Telecommunications · head to head
RingCentral vs Aircall
RingCentral
Telecommunications
Unified communications platform for enterprise
- From
- $24.99/month
- Rated
- -
Aircall
Telecommunications
Cloud phone system for modern business
- From
- $30/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: RingCentral the pricing page shows no per user rate until you enter a user count, so the headline plan cost is not published outright; Aircall a minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier
- They diverge on capability: RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Aircall covers Cloud phone.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which RingCentral and Aircall actually diverge.
| Attribute | RingCentral | Aircall |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $24.99/month | $30/month |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android | Web, Ios, Android, Desktop |
| Founded | 1999 | 2014 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Telecommunications).
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 RingCentral
- VoIP calling
- Video conferencing
- Team messaging
- SMS/MMS
- File storage
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack
- Zoom
Only in Aircall
- Cloud phone
- IVR
- Call routing
- Power dialer
- Integrations
- HubSpot
- Zendesk
- Intercom
Both cover
- Call recording
- Analytics
- Salesforce
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- Web support
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
RingCentral
- Cloud phone system with business numbers, extensions and call routingnot Aircall
- Combining voice, video meetings and team messaging in one subscriptionnot Aircall
- Adding contact centre and analytics capability to a distributed workforcenot Aircall
Aircall
- Cloud phone system for sales and support teamsnot RingCentral
- Call routing, IVR and shared numbersnot RingCentral
- Logging calls against CRM records through integrationsnot RingCentral
- Power dialling outbound lists on the Professional tiernot RingCentral
- SMS and MMS alongside voicenot RingCentral
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Aircall
- A minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier
- Essentials is limited to 3 teams; unlimited teams need Professional
- Salesforce CTI, the power dialer and advanced analytics all require Professional
- SSO, API support and an SLA are Custom tier only
- AI voice and messaging agents are separate add-ons billed per minute or per conversation on top of the seat price
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Aircall
$30/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Aircall review.
Which should you pick?
Choose RingCentral if
- You need voip calling.
- You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android.
- You also want video conferencing.
Choose Aircall if
- You need cloud phone.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
- You also want ivr.
Questions people ask
- Is RingCentral or Aircall better?
- Neither clearly leads. RingCentral starts at $24.99/month and Aircall at $30/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, RingCentral or Aircall?
- RingCentral starts at $24.99/month and Aircall at $30/month.
- Does RingCentral or Aircall run on more platforms?
- RingCentral runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Aircall runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
- What is RingCentral best used for?
- RingCentral is most often used for cloud phone system with business numbers, extensions and call routing, combining voice, video meetings and team messaging in one subscription, adding contact centre and analytics capability to a distributed workforce. Of those, cloud phone system with business numbers, extensions and call routing and combining voice, video meetings and team messaging in one subscription are not what Aircall is typically brought in for.
- What can RingCentral do that Aircall cannot?
- RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Video conferencing, Team messaging, SMS/MMS. Aircall covers Cloud phone, IVR, Call routing, Power dialer. Both handle Call recording, Analytics, Salesforce, SOC2.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Aircall: What is the minimum cost to start with Aircall?
Aircall requires a 3-license minimum on annual billing, making the real entry price $90 per month ($30 per user times 3 users) for the Essentials plan, not the advertised $30 per user.
SourceAircall: Does Aircall include AI call features in base plans?
No, AI Voice Agents and AI Assist Pro are separate add-ons billed on top of base plans. The Essentials and Professional plans include call recording and analytics but not AI features.
SourceAircall: How many countries can I create phone numbers in?
Aircall supports creating local phone numbers in 100 or more countries, enabling businesses to appear local to customers regardless of location.
SourceAircall: What is Aircall's uptime guarantee?
Aircall guarantees 99.95 percent uptime with seven global data centers and system redundancy on every level.
Source