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You can make calls and send text messages with Phone.com.
The same goes for RingCentral.
But how do the two phone services stack up for business communication?
Did you know, for instance, that Phone.com and RingCentral rely heavily on the internet to function well?
So, what happens if your internet is weak? It means you’ll likely deal with dropped or missed calls. And if you’re in an area with no internet connection, you can’t use either service.
That’s why we’re adding iPlum to the Phone.com vs RingCentral debate.
iPlum, unlike Phone.com and RingCentral, isn’t limited to internet-only calling. It boasts dual-mode calling, allowing you to use either Wi-Fi or your carrier’s voice network.
In addition, iPlum offers true HIPAA-compliance, secure voicemail, call recording, and more features at a fraction of the cost of Phone.com and RingCentral.
And those aren’t the only differences, as you’ll find out in the sections below.
Table of Contents
1. Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—A side-by-side comparison
2. Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—User reviews
3. Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Pricing
4. How to Port Your Number to iPlum
5. Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
6. Why Choose iPlum Over Phone.com and RingCentral?
Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—A side-by-side comparison
Phone.com, RingCentral, and iPlum, while being communication platforms, operate differently in core areas.
In the sections below, we break down what to expect from each platform.
Here’s a comparison table for a quick overview.
1. Voice Calling
Reliable calling is the backbone of business communication. That’s why it’s important to consider how a phone system handles voice calling before spending your money.
Here’s what you get with the three services.
Phone.com
Phone.com offers local, toll-free, and vanity numbers.
You also get standard call handling features, including call queues, voicemail transcription, and custom greetings, through its IVR.
It is worth noting, however, that Phone.com calls run through an internet connection, so call quality can fluctuate when the signal is weak.
RingCentral
RingCentral gives you unlimited domestic calling in the U.S. and Canada. It also offers features such as spam blocking and call monitoring on higher plans.
However, like Phone.com, it operates on internet-only calling, which can result in missed or delayed conversations when the connection drops.
iPlum
iPlum pushes the envelope with dual-mode calling.
With iPlum, you can place calls over Wi-Fi or use your carrier’s voice network if the internet quality is poor. As a result, your calls will still go through even in low-signal areas.
In addition, you get local, toll-free, and vanity numbers, along with call forwarding, music on hold, and call transfer.
And as your business grows, you can leverage iPlum’s unlimited extensions to ensure every user has their own line.
Furthermore, call recording and voicemail-to-text bring in more flexibility, while phone tree menus allow you to route calls to the right person without the need for a live receptionist.
Together, these features give small businesses a reliable phone system that avoids the interruptions common with internet-only providers.
2. Texting and Messaging
It almost goes without saying that any business worth your attention must offer texting. Let’s see how Phone.com, RingCentral, and iPlum compare on this one.
Phone.com
Phone.com offers unlimited inbound texts on every plan.
However, to access outbound texting, you must upgrade to the Plus or Pro tiers—this means paying between $22.50 and $33.33 per month per user.
RingCentral
RingCentral includes SMS and MMS in all plans.
However, there’s a limit to how many business SMSes you can send per month, depending on your tier.
The Core plan, for instance, allows you to send up to 25 business SMSes per month. The Advance and Ultra plans allow 100 or 200 messages per user each month, respectively.
And, even though RingCentral comes with an AI assistant for long text threads, the feature is only available in the Advanced plan or higher
iPlum
iPlum balances affordability with texting features for business.
First, texting in the U.S and Canada is available in all plans. Plus, iPlum also allows you to attach images, audio, and video to your texts.
Meanwhile, features such as group and broadcast texting enable you to reach multiple contacts simultaneously.
In addition, auto-reply messages handle after-hours inquiries, and scheduled texts allow you to plan communications in advance.
iPlum’s Professional and Premium plans include encrypted texting for HIPAA compliance, as well as one-year text archiving.
And to top it all off, you can offer clients a free, secure iPlum account for private conversations.
With iPlum, you get secure, feature-rich texting at lower costs than Phone.com or RingCentral.
3. Auto Attendant
An auto attendant is your business’s front door. It greets callers, directs them to the right extension, and creates a professional first impression.
Here’s how the three phone systems compare.
Phone.com
Phone.com offers a basic auto attendant on all plans.
You can set up menus, business hours, call routing, and dial-by-name directories. You can also customize greetings and route calls to extensions, voicemail, or external numbers.
If you’re running a small business, Phone.com's auto attendant can do just enough to help you manage incoming calls.
However, for more advanced capability, consider a Phone.com alternative.
RingCentral
RingCentral has multi-level auto attendants.
With this feature, you can create layered menus and distribute calls through call queues or ring groups. And, just like Phone.com, you can upload professional greetings.
However, RingCentral’s virtual receptionist is available as an add-on and is not part of the core offering.
To get it, you need to pay an extra $59 per account per month on top of your subscription fee.
iPlum
iPlum, unlike RingCentral, offers an auto attendant in every plan.
The difference is that iPlum has an advanced phone tree and an auto attendant with unlimited extensions.
With this feature, you can route calls to multiple devices and add recorded greetings. You can also forward calls to mobile devices, office phones, or voicemail with business-hour scheduling.
Moreover, extensions make it easy for each department or staff member to have a dedicated line, even in smaller organizations.
And, because iPlum doesn’t restrict auto attendant features to premium tiers, small businesses get professional call routing from day one—at a price far below RingCentral’s higher plans.
4. Video and Collaboration
Collaboration is essential, especially for teams. That said, here’s how the three phone systems compare.
Phone.com
Phone.com offers video conferencing on all plans, starting with small meeting sizes and scaling up to 100 participants. The Plus plan, in particular, comes with video recording and HIPAA-compliant sessions.
RingCentral
RingCentral offers HD video with robust collaboration features.
The Core and Advanced plans allow up to 100 participants, while the Ultra tier supports up to 200 individuals. You also get live transcription, breakout rooms, annotations, and whiteboarding.
iPlum
iPlum doesn’t yet offer video meetings, but development is underway.
For now, collaboration happens through powerful voice and messaging tools. You can, for instance, leverage the platform’s ability to route calls to multiple devices and use group or broadcast texting for team coordination.
In addition, shared numbers and scheduled texts allow staff to manage communication efficiently.
Meanwhile, secure voicemail with email alerts keeps conversations flowing, and auto-replies ensure that after-hours inquiries never go unanswered.
5. Integrations and APIs
Integrations extend the usefulness of a phone system by connecting it with the tools you already use for sales, support, and productivity.
Here’s what you get with Phone.com, RingCentral, and iPlum as far as this goes.
Phone.com
While Phone.com integrates with platforms such as Zoho, its native options are limited compared to those of its competitors.
In addition, CRM integration is only available on the Pro plan, which costs $33.33 per user per month.
RingCentral
RingCentral has a broad integration ecosystem.
The Advanced and Ultra plans support integration with various applications, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Google, and Slack.
It also offers a developer platform and APIs for custom builds. However, Core users get only basic connections, so you must upgrade to access full CRM functionality.
iPlum
iPlum has a REST APIs that allow businesses to connect calling and messaging with their existing systems.
And because iPlum is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), it works smoothly on iOS, Android, tablets, and Chromebooks, allowing you to use it on your preferred devices.
Moreover, healthcare providers integrate iPlum with electronic health record (EHR) platforms to manage secure patient communication.
In addition, businesses can connect iPlum to CRMs or workflow software via API calls.
Furthermore, administrators can automate usage logs, manage shared numbers, and control accounts more efficiently.
While iPlum doesn’t offer a large library of native integrations, the API-first approach makes it adaptable for custom business workflows.
6. Security and Compliance
Security and compliance are must-haves for any business phone system, especially if you're dealing with sensitive client data.
Let’s analyze what you get with the three phone systems in terms of security and compliance.
Phone.com
Phone.com offers HIPAA-compliant voice and video on plans. It also supports call recording and voicemail transcription.
However, it doesn’t have encrypted texting, different from SMS or MMS, which healthcare providers can use for secure communication.
RingCentral
RingCentral promises multiple layers of enterprise-grade protection.
It provides end-to-end encryption for calls, video, and messaging in beta. Compliance features vary from single sign-on to role-based permissions.
However, just like Phone.com, RingCentral doesn’t offer compliance-grade texting, which limits its use in healthcare.
iPlum
iPlum places compliance at the center of its service.
The Professional and Premium plans provide HIPAA-compliant texting, encrypted messaging, and one-year archiving.
In addition, healthcare organizations get a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), making iPlum suitable for patient communication.
Furthermore, Premium can access call recording and archiving designed for regulated sectors such as finance, insurance, and legal.
Meanwhile, features such as spam blocking, caller ID, and secure voicemail enhance user protection.
7. Analytics and Reporting
Analytics provide valuable data that you can use to measure your business’s performance, identify issues, and improve client communication.
Here’s how the three platforms compare.
Phone.com
Phone.com gives users access to call logs on every plan.
That said, you must subscribe to the Pro plan, Phone.com’s highest tier for call analytics. The platform doesn’t offer real-time reporting, though, so you can’t monitor live call activity as it happens.
RingCentral
RingCentral provides in-depth reporting compared to Phone.com.
The Core plan includes call log reports and real-time quality of service analytics. Meanwhile, the Advanced and Ultra tiers give you customizable dashboards.
The platform also supports live reports, although this feature is available as an add-on.
iPlum
iPlum offers analytics built around your business needs.
Professional users have access to voicemail transcription and one-year text archiving, making it easier to track communication history.
The Premium plan includes call recording and archiving, enabling managers to review conversations for compliance and training purposes.
You can also retrieve usage logs through APIs, providing insights into how you’re using your phone lines.
Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—User reviews
Before buying any phone system for business, it’s always a good idea to read customer reviews so you can know what to expect.
Here’s a snapshot of iPlum, Phone.com, and RingCentral reviews.
Phone.com reviews
Most Phone.com user reviews highlight good functionality, but frequently mention frustrations with pricing, call quality, and reliability.
❌ Overpriced for features
“Pricing is a bit too high for a VoIP service that could potentially be replaced by a very cheap local service for a small company.” – Augusto A., G2
❌ App crashes during calls
“We had problems with the app crashing mid-call. For a while, it would happen at the same time stamp for every call.” – Becky A., Capterra
❌ Poor voice quality despite strong internet
“Useless, poor quality of calls (drop out every 2 seconds despite being on 650mbps — Fast internet).” – Simon Chamberlain, TrustPilot
✔ Great UI for remote users
“User Interface and quality of service for remote users” – Alexandra A., G2
RingCentral reviews
While most RingCentral users say RingCentral works, others raise concerns about support, complexity, and value vs price.
❌ Poor support response
“RingCentral’s support is appalling. Their support team frequently fails to attend scheduled calls.” – Kate, Trustpilot
❌ “Unstable, unreliable” video
“RC Video is the most unstable platform I’ve ever used. It never got better. Low-quality audio, low-quality video. Constantly dropping.” – Bonnie B., Capterra
❌ Complex admin portal and language barriers
“The admin portal is extremely complex; customer service is challenging to work with.” – Simon Burns GB, Trustpilot
❌ Price gets out of control
“Pricing gets out of control the higher your package gets.” – Angelica A., Capterra
✔ Good call monitoring and interface
“The call monitoring capabilities and the online interface.” – Kjeld S., Capterra
iPlum reviews
Customers appreciate iPlum's reliability, HIPAA compliance, and responsive support, despite the platform not offering video conferencing.
✔ Quick, effective support
“I had an issue in which my ported numbers got mixed up, and my fax line was deleted completely. … I sent a support ticket and received a response within the hour.” – Lindsey Baker, TrustPilot
✔ HIPAA-compliant voicemail for therapists
“I am a therapist, and I needed a HIPAA-compliant voicemail. … iPlum works so well for clients to leave messages securely. … I also use the texting feature sometimes, and that works well also.” – E W, TrustPilot
✔ Affordable HIPAA phone and text
“I was looking for a HIPAA-compliant phone and text system and couldn’t be happier with iPlum. … It’s easy to use, affordable, and has more than enough features for me.” – KJ, TrustPilot
⚠️ iPlum doesn’t currently offer video conferencing.
Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Pricing
As you’d expect, Phone.com, RingCentral, and iPlum offer different features in different tiers.
Here’s a breakdown of each platform's pricing plans.
How much does Phone.com cost?
Phone.com costs $15 to $33.33 per month, depending on your plans, as follows:
Basic – $15 per user per month
The plan offers calling minutes, one phone number per account, mobile and web apps, as well as voice features including business hours call handling. However, there’s no outbound texting.
Plus – $22.50 per user per month
The plan includes outbound texting, voicemail transcription, and enterprise business texting. Call recording is available for an additional $8 per month.
Pro – $33.33 per user per month
The plan includes all Plus features, as well as call recording, call analytics, and data retention.
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.
How to Port Your Number to iPlum
If you’d like to port your existing Phone.com or RingCentral number to iPlum, you only need to follow the steps outlined in the video below.
Phone.com vs RingCentral vs iPlum—Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is RingCentral's biggest competitor?
RingCentral has many competitors, including Nextiva and Dialpad.
However, iPlum is one of the best RingCentral competitors if you’re in for HIPAA compliance, dual-mode calling, and lower pricing.
What does Phone.com do?
Phone.com provides cloud-based business phone services. It offers VoIP calling, texting, voicemail, and conferencing features.
Is iPlum worth it?
Yes. iPlum is affordable, reliable, and compliance-ready.
It offers HIPAA-compliant texting, dual-mode calling, call recording, and phone tree features, all at a fraction of the cost of larger providers.
Why Choose iPlum Over Phone.com and RingCentral?
Phone.com and RingCentral are robust phone systems.
However, they rely on the internet for calling, leaving room for dropped calls and missed conversations when internet connections are unstable.
In addition, both are relatively expensive compared to iPlum.
iPlum, by comparison, offers dual-mode reliability, HIPAA-compliant texting, and features like call recording and auto attendants, all available without straining your budget.
Getting started with iPlum is easy.
Click the link below to sign up.
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.
