RingCentral vs Nextiva (2026): Which Business Phone System Is Better?

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Updated October 27, 2026. Prices below were checked against each company’s own pricing page on this date.

RingCentral and Nextiva are two of the biggest names in business phone systems. Both give every user a business number with calling, texting and video, and both can grow into contact-center tools. They differ most on price structure and how you get started.

Here’s how they compare, based on each company’s own pricing pages.

The short answer

• Choose RingCentral if you want the broadest feature set, a self-serve free trial and add-ons like an AI receptionist.
• Choose Nextiva if you’ll pay annually and want a full phone system at the lowest entry price.

RingCentral vs Nextiva at a glance

	RingCentral	Nextiva
Best for	Most small businesses	Value full system
Entry plan, billed annually	$20/user/mo (Core)	$15/user/mo (NEXT Core)
Entry plan, billed monthly	$30/user/mo	$23/user/mo
Next tier, billed annually	$25/user/mo (Advanced)	$25/user/mo (NEXT Engage)
Next tier, billed monthly	$35/user/mo	$50/user/mo
Free trial	Yes, up to 5 users	Demo

Prices checked against each company’s pricing page.

Pricing compared

RingCentral

Core is $20 per user per month billed annually ($30 monthly). Advanced is $25 per user billed annually ($35 monthly) and adds features for teams across locations. A higher Ultra plan is also available. The AI Receptionist add-on starts at $39. New customers can try RingCentral free, with the trial limited to 5 users.

Nextiva

NEXT Core is $15 per user per month billed annually ($23 monthly) and includes unlimited voice, video and business texting. NEXT Engage is $25 per user billed annually ($50 monthly) and adds live chat and more AI usage. NEXT Scale is $75 per user. Nextiva’s XBert AI is billed at $1.50 per conversation beyond the included amount.

Where RingCentral wins

• A self-serve free trial
• Cheaper second tier if you pay monthly ($35 vs $50)
• Strong add-ons, including an AI receptionist

Where Nextiva wins

• The lowest annual entry price for a full phone system
• Unlimited voice, video and texting on Core
• A clear path into chat and contact-center tools

Our verdict

RingCentral is our top business phone pick because of its depth and easy trial. Nextiva is the better deal if you’ll commit to annual billing on its Core plan, saving $5 per user per month. If you need the second tier and prefer monthly billing, RingCentral is clearly cheaper.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nextiva cheaper than RingCentral?

On the entry plan, yes: $15 vs $20 per user per month billed annually. On the second tier billed monthly, RingCentral is cheaper ($35 vs $50).

Can I keep my existing business number?

Both services support porting an existing number. Start the port early, since it can take several days to complete.

See all five options in our guide to the best business phone service for small business.