RingCentral vs Dialpad: which business phone fits a small team?
Short answer: Dialpad if your team works from laptops and phones and you want every call transcribed without paying for add-ons. RingCentral if you have desk phones to keep, need a lot of integrations, or want its bigger menu of extras.
Full honesty: I haven't moved a client onto either one. I have seen plenty of small teams sharing one phone, or one login, to save on seats, and that's usually the real problem a phone system solves. So this is what I'd look at. Hope this helps.
Founder, Handled. Greenville, SC. Updated October 2026, 7 min read.
The short version
Both ring a phone just fine. The differences are in the extras and how you pay for them.
| Category | RingCentral (RingEX) | Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Offices with desk phones, lots of integrations | Small teams on laptops and phones who want AI built in |
| Price per user | $20, $25 or $35 a month billed yearly ($30, $35 or $45 monthly) | $27 (Standard) or $35 (Pro) a month billed monthly, less billed yearly |
| AI features | Sold as add-ons | Transcripts and summaries built in |
| My pick | Teams keeping desk phones | Most small teams starting fresh |
Prices checked October 2026. RingCentral's plan prices come from 2026 coverage and its own page lists the add-ons; Dialpad's prices come from Capterra, since Dialpad's own pricing page now leads with its AI agent product. Taxes and regulatory fees come on top of both, so ask for an all-in quote.
RingCentral: the big menu
Calls, video, messaging and fax in one app, with a lot of extras you can add.
RingCentral's phone product is called RingEX. It's been around a long time, it works with a long list of desk phones, and it connects to a lot of other software. If you have an office full of desk phones you want to keep, it's the safer move.
Core, $20 a user a month billed yearly ($30 monthly).
Advanced, $25 a user a month billed yearly ($35 monthly).
Ultra, $35 a user a month billed yearly ($45 monthly).
The AI pieces cost extra. RingCentral's own page lists an AI receptionist starting at $39 a month and conversation intelligence starting at $60 a month, plus boosters for call queues ($35) and business texting ($25).
- Desk phones. Works with a lot of hardware, so you may not need to replace anything.
- Integrations. A big catalog, so niche software is more likely to connect.
- Everything in one app. Phone, video, team chat and fax.
- Add-ons. The AI and texting extras stack on top of the per-user price.
- Monthly billing. Noticeably more than paying yearly.
- More than a small team uses. Video meetings, contact center add-ons and desk-phone options are great if you need them and dead weight if you don't.
Dialpad: AI in the box, built for apps
Made for teams that don't have desk phones at all.
Dialpad lives in the app on your laptop and your phone. Calls get transcribed and summarized as part of the plan, which is handy if nobody on your team has time to take notes on calls.
Standard, $27 a user a month billed monthly, less billed yearly.
Pro, $35 a user a month billed monthly, less billed yearly. Pro is where the CRM connections live, and 2026 coverage reports a three-user minimum on it.
- Transcripts without add-ons. Summaries come with the plan.
- Clean apps. Easy for a team that's never had a business phone system.
- Simpler bill. Fewer extras to decode.
- Fewer desk phones supported. Check your models before you switch.
- CRM connections on Pro. If that's why you're buying, budget for Pro.
- Smaller integration list. Check your specific software.
Which one should you pick?
If you're deciding between RingCentral and Dialpad, here's how I'd get there.
If you're already on a phone system, check whether it can give each person their own line and record calls. A lot of them can, and nobody turned it on.
If you're already on a phone system, look for call forwarding rules, voicemail-to-email and business hours settings first. Those three fix a lot of missed calls for free.
- Dialpad if you're on laptops and phones and want transcripts on every call.
- RingCentral if you have desk phones to keep or need a long integration list.
- Either one if the real fix is just giving everybody their own line.
If the phone works but nothing after the call does, like the call never makes it into your CRM or your booking tool, that's a connection problem, not a phone problem.
That's usually a small build: when a call ends, the caller's number and a note land in the CRM or booking tool you already use.
What to check before you switch
The per-user price is rarely the whole bill.
Yearly versus monthly. Both advertise the yearly price. Know which one you're signing.
Taxes and fees. Phone service carries regulatory fees on top. Ask for the all-in number.
Add-ons. List the features you actually want, then ask which plan or add-on each one lives in.
Your desk phones. If you're keeping hardware, check the exact models against the compatibility list.
Porting your numbers. Keep your old service running until the port is done, especially on your main customer line.
Questions people ask me
Got one that isn't here? Ask me on a free call →
Which is cheaper, RingCentral or Dialpad?
At the entry level they're close. RingCentral RingEX starts at $20 a user a month billed yearly ($30 monthly). Dialpad Standard is $27 a user a month billed monthly, and less billed yearly. The bigger difference is what's included: RingCentral sells several AI features as add-ons, so price the plan you'd actually need, not the cheapest one.
Which is better for AI call transcription?
Dialpad builds its AI transcription and call summaries into its plans. RingCentral offers AI tools as paid add-ons, like an AI receptionist starting at $39 a month and conversation intelligence starting at $60 a month. If transcripts on every call are the main reason you're shopping, Dialpad usually gets you there with fewer extras.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers if I switch?
Yes. Both support porting your current business numbers. You'll fill out an authorization form and usually need a recent bill from your current provider. Keep the old service running until the port finishes, especially on your main customer line.
Do I need RingCentral or Dialpad at all?
Not always. If your team answers calls fine today and nobody is sharing one login or one cell phone to get by, the phone system you have may be enough. These tools earn their price when calls need to route to the right person, get recorded, or connect to your CRM.
When you don't need me
If every caller reaches a real person or a voicemail somebody checks, you're probably fine. Skip the call if this is you.
Your phones work and everyone has their own line. Stay put. Switching phone systems costs real time.
You just need a business number. Start a free trial of either one, port your number, and you're done.
You haven't explored what you're paying for. Spend an hour in the admin settings. Call recording and routing are often already there.
What changed
- October 2026: rewritten top to bottom. Added monthly and yearly RingCentral prices and RingCentral's AI add-on prices. Dialpad's Standard price corrected to the monthly figure from Capterra. Removed the made-up HVAC, consulting firm and insurance agency examples, the estimated savings figures, the uptime and customer-count claims, and the RingSense cost estimate.
- April 2026: first published.
Sources
Every price and outside fact on this page comes from the sources below, checked October 3, 2026. Prices change often, so check before you buy.
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