Switching from RingCentral to PupPilot
Publicly traded UCaaS market leader whose RingEX platform bundles phone, video, messaging, and a growing AI family including the AI Receptionist (AIR) and the agentic AIR Pro platform.
What is RingCentral?
Publicly traded UCaaS market leader whose RingEX platform bundles phone, video, messaging, and a growing AI family including the AI Receptionist (AIR) and the agentic AIR Pro platform. Best for: Multi-site businesses and enterprises that want the deepest mainstream UCaaS feature set plus a fast-maturing, metered AI receptionist ecosystem.
- Pricing: per user/month (AI Receptionist priced per agent/month with minute allowance)
- Phones: Desk phones sold or rented/leased separately (Poly, Yealink, Cisco, etc.); rental program and BYOD documented; not included in plans
- Veterinary fit: Multi-industry
| Feature | RingCentral |
|---|---|
| Business VoIP Calling Infrastructure | Yes - unlimited US/Canada |
| Number Porting Infrastructure | Yes |
| Desk Phones / Hardware Infrastructure | Yes - broad certified device support; purchase or rental |
| Fax Infrastructure | Yes - internet fax (unlimited on upper tiers; Core inclusion not clearly documented) |
| E911 Management Infrastructure | Yes |
| Outage Failover Infrastructure | Yes - 99.999% SLA, call continuity rules |
| Two-Way Business Texting Operations | Yes - capped 25/100/200 SMS per user/mo by tier |
| Missed-Call Text-Back Operations | Partial - via AI Receptionist SMS follow-ups, not a documented native RingEX auto-text |
| IVR / Call Routing Operations | Yes - multi-level auto attendant |
| Queues & Hold Operations | Yes - booster add-on ($35) for advanced queues |
| Voicemail Transcription Operations | Yes |
| Call Recording Operations | Yes - automatic recording on Advanced/Ultra |
| Call Analytics Operations | Yes - business analytics; adoption/AI dashboards on upper tiers |
| Mobile / Desktop Apps Operations | Yes |
| Multi-Location Administration Operations | Yes |
| Veterinary-Specific Product Veterinary Context | No - generic; vet group case studies (Mission Veterinary Partners) and a Vetspire gallery app exist |
| Veterinary PIMS Integration Veterinary Context | Partial - third-party Vetspire app in App Gallery; no native vet PIMS write-back |
| Patient Chart Context on Calls Veterinary Context | No - AIR Pro reads human-health EHRs, not veterinary charts |
| Clinic Protocol Configuration Veterinary Context | Partial - AIR auto-configures greetings/FAQs/services from website; no vet protocol library |
| AI Voice — Inbound Answering AI | Yes - AIR GA ($39-$49/mo, 100 min incl.); AIR Pro agentic platform in controlled availability |
| AI Voice — Outbound Calls AI | Not documented - AIR is inbound-focused with SMS follow-ups |
| AI Appointment Booking AI | Yes - books via Google/Outlook Calendar and Calendly; EHR scheduling in AIR Pro for Healthcare |
| AI Call Summaries AI | Yes - AI Assistant notes/transcripts included in RingEX |
| After-Hours AI Coverage AI | Yes - 24/7 answering |
| Contextual Staff Handoff AI | Yes - transfers to staff; AIR Pro documents contextual transfer with transcripts |
Verified August 2026 against RingCentral's public pages. Vendors change pricing and features; tell us if something is out of date.
Where RingCentral Stands Out
The largest UCaaS AI portfolio: a GA AI Receptionist used by 11,800+ businesses plus the agentic AIR Pro platform, whose healthcare edition launched with 80+ human-health EHR integrations. Strengths practices cite: AI Receptionist is GA in the US and EU with calendar booking (Google/Outlook/Calendly), CRM lead sync, and 10-language support; Mature UCaaS core: 99.999% SLA, IVR, queues, analytics, and a large app gallery (including a Vetspire app); AIR Pro for Healthcare (March 2026) shows deep agentic voice AI investment with 80+ EHR integrations and HIPAA-ready architecture; Desk phones can be purchased or rented/leased directly from RingCentral; Clear published seat pricing with monthly or annual options.
Considerations Before You Buy
AI Receptionist is a metered add-on ($39-$49/mo for 100 minutes, overage billed) on top of per-seat fees; AIR Pro for Healthcare targets human-health EHRs; no veterinary PIMS integration or vet chart context is documented; SMS allowances are capped per tier (25/user/mo on Core), a constraint for text-heavy clinics; Desk phones, some analytics, and boosters are extra, and invoices add regulatory/compliance fees; AIR Pro remains in controlled availability rather than broad GA as of mid-2026. Pricing basis: per user/month (AI Receptionist priced per agent/month with minute allowance); published pricing: RingEX Core $20, Advanced $25, Ultra $35/user/mo annual ($30/$35/$45 monthly); AI Receptionist $39/mo on RingEX or $49/mo standalone incl. 100 min; Conversational Intelligence from $60; contract model: Monthly or annual prepay (annual saves up to 33%).
How PupPilot compares
PupPilot is a full veterinary phone system — unlimited calling and texting, desk phones included — with AI coverage for after-hours and overflow built into the line. The AI answers the calls your team can't get to and transfers the rest to your staff with the caller's name, patient and reason already on screen. It isn't a replacement for your receptionists; it's the part of the phone system that makes sure every call reaches someone.
PupPilot delivers what a vet clinic would have to assemble from RingCentral piecemeal - phone service, included desk phones, unlimited texting, and an AI front office - and its AI actually reads and writes veterinary PIMS, which AIR and the human-health-focused AIR Pro do not.
What switching looks like
Your numbers port to PupPilot in a managed 10-step migration, with your old and new lines running in parallel until cutover. Port first, cancel second. Export your texting history and recordings before you cancel, and bring your hardware inventory to onboarding — standard SIP desk phones can usually be re-provisioned, and desk phones are included with every plan either way. The full checklist is on how switching works; unlimited business texting is registered on your number at cutover.
RingCentral: Common Questions
Is RingCentral veterinary-specific?
Multi-industry. PIMS support: None native - Vetspire app in RingCentral App Gallery (third party); AIR Pro integrates 80+ human-health EHRs (Epic, Oracle Health, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks), not veterinary PIMS.
How much does RingCentral cost?
Pricing basis: per user/month (AI Receptionist priced per agent/month with minute allowance). Published pricing: RingEX Core $20, Advanced $25, Ultra $35/user/mo annual ($30/$35/$45 monthly); AI Receptionist $39/mo on RingEX or $49/mo standalone incl. 100 min; Conversational Intelligence from $60. Hardware: Desk phones sold or rented/leased separately (Poly, Yealink, Cisco, etc.); rental program and BYOD documented; not included in plans. Contract: Monthly or annual prepay (annual saves up to 33%). Check the vendor's site for current terms.
What is the difference between RingCentral and PupPilot?
PupPilot delivers what a vet clinic would have to assemble from RingCentral piecemeal - phone service, included desk phones, unlimited texting, and an AI front office - and its AI actually reads and writes veterinary PIMS, which AIR and the human-health-focused AIR Pro do not.
Can we keep our phone number when we leave RingCentral?
Yes — port first, cancel second. Under FCC rules a simple port must complete within one business day, and a carrier cannot refuse to port a number over an unpaid balance or termination fee. PupPilot manages the port and runs your old and new lines in parallel until cutover.