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Telecommunications · head to head

RingCentral vs Telegram

RingCentral logo

RingCentral

Telecommunications

Unified communications platform for enterprise

From
$24.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Telegram logo

Telegram

All industries

Pure instant messaging — simple, fast, secure, and synced across all your devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Telegram has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Telegram end-to-end encryption applies only to Secret Chats; private and group Cloud Chats use server-client encryption, so Telegram holds the data
  • They diverge on capability: RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RingCentral and Telegram actually diverge.

Attributes where RingCentral and Telegram differ
AttributeRingCentralTelegram
Starting price$24.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android
CategoryTelecommunicationsAll industries
Founded19992013

Identical on both: 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 RingCentral

  • VoIP calling
  • Video conferencing
  • Team messaging
  • SMS/MMS
  • File storage
  • Call recording
  • Analytics
  • Salesforce

Only in Telegram

  • Cloud-based messaging
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Self-destructing messages
  • Large group chats
  • Voice and video calls
  • Bot platform
  • Channels and broadcasts
  • Cross-platform sync

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Windows support
  • Macos 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 Telegram
  • Combining voice, video meetings and team messaging in one subscriptionnot Telegram
  • Adding contact centre and analytics capability to a distributed workforcenot Telegram

Telegram

  • Group messaging and large channels with files of any type and sizenot RingCentral
  • Private device-bound conversations with self-destructing messagesnot RingCentral
  • Running bots and broadcast channels for an audiencenot 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

Telegram

  • End-to-end encryption applies only to Secret Chats; private and group Cloud Chats use server-client encryption, so Telegram holds the data
  • Secret Chats are device-specific and are not part of the Telegram cloud, so they can only be read on the device they started on
  • Logging out destroys all of your Secret Chats
  • The Secret Chat self-destruct timer applies only to messages sent after the timer is set and has no effect on earlier messages
  • Telegram states screenshot detection cannot be guaranteed on some Android and Windows Phone devices, so screenshots of Secret Chats can be taken silently
  • Messages cannot be forwarded out of Secret Chats
  • The self-destruct timer in cloud chats covers media only, not text

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

Telegram

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited messages
    • 2GB file sharing
    • Group chats up to 200K members
  • Telegram Premium$4.99/month
    • Everything in Free
    • 4GB file uploads
    • Faster downloads

Which should you pick?

Choose RingCentral if

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

Choose Telegram if

  • You need cloud-based messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want end-to-end encryption.
Telegram review

Questions people ask

Is RingCentral or Telegram better?
Neither clearly leads. RingCentral starts at $24.99/month and Telegram at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RingCentral or Telegram?
Telegram has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24.99/month for RingCentral and Free for Telegram.
Does RingCentral or Telegram run on more platforms?
RingCentral runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Telegram runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
Can I use Telegram for free?
Yes. Telegram has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RingCentral starts at $24.99/month.
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 Telegram is typically brought in for.
What can RingCentral do that Telegram cannot?
RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Video conferencing, Team messaging, SMS/MMS. Telegram covers Cloud-based messaging, End-to-end encryption, Self-destructing messages, Large group chats. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support, Windows support, Macos support.
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