RingCentral vs GoogleVoice: Which one is the best for your business?

October 10, 2023
phone system for small business

Step into the competition: RingCentral vs. Google Voice. Discover the supreme communication contender for your business. Let the showdown unfold!

Unveiling RingCentral: Your cloud phone system revolutionizing communication. Integrate calls, messages, video faxes on a single platform. Opt for one of the 4 plans and 4 contact center options, and exclusive video communication plans.

And now, shifting our attention to the rival corner Google Voice: VoIP excellence for global companies. Connect with ease via web, mobile, or desk phones. Seamlessly merge with Google apps. Access voice, video, and beyond, alongside texts, voicemail transcriptions. Explore their trio of plans.

Compare RingCentral and GoogleVoice plans and features

How many users do you need?

1
RingCentral Google Voice
Pick up plan
Price for users /month /month
Channels
Key features
Support Channel
Pros and Cons
Best For

User limitations on monthly plans differentiates between RingCentral and Google Voice

The RingCentral Core plan is priced at $30 per user per month but is limited to 20 users. It is inclusive of unlimited calling within the USA and Canada as well as select features.

Upgrading to the Advanced plan removes the concern about user limitations. User license subscription costs $35 per month depending on the number of users. This makes several features such as video meetings with up to 100 participants and quality-of-service reports available.

A further upgrade to the Ultra plan makes other features such as multi-site admin and management, real-time analytics and automatic call recording available to subscribers. User license fees is at $45 per month.
phone system for small business

In terms of costing, GoogleVoice has an edge over RingCentral.

For a subscription fee of $10 per user per month, businesses can set up a Google Voice Starter plan. This can be used by a team of up to 10 people in 10 different cities. Services available include voicemail transcriptions, call forwarding, Google app integrations and more.

Businesses can upgrade to the Google Voice Standard plan by paying a $20 monthly user license fee. There is no user limit. It includes the Starter plan features as well as ring groups, ad-hoc call recording and more.

Upgrading to the Premier plan gives businesses access to all the Standard plan features as well as exclusive features like automatic call recording and advanced reports.
phone system for small business

A step-by-step comparison between RingCentral and GoogleVoice

To help you find what solution fits best your need between Zoom Phone and Ringcentral, we have conducted an unbiased comparison based on 8 criterias:
#1 Manage your office calls : How will you handle calls while at the office? Can you use computer-based calls or do you require an office phone?
#2 Manage your calls on the go: Does it offer a mobile app with VoIP calls? Do you need to set up call forwarding to your mobile device?
#3 Auto-attendant : Can you easily distribute calls to your team?
#4 Greetings Management : Can you set up company greetings on your own? How easy is it to create and manage announcements?
#5 Call Tracking : How easy is it to monitor your business calls?
#6 Call recording : Can you record and listen to calls?
#7 Call billing : How much does it cost to make and receive calls? Is everything included?
#8 Activation : How easy is it to activate a phone number and set up your phone system?
COMPARE
  • Manage Your Office Calls
  • Manage Your Calls On The Go
  • Auto-attendant
  • Greetings Management
  • Call Tracking
  • Call recording
  • Call billing
  • Activation

#1 Manage Your Office Calls

Easy office communication offered by both RingCentral and Google Voice

Desktop apps for Windows and Mac devices, web browsers and IP desk phones can be used to make and receive calls with Ringcentral.

phone system for small business

As with RingCentral, incoming and outgoing calls can be handled through a Google Voice web application or deskphone.

phone system for small business

#2 Manage Your Calls On The Go

Mobile applications by Ring Central and Google Voice keep you connected on the go

Apps for Android and iOS devices can be used to make and receive calls with Ringcentral.

phone system for small business

Like RingCentral, GoogleVoice plans include the ability to make and receive out of office calls through free apps for Android and iOS devices.

phone system for small business

#3 Auto-attendant

RingCentral and Google Voice at par for IVR capabilities

The RingCentral Essential plan does not offer subscribers the option of routing calls through an auto attendant. This feature is available only to Standard and Premium plan subscribers. The multi-level auto attendant facility lets these subscribers customize greetings and call menus.

phone system for small business

Both RingCentral and GoogleVoice offer call routing features only in their advanced plans.

Starter plan subscribers do not have access to IVR or auto attendant facilities. However, a multi-level auto attendant feature is included in Standard and Premier plans.

phone system for small business

#4 Greetings Management

Customize greetings with both RingCentral and Google Voice

Inbound call greetings can be customized by RingCentral account admins. This is limited to calls received during business hours.

Step 1. Go to Edit on the Review Company Call Flow menu from the Company set up section.

Step 2. Click Custom Greetings and then Record. New messages can be recorded live or imported as prerecorded files.

phone system for small business

As with RingCentral, call and voicemail greetings can be customized from the app or a web browser.

Step 1: Go to Settings> Voicemail greetings.

Step 2: Click on "record" and start recording your message.

phone system for small business

#5 Call Tracking

Advanced call management and monitoring options put RingCentral ahead

RingCentral Essentials plan subscribers cannot get access to live call monitoring. However, they can ensure that call follow-ups are not missed by reading voicemail transcriptions. These transcriptions are available in English, French, German and Spanish. Message previews can be read directly from your email inbox.

The Standard plan also includes reports on agent productivity such as call logs, the number of calls made and received each day, duration of each call, etc. In addition, Standard and Premium plan subscribers can monitor live calls. They can listen into live calls, speak to agents without the caller knowing, convert 2-way calls into conference calls and takeover calls.

These live call monitoring features are available only on certain IP desk phones that support presence and desktop apps. The RingCentral mobile application does not support this feature.

phone system for small business

While some features are common, RingCentral does include live call monitoring in its advanced plans unlike GoogleVoice.

All Google Voice subscribers can read voicemail transcriptions to prioritize follow-ups and access call log reports. Agents who cannot find a resolution to a caller query can transfer the call to another agent or to a supervisor if required.

Standard plan subscribers can access the Google Voice eDiscovery feature. This helps them find specific conversations amongst calls, text messages and voicemail records. They can also record calls and review them later.

Subscribing to the Google Voice Premier plan gives businesses access to advanced call reports as well as the Starter and Standard plan features. It also includes automated call recording.

phone system for small business

#6 Call Recording

Similar call recording capabilities by both RingCentral and Google Voice

RingCentral does not offer call recording in its Essential plan. On-demand call recording is available to Standard plan subscribers and automatic call recording is available to Premium plan subscribers.

phone system for small business

RingCentral and GoogleVoice have similar call recording policies. To avail of the call recording facility, you would need to subscribe to either the Standard or Premier plan. The Standard plan includes ad-hoc call recording while the Premier plan includes automatic call recording.

phone system for small business

#7 Call Billing

Similar call rates offered by RingCentral and Google Voice

All RingCentral plans are inclusive of unlimited calls to numbers within the USA and Canada. Other international calls are billed at a per minute rate. This rate varies from country to country. For example, calls to India are charged at $0.059 per minute while calls to Hong Kong are charged $0.039 per minute.

International calls are billed on a per minute rate for both RingCentral and GoogleVoice subscriptions.

All Google Voice subscribers can call other Google Voice accounts and numbers within the USA and Canada without any charge. However, calls to other destinations are billed. For example, calls to Argentina are billed at $0.02 per minute while calls to numbers in Australia are billed at $0.01 per minute.

#8 Activation

Streamlined account creation processes with RingCentral and Google Voice

RingCentral account subscribers can set up their accounts with a Google account or their email address. User extensions, custom call handling rules, etc. can be defined from the dashboard. Users can then access RingCentral services through applications for Android and iOS smartphones or MAC and Windows laptops or desktops. IP desk phones can also be used. If you do not have a deskphone, the same can be ordered from RingCentral. Options available online include cordless phones, conference phones and receptionist phones.

phone system for small business

Like RingCentral, business subscribers can set up their Google Voice account from a web browser/app. Users can then make and receive calls through a smartphone app or a browser extension. Standard and Premier plan subscribers can also use desk phones with Obi Edition firmware.

phone system for small business