A phone system routes the call. Joe handles it.
RingCentral is a business phone and contact centre platform: numbers, IVR, routing and analytics for your team. Joe is the person on the other end of it, on the phone and on every message channel.
400 credits on us for 7 days to decide if he keeps the job.
What each one actually does.
A telephony platform and an AI colleague solve different halves of the same problem.
| Feature | We love Joe | RingCentral |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Answering the conversation and completing the task | Business telephony, routing, IVR, meetings and contact centre |
| Who talks to the caller | Joe, on the first ring, with a person one warm transfer away | Your team, after the menu |
| Out of hours | The same service as at midday, including bookings | Voicemail or an after-hours rule |
| Message channels | WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, email, SMS, web chat, Slack, Teams and more, in one inbox | SMS and team messaging, digital channels in contact centre tiers |
| Setup | Describe the business and connect the number | Numbers, users, IVR trees and routing rules |
| Cost model | Credits for what is actually handled, no seats | Per user, per month, per seat |
| Works together | Keep your numbers and forward to Joe. He plugs into what you have. | , |
Compiled from each product’s public documentation and pricing pages. Vendors change these. Tell us if something here is out of date.
Joe doesn't pretend to be someone else. He is Joe.
RingCentral is good at what it was built for. So is Joe. The honest comparison is about which job you are hiring for.
Where RingCentral is a good fit
You need a phone system
Numbers, extensions, compliance recording and meetings for a whole company.
Large contact centres
Workforce management and queue analytics for dozens of agents.
Enterprise IT requirements
Procurement, SSO and telephony estate management at scale.
Where Joe is stronger
He replaces the queue, not the number
Keep your telephony. Joe answers before anyone reaches hold music.
Nobody navigates a menu
The caller says what they want and gets it, instead of pressing four.
One inbox beyond voice
The WhatsApp thread and the call sit next to each other, under one customer.
Every channel, one agent.
RingCentral covers part of the map. Joe answers everywhere your customers write or call, with the same answers and the same manners.
See every channel →Are you open Sunday? I would like a Clio.
Yes, 9 to 6. A Clio is £78 for the day. Shall I book it?
Need a quote on 3 vans for two weeks in August.
Quote sent. 3 vans, 14 days, with the long term discount.
How much for a deep clean on a 3 bed?
£185, or £155 with a monthly visit. Saturday is free.
Running late, can I move my 3pm?
Moved to 4:30 and confirmed. See you then.
Do you cover Bordeaux for a monthly garden contract?
We do. A monthly contract starts at £89. Want the details?
Is the brunch menu on today?
It is, until 3. Want me to book you a table for two?
I need a refund of £240.
Refunds over £200 go to the team. Passing you over now.
I would like to reschedule my delivery.
Done, moved to Thursday morning. Anything else?
Do you take on agency partnerships?
We do. I can set up a call with the team this week.
Where do I buy this kit?
Link is in the description. Ships in 48 hours.
What is the price for the annual plan?
£1,490 with the yearly discount, from the price list.
Has order 4512 shipped?
Yes, this morning. Tracking sent to the customer.
Do you ship to Ireland?
We do, 2 to 3 days. Want the checkout link?
Joe goes on top of the phone system you have.
Keep your numbers
No porting, no downtime. Forward the line you want covered.
Choose what he takes
Overflow, out of hours, or everything before a human.
Connect the calendar and CRM
So the call ends with a booking, not a callback promise.
Review the transcripts
Every call summarised. Decide from what he actually said.
Two ways to work with Joe
The same Joe either way. You only choose who builds him and who runs him.
Unused credits roll over on quarterly and yearly billing.
Self serve
You set it up, you run it. Live in 15 minutes, no code.
Starter
For a single location starting on one channel.
2,000 credits per monthabout 300 resolutions
Free for 7 daysNo code. No setup calls. No fuss.
Included
- 1 agent
- 1 active channel
- 1 language
- 5 concurrent calls
- 1 knowledge base
- 1 GB storage
Growth
For a business that gets messages on every channel at once.
6,000 credits per monthabout 1,000 resolutions
Free for 7 daysNo code. No setup calls. No fuss.
Everything in Starter, plus
- Unlimited active channels
- Unlimited operators, your whole team at no extra cost
- Unlimited concurrent calls
- Unlimited knowledge bases
- 15% off additional credits
- 3 GB storage
Business
For several locations, or customers who write in several languages.
16,000 credits per monthabout 2,600 resolutions
Free for 7 daysNo code. No setup calls. No fuss.
Everything in Growth, plus
- Up to 3 agents
- Unlimited languages
- Unified inbox
- 25% off additional credits
- 7 GB storage
How many credits do you need?
A resolution, one request handled start to finish, uses about 6 credits. Estimate your usage →
Run out mid-month? Joe does not stop. Additional credits are billed from €0.05, with your plan’s discount applied.
Done for you
For companies and networks that want a turnkey solution.
We build, we connect your tools, we operate. Everything is sized to your needs.
Let’s talk. Fifteen minutes to understand your volume, your channels and your tools. We tell you what it looks like.
Book a callEverything in Business, plus
Sized for you
- Unlimited agents
- Volume sized for your operation
- Custom storage
- Unlimited languages
- Unlimited operators
- Unified inbox
Custom work and support
- Dedicated onboarding support
- Dedicated contact
- Automations and workflows set up for you
- Custom integrations
- Custom voice
- Custom branding and domain
- Bring your own key
- SSO login
400 credits on us for 7 days to decide if he keeps the job. Compare all plans in detail →
Questions from teams with a phone system already.
Do I have to port my numbers?
No. Forward the calls you want Joe to answer and keep everything else as it is.
Can he transfer to my team?
Yes, with a warm transfer: he explains who is calling and why before connecting them.
Does he replace our IVR?
In most cases yes, for inbound enquiries. The caller states their need in plain words instead of pressing keys.
Do we still need seats?
Only for the humans who take transfers. Joe is not licensed per seat.
What about call recordings?
Every call has a recording, a transcript and a summary in the unified inbox.
Joe's ready. Are you?
Nobody ever thanked an IVR.
400 credits on us for 7 days to decide if he keeps the job.