Around
RingCentral
| Feature | Around | RingCentral |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | From $30/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-teams, hybrid-teams, developers, creative-teams | enterprises, mid-market-companies, distributed-teams, contact-centers |
| Founded | 2019 | 1999 |
| Floating Bubbles | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Leveling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Meeting Notes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Calendar Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Business Phone | ✗ | ✓ |
| Video Meetings | ✗ | ✓ |
| Team Messaging | ✗ | ✓ |
| Contact Center | ✗ | ✓ |
| Analytics | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations Marketplace | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Around Pros
- Minimal screen footprint with floating video bubbles
- Excellent AI noise cancellation
- Auto-equalizes audio levels between participants
- Designed for casual always-on collaboration
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features for formal presentations
- Smaller user base than major platforms
- No recording on free plan
✓ RingCentral Pros
- Complete UCaaS solution
- Extensive integrations marketplace
- Reliable enterprise-grade platform
- Global coverage
✗ RingCentral Cons
- Expensive for small teams
- Feature overload for simple needs
- Contract lock-in common
The Verdict
Around is built for remote teams and hybrid teams, with a focus on floating-bubbles and noise-cancellation. RingCentral targets enterprises and mid market companies and leads with business-phone and video-meetings.
On pricing, Around is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $10/mo compared to $30/mo for RingCentral. That $20/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Around has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. RingCentral requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Around offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while RingCentral takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.