RingCentral RingEX (formerly RingCentral MVP) is an advanced and reliable VoIP system that caters to both large and small businesses. Far beyond just a platform for taking calls, the feature-rich RingEX lets you write text messages to employees and clients, host video meetings, and even send faxes. The platform's exceptional artificial intelligence (AI) abilities (including automated call summaries) and comprehensive integration options are also highlights. Its interface could be clearer in some places, but RingEX is still an Editors' Choice award winner alongside the more affordable Intermedia Unite.
How Much Does RingEX Cost?
Despite dozens of features, RingEX makes it clear what each of its Business Phone tiers offers.
The Core plan costs $30 per user per month and is quite robust. It supports unlimited domestic calling, video chats for up to 100 people, and text messaging. At this tier, you also get some AI features, including real-time call transcriptions and summaries of video meetings.
Next is the Advanced plan, which costs $35 per user per month. It adds six months of storage for adoption and usage analytics, automatic call recording, customer relationship management (CRM) integrations, custom user roles, unlimited internal faxing, and more. At this level, the AI Assistant can take notes from your calls and create synced action items.
Finally, the Ultra plan costs $45 per user per month. It increases the number of attendees for a video meeting to 200, extends call analytics storage to a year, and unlocks unlimited storage for call recordings and files (up to a retention period). The AI Assistant can also help you draft and translate text and team messages.
All these plans cover up to 100 users; if you go above that limit, you need to reach out to the company for custom pricing. A 21-day trial that lets you use all of RingEX's features is available for new subscribers.
For comparison, Intermedia Unite charges $27.99 and $32.99 per user per month, respectively, for its Pro and Enterprise plans. Those tiers include unlimited international calling to select countries (RingEX charges extra for this) and similar AI features. Zoho Voice costs $100 per month for up to 10 team members, but it's not as advanced and lacks AI features.
Getting Started With RingEX
Like most communications platforms, RingEX is easy to set up. You simply log in and start using it. That said, it might take you some time to digest its myriad features. This is the trade-off with all modern business software; extensive features that lead to better communication require time to configure and learn.
You should start by setting up your company's phone numbers. Then, set aside a few hours to configure personal greetings and the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) menu system that routes callers to the right number.
Importing contacts is a bit confusing at first. I initially expected to be able to do this from the Contacts section of the app, but you must instead head to the admin portal. A link to the latter from the Contacts section would help clear things up. I also had to rearrange contacts vertically in my test spreadsheet for the import process to be successful, though that's not a big deal.
As for integrations with third-party software, RingEX's App Gallery is second to none. It works with Google products, Microsoft Teams, and Slack as if it were part of them to begin with. The number of options is almost overwhelming, but RingCentral helpfully organizes them into Message, Video, and Phone groups. My only complaint here is that my preferred messaging app, Discord, is not among the native options.
User Experience: Sleek and Comprehensive
RingEX's UI is attractive and intuitive. At first glance, its interface looks remarkably similar to that of apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams, which are primarily for text communication. A row of icons on the left lets you access fax, phone, texting, and video call functions. In seconds, you can ring up a new client, hold a video chat with your boss, or even fax a contract. It's a testament to modern communication that the messaging and video meeting options appear before the phone one; you likely send text messages and attend video meetings more frequently, after all.
I mostly tested RingEX on the web and via its Android and iOS apps, but it also offers desktop apps for macOS and Windows. All versions are powerful and intuitive. I especially enjoyed using RingEX on my Pixel 9 Pro, which doesn't have carrier service. With the app, the phone seamlessly transformed into a business device for receiving test calls all day long. RingEX supports several dozen brands of traditional desktop phones, such as Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, and Poly.
Calling: All the Features You Could Need
It's challenging to find something RingEX can't do. The app feels like an amalgamation of a traditional desktop phone system, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. RingEX's AI features really set it apart from apps like Zoho Voice and put it on even footing with Intermedia Unite.
Making calls couldn't be easier. Every call sounded pristine regardless of the platform and who was on the other end of the line. I enjoyed seeing both a call summary and real-time transcription of conversations, courtesy of the AI assistant.
The IVR menu system is outstanding. Using the admin portal, you can type in a phrase you want to use when someone calls the main business phone line. I added, "Welcome to the Brandon Media Empire, your call is important to us..." and laughed when I called and heard a virtual receptionist give me that greeting. Routing worked well on all of my test calls, too; I only wish the IVR settings were easier to find. In the admin portal, you need to look for the "Auto-Receptionist" tab.
The AI Assistant's real-time transcription is especially impressive. I read a page from a book aloud to test it, and RingEX captured what I was saying almost perfectly. It missed just a few phrases and names, including "Brexit" and Winston Churchill. As mentioned, the AI Assistant can also help you compose SMS text messages with a click (if you subscribe to the Ultra tier).
RingEX also handles video meetings without a problem. It supports screen-sharing and recordings, while the AI Assistant lets you review portions of a meeting in which specific people were speaking. The latter also helps you determine who spoke the most. That said, you can't track call sentiment (the overall tone or if anyone dominated the conversation or became angry).
Administration: Fewer Barriers Than Before
I appreciate that RingCentral no longer requires you to go through many of its configuration wizards. Now, you can navigate directly to the setup interfaces for IVR, phone configuration, voicemail, and many other admin features. Guidance is still available if you need it.
Admins can configure things like call monitoring (available starting with the Advanced tier) and call routing with a few clicks. However, like with many other aspects of RingEX, the sheer number of features means it can take time to find each one and learn how it works. Still, I prefer that to a lighter feature set.
Both the Advanced and Ultra subscription tiers include call center features like barging (joining a call) and whispering (listening in on a call), which are often available only for full call center systems. RingCentral offers a smooth upgrade path to its RingCX call center product should you need it; it uses the same interface and accepts your existing login credentials. RingCX adds advanced features like AI-based coaching for agents and a more comprehensive knowledge base.
RingEX makes it easy to configure integrations with CRM systems, so you shouldn't have any problem connecting with customers that way. Options include HubSpot, Salesforce, and ZenDesk.
If you have issues with setup or administrative tasks, RingEX offers chat, email, and phone support. Unfortunately, chat is neither in real time nor 24/7; you must open a case first and wait for a response. RingCentral says support can take up to 48 hours to respond, though I got a response after just a few minutes in testing. Fortunately, a chatbot is available at all times. It helped me configure the voicemail system for employees and set a company greeting.
Verdict: A Business Communications Powerhouse
RingEX is a powerful, AI-enabled communications service that helps businesses connect internally and externally across an expanding landscape of phone calls, text messages, and video meetings. We especially like how easy it is to set up integrations with third-party apps and its overall reliability in testing. Some parts of the app could be more intuitive, but that doesn't prevent RingEX from earning our Editors' Choice award. It shares that distinction with Intermedia Unite, which offers competitive features for a bit less money.
