RingCentral’s $25 sticker requires annual prepay — and the AI receptionist ($39/mo) and call queues ($35/mo) are both paid add-ons on top. VPE gives you two ways out: Cloud Express hosted at $15.75 per user with the Cisco phone included, or a SIP Express system you own from $975. Either way, a US-based Cisco engineer answers the phone.
Cloud Express hosted: $15.75/user, phone included · Or own it: SIP systems from $975 — save up to 79%.
Two VPE answers, one RingCentral bill. Verified from RingCentral’s published pricing, August 2026.
| Feature | VPE Cloud Express ($15.75/user, phone incl.) | VPE SIP Express (own it) | RingCentral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (20 users) | $315/mo — phone on every desk included | From $161/mo base, after a one-time |
$500/mo at the annual-prepay rate; $700/mo month-to-month — phones extra |
| Cisco desk phones | Included for every user — free advance replacement | Included in the system price | Buy them, or rent only with a multi-year contract |
| AI receptionist + call analytics | Arthur Igloo — included | Arthur Igloo — available | AI Receptionist from $39/mo + Conversational Intelligence from $60/mo |
| Ring groups & call queues | Built and maintained by an engineer — included | Included — engineer-built | Call Queues Booster: $35/mo |
| Call recording | Included | Included | Automatic recording requires the Advanced tier |
| Who runs it for you | A US-based Cisco engineer — unlimited moves, adds & changes done for you | Our Certified Network Specialists manage it end to end | Self-service portal; paid “professional implementation” required for accounts of 2+ users |
| Support | US-based Cisco-certified engineers | US-based Cisco-certified engineers | Offshore call center — their reviews below |
| Contracts | None — month-to-month | None | Advertised price requires annual prepay; auto-renews |
| Cancellation | No cancellation department; free port-out help | Unplug it — it’s yours | Their #1 complaint — reviews below |
| Trustpilot rating | ★ 4.9 / 5 | ★ 4.9 / 5 | ★ 1.9 / 5 |
| 5-year cost (20 users) | $18,900 | $10,935 ($1,275 + $161 × 60) | $30,000–$42,000 — before add-ons and phones |
VPE monthly rates are base rates — plus taxes & fees, itemized on every invoice.
RingCentral pricing and feature gating verified from RingCentral’s published pricing page, August 2026.
SIP Express note: calls between desks stay on your office network — an on-premise perk for in-building call quality.
Real reviews from real businesses. We didn’t write these — RingCentral’s own customers did.
Every pain point RingCentral creates, we solve two ways — hosted or owned.
Locked into annual contracts that silently renew. Miss the cancellation window by one day and you owe another full year.
Cloud Express is month-to-month — no auto-renewal, no cancellation department, and free port-out help if you ever leave. Own a SIP Express system instead and there’s nothing to cancel at all.
RingCentral’s real price starts at $35/user month-to-month — then the features you actually wanted cost extra: AI Receptionist $39/mo, Call Queues Booster $35/mo. That add-on stack alone runs $74/mo before a single seat is billed.
Hosted: Cloud Express at $15.75 per user with the Cisco phone, Arthur Igloo AI, queues, and recording included — $315/mo for a 20-person office. Owned: a 20-phone SIP Express system at $4,950 $1,275 (save up to 79%) plus SIP Express Plus from $161/mo — $10,935 total over five years.
Scripted responses, long hold times, and agents who can’t actually fix your issue. Tickets go unanswered for weeks.
Call 844-486-4766 and you reach a US-based Cisco-certified engineer who knows your system — admin help AND tech support, hosted or owned. No offshore queue, no script, no ticket black hole.
RingCentral customers report constant dropped calls, echo, and delays — read their reviews above. A 1.9-star record from a company whose one job is completing phone calls.
Cloud Express runs on enterprise Cisco infrastructure with a US-based engineer watching it, tuning it, and answering when you call. Prefer your calls on your own network? The owned SIP Express line keeps desk-to-desk calls on your office LAN.
Cancel and their billing keeps going — the $1,500-a-month-after-cancellation review above is what their exit looks like. Auto-renew windows, cancellation departments, and charges that outlive the service.
Keep your numbers — porting is engineer-managed end to end, with temporary numbers so you’re never phoneless. Start hosted and convert to an owned system whenever the math favors it (or the reverse) — the conversion is a free, engineer-performed cutover. No monthly rent on the owned line — that’s why it costs less.
The math doesn’t lie. Here’s what 20 users actually costs over 5 years.
Want the math on your exact head count? Our Certified Network Specialists will show you hosted and owned side by side — and tell you honestly which one wins.
Get a Custom ProposalHow the big names stack up — 5 years, 20 users, published month-to-month rates
Published month-to-month rate × 20 users × 60 months, before add-ons, taxes, and phones — verified from each provider’s pricing page, August 2026. 8x8 and GoTo publish no pricing.
Real businesses. Real results. Real people picking up the phone.
We believe in giving you the full picture, even when it doesn’t favor us. RingCentral may be a better fit if you need:
RingCentral connects to Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Zendesk, and hundreds of other business apps out of the box. If your workflow depends on your phone system syncing directly with your CRM or helpdesk, their integration catalog is bigger than ours.
RingCentral bundles video conferencing and webinars into one platform. VPE covers voice; we don’t pretend to be a meetings product.
RingCentral’s international footprint and calling plans are stronger for companies with staff and numbers spread across many countries.
Past 100 users, their platform tooling is built for it; our sweet spot is 20–100.
If what matters is the monthly bill, the phone on the desk, and a US-based engineer who answers — VPE wins on every count, hosted or owned. And work-from-anywhere is no longer a reason to pick them: Cloud Express connects remote and multi-site staff natively, with mobile and desktop apps included.
It’s easier than you think. Most businesses are up and running in under a week.
Call 844-486-4766 or request a custom proposal. Our Certified Network Specialists build your quote both ways: Cloud Express hosted and SIP Express owned, side by side.
Hosted: $0 upfront, phones ship pre-configured, $15.75 per user. Owned: your system ships ~90% pre-configured and most offices are live in under 2 hours. Not sure? Our specialists will tell you which way your math favors — honestly.
Porting away from RingCentral is engineer-managed end to end, with temporary numbers so your business is never phoneless while the port completes.
Check your auto-renewal date and cancellation window first, and document everything — their own customers’ reviews above show why. Don’t cancel until your VPE service is live and your numbers have ported.
Tell our Certified Network Specialists about your office and get both quotes — Cloud Express hosted at $15.75 per user, and a SIP Express system you own from $975 — with the honest recommendation on which fits your business.