Grasshopper, the cloud-based virtual phone system, is a great choice for solopreneurs and small businesses. But as your business grows, Grasshopper’s limitations become more evident.
If you’re here looking for alternatives to Grasshopper, we got you.
In this blog, we’ll go through the top ten Grasshopper alternatives so you can evaluate the best choice for your scaling business. We’ll compare the features, pricing, who they’re best for, and more to help you make an informed choice!
Grasshopper Alternatives at a Glance
Need a TL;DR? Here’s a quick overview of the top 5 Grasshopper alternatives.
| Solution | Nextiva | GoTo Connect | OnSIP | Phone.com | Mitel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price/month (starts from) | $17.39 | $29 | $49.95 | $12.74 | $20.99 |
| Best for | Cloud-based business communications | Business phone system with fewer features | Hosted PBX for small to medium-sized remote teams | VoIP phone system | Team collaboration |
| Top Features | Low international calling rates Unlimited calls & video conferencing Advanced IVR with Conversational AI Analytics and automation Smart call routing | International calling plans Hold music and call queues Drag-and-drop editor to configure call flows | Auto attendant or virtual receptionist Queues and groups International dialing | Business text messages (additional fee) Voicemail to text Local business phone numbers | Team collaboration software Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology Mobile app dialer |
But first, let’s take a closer look at Grasshopper.
What Is Grasshopper?
Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that offers business numbers and basic call management features such as VoIP calls, text messaging, voicemail greetings, phone extensions, and inbound faxing.
Small businesses in the US and Canada typically prefer Grasshopper due to its ease of use, quick setup, affordable pricing, and user-friendly mobile app. Porting your existing phone number is also easy. You can choose between vanity numbers, local numbers, and toll-free numbers.
Grasshopper’s features list is simple. The most popular features include:
- Ruby Receptionist: A live US-based receptionist that answers your Grasshopper calls
- Instant Response: Send automated texts to callers when you can’t answer
- Incoming Call Control: Screen callers, block calls, and set a custom schedule based on your working hours
- Vanity Numbers: Select unique, easy-to-remember numbers like 1-800-MYBRAND
- Voice Studio: Get customized greetings recorded by professional voice actors in English and Spanish
Pricing: Grasshopper offers four main pricing plans based on the number of users, phone numbers, and extensions you need. The base plan starts at $14 per user monthly.
Why Consider a Grasshopper Alternative?
Although Grasshopper is a good introduction to virtual phone systems, its limited capabilities and call quality will leave you wanting more.
As you scale, Grasshopper may struggle to adapt to your growing business communication needs, prompting you to look for a more comprehensive Grasshopper competitor.
1) It isn’t built for scale
Grasshopper doesn’t integrate directly with everyday business apps like Zoho, Salesforce, and HubSpot, making it difficult to consolidate important customer data and work from a unified interface.
Smart automation, too, is limited on Grasshopper. There’s not much business owners can do besides sending automated texts.
These limitations and the lack of add-ons will likely slow down your workflows and impact call-handling effectiveness when your business scales.
2) It only offers basic call management features
Though Grasshopper is a cloud-based virtual phone system, you cannot make video calls with it. You can’t send or receive files, or share your screen using Grasshopper.
Limited call analytics, fewer auto-reply options, no shared number or shared email, and no call recording facility, make it less appealing for businesses that want an advanced communication solution.
3) It can be expensive
With Grasshopper, calling international numbers can be expensive. Grasshopper’s international calling rates aren’t competitive, so you may rack up a hefty bill.
When it comes to a richer feature set, the plans are expensive compared to virtual phone services like Nextiva, which offer unlimited minutes for voice and video calls, voicemail, toll-free numbers, business integrations, and unlimited internet fax right from the basic plan.
Grasshopper’s plans lack advanced features; you need to pay additional fees for additional features you use. Some users also cite poor call reliability, customer service, and analytics as other reasons they would switch from Grasshopper.
The good news is there are many Grasshopper alternatives available to meet your communication needs.
Here’s a walkthrough of the top 10.
Top 10 Grasshopper Alternatives
1. Nextiva
Nextiva is a cloud-based business phone system that meets the needs of small businesses while offering enterprise-grade functionality.
Nextiva is an all-in-one communications solution. It offers business phone service with video conferencing, collaboration tools, and more for businesses of all sizes.
U.S. News named it the best business phone system for four years running. Popular review sites like G2 also rate Nextiva highly compared to other VoIP solutions.
More than 150,000 businesses across the U.S. use Nextiva. Notable customers include Amazon, Cisco, Netflix, and the Pac-12 Conference. Nextiva has been helping companies supercharge their phone systems since 2006.
Key features
Nextiva offers voice & video calling, text messaging, third-party integrations, and robust call management features. Instead of using multiple services and apps, you can maximize efficiency with Nextiva’s highly rated business phone app — NextivaONE.
Nextiva has a robust VoIP phone service with more than 40+ standard and advanced features.
Here are some features that make it a better alternative to Grasshopper:
- Low international calling rates
- Unlimited calls & video conferencing
- Advanced IVR with Conversational AI
- Analytics and automation
- Smart call routing
- Business text messaging
- Unlimited online faxing
- Voicemail transcription
- Customizable Caller ID
- On-demand call recording
- Business call forwarding
- Mobile and desktop softphones
Nextiva’s monthly pricing
Nextiva has three plans that offer powerful VoIP features without breaking the bank. You can also request a no-obligation quote to see if you’re eligible for additional discounts and offers.
Essential, $17.39 per user: Ideal for small businesses. Includes unlimited voice and video calling, voicemail, toll-free numbers, integrations with Outlook and Google Contacts, and unlimited internet fax.
Professional, $20.74 per user: Excellent fit for smaller teams and has everything from the Essential plan, plus more. You get unlimited conference calls for up to 40 participants, video conferencing, screen sharing, multi-level auto attendant, SMS, and MMS on mobile and desktop. Salesforce and HubSpot integrations are also included.
Enterprise, $27.44 per user: Supports small-to-medium-sized teams. Easily add unlimited participants to voice and video conferencing, record calls and videos, and voicemail transcription. Enterprises can also take advantage of SSO and advanced integrations.
Why is it better than Grasshopper?
Nextiva goes above and beyond just VoIP. Its powerful capabilities, along with CRM integrations, advanced features, and all-around performance, ensure a reliable and seamless communication experience.
It’s the top pick for businesses seeking efficiency and reliability in their communication solutions. 8,400 Nextiva reviews and a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on review sites like GetVoIP show how much Nextiva prioritizes its customers’ needs.
The ease of setup and use, excellent customer support, great features, great return on investment, enterprise-grade security, and all-in-one business communication solution make Nextiva the best Grasshopper alternative.
“What truly sets Nextiva apart is their unwavering commitment to meeting our unique company needs. They didn’t simply offer a one-size-fits-all solution; instead, they took the time to understand our specific requirements and tailored their services precisely to suit us.”
Ari M.
2. GoTo Connect
Best for startups looking for a business telephony system with fewer features.
Formerly known as Jive, GoTo Connect is a VoIP phone service, much like Grasshopper. They typically offer products for conference room calls, delivering training, and running online webinars.
Key features
- International calling plans
- Hold music and call queues to keep callers on the line
- Web-based video conferencing for up to 250 participants
- Drag-and-drop editor to configure call flows
- Integrations with tools like HubSpot, Zendesk, and Microsoft
Pricing
GoTo Connect offers two pricing options. The Basic plan starts at $29 monthly. The Standard plan starts at $39 monthly and offers all the features of the Basic plan plus additional benefits.
3. OnSIP
Best for small to medium-sized remote teams looking for hosted PBX.
OnSIP is a hosted VoIP services provider offering video conferencing and high-quality VoIP phone calls. It’s designed to help businesses upgrade traditional landlines and switch to a modern alternative that moves with their team, wherever they are.
Key features
With OnSIP, you get enterprise PBX features and a cloud platform’s productivity-boosting capabilities.
- Auto attendant or virtual receptionist
- Queues and groups to handle incoming calls
- Remote office capabilities
- HD calling & conference suite
- International dialing
Pricing
OnSIP’s Basic Plan starts at $49.95 per month per account. Calling minutes aren’t included; they’re charged at $0.032 per minute. The Unlimited Plan starts at $18.95 per month, but a five-user minimum means you’ll end up paying at least $94.75 monthly.
4. Phone.com
Best for businesses looking for a basic VoIP phone system.
Phone.com is a business phone system provider. It offers entrepreneurs and small businesses an easier way to manage their business communication.
Key features
Phone.com offers 50+ features across their business phone system packages, including:
- Business text messages (additional fee)
- Voicemail to text
- Phone number porting
- Local business phone numbers with area codes for each location
- Hold music
Pricing
Phone.com offers three different pricing plans. The Basic plan starts at $12.74 per user per month (billed annually).
5. Mitel
Attractive for businesses looking for advanced team collaboration capabilities.
Much like the other Grasshopper alternatives, Mitel offers a suite of business communication tools, including a VoIP phone system, contact center, and collaboration software.
Key features
Mitel’s cloud phone system includes some great features like:
- Team collaboration software
- Video conferencing
- Integrations with Microsoft Teams, Chrome browser, Google Cloud, and Salesforce
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology to greet direct and divert callers
- Mobile app dialer to provide business phone number connectivity (iOS/Android)
Pricing
Mitel has three main plans for its business VoIP packages. The Essentials plan starts at $20.99 /user/month.
6. Google Voice
Ideal for US-based users who use Google Workspace heavily.
Google Voice is Google’s VoIP offering, allowing you to make and receive calls over the internet. The easy-to-use tool uses conversational AI for intuitive calling experiences and time savings. In addition to phone calls, you can also send texts via Google Voice.
Key features
- Calls between Google Voice numbers
- Calls to the US, Canada, and most European countries
- Text messaging, call forwarding, and call recording
- Voicemail transcription
- G-suite integration & Mobile apps (Android & IOS)
Pricing
Google Voice has three convenient plans with an increasing number of features. You can expect to pay $10, $20, and $30 per month per user for their Starter, Standard, and Premier plans.
7. 8×8
Decent option for businesses solely looking for a VoIP phone system.
8×8 is not a complete business communications platform, much like Grasshopper. It’s a VoIP service with a unified platform for contact center, business phone, video, chat, and APIs. Each runs through a company’s privately hosted PBX platform managed by 8×8.
8×8 provides businesses VoIP features like auto attendants, call recording, and voicemail to email. As a Grasshopper alternative, 8×8 is a step up.
Key features
- International calling to 14 countries
- SMS, MMS, and team chat
- Audio and video conferencing
- Microsoft Teams integrations
- Mobile and desktop apps
Pricing
8×8 has two pricing tiers. X2 Plan costs $24/user/month. It’s an entry-level plan. X4 Plan costs $44/user/month and includes 8×8’s higher-tier UCaaS software.
8. Zoom Phone
Helpful to use in tandem with the video-conferencing app Zoom.
Zoom is best known for helping businesses host online meetings. It also offers other communication features through its Zoom Phone — a business phone service that allows users to make and receive calls.
It’s not as feature-rich as Nextiva, but it’s a good alternative to Grasshopper.
Key features
Zoom has some great features in its communications package, including:
- Intelligent call routing
- Integrations with Slack, Google, Zapier, and Calendly
- Online whiteboard to collaborate visually mid-conference
- Video and audio calls made through Zoom’s VoIP network are high-quality and secure
Pricing
Zoom offers a free plan for video conferencing. To access its virtual phone system, you’ll need to upgrade. For the US & Canada, pricing starts from $120 per year per user. Pro Global Select for international calling costs $240 per user per year.
9. Aircall
Best for small teams and VoIP call centers.
Aircall is a VoIP platform made especially for contact centers. It integrates with helpdesk and CRM software and is designed specifically to manage customer conversations. It’s a strong Grasshopper competitor if you want VoIP call center and call monitoring functionality.
Key features
- IVR menus and ring groups
- Conversation tags to categorize and filter previous call recordings
- Custom business hours to stop incoming calls from heading to voicemail
- Analytics like missed call rate, call volume, and first-call resolution
- Desktop notifications for incoming calls
Pricing
Aircall has two main pricing tiers. Pricing for the Essentials plan starts at $30 per month, purchased for a minimum of three users, while the Professional plan starts at $50 per month for the same number of users.
10. Dialpad
Best for businesses looking for an AI solution.
Dialpad focuses heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) and could be an overkill for businesses looking for basic call functionality. Nevertheless, its advanced VoIP functionality gives it the upper hand over Grasshopper.
Key features
- Real-time call transcription and post-call summaries
- Transfer your business phone number (porting)
- AI-enabled coaching to help sales teams communicate more effectively
- Predictive CSAT tools to anticipate and change customer satisfaction in real-time
Pricing
The Standard plan starts at $15 per month. For custom pricing, you’ll need to talk to their sales team for a quote.
Choosing the Best Grasshopper Alternative
When looking for the best Grasshopper alternative, consider your specific needs and the features most important to you.
If you’re looking for a best-practice Grasshopper alternative that offers advanced VoIP features at affordable prices, go for Nextiva.
Amazing Service is integral to Nextiva’s team culture. When it comes to physical security and network security, Nextiva has superior reliability. Calls are handled through one of eight military-grade data centers across the United States.
Nextiva has all the essential and advanced phone, communication, and collaboration features your business needs. With flexible pricing options for businesses at any stage, you’re sure to find Nextiva to be the best Grasshopper alternative.
