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Communication · head to head

Microsoft Teams vs RingCentral

Microsoft Teams logo

Microsoft Teams

Communication

Meet, chat, call, and collaborate in just one place

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RingCentral logo

RingCentral

Telecommunications

Unified communications platform for enterprise

From
$24.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Teams has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Teams resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives; RingCentral the pricing page shows no per user rate until you enter a user count, so the headline plan cost is not published outright
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels, RingCentral covers VoIP calling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Teams and RingCentral actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Teams and RingCentral differ
AttributeMicrosoft TeamsRingCentral
Starting priceFree$24.99/month
Free tierYesNo
CategoryCommunicationTelecommunications
Founded19751999

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Microsoft Teams

  • Chat & channels
  • Screen sharing
  • File collaboration
  • Office integration
  • Live events
  • Phone system
  • Apps & workflows
  • Office 365

Only in RingCentral

  • VoIP calling
  • Team messaging
  • SMS/MMS
  • File storage
  • Call recording
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft Teams

Both cover

  • Video conferencing
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Microsoft Teams

  • Remote meetingsnot RingCentral
  • Team collaborationnot RingCentral
  • Document sharingnot RingCentral
  • Project managementnot RingCentral
  • Webinarsnot RingCentral

RingCentral

  • Businesses looking for integrated voice, video, and messaging communicationnot Microsoft Teams
  • Companies needing AI-powered call handling and receptionist featuresnot Microsoft Teams
  • Organizations requiring Advanced or Ultra tier packages with advanced call queuingnot Microsoft Teams

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Microsoft Teams

  • Resource-heavy application; slow to load and consumes significant CPU/memory compared to alternatives
  • Limited channel structure; maximum of 200 public and 30 private channels per team
  • Cannot invite guest users to specific channels; guest access grants full team visibility
  • Unable to chat during screen sharing; limits real-time collaborative communication
  • Limited customization options for branding and interface; cluttered UX compared to Slack
  • Channels cannot be moved between teams; requires manual replication for reorganization

RingCentral

  • The pricing page shows no per user rate until you enter a user count, so the headline plan cost is not published outright
  • The advertised saving of up to 33 percent requires paying annually rather than monthly
  • Cost centre management, multiple support admins, custom roles and adoption analytics are limited to the Advanced and Ultra packages
  • AI Receptionist starts at $39 a month, Conversational Intelligence at $60 a month, the Call Queues Booster is $35 a month and the Business SMS Booster is $25 a month, all charged on top of the plan
  • SMS is excluded from the free trial

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Teams

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited chat
    • 100 participants in meetings
    • 5GB file storage
  • Microsoft Teams Essentials$4/month
    • 300 participants in meetings
    • 10GB cloud storage
    • Phone & web support
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic$6/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • 1TB OneDrive storage
    • Web & mobile Office apps
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard$12.5/month
    • Everything in Basic
    • Desktop Office apps
    • Webinar hosting

RingCentral

$24.99/month
  • Essentials$24.99/month
    • Calls, meetings, messaging
    • Video conferencing
    • File sharing
  • Standard$34.99/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Advanced features
    • Call recording

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Teams if

  • You need chat & channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Microsoft Teams review

Choose RingCentral if

  • You need voip calling.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
  • You also want team messaging.
RingCentral review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Teams or RingCentral better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Teams starts at Free and RingCentral at $24.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Teams or RingCentral?
Microsoft Teams has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft Teams and $24.99/month for RingCentral.
Does Microsoft Teams or RingCentral run on more platforms?
Microsoft Teams runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. RingCentral runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
Can I use Microsoft Teams for free?
Yes. Microsoft Teams has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RingCentral starts at $24.99/month.
What is Microsoft Teams best used for?
Microsoft Teams is most often used for remote meetings, team collaboration, document sharing, project management. Of those, remote meetings and team collaboration are not what RingCentral is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Teams do that RingCentral cannot?
Microsoft Teams covers Chat & channels, Screen sharing, File collaboration, Office integration. RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Team messaging, SMS/MMS, File storage. Both handle Video conferencing, SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Teams: Does Microsoft Teams have a free tier?

Yes. Microsoft Teams offers a free Home tier with unlimited chat, 60-minute group meetings for up to 100 people, 5GB cloud storage, and basic file sharing, though limits are restrictive for growing teams.

Source
RingCentral: Is there a free trial for RingCentral?

RingCentral offers a 14-day free trial for new subscribers supporting up to 20 phone lines with full feature access. No credit card is required to start the trial.

Source
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' paid plans?

Microsoft Teams Essentials costs $4/user/month (chat, calling, meetings, 10GB storage). Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs $7/user/month (includes desktop Office apps, 1TB storage). Premium plans with Copilot start at $23.50/user/month.

Source
RingCentral: How much do RingCentral add-ons cost?

AI Receptionist starts at $39/month per user, Conversational Intelligence costs $60/month per user, Call Queues Booster is $35/month, and Business SMS Booster is $25/month. These are optional add-ons separate from base plan pricing.

Source
Microsoft Teams: What are Microsoft Teams' primary features?

Teams provides real-time chat, video and voice calling, meetings with up to 300 participants, file sharing and storage integration with OneDrive, recording and transcripts, and deep integration with Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

RingCentral: Can I save money with annual billing on RingCentral?

Yes. RingCentral offers up to 33% savings by paying annually compared to monthly billing. This discount applies across all plan tiers and services.

Source
Microsoft Teams: What integrations does Teams support?

Microsoft Teams integrates with calendar apps (Outlook, Google Calendar), project management tools (Trello), and works with Zapier for custom workflow automation. Teams also has native connectors to many Microsoft 365 apps and third-party services.

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Related pages

More on Microsoft Teams

More on RingCentral

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