On this page
- Dialpad vs RingCentral at a glance
- Dialpad pricing vs RingCentral pricing
- What each plan includes
- AI features and add-ons
- A year for 10 users
- Free trial and fine print
- Who each is for
- Moving your number to either
- Plan by plan
- Fees on top of the plan price
- Texting registration costs
- Questions to ask before you buy
- Which to pick
- Frequently asked questions
Dialpad vs RingCentral at a glance
| Dialpad | RingCentral RingEX | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Connect Standard: $15 annual, $27 monthly | Core: $20 annual, $30 monthly |
| Mid plan | Connect Pro: $25 annual, $35 monthly | Advanced: $25 annual, $35 monthly |
| Top plan | Enterprise: contact sales | Ultra: $35 annual, $45 monthly (10,000 toll-free minutes, 200 SMS per user); AI Customer Engagement Bundle: contact sales |
| AI on the entry plan | Real-time transcripts and call summaries | AI Virtual Assistant included; AI Receptionist is an add-on |
| CRM integrations | Pro | Advanced |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days for new subscribers (RingCentral's FAQ); its disclaimer limits the trial to five users and two desk phones, though the FAQ mentions up to 20 phone lines |
Per user a month, before taxes and fees, from Dialpad pricing and RingCentral plans and pricing, both read October 29, 2026.
Dialpad pricing vs RingCentral pricing
On the entry plans Dialpad is cheaper on both terms: $15 against $20 billed annually, and $27 against $30 month to month. The mid plans cost exactly the same, $25 annual and $35 monthly. The bigger difference is the jump for paying monthly:
| Users | Dialpad Standard (annual) | Dialpad Standard (monthly) | RingCentral Core (annual) | RingCentral Core (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15 | $27 | $20 | $30 |
| 5 | $75 | $135 | $100 | $150 |
| 10 | $150 | $270 | $200 | $300 |
| 25 | $375 | $675 | $500 | $750 |
Per month, computed from the published per-user prices; taxes, fees and add-ons extra. For 10 users on annual billing, Dialpad Standard is $600 a year less than RingCentral Core. RingCentral's page has a number-of-users selector; these are the prices it shows by default.
What each plan includes
| Dialpad Connect Standard / Pro | RingCentral Core / Advanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Calling | Unlimited calls | Unlimited domestic calling |
| Texting | Built-in messaging | 25 SMS per user a month on Core, 100 on Advanced; TCR registration required |
| Toll-free minutes | Not stated on the pricing page | 100 on Core, 1,000 on Advanced, 10,000 on Ultra |
| Call recording | Not stated on the pricing page | On-demand recording on Core |
| Meetings | AI-powered meetings and HD calls | HD meetings up to 300 participants |
| Mid plan adds | CRM integrations, 24/7 support, multi-office management | CRM integrations, multiple sites, core reporting |
| International | Local numbers in over 50 countries | Not stated on the plans page |
AI features and add-ons
| Dialpad | RingCentral | |
|---|---|---|
| Transcripts and summaries | Real-time transcripts and instant call summaries on Standard | AI Virtual Assistant included on Core |
| AI receptionist | Not stated | AI Receptionist add-on, starting at $39 |
| Extra texting | Not stated | Business SMS Booster, $25 |
| Call queues | Not stated on the pricing page | Call Queues Booster, $35 |
| Conversation analytics | Not stated | Conversational Intelligence, from $60 |
| Contact center or sales dialer | Dialpad Support from $89 and Dialpad Sell from $39 a user billed annually ($109 and $49 monthly) | AI Customer Engagement Bundle, contact sales |
RingCentral add-ons from its plans and pricing page as recorded on RingCentral alternatives; Dialpad products from Dialpad pricing.
A year for 10 users
| Plan | 10 users, a year billed annually | 10 users, a year month to month |
|---|---|---|
| Dialpad Standard | $1,800 | $3,240 |
| RingCentral Core | $2,400 | $3,600 |
| Dialpad Pro | $3,000 | $4,200 |
| RingCentral Advanced | $3,000 | $4,200 |
Free trial and fine print
Dialpad
Dialpad Connect is free for 14 days. Its Enterprise plan description cites 99.9% uptime; Dialpad publishes no uptime figure for Standard or Pro on the pricing page. Dialpad warns that the price on its website may differ from your actual price because of regional pricing. More on Dialpad pricing.
RingCentral
The free trial lasts 14 days for new subscribers, with no SMS; trial hardware must be returned within 21 days of cancelling. The page conflicts on its size: the FAQ says up to 20 phone lines, the disclaimer five users and two desk phones (RingCentral). The plans page states no uptime guarantee. It lists extra fees such as the Federal Universal Service Recovery Fee and E911 Service Fee. More on RingCentral pricing.
Dialpad's pricing page publishes no integration count; RingCentral's plans page FAQ says it has over 330 integrations (RingCentral), while its RingEX page cites 500+.
Who each is for
Dialpad fits
- Teams that want AI transcripts and summaries on the cheapest plan.
- Businesses with staff abroad: local numbers in over 50 countries.
- Larger companies needing SSO, access controls and unlimited office locations (Enterprise).
RingCentral fits
- Teams that need toll-free minutes and texts in the plan.
- Businesses with several sites (Advanced).
- Teams that want meetings up to 300 people and LLM plugins and MCP connectors on Core.
Moving your number to either
Both port numbers in. Dialpad does not charge for local US ports (toll-free and international ports carry a fee) and takes local requests through an online form in your account (Dialpad); RingCentral says it covers the cost. FCC rules require simple ports to be processed in one business day (FCC). Desk phones: Dialpad supports them; RingCentral supports them, but renting needs a multi-year contract.
Plan by plan
Dialpad Connect
- Standard ($15 / $27): unlimited calls, AI meetings, built-in messaging, real-time transcripts and call summaries.
- Pro ($25 / $35): adds CRM integrations, 24/7 support and multi-office management.
- Enterprise (quote): 99.9% uptime, SSO, user access controls, unlimited office locations.
RingCentral RingEX
- Core ($20 / $30): unlimited domestic calling, AI Virtual Assistant, on-demand recording, 100 toll-free minutes, 25 SMS per user.
- Advanced ($25 / $35): adds CRM integrations, multiple sites, core reporting, 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 SMS per user.
- Ultra ($35 / $45): adds 10,000 toll-free minutes, 200 SMS per user and RingCentral Webinar.
- AI Customer Engagement Bundle with AIR (quote).
Fees on top of the plan price
Neither company's plan price includes taxes. RingCentral's plans page says other taxes and fees may apply, naming the Federal Universal Service Recovery Fee, an E911 Service Fee, a Compliance and Administrative Cost Recovery Fee, a 911 Fee and state and local taxes, and it requires TCR registration before you can send SMS or MMS (RingCentral). Dialpad notes that regional pricing and currency can change the price you pay. How these fees add up on a real bill is worked through in business phone system pricing.
Texting registration costs
Both need carrier registration before you text customers. RingCentral requires TCR registration for SMS and MMS; its fee page lists $19 brand and campaign vetting (charged even if rejected), $15 campaign vetting for each resubmission, then $1.50 a month for low volume or $10 standard, with a 3-month minimum. Dialpad's pricing page does not list its registration fees. Compare all providers on free business phone numbers.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Dialpad: is my regional price the same as the website? Which plan includes call recording and toll-free minutes?
- RingCentral: does my team size change the price (the page has a 1-5, 6-100 and 100+ users selector)?
- Both: what will taxes and fees add per line, and what does texting registration cost?
Which to pick
| If you want | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price, annual or monthly | Dialpad Standard | $15 annual or $27 monthly against $20 or $30 |
| AI transcripts and summaries on the cheapest plan | Dialpad Standard | Included on Standard |
| Toll-free minutes and texts included | RingCentral | 100 toll-free minutes and 25 SMS per user on Core |
| Testing with a small team first | Either | Dialpad: 14 days; RingCentral: 14 days, five users and two desk phones per its disclaimer |
| CRM integrations | Either mid plan | Both $25 annual, $35 monthly |
Still shopping? See Dialpad alternatives, RingCentral alternatives and RingCentral vs Nextiva.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dialpad or RingCentral cheaper?
Dialpad, on the entry plans: Connect Standard is $15 a user billed annually or $27 monthly, against RingCentral Core at $20 or $30. The mid plans, Dialpad Pro and RingCentral Advanced, are the same price.
Does Dialpad have a CRM?
Dialpad's pricing page lists CRM integrations on its Pro plan ($25 a user annual, $35 monthly). It does not describe a built-in CRM.
Is Dialpad a good VoIP service?
It includes unlimited calls, messaging and real-time AI transcripts and call summaries on its $15 entry plan, with a 14-day free trial to test call quality on your own connection.
Does RingCentral record all your calls?
RingCentral's plans page lists on-demand call recording on Core, meaning you start a recording during a call. It does not list automatic recording of every call on that plan.
Which is better, Zoom or RingCentral?
On price, Zoom Phone: $16 a user billed annually or $18 monthly, against RingCentral Core at $20 or $30. Both list auto attendants: Zoom on every Phone plan, RingCentral on Core. RingCentral Core includes 100 toll-free minutes and 25 texts per user. See RingCentral alternatives.
Does RingCentral have a free trial?
Yes, 14 days for new subscribers, without SMS. The disclaimer limits it to five users and two desk phones; the FAQ on the same page says up to 20 phone lines, so confirm the limit.