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Google Voice and RingCentral are decent communication platforms.
On one hand, Google Voice offers unlimited calling and texting in the US. You even get ad-hoc call recording in higher tiers.
RingCentral, on the other hand, boasts unified communication capabilities, bundling voice, text, and video conferencing.
The two, however, aren't without notable drawbacks.
Google Voice, for instance, doesn't offer toll-free numbers. Plus, it’s not natively HIPAA compliant.
As a result, you cannot use it if your business handles sensitive customer information or is in a regulated industry.
RingCentral, while feature-rich, locks functionalities such as automatic call recording and custom reporting behind its Advanced and Ultra plans, which cost $25 and $35 monthly.
If you’re a small business or on a tight budget, RingCentral costs can quickly add up, especially since the platform reserves essential features for the higher tiers.
It’s against this backdrop that we’re adding iPlum into the Google Voice vs RingCentral comparison.
In the sections below, we’ll zoom in on Google Voice and RingCentral features, pricing, and more.
At the same time, we’ll tell you why iPlum is a solid alternative to both.
Table of Contents
1. Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—A Side-by-side feature comparison
2. Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—What Do Users Say?
3. Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Pricing
4. How to Port Your Number to iPlum
5. Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
6. Why Choose iPlum Over Google Voice and RingCentral
Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—A Side-by-side feature comparison
Although Google Voice, iPlum, and RingCentral are communication platforms, there are significant differences in how they operate.
And, when you know what to expect, it becomes easier to decide which one works best for your requirements.
In the sections below, we’ll go over what the three platforms can do for business calling, texting, and team collaboration.
Here’s a comparison table to start us off.
1. Voice Calling
At the very least, you expect your phone system to deliver reliable calling functionality.
Here’s how Google Voice, RingCentral, and iPlum compare when it comes to voice quality and calling features.
Google Voice
Google Voice offers unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada.
Meanwhile, the Standard plan adds ring groups and call recording. Still, Google Voice doesn’t offer business-critical features such as a robust IVR, HIPAA compliance, and toll-free vanity numbers.
Sure, Google Voice can handle light and casual calling. However, it may not be ideal for business, as it doesn’t have many essential business features.
RingCentral
RingCentral, like Google Voice, offers unlimited calling to the U.S. and Canada.
However, unlike Google, the platform comes with more business features, including call flipping, hot desking, and routing rules. But these features are only available in higher plans, whose cost starts at $25 per user per month.
Furthermore, RingCentral relies on the internet, so audio quality depends on the strength of your connection, which can be a serious drawback.
iPlum
iPlum outperforms Google Voice and RingCentral when it comes to call reliability.
Unlike the two, iPlum offers dual-mode calling, a feature that allows you to place calls over Wi-Fi or on your carrier network.
As a result, you can switch seamlessly between networks depending on which signal is stronger at the moment. The benefit is that you experience fewer dropped calls, even in areas with poor internet coverage.
In addition, all plans include U.S. and Canadian calling, spam blocking, business-hour setup, and voice features.
And, for regulated industries, iPlum also provides compliant call recording to meet standards like HIPAA and Dodd-Frank.
One more thing, iPlum supports multi-device calling. You can make calls using the app or web portal.
2. Texting and Messaging
Texting is now just as important as calling for many businesses. Whether it’s confirming appointments or sending quick updates, your phone system should make messaging reliable and professional.
Here’s how the three compare.
Google Voice
Google Voice includes unlimited texting, but only within the U.S. It doesn’t support international SMS or MMS, which limits its usefulness for businesses with customers outside the country.
Furthermore, the platform doesn’t have business-grade features such as scheduled texts, templates, and auto-replies.
Google Voice is suitable for personal use, but it may not be well-suited for structured, professional communication.
RingCentral
RingCentral, unlike Google Voice, supports SMS and MMS in the U.S. and Canada.
However, it caps messages depending on your plan, anywhere from 25 to 200 texts per user per month. You need to pay extra fees for additional messages.
Indeed, RingCentral outperforms Google Voice here by offering multimedia and limited international texting.
But the caps and compliance hurdles can be frustrating if your business relies heavily on texting.
iPlum
iPlum delivers secure texting with no U.S. message caps and full MMS support.
And, for healthcare, finance, and other regulated industries, it provides HIPAA-compliant texting with encryption and audit trails.
You also receive a free account for secure, bi-directional messaging with clients, a feature neither Google Voice nor RingCentral offers.
On top of that, iPlum gives your business features such as auto-replies, group messaging, and broadcast texts.
The bottom line is that iPlum is a good Google Voice and RingCentral alternative if you’re looking for a phone system that offers a reliable, compliant texting workflow.
3. Auto Attendant and Call Handling
A good business phone system should enable you to route callers to the right person or department easily.
In addition, an auto attendant can help create a strong first impression, whether a customer is reaching out for support or a patient calls outside of business hours.
Here’s what you get with the three services.
Google Voice
Google Voice includes a basic auto attendant in the Standard and Premier plans. The feature allows you to set up greetings and direct calls with simple menus.
However, the system is limited and offers little flexibility for complex call flows.
Although it can work for small teams, growing businesses may find Google Voice’s auto attendant restrictive.
RingCentral
RingCentral offers a more advanced call-handling system, including multi-level auto attendants, call queues, and routing rules.
However, as is the case with most essential features, this one too is only available in the higher tiers.
The ripple effect is that you could end up paying for tools your business doesn't necessarily need to access an auto-attendant, a feature iPlum offers in its Standard plan.
iPlum
iPlum boasts a robust phone tree and auto attendant with unlimited extensions in all tiers, including the Standard plan for $8.99 per user per month.
With iPlum, small businesses can enjoy the same professional setup that large organizations use at a reasonable price.
The best part is that you can customize greetings, set business hours, and route calls to individuals or groups.
And, unlike Google Voice, there are no user limits tied to tiers. Plus, compared to RingCentral, you don’t need to upgrade to expensive plans to access unlimited routing.
For medical offices, law firms, or service businesses, iPlum’s phone tree and auto attendant make it easy to manage inbound communication professionally and affordably.
4. Phone Numbers
The right phone number setup adds credibility and makes it easier for customers to reach you.
So you want a system that offers toll-free lines, local and vanity numbers, to help you shape how your business presents itself.
Let’s compare the three platforms.
Google Voice
Google Voice limits you to local U.S. numbers.
You can select an area code, but you won’t be able to choose toll-free or vanity numbers. As a result, you can’t use it if you want to create a professional, nationwide presence.
Moreover, international lines are equally limited, as Google Voice doesn’t offer dedicated numbers outside the U.S. without tying into Google Workspace.
RingCentral
RingCentral offers businesses greater flexibility with phone numbers compared to Google Voice.
You can choose local, toll-free, or vanity numbers, and the platform supports numbers in multiple countries. It also allows number porting if you want to bring your existing line.
The limitation here is that toll-free numbers come with caps on minutes, and vanity numbers can add costs. And for businesses with high call volumes, this can mean higher bills.
iPlum
iPlum offers local, toll-free, and vanity numbers in the U.S. and Canada.
It also boasts international support in over 200 countries. Plus, you can port your existing line or add multiple numbers to a single account.
Moreover, iPlum is available in 23 languages, ensuring multilingual support for international businesses.
iPlum also offers toll-free numbers without restricting essential features to higher tiers, unlike RingCentral.
So if you want flexibility in how customers reach you, whether through a local presence or a nationwide toll-free identity, iPlum allows you to do so without hidden trade-offs.
5. Collaboration Tools
Calling and texting are good functionalities to have in a phone system.
However, your business could make do with tools such as team chat, shared inboxes, and video conferencing.
These features make it easier for employees to coordinate and serve customers without having to switch between multiple apps.
Here’s what you get with the three services as far as collaboration tools go.
Google Voice
Google Voice sticks to simple calling and texting. It doesn’t come with built-in team chat or shared inbox features, which can make collaboration more challenging.
And if you want video meetings or messaging, you’ll need to rely on Google Workspace apps, such as Google Meet and Google Chat.
Although this can suffice if your team already uses Google, it forces you to juggle multiple apps instead of having everything under one roof.
RingCentral
RingCentral thrives on collaboration. The platform includes team chat, file sharing, and built-in video conferencing.
With RingCentral, you can host meetings, share screens, and use features such as whiteboards and breakout rooms.
However, unless you’re a large business with a big team, these extra tools can be overwhelming, and they also come at a high cost.
iPlum
iPlum is more streamlined in regard to collaboration capabilities compared to Google Voice and RingCentral. Instead of bloated apps, it offers the most essential collaboration for business communication.
With iPlum, team members can share a business line, assign calls, and view call and message histories for better coordination.
Meanwhile, group messaging and broadcast texts ensure your team doesn’t miss any customer updates.
And, for industries where privacy is critical, iPlum adds HIPAA-compliant internal messaging, ensuring sensitive communication remains secure.
The result is a system that balances collaboration with simplicity, without leaving a hole in your budget.
6. Integrations
The ability to integrate your phone system with other business applications can save time and enhance productivity.
From CRMs to workflow tools, integrations often determine how well a platform fits into your daily operations.
Here’s how the three phone systems compare.
Google Voice
Google Voice integrates only with Google Workspace. You can connect it with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Meet, and Drive, but that’s as far as it goes.
For businesses that operate within the Google ecosystem, this may be sufficient.
However, if you rely on external CRMs or project management tools, you won’t find built-in options with Google Voice.
RingCentral
RingCentral supports a reasonably large integration ecosystem.
You can connect it to third-party applications such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zendesk. So, if you need to sync calls and messages into existing workflows, this is a clear advantage.
Again, some of the more powerful integrations require higher-tier plans.
iPlum
iPlum's integration strategy is different from Google Voice and RingCentral.
While it may not have a large app marketplace, iPlum supports essential integrations for business communication.
You can connect iPlum to external systems through APIs, enabling call records, voicemail, and message data to flow securely into your CRM or EHR.
If you’re in healthcare and finance, iPlum ensures these integrations are compliant with HIPAA and other regulations.
Sure, iPlum offers the same sheer number of integrations as RingCentral. However, it delivers secure, targeted third-party integration connections that support modern business needs.
7. Customer Support and Scalability
Any phone system worth your attention should offer reliable support. It must also be able to grow with your business.
Let’s see how the three platforms compare on this one.
Google Voice
Google Voice provides 24/7 support across all plans, a notable benefit. However, customer reviews often mention slow response times and limited troubleshooting beyond fundamental issues.
On scalability, Google Voice’s Starter plan caps users at 10, and even higher tiers lack the advanced features larger teams typically need.
RingCentral
RingCentral offers 24/7 phone and chat support, with generally stronger service than Google Voice.
The platform is also built for scalability, supporting complex call flows, multiple locations, and global teams.
The tradeoff is cost and complexity—scaling with RingCentral usually means moving into higher-tier plans, which can get expensive.
iPlum
iPlum combines responsive support with an architecture designed to scale.
First, businesses of any size can start with a single line and expand to hundreds of users while keeping costs predictable and manageable.
In addition, customer support includes online resources, ticket-based assistance, and live support available through a scheduled Zoom call.
Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—What Do Users Say?
Customer reviews often reveal what day-to-day use of a platform is really like.
While feature lists may look good on paper, user feedback highlights reliability, ease of use, and the frustrations that come up in actual workflows.
These insights make it easier to determine whether a service is truly business-ready or merely suitable for casual, personal use.
Google Voice Reviews
While some users praise Google Voice’s ease of use, others report issues such as audio glitches, dropped calls, and inadequate support.
❌ Poor call quality
“It screens calls and doesn't always let calls through, and the sound quality isn't always the best on both my end and theirs.” — Stephanie W., Capterra
❌ Weak internet impact
“I didn't like having to always have a strong internet connection to ensure good call quality using Google Voice.” — Nafula M., Capterra
❌ Limited business support
“Support is almost non-existent, which is frustrating when you have an issue.” — Verified user, Capterra
✔ Easy to use
“My overall experience with Google Voice is positive. It is straightforward and easy to use and understand.” — “The love of Google Voice”, Capterra
RingCentral Reviews
RingCentral users appreciate the platform’s unified communication features. Everyday frustrations include inconsistent support and performance hiccups
❌ Laggy app performance
“The app most of the time works very slowly… I need to close it and open it back a few times during the day.”— Dionel R., G2
❌ Frequent downtime interruptions
“So much downtime… at least once a week, the service goes down, and that is annoying.”
— Brittany E., Capterra
❌ Confusing UI and limited customization
“Too many pages and sites to access the admin portal… Customer support was never really helpful.”— Stephanie S., Capterra
✔ Clean experience, clear messaging
“RingEX is easy to use and makes communication between my staff and patients simple.— Elisa L., G2
iPlum Reviews
iPlum consistently earns praise for its reliability, HIPAA compliance, and responsive support. Most reviewers highlight its ease of use and value for money.
✔ Quick and effective support
“I sent a support ticket and was responded to within the hour. The situation was fixed… no disruption to my service. I am so grateful for the help.” — Lindsey Baker, Trustpilot
✔ HIPAA-compliant voicemail and texting
“I needed a HIPAA-compliant voicemail… iPlum works so well for clients to leave messages securely. I also use the texting feature… fairly affordable, and I plan to be a long-time customer.” — E W, Trustpilot
✔ Worth the investment
“Easy to follow instructions with setup… great value. The app is easy to navigate. I would recommend those needing a professional cell line!” — Alex, Trustpilot
✔ Great for separating business and personal
“This app helps me separate my business from my personal life… Very easy to set up and use!” — Dannel M Doyle, Trustpilot
⚠️ iPlum does not currently offer video conferencing, although plans are underway to introduce the feature soon.
Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Pricing
Google Voice, RingCentral, and iPlum package their features at different prices. Below is a breakdown.
How Much Does Google Voice Cost?
Google Voice costs between $10 and $30 per user per month, depending on your plan, as follows:
Starter – $10 per user per month
You get U.S. and Canadian calling, voicemail transcription, and SMS within the U.S.
Standard – $20 per user per month
The plan includes the Starter plan features, as well as a multi-level auto attendant, ring groups, and desk phone support.
Premier – $30 per user per month
The plan includes everything in Standard, as well as international locations and ad-hoc call recording.
How Much Does RingCentral Cost?
RingCentral pricing is structured in 3 tiers as follows:
Core Plan at $20 per user per month
Features include unlimited domestic calling, SMS/MMS, IVR call menus, video meetings (up to 100 participants), and a shared voicemail.
Advanced Plan at $25 per user per month
Includes everything in Core plus auto call recording and internet fax.
Ultra Plan at $35 per user per month
Comes with everything in Advanced plus custom analytics, 12 months of reporting history and 200-participant meetings.
How Much Does iPlum Cost?
iPlum costs $8.99 to $19.99 per user per month, depending on your plan, as follows
Standard Plan – $8.99 per user per month
Includes mobile app calling and texting in the U.S. and Canada, voicemail, auto-replies, business hours, and phone tree.
Professional – $14.99 per user per month
This plan builds upon the Standard plan, offering web-based calling and texting, secure, encrypted texting, and voicemail transcription.
You also get group and broadcast messaging, text archiving, and HIPAA compliance with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for healthcare.
Premium – $19.99 per user per month
Offers everything in the Professional plan, plus call recording and compliance features for finance, insurance, legal, sales, and support sectors.
Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum Pricing—Which Offers More Value
iPlum offers the best value with three plans: $8.99 Standard (calling, texting, auto attendant), $14.99 Professional (HIPAA texting, voicemail transcription), and $19.99 Premium (call recording, compliance tools).
Google Voice costs $10–$30, but adding Workspace pushes the price to $16–$42. That makes it up to 2x more expensive than iPlum Premium, while still lacking HIPAA compliance and advanced call handling.
RingCentral starts at $20 with the highest tier going for $45. Compared to iPlum, RingCentral Core is already 122% higher than Standard, while Ultra is 350% more expensive.
Across the board, iPlum delivers richer business features—dual-mode calling, messaging, auto-attendant, compliance tools—for far less money, making it the smart, cost-effective choice.
How to Port Your Number to iPlum
If you have an existing Google Voice or RingCentral number, you can port it to iPlum by following the easy steps outlined in the video below.
Google Voice vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the disadvantage of Google Voice?
While Google Voice is a popular VoIP service, it’s not HIPAA compliant unless paired with a Workspace subscription.
In addition, it doesn’t offer a toll-free vanity number and has basic call routing capabilities.
Who is RingCentral's biggest competitor?
There are many RingCentral competitors.
However, iPlum is one of the best RingCentral alternatives if you’re looking for a service that allows you to switch between the internet and your carrier network.
What are the alternatives to Google Voice?
There are many alternatives to Google Voice. That said, iPlum is the best Google Voice alternative if you’re looking for one with an advanced IVR and unlimited extensions, as well as dual-call mode calling reliability.
Why Choose iPlum Over Google Voice and RingCentral
Both Google Voice and RingCentral have their strengths,
However, on the one hand, Google Voice isn’t built for business, largely due to its many missing features. RingCentral, on the other hand, is feature-rich but expensive, and one of the costliest VoIP providers.
iPlum gives you a sweet spot without sacrificing functionality.
For $8.99–$19.99, you get dual-mode calling, secure texting, voicemail transcription, auto-attendant, and compliance features such as HIPAA and Dodd-Frank.
And, unlike Google Voice, you can choose toll-free and vanity numbers. Furthermore, compared to RingCentral, you don’t need to upgrade to expensive tiers to access essential business communication features.
Ready to streamline your business communication?
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes and may not reflect the most current features or capabilities of the products or companies mentioned. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to the official sources of each company.
