Dialpad and RingCentral are both comprehensive voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service providers designed to help businesses address their communications needs. Choosing the right option for your business will depend on exactly what you need to accomplish, as both are better in slightly different use cases. Forbes Advisor dives into both to help you decide between Dialpad and RingCentral.
Featured Partners
1
RingCentral
$20 per user, per month (paid annually)
Yes
200 monthly SMS per user, 1 cent per SMS after
2
Zoom
$10 per user per month, $15 unlimited calling
U.S. and Canada
Unlimited in the U.S. and Canada
3
Dialpad
$27 per user per month
Your country, the U.S. and Canada
250 monthly SMS per user, 8 cents per SMS after
RingCentral vs. Dialpad: At a Glance
Dialpad and RingCentral both offer unlimited calls and texting on their plans. Both have voicemail to text transcription with customizable voicemail recordings. Dialpad is slightly less expensive than RingCentral, starting at $15 per month per user compared to $19.99 per month per user. Where Dialpad impresses us with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help with notation and task assignment in calls, RingCentral has more robust video conferencing capabilities.
Dialpad
Starting Price
$15 per line per month
(if billed annually)
Voice Mail to Text
Yes
Toll-Free Numbers
Yes
$15 per line per month
(if billed annually)
Yes
Yes
Dialpad offers the basics that you would expect from a unified communications system that includes unlimited calling and texting. It has a video call option limited to 45 minutes but doesn’t offer the comprehensive video conferencing options other plans have. Where it differs is in the use of AI and its proprietary Voice Intelligence features. This monitors calls and takes notes as a personal assistant to help you denote follow-up tasks and get critical takeaways. Try it for free for 14 days.
- Low cost
- Google Workspace integration
- Voice Intelligence
- Limited video conferencing
- Limited integrations
- Cumbersome setup
RingCentral
Starting Price
$9.99 per line per month
(if billed annually)
Voice Mail to Text
Yes
Toll-Free Numbers
Yes
$9.99 per line per month
(if billed annually)
Yes
Yes
RingCentral starts with high-quality calls as the basis of its service. You get unlimited domestic calls and texting combined with custom voice mail and messaging transcription. RingCentral sets itself apart from its competitors with more than 200 integrations, including Slack, Salesforce and Microsoft 365. You get video conferencing for up to 200 participants on the higher-tiered plans. Enjoy a 15-day free trial to see if you like the service and will use all the features.
- Comprehensive App Gallery
- Document sharing
- Video conferencing
- Pricey
- Confusing navigation
- Limited international calling plans
How Dialpad and RingCentral Stack Up
| Dialpad | RingCentral | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 14 days | 15 days |
| Unlimited Domestic Calls | Yes | Yes |
| Team Messaging | Yes | Yes |
| Video Conferencing | Yes | 200 participants max |
| Integrations | Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 | More than 200 integrations |
| Uptime Service Level Agreement | 99.999%* | 99.999% |
| Customer Support | 24/7 live chat | 24/7 phone and chat support |
*Dialpad’s Enterprise plan carries a 100% uptime agreement. Contact Dialpad for a custom quote.
Dialpad and RingCentral are similar VoIP service providers. Both providers offer a free trial, with RingCentral edging out Dialpad with an extra day in its trial. Both providers also have unlimited domestic calls and text messaging on all plans. However, the two differ when it comes to integrations and support.
While Dialpad does integrate with two popular platforms and uses its AI Voice Intelligence to capture information, RingCentral has the edge with its App Gallery offering more than 200 popular integrations, including Slack. Both have support 24/7, but Dialpad’s support is limited to live chat, whereas RingCentral does have a call center that also offers support.
Bottom Line
Dialpad and RingCentral are two top-level VoIP service providers that help small businesses have the communications systems needed for success. Dialpad is the better option for small teams that are on a budget and might not need the level of integrations and extras that RingCentral offers. RingCentral is better for bigger teams looking to have one central system that allows communication, document sharing and video conferencing.
