determine which was more user friendly, customizable, etc.
• Analytics and Reporting: We compared RingCentral and Vonage’s analytics and reporting tools, paying special attention to features like real-time activity monitoring, customizable templates, and AI-powered analytics
• Integrations: We tested a selection of the third-party integrations offered by both providers to determine which platform has a better selection and is the easiest to use
• Compatibility: We determined which provider offers more options for IP phones, speakers, headsets, and other VoIP hardware and equipment
• Call Quality: We tested the call quality of both providers and researched outage reports, service level agreements (SLAs), and global data centers to determine which provider the best audio
• Security: We researched the security of both platforms looking at standards, certifications, and features to determine which provider has the most robust data protection
• Customer Support: We researched knowledge bases and how-to videos to determine the quality of self-service support options, and contacted customer service teams across channels to evaluate speed and effectiveness
• Price and Value: We compared pricing plans of the two providers, evaluating included vs add-on features, hidden fees, pricing structures, and overall value

RingCentral vs. Vonage: At A Glance

RingCentral and Vonage are priced similarly and I found the call quality to be high for both. Additionally, both Vonage and RingCentral are compatible with a variety of different VoIP hardware brands. RingCentral, however, includes better security,as E2EE and SSO are included for all users. RingCentral also provides more out-of-the-box integrations, while Vonage is more flexible with APIs and custom integrations.

This table provides a quick comparison of RingCentral and Vonage.

RingCentral vs Vonage: Feature Comparison

Summary: RingCentral includes more features than Vonage, but Vonage offers more advanced features as add-ons, allowing users the flexibility to choose the features they need. There are also differences in the quality of the features for the two providers. For example, RingCentral offers a more robust and secure video conferencing platform than Vonage, as well as more advanced analytics with AI-powered real-time, custom insights. Vonage is comparable to RingCentral, however, when it comes to standard voice features, IVR functionality, and hardware compatibility.

Here, I will break down the quality of available RingCentral and Vonage UCaaS features, declaring a winner for each functionality.

Voice Calling

Both RingCentral and Vonage offer reliable, unlimited HD voice calls in the U.S. and Canada with business phone numbers, and call management features.

The difference, however, is that while RingCentral includes advanced call management features like call queues and automatic call recording in its bundled business phone system plans, Vonage offers them as paid add-ons only.

Vonage focuses on user-friendly phone system features geared towards startups and SMBs, while some of RingCentral’s calling features are more complex and most beneficial to companies with dedicated IT departments.

For example, RingCentral includes call queuing in all its plans, while Vonage offers call queuing as a paid add-on only. This may be prohibitive to some companies, but it also prevents small businesses from paying for features they don’t need.

In all RingCentral plans, every user has a dedicated local, toll-free, or international phone number, with bundled toll-free minutes included in all RingCentral VoIP service plans.

While toll-free numbers are not included in any Vonage plans, Vonage users may add on a toll-free number with separate bundled minutes, or purchase an unlimited toll-free number for a flat rate of $39.99/month.

Winner: Vonage

While both platforms provide solid voice functionality and advanced calling features, Vonage offers more flexibility and customization.

Video Calling

Vonage Premium and Advanced plans include video conferencing for up to 200 audio-only participants (25 simultaneous video participants), but no video calling capabilities are included in the Mobile plan. RingCentral limits video calling participants to 100 in its Core and Advanced plans, and allows for 200 only in its Ultra plan.

When it comes to features, I was most impressed with RingCentral’s platform which includes capabilities like:

• Advanced Meeting Insights such as Meeting Summaries, Video Highlights and a list of AI-generated Keywords
• Live Transcription
• Presentation Mode
• Auto-Follow (enables the camera to follow you and keep your video centered when you move around)
• Whiteboarding
• Breakout Rooms
• Screen Sharing
• In-Meeting Chat
• Meeting Recording
• Team Huddle (a persistent audio/video meeting where participants can come and go)
• End-to-End Encryption
• Virtual Hand Raising

Vonage Meetings doesn’t offer breakout rooms, End-to-End Encryption, and HIPAA compliance–but does include Speaker View, In-Meeting Chat, Whiteboarding, Screen Sharing, and Recording.

Winner: RingCentral

With the added security of E2EE and HIPAA compliance, along with more advanced features, RingCentral is the clear winner here.

Auto Attendant

All RingCentral and Vonage plans include an Auto Attendant feature. Both providers’ mid-range and high-level plans include Multi-Level Auto Attendants for IVR sub-menus and DID (Direct Inward Dialing) numbers independent of the main company phone number.

Vonage and RingCentral have very similar auto attendants. Both systems allow users to record a custom greeting or choose from a list of professionally recorded greetings. Callers can be routed by dial-by-name, specific employee extension, or department extension. Calls can also be routed to outside lines, but Vonage charges an extra fee for this.

Both providers include advanced call routing strategies such as skills-based (assigned to an agent with the most relevant skills), fixed order (assigned to the first available agent on a list), talk-time (assigned to the agent with the least customer talk time), time-based (assigned based on agent working hours), and rotary (all agents take turns).

I did find Vonage’s IVR system a little easier to use than RingCentral, but both offer a drag-and-drop interface so that call paths can be created without code.

Winner: Draw

Both providers offer a powerful Auto Attendant feature. While Vonage’s Auto Attendant offers an option to try a live operator before playing the IVR menu, RingCentral includes the ability to set a rule based on Caller ID information and does not charge a fee to forward calls to an outside number.

Analytics and Reporting

I found RingCentral’s analytics to be superior to Vonage’s in both the number of metrics tracked as well as the depth and quality of the insights provided. While both RingCentral and Vonage track historical metrics like average call duration, call quality, and total missed calls, RingCentral also provides real-time data on call quality, agent activity, First Call Resolution Rate, and average speed of answer. Graphs and charts are used to display a snapshot of live call data that is then available for up to 24 hours.

RingCentral also offers a larger list of pre-built KPI and report templates, allowing users to automatically schedule reports at preset intervals. Admins can also set up real-time email notifications when a new report is sent out.

Vonage only offers real-time analytics on its contact center platform, which is a shame as they include cutting-edge AI-based analytics like speech and sentiment analysis. However, the Vonage Contact Center platform can be added on and integrated with VBC if advanced analytics are needed.

Winner: RingCentral

Although Vonage has developed some powerful AI analytics tools, they are not available to VBC users. RingCentral comes out on top due to its customizable real-time insights.

Integrations

RingCentral is known for its vast integration ecosystem. It offers over 300 integrations, far more than most UCaaS providers. RingCentral’s Standard plan includes basic integrations like Outlook, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Slack, while the Premium and Ultimate Plans include CRM integrations such as Salesforce and Zendesk, industry-specific integrations such as Canvas and Smarsh, and custom APIs.

Vonage offers 14 free integrations including Clio, GSuite, Teams, and Slack, as well as 10 paid integrations including Bullhorn and Salesforce. For cloud applications that are not on Vonage’s integration list, custom integrations can be built via Zapier for Vonage.

Winner: RingCentral

RingCentral is the winner here with 300+ out-of-the-box integrations.

Supported Hardware

While there are over well over 100 SIP-capable phone models compatible with Vonage, the provider has only extensively tested about 50 of them.

These are considered Vonage’s preferred phones, and include models such as Grandstream’s GXP 2170, Panasonic’s TPA65, Polycom’s VVX450, and Yealink’s T57W.

Similarly, RingCentral lists about 60 phone models that are directly supported, including Poly’s CCX 700, Cisco’s CP8851, Yealink’s W56P, Avaya’s J179, Mitel’s 6920, and Unify’s CP700X

Winner: Vonage

Vonage has extensively tested its platform functionality with various phone models. While RingCentral notes compatibility with many hardware brands, it makes no mention of how compatibility is tested.

RingCentral vs. Vonage: Pricing and Plans

RingCentral and Vonage both offer three bundled pricing plans with more advanced features included in higher pricing tiers. RingCentral includes unlimited calling, team messaging, SMS, video meetings, basic analytics, and toll-free minutes in all plans. This is a slightly different pricing structure from Vonage, which allows for more customization in each plan.

Advanced features, like conference bridge, Call Queues, Business Inbox, and Local/Toll-Free Phone Numbers, are available to all Vonage users as paid add-ons only.

The advantage to Vonage’s pricing model is that businesses have the option to purchase only those features that they need, avoiding paying for tools they never use. For businesses that need many advanced features, however, the a-la-carte pricing adds up fast.

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral offers three bundled plans with annual discounts.

• Core Plan ($20 per user/mo): Includes unlimited calling, SMS, IVR and video meetings with up to 100 participants
• Advanced Plan ($25 per user/mo): Adds on auto call recording multi site management and CRM integrations
• Ultra Plan ($35 per user/mo): Adds on customizable business analytics with device alerts

For more information, read our complete review of RingCentral pricing and plans.

Vonage Pricing

Vonage offers three bundled plans with volume and annual discounts. The prices below are based on 20 users paying annually.

• Mobile ($14.99 per user/mo.): Includes unlimited domestic calling, SMS/MMS, and voicemail
• Premium ($24.99 per user/mo.): Adds on video meetings, team messaging, and SSO
• Advanced ($34.99 per user/mo.): Adds on on-demand call recording, call groups, and visual voicemail

Learn more about Vonage Business Pricing here.

RingCentral vs. Vonage: Pros and Cons

Overall, I found RingCentral to be a more versatile and robust platform with a higher level of security than Vonage. RingCentral video conferencing and analytics are also superior to Vonage’s. Vonage, on the other hand, is a more affordable and customizable platform with a solid set of VoIP features. Neither provider was that impressive when it came to customer service.

What Users Like About RingCentral

• Highly secure with end-to-end encryption
• Many Advanced Reporting and Analytics tools available in the Standard plan and above
• Robust, fully featured and secure video conferencing available in all plans

What Users Dislike About RingCentral

• Expensive compared to Vonage and other competitors
• RingCentral’s platform is complex, and its low ease of use means a steep learning curve
• User reviews consistently mention customer Support agents often difficult to reach

What Users Like About Vonage

• Offers advanced features as add-ons which allows for flexibility, customization and easy scaling
• Developers can add endless customizations using Vonage’s open APIs and SDKs
• One of the most affordable options in the UCaaS space with plans starting at $14.99/user/month

What Users Dislike About Vonage

• Some features like Business SMS have limited functionality when compared with competitors
• Video meetings have limited features and are not included in all plans
• Customer Support agents can be difficult to reach

RingCentral vs. Vonage: Which Should You Choose?

Is There A Clear Winner?

RingCentral is a better business phone system in nearly every category: security, video conferencing, features, and integrations. Vonage, however, is more affordable and does offer unique flexibility in its pricing structure.

The best solution for your business depends on whether you need a secure UCaaS solution that specializes in AI-powered analytics like RingCentral, or a customizable communication platform with routing, messaging, and video calling, like Vonage.

Alternatives to Vonage and RingCentral

If Neither Vonage nor RingCentral feels like the right fit, the below business VoIP providers and UCaaS platforms are the most popular alternatives to Vonage and RingCentral:

FAQs

Below, we’ve answered some of the most common FAQs about RingCentral and Vonage.