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Telecommunications · head to head

RingCentral vs Zoom Webinar

RingCentral logo

RingCentral

Telecommunications

Unified communications platform for enterprise

From
$24.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Webinar logo

Zoom Webinar

Webinar & Virtual Events

Professional video conferencing and webinar hosting

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoom Webinar 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; Zoom Webinar free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • They diverge on capability: RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RingCentral and Zoom Webinar actually diverge.

Attributes where RingCentral and Zoom Webinar differ
AttributeRingCentralZoom Webinar
Starting price$24.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Ios, AndroidDesktop, Mobile, Tablet
CategoryTelecommunicationsWebinar & Virtual Events
Founded19992011

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
  • Zoom

Only in Zoom Webinar

  • HD video conferencing
  • Screen sharing
  • Recording
  • Chat
  • Breakout rooms
  • Mac support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

Both cover

  • Salesforce
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Web support
  • Windows 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 Zoom Webinar
  • Combining voice, video meetings and team messaging in one subscriptionnot Zoom Webinar
  • Adding contact centre and analytics capability to a distributed workforcenot Zoom Webinar

Zoom Webinar

  • Large-scale webinars up to 1,000 participants on Enterprise tiernot RingCentral
  • Professional organisations needing end-to-end encryption and customer-managed keysnot RingCentral
  • Hybrid work environments with integrated PBX phone servicenot 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

Zoom Webinar

  • Free tier capped at 40 minutes per meeting with up to 100 participants
  • Free tier lacks cloud storage and advanced AI Companion features
  • Higher tiers require commitments to larger participant counts (Business: 300, Enterprise: 1000)

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

Zoom Webinar

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoom Webinar 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.
RingCentral review

Choose Zoom Webinar if

  • You need hd video conferencing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Zoom Webinar review

Questions people ask

Is RingCentral or Zoom Webinar better?
Neither clearly leads. RingCentral starts at $24.99/month and Zoom Webinar at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RingCentral or Zoom Webinar?
Zoom Webinar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24.99/month for RingCentral and Free for Zoom Webinar.
Does RingCentral or Zoom Webinar run on more platforms?
RingCentral runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Ios, Android. Zoom Webinar runs on Desktop, Mobile, Tablet.
Can I use Zoom Webinar for free?
Yes. Zoom Webinar 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 Zoom Webinar is typically brought in for.
What can RingCentral do that Zoom Webinar cannot?
RingCentral covers VoIP calling, Video conferencing, Team messaging, SMS/MMS. Zoom Webinar covers HD video conferencing, Screen sharing, Recording, Chat. Both handle Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Workspace.
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Related pages

More on RingCentral

More on Zoom Webinar

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