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Top Grasshopper Alternatives Of 2024

Written By
Small Business and Tech Writer

Reviewed

|Deputy Editor
& 1 other
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Grasshopper is one of the best voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services, and it continues to provide phone and messaging services to small businesses. But while it stands out for its simplicity and ease of use, Grasshopper lacks some helpful features in competitor platforms. If you want an all-in-one business communication hub where you can manage your calls efficiently or combine your VoIP system with other productivity tools seamlessly, consider other VoIP providers.

We’ve highlighted Grasshopper’s shortcomings and compiled top Grasshopper alternatives, outlining their unique features and costs and what to look out for when choosing one to help you determine the one that best suits your business.

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The Best Alternatives to Grasshopper in 2024


Best Free VoIP Provider

Google Voice

Google Voice
4.9
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$10 per user

per month

Free trial

None for business plans

Call monitoring

Not available

Google Voice
Learn More Arrow

Read Forbes' Review

$10 per user

per month

None for business plans

Not available

Editor's Take

Google Voice is a free alternative to Grasshopper and one of the best cloud phone systems. This easy-to-use VoIP service is available for personal use on the web and Android and iOS devices. All you’ll need to access features such as call forwarding, voice mail transcription and smooth integration with other Google products are a Google account and an existing phone number. Google Voice offers business plans starting at $10 per user per month, available as a stand-alone service or as an add-on for those already using Google’s Workspace.

Though Google Voice doesn’t have video or chat features, it integrates with other Google products such aslike Google Meet and Google Hangouts to provide video conferencing, which Grasshopper lacks. It also offers call recording and unlimited calling and texting within the U.S. Google Voice users can also call Canada and some parts of Europe. And if you want more communication features, you’ll find them on Google WorkspaceG Suite.

Learn more: Read our full Google Voice review.

Who should use it:

If your business already uses Google’s software suite, Google Voice is the VoIP service to add to your business toolset.

Pros & Cons
  • Free individual plans are available
  • Unlimited calling and texting within the U.S.
  • 24/7 support available
  • Easy account setup
  • Interface is user-friendly
  • Excellent call quality
  • Competitive international call rates
  • All plans offer service level agreement (SLA)
  • Must upgrade for advanced analytics and reporting
  • No toll-free or international numbers
  • No free trial for business plans
  • Lacks team messaging or virtual fax
  • Limited third-party app integrations and support options
  • Requires integration with other Google products for videos or chats

Best for Comprehensive Features

RingCentral

RingCentral
4.8
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$20 per user, per month

(if paid annually)

Free trial

14 days

Call monitoring

Available

RingCentral
Learn More Arrow

On RingCentral's Website

$20 per user, per month

(if paid annually)

14 days

Available

Editor's Take

RingCentral is a top Grasshopper alternative because of its comprehensive communication features. With pricing as low as $20 per month for each user, you’ll enjoy unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada and internet faxing alongside interactive voice response (IVR), voice mail transcription, call log reports, real-time analytics, team messaging and unlimited storage.

RingCentral also packs features such as video conferencing, document sharing and device status reports, and it allows you to buy and rent hardware phones where Grasshopper fails. Also, this VoIP’s higher plans enable international calling, another feature missing in Grasshopper.

We were impressed by how well RingCentral works across various devices and for all levels of VoIP and UCaaS users, from small to medium businesses needing advanced communication services. Compared to Grasshopper, which doesn’t enable direct integration with other software platforms besides Google Voice and Skype, RingCentral integrates with 300-plus software, including Slack and Salesforce, making it an all-in-one unified communication system. We also found RingCentral’s audio and video calling to be higher quality. Grasshopper also doesn’t offer video conferencing, just as there’s no call recording or call monitoring on the VoIP service. However, you’ll find them on RingCentral.

RingCentral offers a 14-day trial period to test its premium features.

Learn more: Read our full RingCentral review.

Who should use it:

RingCentral suits small businesses and enterprises seeking a comprehensive VoIP solution with robust features.

Pros & Cons
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Works for remote, hybrid and on-premises communication
  • Business or toll-free number included
  • Unlimited storage
  • International virtual phone numbers are available in several countries
  • Integrations for Slack, Microsoft 365, Salesforce and others
  • International calling costs extra
  • No support for its base plan
  • Internet faxing is unavailable for lower tiers
  • Rich feature set can be overwhelming for solopreneurs and smaller teams
  • No CRM integration is allowed on RingCentral’s lowest plan

Best for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Features

Dialpad

Dialpad
4.8
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$15 per user, per month

(if paid annually)

Free trial

14 days

Call monitoring

Available

Dialpad
Learn More Arrow

On Dialpad's Website

$15 per user, per month

(if paid annually)

14 days

Available

Editor's Take

For as low as $15 per month, Dialpad offers a complete business communication service. Note, though, that that price is for one user. Still, you only pay for what you need and can add as many users as you want. Dialpad’s basic plan offers unlimited calls and SMS, multilevel auto-attendant features and unlimited video meetings, and you’ll enjoy e-fax for a fee. You won’t get any of these on Grasshopper.

Dialpad is one of the best Grasshopper alternatives to consider if you’re looking for advanced communication support for your business. You’ll get unlimited calling, call routing and forwarding, call recording, voicemail transcription and custom voicemail greetings. What’s more—Dialpad uses AI to make it easier to take notes and follow up on tasks. It also identifies unknown callers, transfers calls to appropriate team members and gives you real-time analytics of customer calls.

Dialpad also enables integrations with 65-plus third-party apps, including Zoho CRM and Rippling, which your business might be using. You can also use Dialpad’s API to customize your workflows.

Learn more: Read our full Dialpad review.

Who should use it:

Dialpad is better suited for businesses seeking a VoIP solution, which offers AI functionality and enables customizations that give room for scaling.

Pros & Cons
  • Business phone number available
  • International SMS available for users in Canada and the U.S.
  • AI features available on all plans
  • Integrates with third-party apps such as Slack, Zapier and Google Workspace
  • Works across multiple devices
  • Allows 1,000 people in video meetings
  • Toll-free numbers cost extra
  • Must upgrade to access
  • Dialpad’s integration library and advanced communication features
  • 24/7 support, uptime guarantee and hold queues unavailable on the lowest plan
  • Phone extensions feature only available on the highest plan

Best All-in-One UCaaS

Intermedia Unite

Intermedia Unite
4.7
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$27.99 per month

Free trial

30 days

Call monitoring

Available

Intermedia Unite
Learn More Arrow

On Intermedia's Website

$27.99 per month

30 days

Available

Editor's Take

Intermedia Unite is a cloud-based unified communications as a service (UCaaS) provider offering communication and collaboration tools. You don’t need an upgrade to access unlimited audio and video calling and conferencing, team messaging or internet faxing. Intermedia Unite also enables meeting transcriptions and allows you to record calls and meetings and back up, sync and share files.

Every user will get a free phone or device, and you can choose from multiple options. This UCaaS provider also encrypts your communication and provides enhanced communication functions, including call queueing, report scheduling and real-time analytics, which are unavailable to Grasshopper users. Intermedia Unite also enables supervisory functions, such as call monitoring, whispering and barging, making it a helpful Grasshopper alternative for business communications and contact centers. You can also integrate smoothly with third-party platforms including Salesforce and Outlook.

You’ll also enjoy 24/7 customer support and a 99.999% uptime service level agreement (SLA), so no need to worry about service interruptions.

Learn more: Read our full Intermedia Unite review.

Who should use it:

Intermedia Unite is a suitable Grasshopper alternative for small and medium businesses looking for an all-in-one cloud VoIP service with reliable customer support.

Pros & Cons
  • Unlimited calling allowed
  • Free version available
  • Free device available for every user
  • Wallboards and detailed contact center analytics
  • Smooth integration with plenty of apps and software
  • Additional phone numbers are available as add-ons
  • A few popular integrations are only available with an upgrade
  • Toll-free numbers cost extra
  • Poor connections, sometimes

Best for Ease of Use

Nextiva

Nextiva
4.6
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$20 per user per month

Free trial

Seven days

Call monitoring

Available

Nextiva
Learn More Arrow

Read Forbes' Review

$20 per user per month

Seven days

Available

Editor's Take

Nextiva is our recommended Grasshopper alternative for ease of use. This VoIP service includes unlimited calling, texting and faxing within the U.S. and Canada and toll-free business numbers. However, one thing that sets Nextiva apart is how friendly its interface is. For example, this provider allows you to add and remove as many users as you want on the control panel.

All of Nextiva’s plans include communication features, such as call recording, monitoring and analytics, which help manage leads and deals. Grasshopper lacks these features. You can also conduct video conferences and create multiple rooms for those video meetings, more features missing in Grasshopper. Then, Nextiva enables collaboration, allowing your team members to share their screens, calendars and files and even assign projects and schedule meetings.

Nextiva allows you to do these on several devices, including iOS and Android devices, Windows computers and MacBooks. The VoIP provider also has desktop and conferencing phones for rent or purchase. You can also integrate with popular productivity apps such as HubSpot CRM, Microsoft Teams and Google Contacts.

Learn more: Read our full Nextiva review.

Who should use it:

Nextiva is best for businesses looking for a VoIP provider that is easy to use and scalable.

Pros & Cons
  • Unlimited internet faxing and voice and video calling across plans
  • Advanced collaboration features on higher-tiered plans
  • Local and toll-free numbers included
  • Minimum of 1,500 toll-free minutes per month
  • VoIP hardware available for sale or lease
  • Discounts available for bulk subscriptions
  • No support for international numbers
  • Call recording only available on Nextiva’s highest plan
  • Mobile SMS not available on lower tiers

Best for Medium Businesses

8×8

8×8
4.5
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

Contact for quote

Free trial

N/A

Call monitoring

Available on higher plans

8×8
Learn More Arrow

Read Forbes' Review

Contact for quote

N/A

Available on higher plans

Editor's Take

Even as one of the cheapest VoIP services, 8×8 packs several phone communication essentials, including unlimited internet fax, call handling, call queues, voicemail transcription, call activity analytics, multilevel auto attendant and interactive audio and visual conferencing for up to 500 participants. These video conferences enable poll-taking, virtual backgrounds, emoji reactions and breakout rooms, and you can record them. The meeting moderator has advanced control over audio and videos. Also, 8×8 allows you to stream meetings privately or publicly on YouTube.

All 8×8 pricing plans offer unlimited domestic calling. When you choose a higher plan, you’ll enjoy unlimited international calling to as many as 48 countries—no per-minute rates. It also allows unlimited users, team messaging and document sharing. This VoIP provider also offers add-ons, such as interactive voice response (IVR), and will enable you to integrate with essential productivity and support applications to maximize your business communications.

It also offers 24/7 customer support, which we found to be reliable. Not only did we get live support quickly, but the support personnel was friendly and efficient in getting us back on track.

Learn more: Read our full 8×8 review.

Who should use it:

The 8×8 plans are best for medium to enterprise-level businesses that frequently run several VoIP activities.

Pros & Cons
  • Smooth integration with popular apps
  • Audio and video conferencing for up to 500 participants.
  • Chat rooms and messaging for easy collaboration
  • Can stream meetings on YouTube
  • Shortcuts are available for initiating calls
  • Doesn’t require hardware
  • App logins and access can be overwhelming
  • Recordings only stored for a limited time
  • SMS texting and call center supervisor only available on higher plans
  • Quite pricey for small businesses

Best for Video Conferencing

Zoom Phone

Zoom Phone
4.2
Our ratings take into account a product's cost, features, ease of use, customer service and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Starting price

$10 per month

per user

Free trial

Demo only

Call monitoring

Available

Zoom Phone
Learn More Arrow

On Zoom's Website

$10 per month

per user

Demo only

Available

Editor's Take

Zoom Phone is one of the best UCaaS providers, with its secure audio and HD video calls, calendar integrations and built-in collaboration tools, all within a platform with a simple interface. Zoom Phone allows unlimited texting and calling across the U.S. and Canada. Not only are the calls secure and of good quality, but we also noticed that you can start a voice call and switch to a video meeting on Zoom Phone. This Grasshopper alternative allows you to upgrade or pay extra to enjoy unlimited international calls and toll-free numbers.

Unlike Grasshopper, Zoom Phone offers advanced call monitoring tools and hot desking. It also integrates with over 80 third-party tools, including HubSpot, Slack, Google Workspace and Salesforce, to maximize your business communication and collaboration at lower pricing. You can also purchase new phone numbers or port from old ones you had with Zoom Phone alternatives. With Zoom Phone, you can make or receive calls from macOS and Linux desktop computers or laptops and Android and iOS tablets or phones. Zoom Phone also offers hardware for $5.99 per month for one device.

Learn more: Read our full Zoom Phone review.

Who should use it:

Zoom Phone is a suitable Grasshopper alternative for small businesses seeking an affordable cloud communication service

Pros & Cons
  • Easy to set up
  • Can switch from phone call to video meeting
  • Metered and unmetered plans
  • Native Zoom apps for multiple devices
  • Bring-Your-Own-Carrier (BYOC) support
  • Call center features available at no added cost
  • Add-on available for unlimited calls to 19 countries
  • 24/7 phone and live chat support
  • Upgrade required for unlimited outbound calling
  • No task management features
  • No discounts for annual billing
  • Tiered customer support
  • International calling and toll-free numbers cost more

Compare Grasshopper Competitors

The table below shows how Grasshopper compares to its alternatives in rating, pricing, specific features and the chance to try out its premium features.

Company Forbes Advisor Rating Starting Price (annual billing) Free Trial Call Monitoring LEARN MORE
Google Voice 4.9 5-stars-removebg-preview $10 per user, per month Not available for business plans Not available Learn More Read Forbes Review
RingCentral 4.8 5-stars-removebg-preview $20 per user, per month 14 days Available Learn More On RingCentral's Website
Dialpad 4.8 5-stars-removebg-preview $15 per user, per month 14 days Available Learn More On Dialpad's Website
Nextiva 4.6 4.5-removebg-preview $20 per user per month Seven days Available Learn More Read Forbes' Review
Intermedia Unite 4.6 4.5-removebg-preview $27.99 per month 30 days Available Learn More On Intermedia's Website
8x8 4.5 4.5-removebg-preview Contact for quote 30 days Available only on higher plans Learn More Read Forbes' Review
Grasshopper 4.4 4.5-removebg-preview $14 per month Seven days Seven days Learn More On Grasshopper's Website
Zoom Phone 4.2 4.0 star $10 per month, per user Demo only Available Learn More On Zoom's Website

Learn More:


What To Look For in a Grasshopper Alternative

While Grasshopper’s offerings are straightforward and ideal for sole proprietors and smaller businesses, they need some features you’ll find in some of its competitors. So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive business communication suite or are on the verge of upscaling, go for a Grasshopper alternative with more functionality, such as call recording, call monitoring and video conferencing.

Consider a VoIP system that won’t limit you to domestic calls or cost you extra to obtain an international number. If you want to send internet faxes or perform other functions requiring integration with third parties, choose a Grasshopper alternative with robust call functionality, and one that also enables direct and smooth integration with several communication or productivity platforms.

Your budget is another thing to consider when choosing a Grasshopper alternative. Weigh your business needs against factors such as monthly and annual prices, the costs of necessary add-ons, hardware and additional phone numbers or users, billing discounts and the quality of services you’ll get. Also, pay attention to how easy a VoIP service is to use when setting up and navigating.

Then, check how supportive the provider is in attending to your call for help. Are they available to attend to you through various channels or around the clock? And will they be helpful? You can read user reviews to determine that.

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Is Grasshopper the Best VoIP Service?

Grasshopper can be the best or least recommended VoIP service for your business. It all depends on what you’re looking for.

Grasshopper Pros and Cons

Below are Grasshopper’s common pros and cons.

Pros

  • Seven-day free trial available
  • Affordable plan options for solopreneurs and small businesses
  • Easy to set up and use
  • All plans include multiple extensions
  • Unlimited users
  • Simultaneous call handling
  • Virtual receptionist
  • Instant response features

Cons

  • Lacks video conferencing tools
  • No call recording feature
  • No direct third-party app integrations
  • Cannot send internet faxes
  • Quite pricey for limited phone lines
  • Minimal discount for annual subscribers
  • International calls cost extra

Grasshopper Cost

Grasshopper offers four pricing plans—True Solo, Solo Plus, Partner and Small Business.

  • True Solo: $14 per month (when billed annually), which is best for solopreneurs
  • Solo Plus: $28 per month (when billed annually), which is best for small teams
  • Partner: $46 per month (when billed annually) for growing businesses with one to three employees
  • Small Business: $80 per month (when billed annually) for small businesses that require more functionality

All Grasshopper plans (except True Solo) enable unlimited users. However, to add more phone numbers, you’ll need to pay for additional phone numbers. Also, prepare to spend a few more dollars (less than $10) if you want to pay per month.

When To Choose a Competitor Over Grasshopper

While many Grasshopper users enjoy how well Grasshopper smoothens their communication systems, especially since it’s easy to use, there are times you’ll need to go for Grasshopper’s alternatives instead. Here are the primary reasons to choose an alternative VoIP service.

  • If you want to hold video conferences on your VoIP
  • If you intend to make or receive a lot of international calls
  • If you want to record calls
  • When you prefer direct integration with third-party software
  • If you want to send e-faxes
  • If you require ample time to test a VoIP provider’s premium features

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Grasshopper good for small businesses?

Grasshopper is good for small businesses, especially sole proprietors and small businesses with a few team members. However, your business communication needs will determine whether or not Grasshopper is good for you. For example, if you’re looking for a simple phone system, you’ll like Grasshopper. But any recommended Grasshopper alternative will be better for those seeking features such as video conferencing and call recording.

Is there a free alternative to Grasshopper?

Yes, there are free alternatives to Grasshopper, one of which is Google Voice. However, remember that free VoIPs are limited in offering and may not be the best for you, especially with their hidden fees. For example, Google Voice’s free plans are suited for individuals, while its business plans will cost you money. If you’re not ready to pay for VoIP service, we recommend testing the premium features of the best VoIP providers.

What are sites similar to Grasshopper called?

Software platforms offering similar services to Grasshopper are called VoIP providers. The ones with more functionality, serving as all-in-one business communication hubs, are called UCaaS, that is, unified communications as a service.

Does Grasshopper charge by the minute?

All Grasshopper pricing plans provide unlimited domestic calling, so you won’t need to pay per minute or spend beyond your monthly or annual budget for VoIP communications.


Next Up In VoIP


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