
When it comes to VoIP service, most companies generally prefer RingCentral. It has a pretty good reputation and offers reliable communication solutions for different organization sizes.
But if you want to look at other options, there are plenty of apps out there well-suited for your specific business needs.
In this article, I’ve reviewed the 12 best software products to help you find an ideal substitute for RingCentral.
Let’s take a quick look at RingCentral first to see VoIP’s core functions.
What is RingCentral and What to look for in an Alternative
RingCentral offers a VoIP/cloud phone system for business. With this tool, you can make calls, receive texts and send documents online.
It provides a convenient solution for entrepreneurs who mostly run remote operations and need a professional setup for business communication.
Below are some of its basic functions;
- Cloud phone.
- Business SMS.
- Virtual Fax.
- Integration with third-party apps.
- Mobile support.
You might not need all of the above functions for your company, but they should give you a general idea for comparison.
Let’s go over the list of alternatives to discover the best app for virtual phones.
1. OpenPhone
If your priority is an audio phone system, OpenPhone would be a good option for you. The platform core’s product is a business phone line for official calls and texts.
You can pick a toll-free number, add multiple lines for different purposes, and even use your existing number for calls. Its calling features include a display ID, do not disturb tab, auto-recording, and routing.
To improve response time, you can create message templates for later use and set auto-replies. OpenPhone allows Zapier integration to let you use third-party writing apps to optimize your writing.
You can also send media files via text message and broadcast them to a group.
Core Features
- Business number.
- Calling and texting.
- Voicemail transcription.
- Recording and routing.
- Workflow automation.
- CRM.
- Integration with third-party apps.
- Team collaboration.
- Analytics.
Price
OpenPhone’s monthly subscription prices range between $13 and $20. You can also ask for an enterprise solution.
2. Talkroute
Talkroute is a user-friendly cloud phone with unlimited calling and text services.
Here, you can use a custom business number, receive multiple calls simultaneously on your phone, get an extension exclusively for voicemail, and check messages from your email. You can choose built-in audio clips for greeting messages and set up an information clip to let people know their call is being recorded.
One of Talkroute’s unique features is the custom CNAM. It allows you to display your business name on outgoing calls.
The phone works on a browser, desktop, and mobile. It also supports Linux and Windows systems.
Core Features
- Custom phone numbers and extensions.
- Call forwarding and routing.
- Call transfer and display ID.
- SMS and MMS.
- Greetings and menu.
- Voicemail box.
- Multi-device support.
- Productivity tools.
Price
Talkroute offers three plans ranging from $19 to $59.
3. GotoConnect
GotoConnect delivers cloud phone and virtual meeting features in a single platform. With this app, you can make online calls and arrange meetings on the spot.
The phone comes with a toll-free number, team extensions, call routing, and auto-transfer. It also works perfectly on a physical phone, desktop computer, and mobile device.
The virtual meeting tool allows scheduling and collaboration to let you organize events and conduct video conferences. You’ll have the option to invite up to 250 participants and share multiple screens.
Other things you can do with GotoConnect include automating custom greeting messages and creating advanced call flows.
All in all, it’s a good alternative to RingCentral.
Core Features
- Cloud phone, voicemail, fax.
- Video meetings and conferences.
- A toll-free number, extensions, and call transfer.
- Greeting messages.
- Drag-and-drop call flow builder.
- Monitoring and analytics.
- Integration with productivity apps.
- Multi-device support.
- International calling.
Price
GotoConnect’s basic plan costs $27 a month.
4. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is built for startups and small companies. It provides a basic virtual phone system, texting services, and virtual fax.
You can get a separate number exclusively for business and use that same number for official texts and fax.
With its voicemail transcription, you can also receive important messages directly to your inbox. The email records make it easier to log your calls to your CRM.
Besides its core features, Grasshopper shares some useful add-ons to increase phone functions. You can include extensions in your plan for your team and activate international calling for overseas clients. There’s even an option to engage a live receptionist to handle your calls.
Core Features
- VoIP and WIFI calling.
- Business and auto-message.
- Virtual Fax.
- Voicemail transcription.
- Multi-device support.
- Reporting.
- Add-ons like Virtual assistant and team extensions.
Price
You can get started on Grasshopper for as low as $28 per month.
5. 8×8
8×8 provides business communication and contact center solutions.
Small companies can get a robust VoIP system with an SMS, fax, and interactive video meeting option.
For established organizations, it delivers a complete contact center with a digital workspace for call agents. The package also has AI-powered self-serving tools and speech analytics to monitor conversations.
The best feature of 8×8 is omnichannel routing. It allows you to engage with clients via chat, email, SMS, social media, and mobile apps. You can connect multiple channels to your workflow to deliver a personalized experience to your clients.
Core Features
- Business number, voicemail, SMS, fax, video conference.
- Call management.
- Custom workflows.
- Omni-channel support.
- Auto-attendant and greeting messages.
- Contact center.
- Mobile friendly.
Price
8×8 offers separate packages for business communication and the contact center. The price for both ranges between $15 and $140.
6. UniTel
UniTel is another great option for small teams. The app comes with all the essential features you’d need to establish a seamless VoIP system.
Here, you can make online calls, set up voicemail with recorded greetings, send call logs to your email, and deploy extensions. The plan includes a business number, unlimited minutes, call tracking, and virtual fax.
You can also add sixteen different features to your monthly package. Some of the add-ons you’ll find interesting are custom numbers, video conferencing, toll-free texting, and on-hold music.
Another thing you’ll love about UniTel is the multi-device support. Its basic features are designed specifically for mobile users to make business communication easy.
Core Features
- Softphones, voicemail, fax.
- Greeting messages, business texts, and team communication.
- Call recording and forwarding.
- Caller ID display and blocking.
- Extension and team status.
- Conference call and scheduling.
- Multi-device support.
Price
UniTel’s starter plan costs $10 per month.
7. Telzio
Telzio offers almost 100 cloud phone features. With its intuitive call flow builder and powerful call routing, you can establish multiple phone lines and create a seamless call system for customers.
Its dashboard has a permission-based system to develop different access levels for your team. Here, the designated member can see and manage relevant call activities, faxes, and text messages with ease.
You, as an admin, can also monitor conversations and join live calls to offer suggestions to your team members.
The app overall is user-friendly, scalable, and works well on both desktops and smartphones.
Core Features
- Call management.
- Smart workflows.
- Local and international business numbers.
- Caller ID display.
- Voicemail, text, fax, 3-way conference.
- Team extensions.
- Call filtering, blocking, monitoring and logging.
- Admin control.
- Web and mobile support.
Price
Telzio charges $50 per month. You can also ask for custom plans.
8. Aircall
Aircall is best for its call center features.
Apart from online calling, it lets you route calls, entertain multiple callers at once, record conversations, and set business hours.
You can enable call-forwarding to improve your customer service and activate alerts to get notifications of incoming calls. With the team collaboration feature, you can provide extensions to your team, assign calls to individual members, and share contacts to keep everyone in the loop.
Aircall’s most appealing feature is the integration. It’s compatible with over 100 third-party applications, including CRM, marketing, productivity, and payment platforms.
Core Features
- Virtual phone, SMS, and voicemail.
- Toll-free numbers.
- Conference calls.
- Call forwarding and recording.
- Team collaboration.
- Over 100 integrations.
- Mobile support.
Price
Aircall charges a minimum of $30 per user.
9. Dialpad
Dialpad is an all-in-one cloud communication platform. You can use it to make a business call from your smartphone, send text messages to teams, conduct unlimited video meetings, fax files through the app, and much more.
For companies with a dedicated customer care team, Dialpad has a contact center and AI-powered sales outreach plans. Their top features comprise a self-serving assistant, IVR technology to automate greeting messages, AI coaching to improve conversations, and a supervisor dashboard.
You can purchase additional numbers for your business and integrate Dialpad with CRM like HubSpot.
Core Features
- Phone system, video conference, and extensions.
- Chat, SMS, fax, voicemail, three-way calling.
- Call recording, transcription, and routing.
- Auto-attendant.
- Integration with third-party apps.
- Multiple phone numbers.
- Analytics.
Price
Dialpad’s business communication plan costs a minimum of $23 per month. It sells separate plans for video meetings, a contact center, and a sales dialer.
10. VirtualPBX
VirtualPBX comes with some amazing features, especially for startups and small businesses.
You’ll get unlimited calls and SMS service, a free local number, and a teleconference tool. VirtualPBX further allows you to make video calls on any VoIP device and share extensions with your team member.
You can also access the phone via the browser for quick calls. There’s a device option on the dashboard to easily switch between devices.
You’ll receive several features for teams and a multi-level auto attendant for advanced call routing. What’s more, you can both record conversations and monitor them in real-time to improve the call experience. The plan includes 250 GB to 2 TB file storage for call records.
Core Features
- Phone, video, text, and fax.
- Auto-attendant and callflows.
- Analytics and reporting.
- Call recording.
- Hotdesking.
- Multi-device support.
- Integrations.
Price
VirtualPBX sells four monthly plans ranging between $9 and $34. You can also buy add-ons to extend the phone’s functions.
11. Nextiva
Nextiva shares flexible communication packages.
Here, each plan comes with a toll-free number, unlimited calls, and video meetings. But you’ll find several plans tailored to meet specific requirements.
The platform has a centralized dashboard to organize all activities in one place and build custom call flows.
Nextiva also delivers a cloud contact center with omnichannel support and a virtual agent to help you interact with customers across multiple channels.
Other useful features of Nextiva are pre-built flows, sentiment insights, and a calendar to schedule meetings.
Core Features
- Cloud-based VoIP.
- SMS, fax, voicemail, video meeting, email, chat.
- Contact center.
- Call flows.
- Auto-attendant.
- Smart analytics.
- Mobile app.
- Integrations.
- Productivity tools.
Price
Nextiva’s plans start from $31.
12. Phone.com
Phone.com shares almost similar features to RingCentral. The app offers a cloud phone system, video conference, business SMS, and virtual fax.
You can buy both local and global phone lines, sync your contact list to create an address book, and connect the software to analog phones. It delivers around thirty calling features, a diverse range of video tools, and several productivity options like email notification and transcription.
To help you provide the best customer care, Phone.com also offers a live Receptionist service for $90 per month.
If you prefer a smartphone for business communication, you can download its app and use a Wi-Fi connection for calls. It provides a mobile app for both Android and iOS.
Core Features
- Call, video, SMS, and fax.
- Local and global numbers.
- Call and video recording.
- Voicemail transcription.
- Auto-attendant and menu.
- Virtual conferences.
- Live receptionist.
- Mobile app.
Price
Phone charges are $15 to $30 per month. You can request a demo before purchasing the plan.
Conclusion
RingCentral is one of the oldest and leading VoIP service providers. The software is built for both small and large companies and offers versatile tools for communication.
But it might not be well-suited for everyone.
Above, I’ve shared some of the top RingCentral alternatives for your consideration. I recommend exploring their core features to find the best fit for your business.
