Dialpad and RingCentral are two prominent players in the world of business communications and contact centers. Both offer unified communications across voice and digital channels, team collaboration tools, AI capabilities, advanced analytics, third-party integrations, and flexible pricing plans. But when comparing the two platforms, which one is actually better for your business communication needs?
Although they do have many things in common, they are also unique in their own ways. RingCentral is one of the oldest players in the market and is known for powerful call management features, team collaboration tools, and extensive integrations. Dialpad’s integration options are limited, but it also offers a solid range of business calling, video conferencing, and team messaging tools.
In this article, we’ll break down how Dialpad and RingCentral compare in terms of core features, AI capabilities, integrations, pricing, and customer support. By the end, you’ll have a much better understanding of which provider will work better for your business. On top of that, we’ll take a look at how VoiceSpin compares to both of them and why it could be an even better alternative for your customer communication needs.
Dialpad vs. RingCentral: Key Features and Capabilities Compared
What is Dialpad?
Founded in 2011, Dialpad is a cloud-based business communications platform that provides services for tens of thousands of businesses worldwide. Some of its better-known customers include Asana, Uber, Ted, and RE/MAX. With Dialpad, businesses can manage both external and internal communications from one unified platform. Similarly to RingCentral, Dialpad’s business phone system offers powerful voice, meetings, and messaging tools.
Over the recent years, Dialpad has doubled down on AI and grown from being a basic VoIP provider to an all-in-one AI-powered customer communication platform. In 2018, Dialpad acquired TalkIQ, an AI-based voice analytics platform. That enabled Dialpad to offer advanced features like call transcription, automated call summaries, and sentiment analysis to help call center teams capture valuable insights from every conversation.
Besides, in 2023, the company launched DialpadGPT, a domain-specific large language model (LLM) trained on billions of minutes of proprietary conversational data, allowing Dialpad to add gen AI capabilities alongside the existing AI features.
What is RingCentral?
Founded in 1999 with the purpose of building a simplified business communication solution for the 21st century, RingCentral is probably one of the most well-known names in the contact center software industry. Today, it’s a comprehensive unified communications platform with a wide range of calling, texting, and team collaboration features, trusted by 400,000 businesses globally. Some of its customers include AWS, Salesforce, Lufthansa, Toyota, and First Bank.
Over the last couple of years, RingCentral has developed and introduced a number of AI-powered tools, including AI call summaries, conversation insights, AI assist for agents, AI coaching tools for sales teams, and more.
What’s particularly distinctive about RingCentral (and what sets it apart from many alternatives on the market) is that it offers the largest ecosystem of third-party integrations with CRM systems and business apps across different categories. Whatever backend systems you’re currently using, chances are they can be easily integrated with the RingCentral contact center platform.
Dialpad vs. RingCentral: a More Detailed Comparison
Dialpad vs. RingCentral: comparing calling and texting features
Inbound calling:
Both platforms provide an impressive set of call management features, including IVR, advanced call routing, call queue management, visual voicemail, real-time call monitoring, outbound dialing, call recording, call transcription and summaries, call reporting, and more. Both also offer unlimited calling in the US and Canada. But while RingCentral’s plans include a toll-free number and between 100-10,000 monthly toll-free minutes (based on plan), Dialpad requires users to purchase toll-free numbers as paid add-ons for $15/number/month, plus $0.02 per minute.
Outbound calling:
Both providers offer an outbound dialer for sales teams. Dialpad’s dialer though only operates in the power dialing mode, while RingCentral lets you choose between progressive, predictive, preview, and voice broadcasting modes. At the same time, unlike Dialpad, RingCentral doesn’t support voicemail drop, a critical feature for outbound sales teams many customers have been asking for.
SMS text messaging:
Dialpad offers unlimited inbound SMS/MMS in the US and Canada, along with 250 outbound messages/month. Any additional outbound texts are billed at $0.008 per message. RingCentral offers tier-based SMS allotments from 25-200 messages/month per user – and you can purchase additional SMS or take advantage of a high-volume SMS add-on starting at $0.01/message. RingCentral also offers an AI assistant for SMS that can help you write, draft, and edit messages, though it’s only available in the highest-tier plan.
The Verdict: It’s a tie
There’s no clear winner here. Both platforms offer comprehensive call management and texting features, making them excellent solutions for customer service teams and inbound call centers. The ultimate choice will depend on your communication needs, the size of your business, and your budget.
Dialpad vs. RingCentral: comparing AI tools and automations
Dialpad offers an impressive set of AI-powered features and tools built on the proprietary DialpadGPT. That includes real-time call transcriptions, meeting transcriptions, voicemail transcription, AI scorecards (automated call quality assurance), AI CSAT, AI Playbooks (automated guidance for sales and support reps), call summaries, sentiment analysis, real-time agent assist cards, and more. In addition, the Dialpad AI agent (a conversational AI chatbot) can help you automate customer service operations by handling customer requests 24/7.
RingCentral’s AI features and tools include an AI assistant for calls (transcribes and summarizes calls, captures actions, and tracks sentiment), an AI assistant for video (transcribes meetings, summarizes video recordings, and generates video highlights), an AI assistant for SMS (helps draft and translate SMS texts), and an AI assistant for team messaging (helps draft and translate team messages). What’s more, you can integrate an AI agent and leverage RingCentral’s RingSense suite for advanced conversation insights and AI-powered coaching.
The Verdict: Dialpad wins
RingCentral does offer a range of AI capabilities, but many of these features are only available in higher-tier plans or add-ons. Dialpad leads the pack when it comes to AI features thanks to its proprietary DialpadGPT that delivers more real-time conversation intelligence, automated workflows, and AI-powered coaching tools directly within its core product.
Dialpad vs. RingCentral: comparing third-party integrations
Dialpad lags behind in terms of integrations with third-party apps. A Standard (lowest-tier) plan only includes Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 integrations. Higher-tier plans unlock additional integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, HubSpot, Zoho, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Slack, Zapier, and dozens more. But that’s still pretty limited compared to RingCentral. Open APIs and webhooks are also available if you want to build custom workflows and embed Dialpad capabilities into your applications.
RingCentral undoubtedly surpasses Dialpad with broader integration options. It boasts over 400 pre-built integrations with CRM systems, helpdesk software, automation apps, and productivity tools. Better yet, it offers industry-specific integrations for finance, healthcare, education, legal, and retail sectors. Additionally, RingCentral gives you access to APIs, SDKs, widgets, and developer tools for more customized options. On the flip side, however, integrations with basic CRM systems like Salesforce, Zendesk, Microsoft Dynamics, and HubSpot aren’t included in the lowest-tier plan.
The Verdict: RingCentral wins
If you prioritize integration capabilities with third-party tools to ensure all your tech stack is seamlessly connected, you will definitely appreciate RingCentrals’s large library of pre-built integrations and developer tools.
Dialpad vs. RingCentral: comparing pricing plans
Dialpad’s pricing plans
Dialpad Connect plans (unlimited calling in the US and Canada, SMS text messaging, call and voicemail transcriptions, team collaboration tools, AI Meetings for up to 10 participants, real-time analytics and reporting):
- Standard – $15 user/month (billed annually)
- Pro – $25 user/month (billed annually)
- Enterprise – Contact sales
Dialpad Support plans (IVR, queue callbacks, digital channel integration, digital virtual agent, real-time assist, AI scorecards – best for customer support teams):
- Essentials – $80 user/month (billed annually)
- Advanced – $115 user/month (billed annually)
- Premium – $150 user/month (billed annually)
Dialpad Sell plans (power dialer, local dial, voicemail drop, call transcription, coaching tools, real-time assist, AI playbooks – best for sales teams):
- Essentials – $39 user/month (billed annually)
- Advanced – $95 user/month (billed annually)
- Premium – $150 user/month (billed annually)
Dialpad offers unlimited inbound and outbound calls within the US and Canada, 1 business phone number per user, and toll-free number support. Additional international or toll-free numbers cost $15/number/month, additional local numbers cost $5/number/month, plus $0.02 per minute for incoming calls. You can also purchase conference room lines for $20/number/month and internet fax for $15/number/month.
RingCentral’s pricing plans
RingEX (Unlimited calling in the US and Canada, IVR, call routing, business SMS, video meetings for up to 200 participants, advanced call monitoring, analytics and reporting, team collaboration tools, AI assistant – best for customer service and team collaboration):
- Core – $20 user/month (billed annually)
- Advanced – $25 user/month (billed annually)
- Ultra – $35 user/month (billed annually)
RingCX (voice and digital channel integration, IVR, skill-based routing, outbound dialer, reporting tools, AI agent assist, AI interaction analytics, integration with RingEX – best for contact centers and omnichannel support):
- Starts at $65 user/month (billed annually)
RingSense (conversation intelligence insights, coaching and performance analysis, deal and call scoring, automated summary and highlights – best for sales teams):
- Starts at $60 user/month (billed annually)
All RingEX plans include unlimited calling within the US and Canada, a toll-free number, 100-10,000 monthly toll-free minutes (additional toll-free minutes available for purchase), and 25-200 monthly text messages/user. Add-ons include high-volume SMS starting at $0.01/message sent/received, additional toll-free or local numbers for $4.99/month, additional international numbers starting at $5.99/user/month, and additional international toll-free numbers for $14.99/user/month. RingCentral also offers special plans for educational institutions ($12.99 – $19.99 /user/month).
The Verdict: It’s a tie
Dialpad has a lower entry price and fewer paid add-ons compared to RingCentral, which might be a more cost-effective option for smaller teams that need a basic business phone system. But while RingCentral’s entry-level plan is slightly more expensive, it unlocks all the key features for call management, team collaboration, and video conferencing and offers access to APIs, providing greater value for money.
Dialpad vs. RingCentral: comparing customer support
Dialpad provides 24/7 customer support across all plans, but phone support isn’t available in the Standard plan. You can also use Dialpad’s knowledge base and a community forum for self-service support. The platform’s help center offers lots of self-service guides and step-by-step instructions for regular users and admins. Enterprise plan users also get priority support and a dedicated customer success manager. With Dialpad, you can also take advantage of the Platinum Support add-on that guarantees faster response times and direct access to Tier 2 support.
RingCentral provides round-the-clock support via phone and chat across all plans, which is uncommon for contact center providers, particularly for entry-level plan holders. And it also offers an extensive resource library for self-help and a community forum where users can ask and answer questions. On the downside, RingCentral’s live support is largely AI-based, which basically means it might take you a considerable amount of effort to get beyond AI and actually reach a live person to answer your questions.
The Verdict: It’s a tie
There’s no obvious winner when comparing both provider’s customer support options. Both Dialpad and RingCentral offer extensive self-help online resources and 24/7 support on all plans. With Dialpad, you can’t get phone support unless you upgrade to higher-tier plans. But though RingCentral does provide phone support with the entry plan, it still takes time and effort to reach a human rep.
RingCentral vs. Dialpad vs. VoiceSpin: Which One is a Better Fit for Your Business?
While both Dialpad and RingCentral offer powerful features for handling incoming and outgoing calls, omnichannel support, third-party integrations, and a range of AI-powered features, they aren’t always the best fit for every use case. There are dozens of solid alternatives out there offering just about the same amount of features or even some capabilities you won’t find in Dialpad or RingCentral. And here’s why (and when) VoiceSpin might be a worthwhile alternative to Dialpad or RingCentral for both smaller teams and enterprise-level companies:
Wider global coverage
With VoiceSpin, you can get local phone numbers in 160+ countries across all regions, including Asia Pacific, Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and grow your business globally while maintaining a local presence, which is particularly suitable for businesses with geographically distributed call centers.
Inbound call management features
Similarly to Dialpad and RingCentral, VoiceSpin offers a full set of inbound call management features to handle customer calls effectively, making it a great alternative to these platforms for customer-facing teams. That includes multi-level IVR, custom call routing rules (with skill-based routing), call queueing, in-queue callbacks, real-time call monitoring, call whisper, basic call logs, real-time and historical reporting, and more.
Advanced tools for sales teams
Compared to Dialpad and RingCentral, VoiceSpin might be a better option for sales-focused teams. Our AI predictive dialer is one of the most advanced sales dialers on the market and an excellent tool for high velocity sales. The dialer’s AI and machine learning algorithms can intelligently score your leads and connect them to the best-suited sales reps to help you get the maximum out of your outbound calling campaigns.
Unlimited call recording storage
Dialpad allows you to customize the retention period for call recordings. Typically, users have a 45-day access window, while premium users can access their data for up to a year. To keep recordings beyond the access window, you need to download and back them up. With RingCentral, recordings are stored and can be accessed for 90 days; unlimited storage is only available with the highest-tier plan. With VoiceSpin’s unlimited cloud storage, you can store your call recordings for as long as you need across all plans.
Simpler pricing structure
Unlike the rather complex and often confusing pricing structure of Dialpad and RingCentral, VoiceSpin offers more straightforward pricing plans with clearly defined packages. With a Basic plan, you get a business phone system with essential calling and texting features – ideal for small businesses. An Advanced plan gives you access to enhanced sales features – excellent for sales-focused teams. With an Enterprise plan, you can take advantage of AI bots, AI speech analytics, omnichannel messaging, and custom integrations – best for enterprise-grade contact centers.
AI chatbot integration
In addition to supporting your customers across voice and digital channels, you can integrate an AI chatbot that answers common questions, resolves support issues, schedules appointments, and qualifies leads automatically, working tirelessly 24/7 when your human reps aren’t available. The bot speaks multiple languages, maintains natural dialogue, learns from past interactions, and becomes smarter over time.
AI voice bot (voice agent)
With VoiceSpin, you can also add an AI voice bot to your customer communication channels as a powerful customer service and sales automation tool. The bot supports hundreds of languages and dialects, responds in a human-like way without sounding robotic, handles pauses and interruptions naturally, and can seamlessly escalate conversations to your human agents when needed. You can use it to support customers, automate appointment scheduling, and qualify leads.
AI speech analytics
With AI Speech Analyzer, you can automate your entire call quality monitoring process. It can analyze 100% of your inbound and outbound phone calls, generate call summaries, evaluate call quality and agent performance based on your custom metrics and KPIs that matter to your business, and help you prevent costly non-compliance issues with keyword spotting and real-time alerts.
Custom integrations and development
VoiceSpin natively integrates with dozens of the most popular CRM platforms and productivity apps to ensure your contact center tech stack is connected. On top of that, we’re open to building custom integrations for our clients if there’s no ready-made solution yet. This personalized approach sets VoiceSpin apart from larger competitors like Dialpad and RingCentral.
More responsive customer support
Both Dialpad and RingCentral offer 24/7 support to all users. But according to multiple user reviews on G2, Capterra, and Reddit, customers aren’t always happy with the quality of support Dialpad and RingCentral provide. With VoiceSpin, you get 24/7 support via phone, email, or WhatsApp, regardless of your plan – and it’s always responsive and helpful.
Book a demo call now to see VoiceSpin’s AI contact center software solutions in action and find out whether they are the right fit for your customer communication needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dialpad better than RingCentral?
Dialpad stands out for its AI-powered features, a cleaner and more intuitive user interface, and lower entry price (which might be an advantage for smaller businesses), but it’s not necessarily better than RingCentral for all use cases. RingCentral provides more advanced call handling features and a more extensive integration ecosystem with 400+ app connections, making it a better choice for larger businesses and enterprises. What’s best for your team depends on your communication needs, feature priorities, and budget.
What is the disadvantage of Dialpad?
The biggest disadvantage of Dialpad compared to RingCentral and many other alternatives is its limited integration options with third-party apps. The lowest-tier plan only offers ready-made integrations with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. Basic CRM systems like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho can be integrated with the higher-tier plans, but the overall number of integrations with third-party tools is still lower than with most alternatives.
What is the best alternative to RingCentral?
The best alternative to RingCentral depends on what you’re looking for in terms of features and pricing. Zoom Phone and 8×8 are popular choices for unified communications. Dialpad and VoiceSpin are great RingCentral alternatives for those prioritizing AI-powered tools and automations. OpenPhone and AirCall are good options for businesses that need a reliable VoIP solution with powerful call management features.
What makes VoiceSpin a better alternative to Dialpad and RingCentral?
Firstly, VoiceSpin emerges as a stronger alternative to Dialpad and RingCentral for sales-oriented teams by offering an AI-powered predictive dialer with advanced features like intelligent lead scoring and distribution, local called ID, and automated voicemail drop – ideal for high-volume outbound calling. Better yet, besides integrating digital and social channels, VoiceSpin allows you to add an AI chatbot and an AI voice bot to your customer communication channels and automate your customer support and sales operations.
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