Nextiva vs. Grasshopper: Which One Is Better?

Choosing the right VoIP service provider is like choosing the right vehicle — it needs to be reliable, fit your needs, and capable of getting you where you need to go. In the battle of Nextiva vs. Grasshopper, both offer solid communication solutions but serve different types of businesses with varying needs.

In this guide, we’ll compare Grasshopper vs. Nextiva to help you determine which provider is the best fit for your business.

Feature	Nextiva	Grasshopper
Overall rating	4.5/5	3.9/5
Starting price	$30 per user per month	$14 per month (for 1 user)
Free trial	7 days	7 days
Meets requirements	9.0/10	8.3/10
Ease of use	8.7/10	8.2/10
Ease of setup	8.4/10	8.0/10
Ease of Admin	8.6/10	8.3/10
Quality of support	9.0/10	7.7/10
Contact center	8.4/10	Not enough data to provide rating
Call center infrastructure	8.6/10	Not enough data to provide rating
Cloud PBX platforms	9.0/10	Not enough data to provide rating
VoIP phone service	8.5/10	7.5/10
UCaaS Platforms	8.7/10	Not enough data to provide rating
*Ratings sourced from G2

Cost and Value

When comparing Nextiva vs. Grasshopper, it’s not just about price — it’s about value. Nextiva’s Core plan is $30/user/month and scales with your business, offering all the features from essential voice solutions to advanced AI-powered engagement tools at enterprise levels. For small businesses, Nextiva’s comprehensive packages provide an excellent return on investment (ROI) by consolidating communication tools into one platform.

At a glance, Grasshopper is a more budget-friendly option with flat-rate pricing, starting at $14/month for a single user. However, that lower price comes with trade-offs, offering fewer features, less functionality, and hidden fees. 

For example, one Grasshopper user not only found its desktop and smartphone app a “pain to use,” they were also surprised with extra charges. 

Unlike Nextiva, it lacks tools like video conferencing, CRM integrations, and advanced call routing. While ideal for startups and small teams who just need the basics, businesses looking to scale and streamline communications may find that Grasshopper’s affordability comes at the cost of long-term value.

Features 

When choosing a business phone system, the features offered can significantly impact efficiency, customer experience, and team collaboration.

Nextiva and Grasshopper cater to different business needs, with Nextiva providing a comprehensive communication suite and Grasshopper focusing on simplicity and affordability. Below, we compare their call management features.

Call management

While both Nextiva and Grasshopper offer unlimited calling, Nextiva excels in call management by offering advanced features that enhance communication efficiency. Its multi-level auto attendant, smart call routing, and unified inbox ensure calls reach the right person quickly. 

Call Pop, a standout feature, displays caller details — such as past interactions, sentiment, and account value — before answering the call, enabling more personalized conversations. Nextiva also supports call recording with up to six months of storage, voicemail transcription, and dynamic scripting to assist agents during calls.

Grasshopper call management features are ideal for small businesses and solopreneurs. It includes essential call management tools like call forwarding, voicemail transcription, and customized greetings. 

While it lacks advanced routing options, it does offer features like instant text responses and a live receptionist service (Ruby Receptionist) to assist with incoming calls. However, Grasshopper does not support video calls or file sharing, making it less suited for businesses that require a more robust communication platform.

Reporting and analytics

Nextiva’s call center analytics tools provide deep insights into business communications. Users can monitor call activity through dynamic dashboards, track trends across locations and employees, and access interactive maps and graphs for detailed call analysis. Some examples of key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics Nextiva’s call center analytics tracks include:

• Average handle time (AHT)
• Call volume
• Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT)
• Average hold time 
• Missed call rate
• First-call resolution (FCR)

Performance monitoring features, such as customizable wallboards and gamification tools, help boost team engagement and efficiency. Nextiva also offers real-time conversational insights, post-call surveys, and call recordings with built-in rating and sharing options to refine customer interactions.

Grasshopper offers basic reporting to track metrics and analytics, with three options:

• Usage reports with average call length for incoming and outgoing calls and call duration
• Activity reports that track voicemails, hang-ups, and faxes
• Detail reports that contain timestamps, caller ID, connecting number, extension involved, and whether they were outbound or inbound calls. 

However, it lacks native advanced analytics features like real-time dashboards, performance monitoring, and in-depth trend analysis.

Voice and video calling

For businesses that rely on seamless voice and video communication, Nextiva stands out as a comprehensive solution, while Grasshopper’s business phone service focuses solely on voice calling.

Nextiva’s VoIP platform supports high-definition voice and video calls across devices, including desk phones, computers, and mobile apps. It integrates seamlessly with business communication tools, allowing users to switch between video and phone calls effortlessly. The Nextiva video contact center enables team collaboration with dedicated chat rooms, group calls, and instant messaging. The platform’s HD Voice technology and robust data centers ensure superior call quality, making it a trusted choice for companies like Amazon, Cisco, and Netflix.

Grasshopper offers business phone numbers for local calling, vanity, and toll-free numbers, with some basic features including call forwarding, voicemail transcription, and multiple extensions. Users can make and receive calls, send texts, and review voicemail transcriptions via the Grasshopper mobile and desktop apps. However, the platform lacks video conferencing capabilities, meaning businesses needing video communication must use third-party tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Advanced IVR with Conversational AI

Nextiva offers an advanced Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system powered by Conversational AI, making call handling more efficient and customer-friendly. Unlike traditional IVR menus requiring callers to navigate rigid options, Nextiva’s AI-driven IVR enables customers to state their needs naturally, significantly reducing frustration and improving resolution times.

Nextiva’s IVR is powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP) from Google Dialogflow and IBM Watson. The system understands how customers phrase their requests, continuously learning and improving through machine learning. 

Features like natural language call steering, queue callbacks, and multilingual virtual agents enhance usability across diverse industries. Additionally, Nextiva’s IVR supports self-service functions such as appointment scheduling, answering FAQs, and PCI-compliant payment processing, making it a versatile tool for businesses of all sizes.

Grasshopper provides a basic IVR system that allows businesses to set up custom extensions and business hours. While useful for automating call routing, it lacks conversational AI capabilities. Users can direct calls to the appropriate department based on pre-set rules, but callers must navigate through traditional menu options rather than speaking naturally. This makes Grasshopper’s IVR functional for small business owners needing simple call automation but less efficient than Nextiva’s AI-driven approach.

Live chat and messaging

Nextiva’s live chat platform includes website chat, business text messaging, and internal team chat, ensuring seamless communication across multiple channels. It enhances customer interactions with AI-powered chatbots, canned responses, and advanced chat routing based on agent expertise. 

Features like co-browsing, chat pop-ups, and CRM integration further personalize customer experiences. Nextiva’s chat history, file sharing, and offline forms also allow businesses to manage customer interactions efficiently, even when agents are unavailable.

Grasshopper provides texting but lacks live chat, team messaging, and collaborative tools. Businesses can send and receive unlimited texts within the U.S. and set up automated responses for missed calls. However, it does not support international texting, file sharing, or chat routing. Since Grasshopper is a virtual phone system rather than a unified communications platform, it does not include real-time chat or advanced messaging features like Nextiva.

Integrations

Nextiva connects with major CRM systems that businesses of any size can use to keep customer data and interactions organized, like Salesforce, Zoho, Microsoft Dynamics, and Oracle Sales Cloud. But Nextiva also integrates with key tools that entrepreneurs and small business owners rely on to run and grow their businesses. 

For entrepreneurs focused on marketing and sales, Nextiva integrates with popular platforms like HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Zendesk. This allows for seamless alignment between outreach, customer support, and internal communication, enabling them to sync interactions across multiple touchpoints of the customer journey. 

Nextiva’s support of Zapier is a huge plus for small teams looking to automate without needing custom development. That provides users with  thousands of potential app connections, so they can link Nextiva to tools like Slack, Trello, QuickBooks, Calendly, Mailchimp, and more.  Plus, it provides email and Single Sign-On (SSO) integration, ensuring secure access across platforms.

Grasshopper, in contrast, offers only two business integrations: Google Voice and Skype. While this may be sufficient for businesses that need only basic phone functionality, it falls short for entrepreneurs who depend on a connected tech stack to stay efficient and responsive. It also cannot connect with CRM, automation, or support platforms, making Grasshopper a standalone solution, whereas Nextiva is a comprehensive hub for business communications.

Reliability and Uptime

When it comes to reliability, both Nextiva and Grasshopper claim 99.999% uptime, but the differences in their infrastructure and service history set them apart. Nextiva’s global services architecture is secure and compliant and eliminates planned downtime, making it a reliable choice for businesses expanding globally. 

Nextiva also ensures near-perfect uptime through a network of eight carrier-grade data centers across North America. These data centers are designed with redundancy, meaning that even if one experiences an issue, another seamlessly takes over, preventing service interruptions. 

The company also provides 24/7 network monitoring to detect and resolve issues in real time. Transparency is a priority, with a live status page (status.nextiva.com) where customers can check network performance updates at any time.

Grasshopper has experienced a reported 12 service downtime incidents over the past year (according to GetVoIP). This suggests that while the service is generally reliable, it may not match Nextiva’s infrastructure redundancy and proactive monitoring.

For businesses that rely heavily on uninterrupted communication, Nextiva’s extensive redundancy and proactive monitoring offer an added layer of network security against potential disruptions.

Customer Support

Nextiva provides 24/7 customer support via phone and live chat. Beyond troubleshooting, the support team also helps businesses optimize their Nextiva phone system setup, such as configuring call flows or adjusting holiday schedules. Reviewers on G2 rate Nextiva’s support far better than Grasshopper’s, with a score of 9.0 (from 2,600+ users), compared to 7.7 (from only 106 Grasshopper users). The reviewers frequently praise Nextiva’s responsiveness and knowledgeable agents.

Grasshopper customer service is also available 24/7. Some users say they had a knowledgeable and professional experience while other reviewers report describe disappointing support experiences, most commonly including:

• Issues never being resolved (which resulted in the customer canceling and turning to Grasshopper competitors)
• Unhelpful agents 
• Circular responses
• Support that is impossible to reach
• Long hold times

Grasshopper has access to limited chat, phone, email, and social media support, but response times and availability may not match Nextiva’s level of service.

Nextiva’s dedicated service team and higher customer satisfaction ratings make it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritize hands-on support and quick resolutions.

Ease of Setup and Usability

Nextiva is known for its intuitive interface and a guided onboarding process. The company provides self-service portals, phone support, and a dedicated onboarding team to guide users through the setup process. This level of support makes it easier for businesses, even those without technical expertise, to configure complex features like call routing and voicemail workflows. Nextiva’s platform also allows users to manage additional aspects of their business, such as social media and review management, all from a single interface.

Grasshopper’s minimalistic and straightforward platform is designed to be simple for desktop and mobile devices, making it ideal for small businesses or those new to VoIP services. While it may not have the advanced features that Nextiva offers, the simplicity of Grasshopper’s VoIP makes it a good choice for users who need a basic, no-frills system.

Nextiva excels in ease of setup for businesses looking for more advanced features and dedicated support, while Grasshopper offers a streamlined and intuitive experience for smaller businesses or those just starting out with VoIP.

Scalability

Nextiva’s centralized omnichannel solution grows seamlessly alongside your business, unifying phone, email, chat, and social media customer service through one AI-powered contact center. The platform optimizes agent workflows and provides comprehensive analytics, ensuring companies can efficiently handle increasing support volumes without adding headcount. For businesses anticipating growth, Nextiva enables consistent customer experiences across all channels while providing the data-driven insights needed to make informed decisions as support needs evolve.

While good for small businesses, Grasshopper may face limitations as communication needs grow. Its platform is straightforward but may be missing many key features and customization options that scaling businesses need. As businesses expand, Grasshopper customers may find themselves needing to transition to a more scalable solution.

For companies anticipating growth, Nextiva’s scalability ensures they can continue to meet customer demands while enhancing internal workflows. Grasshopper is better suited for small businesses that do not anticipate significant changes in their communication needs.

Which One Is a Better Fit: Nextiva vs Grasshopper?

Both Nextiva and Grasshopper offer excellent options for small businesses, but the best choice depends on your specific needs.

• Small Businesses: Grasshopper’s pricing plans are an option for small businesses, solopreneurs, and startups on a budget. Its simplicity and affordability make it ideal for teams that just need basic phone services. However, if you’re looking for advanced features like team collaboration tools or multi-channel communication, Nextiva’s platform will provide more comprehensive solutions.
• Mid-sized Businesses: For mid-market firms that require scalable solutions with team collaboration, strong security, and advanced customer support, Nextiva is the better fit. Its integrations, customizable plans, and tools for managing customer interactions can support your business’s evolving needs. Grasshopper falls short  while your communication requirements increase.
• Enterprises: Larger businesses or enterprises with complex communication needs should lean towards Nextiva. Its comprehensive suite of collaboration tools, high-level security, and scalability make it an ideal choice for organizations requiring extensive features, integrations, and high reliability. Grasshopper, with its minimalist platform, simply won’t meet the demands of enterprise-level operations.

Future-Proof Your Business Communications With Nextiva

In a sea of Grasshopper alternatives, choosing the right business communication platform doesn’t have to be a tough decision. With Nextiva, you’re not just choosing a tool — you’re investing in a partner committed to your business’s growth and success. 

Nextiva offers a comprehensive suite of communication tools with proven scalability and reliability, and has the highest level of customer support. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up, Nextiva has the flexibility and features to meet your needs.

If you’re ready to take your business communication to the next level, explore how Nextiva can help streamline your processes and improve your customer experience. Learn more about why businesses choose Nextiva and transform your business today.