Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, several communication products came to the fore. Previously unknown players in the niche suddenly got the world’s attention. Meanwhile, those already well-known to the digital populace either continued to serve or failed to step up their game.
Some of the video conferencing software products that captured the world’s attention during that time thrived in a post-pandemic setting. They did something well to capture the interest of users. But this is also why it can be difficult for users, especially organizations, to choose which one is the best for them.
Should they follow the lead of the masses for a new player or take a careful look at the one that has been leading the game for a long time? In this article, we discuss two communication solutions, RingCentral Office vs Zoom, which are favorites of the people. Here, we delve deeper into their features and compare similar ones to see which one does it better.
RingCentral Office vs. Zoom Comparison Table of Contents
Before video conferences, people could only have costly telephone conferences held in meeting rooms. When video conferencing did come about in 1968, it was a clunky technology called Picturephone provided by AT&T. Participants could only speak with the person on the other line for 10 minutes, thus making the technology very limited.
Thankfully, the computer revolution of the 1980s happened. Advances were made until the 1990s, which made video transmissions more practical. Later on, Skype came along as well as other software for video conferencing.
Today, videotelephony has become preferable for companies, as it reduces travel costs. Video and web conferencing software statistics show that video conferencing apps were downloaded 62 million times in the third week of May alone in 2020. Granted, this was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was only a reflection of what the new normal would look like once restrictions loosened.
Because of that, the race to become among the top video conferencing platforms tightened. From our data, the forerunners are RingCentral Office and Zoom. This RingCentral Office vs Zoom article looks into their features. Read on to see how the two solutions fare in each section.
Overview of RingCentral Office and Zoom
RingCentral Office
RingCentral Office is an all-in-one communication solution. It provides you with voice and phone, messaging, and video conferencing tools in one platform. It is considered a leader in this software niche. This is evident in how it serves businesses and non-profit organizations of all sizes.
Try out RingEX with their free trialRingEX
Furthermore, you can use the software in whichever industry. Even if you are a professional offering your services to clients, you can count on it. This is because the application has economical plans that fit the budget of even solopreneurs and small businesses. You can learn more about RingCentral Video pricing packages for an in-depth look at their plans and features.
Detailed RingEX Review
Zoom
Zoom is a familiar name to the masses, experiencing its boom during the COVID-19 pandemic. It continues to be a communication and collaboration software that individuals and enterprises use to this day.
It started with a simple messaging and meetings platform but has now grown to several products. Businesses can now host events and webinars and colleagues can collaborate better with whiteboard and annotations. Plus, users are now able to connect Zoom with their favorite solutions.
Read more about the pros and cons of Zoom in a comprehensive analysis of its capabilities.
Detailed Zoom Review
Comparison of RingCentral Office vs Zoom
This RingCentral vs Zoom comparison will touch on several features. Among those are host and participant controls and meeting recording capabilities. We will also discuss how they fare when it comes to screen sharing and file sharing. Of course, it is also important to know how both solutions handle large meetings. Lastly, this RingCentral Office and Zoom comparison will discuss how well they do with chat and with reporting.
Core Features
To start this RingCentral vs Zoom article, let us take a look at their core features. They essentially have the same set of functionalities such as host and participant controls, the ability to record a meeting, screen sharing, and file sharing. Additionally, both solutions are capable of participant management even during a meeting, hosting large meetings, chat, and report generation.
Host and Participant Controls
What they differ in is the number of controls and settings provided for each one. For example, they are nearly identical in host and participant controls. But a closer look shows that RingCentral Office has more non-verbal feedback buttons, whereas Zoom is limited in this area. Participant management tools are close to the host controls as well.
Meeting Recording
In terms of meeting recording, the two applications go neck and neck. The record button is within easy reach of users. The main difference is automatic recording. RingCentral Office users can turn this feature on. Thus, they can be sure that every meeting is recorded automatically. Meanwhile, Zoom only has manual recording available. On top of that, the recording function is turned off by default so users have to tweak the settings first before using it.
Screen Sharing and File Sharing
Screen sharing is an easy affair with RingCentral Office. Users only need to open the files they want to share before clicking on the screen sharing button. Zoom lets you share your screen easily during meetings even while your video is turned on. The user currently sharing their screen has full control over their own screen.
File sharing is pretty straightforward in both solutions. You can disseminate files at any point during a meeting with RingCentral Office. The software is quite advanced in this matter since it can help distribute URLs and bookmarks with ease. Zoom also makes it seamless for users to share photos and documents. However, this feature is turned off by default.
Large Meetings, Chat, and Reporting Features
When it comes to large meetings, Zoom is able to accommodate more people. In fact, it can have meetings with as many as 1,000 people. RingCentral Office’s capacity is only half of that.
The chat features are pretty similar. Hosts can send public messages or send private messages to certain users. And if there is a webinar ongoing, hosts can control whether attendees can send messages to panelists and their fellow participants.
In the matter of reporting, the two software in question are pretty robust. They provide accurate meeting reports and offer daily looks into the usage of the platform. Users can see the active and inactive hosts. They can look at upcoming events as well. On top of that, they can look granularly into webinar metrics such as registration and attendance. Zoom, though, offers more reporting options such as audio conferencing, cloud recording, and phone systems. Additional in-depth reports on user activities are also available like sign-in/sign-out, chat history, and reported participants in meetings and webinars.
Launching an event with RingCentral.
RingCentral vs. Zoom Core Features Takeaways
This comparison of core features might have you asking, is Zoom and RingCentral the same? They are housed under the same category and are targeted toward the same markets. However, the former covers a wide audience base while the latter leans more into companies and organizations with its enterprise solutions. Their functionalities are similar but they are also varied.
Integrations
In the first part of our RingCentral vs Zoom comparison, we discussed file sharing. The two solutions let users share files from local drives. Aside from that, they can pull documents, images, audio, and video from third-party file-sharing services. This means that they can integrate with Box, Google Drive, and OneDrive. RingCentral Office has a bonus integration with Dropbox in that regard. As well, between the two, Zoom is the only one that can connect with SharePoint.
But there are other notable integrations. RingCentral Office can interface with the Google ecosystem. In fact, you can even add it as an extension to Chrome or as a Google Workspace add-on. Moreover, the software can connect with other Microsoft products such as Outlook, Teams, and Dynamics 365. Another major platform it can interface with is Salesforce. If the service you are looking for is not among these, do not fret. RingCentral Office provides you with the tools to build custom integrations.
On the other hand, Zoom offers calendar and contacts integrations. This is possible by connecting the user’s account with their Office 365 account. It can also manage schedules through Microsoft Outlook and certain Google products like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Hangouts. Its Scheduler extension is also available to Chrome and Firefox. Plus, it has an IBM Notes plugin. Other platforms it can interface with are Microsoft Teams, Slack, Skype for Business, and Workplace by Facebook. As with RingCentral Office, if the integration you need is not available, you can create your own with REST API, Desktop SDK, or MobileRTC stacks.
RingCentral Office vs. Zoom Integrations Takeaways
The two software solutions being discussed have very different sets of integrations. In this regard, what is better, RingCentral or Zoom? When you look at the former’s app marketplace, the selection is limited. But this does not mean you can only synchronize with apps that are listed there. As already mentioned, you have the ability to build your custom integrations. But the latter has more offerings in its app marketplace. This means that users have more choices and do not have to shell out more money for custom integrations.
Nevertheless, both are capable of providing organizations with the ability to create seamless workflows.
Pricing
When comparing two solutions, one of the most important factors to discuss is pricing. RingCentral Office offers four pricing plans. You can choose whether to pay on a monthly or an annual basis. The good thing with paying monthly is that you can drop your subscription when you feel that you do not need it. And in case you require it again, you can simply sign up once more. With the annual plan, you have to be in it for a longer term. There is a boon here, though: you can save up to 33%. But once the subscription period is over, you are under no obligation to continue.
One of the things that make Zoom popular is that you can use it for free. This is especially beneficial for personal meetings. The downside is that group meetings are limited to 40 minutes. And one-on-one meetings are cut off after 30 minutes. If you want to avoid getting cut off at the 40-minute mark for group meetings, you can sign up for paid plans. There are three available. You can choose to be billed monthly or annually for your license. With the latter, you can expect savings of up to 17%.
RingCentral Office vs Zoom Pricing Takeaways
RingCentral Office may not have a free plan and have upscale pricing but it does provide more in terms of features and benefits. For instance, organizations can have business phone or toll-free numbers. Additionally, they can enjoy unlimited calls to United States and Canada numbers as well as enhanced business SMS.
Ease of Use
RingCentral Office is a powerful solution. It has plenty of advanced features that basic and power users alike are sure to enjoy. Despite this, it is known for being an intuitive platform. Professional reviewers and users alike have pointed it out. You can get around the software and become familiar with its settings and controls without difficulty.
Zoom is also known for being a robust platform that is also very user-friendly. It has a clean interface where buttons are arranged neatly. You will not be scratching your head wondering about their use because it is obvious enough.
RingCentral Office is pretty easy to use with host controls accessible to the user from one screen.
RingCentral Office vs. Zoom Ease of Use Takeaways
The two software are well-known for their clean user interfaces. It is also undeniable that they are easy to use. Even a person who is still unfamiliar with video conferencing solutions can navigate it without difficulty.
Getting Started
To get started with RingCentral Office, users have to sign up for an account and purchase a subscription plan first. After that, they can start using capabilities like chatting and video calling. Do you need to download an app on your desktop or mobile device? The great thing about this solution is that there is no need. Simply log in to your account on your browser. Participants who get sent a link to a meeting on RingCentral Office do not even have to have an account; they can simply join through a modern browser. Even so, they enjoy the plethora of participant controls available and enabled by the host.
Unlike RingCentral Office, users are not required to purchase a paid subscription to start using Zoom features. But first, they have to sign up. When that process is done, they can begin setting up meetings. However, should they want to access more advanced functionalities as well as have longer video calls, users need to upgrade their free plans to paid plans. And when you want to start a meeting, you can do the primary setup on your browser. Unfortunately, you have to download Zoom on your PC, mobile, or tablet to enjoy meetings. That is because you cannot start video calls or even chats on a browser.
RingCentral Office vs Zoom Getting Started Takeaways
Between RingCentral Office vs Zoom, it is the latter solution that is easier to get started with. Many users might balk at having to pay a monthly or an annual fee. But it does not mean that the number of participants is limited. It only means that depending on your license, only a few people can create meetings or webinars. And getting started with it is seamless, as you can create an account and have meetings straight from the browser.
Use Cases
In this age of remote, mobile, or hybrid work, people need a solution that would move with them. RingCentral Office is one such tool. It has been recognized as a leading platform for midsize companies as well as for large and multinational enterprises. Furthermore, it is a wonderful software to work with regardless of your setting.
One organization that has reaped benefits from using RingCentral Office is the San Francisco Symphony. Because it could not hold live performances, it opted to have fun and interactive events online instead. They have had solos from musicians, even video calls from the North Pole. The Symphony also did its annual Deck the Hall Event through the platform.
Similar to RingCentral Office, Zoom is known for being a fine solution for web conferences, presentations, and group discussions. As well, it is being used in academic settings. And often, people like to turn to the platform for one-on-one chats.
RingCentral provides participants with a whiteboard that they can share.
On a large scale, Zoom has been used by Formula 1 to deliver great races to fans all over the world. With the video conferencing app, F1 has connected fans with drivers through virtual meetings. One of the world’s biggest sporting events was also able to have more inclusive press conferences. Additionally, it has allowed racing fans virtual Paddock Club Access and given them a look at F1’s 2022 Car Launch.
RingCentral Office vs Zoom Use Cases Takeaways
These are standout web conferencing apps and have been recognized for their technologies, services, and deliveries. Still, RingCentral Office excels in certain use cases and has been given high scores for those.
RingCentral Office vs. Zoom Comparison Table
| RingCentral Office | Zoom | |
| Ideal for |
|
|
| Use cases |
|
|
| Core Features | ||
| Host and Participant Controls | ✔ | ✔ |
| Recording a Meeting | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sharing Screens | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sharing Files | ✔ | ✔ |
| Adding a Participant | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hosting Large Meetings | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chat Feature | ✔ | ✔ |
| Reports Feature | ✔ | ✔ |
| Key Integrations | ||
| Google Ecosystem | ✔ | ✔ |
| Microsoft Products | ✔ | ✔ |
| Salesforce | ✔ | ✔ |
| Browser Extensions | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pricing | ||
| Starts from | $29.99 per user/month | $14.99 per license/month |
| No. of plans | 4 | 4 |
RingCentral vs. Zoom—Which is better?
When it comes to the basics, both RingCentral Office and Zoom have similar offerings. The two solutions satisfy users as all essential functionalities are available. But the two video conferencing applications have their differences, especially in how they design certain functionalities.
For example, with host and participant controls, both solutions have similar features. However, RingCentral Office provides more non-verbal feedback choices. For hosts, video and audio controls are within easy reach. The same can be said for participant management tools.
Security is not a light matter for the two platforms. Zoom has worked on the issue of Zoombombing, which it was known for in the early days of the pandemic. It implemented the waiting room, where participants in a meeting have to wait before being admitted. RingCentral Office has the same feature. But it has never had a case similar to the younger video conferencing software where bad actors maliciously disrupt meetings.
These software solutions both have excellent integrations and users have often noted their ease of use. In line with these, they are easy to get started with, too. But RingCentral holds the torch as users can create meetings, attend calls, and start video conferences from the browser.
Now on to the money talk. Is RingCentral cheaper than Zoom? The short answer is no. However, for its price point, it furnishes top-notch features. The quality of video conferences will always be outstanding. And security? There is less fear of security breaches with RingCentral Office. Get to know more about RingCentral’s pros and cons to understand why it is a top cloud phone system.
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