By Paul Martinez
/ September 21, 2022 October 20, 2022
Table of Contents
Video conferencing has been a part of internal and external communications of international businesses for many years. Recent developments have, however, turned video conferencing into a necessity rather than a luxury.
The pandemic and subsequent quarantines led thousands of companies and employees to work online, mainly via a video conferencing platform. As a result, many video conferencing platforms either appeared or upgraded their existing video conferencing tools and internet protocols. These changes have not made business phone systems redundant. A business phone platform is still a necessity.
Two major players stand out, RingCentral vs. Zoom. However, picking the right one can be confusing when the two share many similarities. This article will let you decide by helping you become more well-informed.
Our Pick
Zoom and RingCentral are great platforms for all types of business communication. While Zoom focuses more on video conferencing, RingCentral is mostly a VoIP service provider.
So, in the long run, it depends on what you are looking for. Zoom is preferable for hosting virtual meetings on a desktop, mobile, or multiple devices. On the other hand, RingCentral may be a better choice for audio conferencing and features such as voicemail to text and toll-free calling.
We picked Zoom just because it’s so easy to use.
About Zoom
Initially released in 2012 as a freemium service, Zoom has become a common name after the events of the pandemic. Its ease of use has made it very popular. You’ll often hear businesses talking about Zoom meetings. In fact, the company has almost become synonymous with remote video meetings.
Features
Video Meetings and Zoom Phone Calls: The main Zoom features provided with its basic plan are free. They include HD video and audio conferencing, providing participants with high picture and audio quality. Participants may choose to share or not share their video stream. You can either keep your video feed off or opt for the “call in” option on your phone. Adding an audio conferencing plan allows you to access toll-free, fee-based toll, call-out, and dedicated dial-in numbers.
Organizing Zoom Video Conferencing: Because online meetings may need to be held at any time, Zoom supports cross-platform communication, including video, audio, and instant messaging. Regardless of how you sign in, all app versions will automatically synchronize. This also helps to organize your video conferencing calls. Zoom provides built-in scheduling, which you can access via the app on any device. It will automatically update any changes, which you can sync with Google Calendar and Outlook. Additionally, Zoom stack can help people better communicate their concerns.
Waiting and Break Rooms: Zoom waiting rooms will also help organize your video conferencing needs. It allows for a meeting to stay on hold while another is in progress, should you be running late. The Break Rooms enable attendees to take a break without leaving the meeting.
Security: As security is a serious issue in any online business, Zoom provides a variety of security measures. The Zoom application itself, in all forms, is password protected, as are the Personal Meeting Rooms. Furthermore, each Personal Meeting Room has its own Personal Meeting ID.
Payment Plans: Zoom lets you choose between a free plan and a premium plan, and you can then pay premium plans annually or monthly. Plans that are paid annually have a discount, which is important to small businesses.
Other Key Features: Features include meeting recordings (both video and audio recordings), cloud recording meetings, permission settings, profile personalization, team messaging, instant messaging, virtual backgrounds, voicemail, and voicemail transcription, polling, screen sharing tools, whiteboard sharing, and many more with both the free version and the paid plans.
Pros
Free version features will satisfy many users
Waiting rooms help with organization
Up to 300 participants supported
Easy to use
Cross-platform
Cons
Past record of security issues
About RingCentral
RingCentral, founded in 1999, is a cloud-based phone system. It is a communications platform based on phone service. You make calls over the internet rather than a traditional phone line. As such, you’re able to make unlimited domestic calls as well as international calls. Cloud phones are hosted in one or more off-site secure data centers.
The main difference between an analog phone system and a cloud-based communication system is the ability a VoIP phone has to update its features. Additionally, it can seamlessly integrate with other software.
Businesses can use cloud-based phone systems on many devices, traditional phones, smartphone apps, computer calling software, or VoIP-enabled phones. They break your calls into smaller digital audio fragments sent as data via the internet.
Features
Unified Communications: RingCentral combines your business phone system into one communication tool. It integrates voicemail, instant messaging or chat groups, video conferencing, and faxing, including email, web applications, social media sites, and tools like CRM.
Video Conferencing: A video conferencing tool is vital to this digital era. Whether you have a big or small business, offering video meetings is necessary.
International Calling: This is probably the most crucial feature a VoIP business phone system can provide. As cloud phones use the internet, you can make unlimited domestic and international calls without incurring long-distance fees. These also include toll-free numbers.
Call Forwarding: This feature allows users to receive calls on multiple devices. This telephone service also enables users to transfer calls between devices.
Instant Messaging: Instant messaging is based on sending and receiving text messages.
Collaboration: Collaboration tools by RingCentral support file sharing, audio, video conferencing, etc.
Voicemail to Email: The voicemail-to-email and the voicemail-to-text feature transcribe the voicemail and send it to an email address as an audio file.
Advanced Features: Other features include Unlimited Business SMS, Multi-level IVR, Internet Fax, Extensions, Cloud PBX, Reporting features, Call Recording and Caller ID, and Auto Receptionist.
Pros
Advanced features and integration
Well-established company with a solid reputation
Communication Unification
More complex functions are available
Quality of life features for power users
Cons
It can be more difficult for new and casual
Similarities Between RingCentral and Zoom
Zoom meetings and RingCentral provide a sustainable communications solution for both small business owners and significant corporate businesses. They share many key features that users love.
Unlimited Calling
Zoom phone and RingCentral both allow for unlimited domestic calling and unlimited international calling. Small businesses looking to find solutions for communication at a lower cost could benefit from both Zoom and RingCentral. The unlimited domestic calling and toll-free calling options can reduce communication costs for a business phone.
For larger businesses, international calls may be more important. A direct dial number option is available on both platforms, as is a call routing feature. Call routing allows your Zoom Phone system to forward incoming calls to a given Zoom phone.
Zoom Phone Calls and VoIP Video Meetings
Zoom phone calls are similar to VoIP calling. In contrast, RingCentral provides video calling and meetings.
Mobile Apps and Similar Features
Both solutions provide mobile apps that run on all mobile devices with a unified interface. The Zoom phone app and RingCentral can be downloaded and synchronized on any mobile device. Document-sharing options, team messaging, and unlimited storage are also present.
At the same time, both can be integrated into your Google workspace and other third-party integrations, such as Microsoft teams.
Free Plan
Regarding cost, when looking at RingCentral vs. Zoom, both companies have a free plan that may cover a small business’s needs. The premium plans of both offer a variety of features. So, when comparing costs, keep your specific needs in mind. Furthermore, both companies provide a special price when paid annually. However, Zoom has an extra fee for adding the Zoom phone feature.
Differences Between RingCentral and Zoom
Despite their similarities, the matchup of RingCentral vs. Zoom shows a few differences.
Number of Participants
Zoom phone or video meetings can host up to 300 participants (the business option). In contrast, the highest number on any of RingCentral’s plans is 200. This means if you are hosting a meeting for up to 200 people at a time, either option may suffice. However, if you’re crossing the 200-participant mark, Zoom meetings are a better solution.
Video Sharing
Even though both allow for video sharing, Zoom allows up to 49 video feeds simultaneously. In addition, it also offers more advanced filters and lighting adjustment options.
Mobile App
Here, the balance between RingCentral vs. Zoom tends to lean towards RingCentral rather than Zoom phone, as the ability to switch between a mobile and a laptop mid-call provided by RingCentral leaves Zoom phone wanting. Even though the Zoom app has limited functions, it still offers screen sharing and viewing.
Transcriptions
Zoom meetings offer automatic audio transcripts, while RingCentral offers transcriptions through third-party integration and voicemail transcription.
Safety
Unfortunately, Zoom meetings and Zoom phone systems have had some safety issues in the past. This includes Zoom meeting bombing and data breaches. Zoom dealt with these problems swiftly by adding more safety measures (Room IDs and Meeting Passwords). Therefore, if your company deals with highly confidential matters, RingCentral is probably a better choice.
Conclusion
The controversy of RingCentral vs. Zoom mainly comes down to which features your company needs the most. A VoIP phone system may be all you need if your communications are mostly business phone-based. On the other hand, if a business phone is only used to supplement video meetings, then Zoom is what you need as it offers high-quality video meetings, Zoom chat, screen sharing, team messaging, toll-free calling, etc.
Paul Martinez is the founder of EcomSidekick.com. He is an expert in the areas of finance, real estate, eCommerce, traffic and conversion.
Join him on EcomSidekick.com to learn how to improve your financial life and excel in these areas. Before starting this media site, Paul built from scratch and managed two multi-million dollar companies. One in the real estate sector and one in the eCommerce sector.
