Grasshopper vs eVoice: Which Is Better for Small Businesses?
Corey McCraw is a staff writer covering VoIP and Unified Communications. Corey has over a decade of experience in marketing, tech writing, and corporate communications and has even penned content for the former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Marianne is a staff writer at Fit Small Business who covers business phone services, VoIP, and video conferencing tools.
This article is part of a larger series on VoIP.
While both eVoice and Grasshopper are virtual phone solutions that help teams stay connected, they differ greatly in terms of pricing and call features. Grasshopper offers comprehensive pricing plans, a feature-rich call management system, and robust communication features. Meanwhile, eVoice offers a no-frills approach to audio and web conferencing while supporting a variety of virtual number options, including international numbers.
Based on our comparison, the best use cases for Grasshopper vs eVoice are as follows:
- Grasshopper: Better for businesses looking for a full-featured business phone system with unlimited calls and texts
- eVoice: Better for freelancers and solopreneurs needing a low-cost and user-friendly business phone system
If these two providers don’t fit your business needs, check out our guide on the best virtual phone number providers and choose from our list of top alternatives.
Grasshopper vs eVoice at a Glance
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Starting Price* | $31 per user, per month | $14 per user, per month |
Free Trial | 7-day free trial | 30-day free trial |
Virtual Phone Number | Local, toll-free, and vanity | Local, toll-free, vanity, and international |
Unlimited Domestic Calling | ✓ | ✓ |
Unlimited Text Messaging | ✓ | ✕ |
International Calling | ✓ | ✓ |
Call Routing Features |
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Multi-extension Support | ✓ | ✓ |
Uptime Guarantee | 99.999% | 100% |
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*Fees displayed are based on monthly billing. Annual billing is available.
Best for Pricing: Grasshopper
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Grasshopper Pricing*
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*Rates displayed are based on monthly billing. Annual billing is available.
At first glance, eVoice seems to be a more affordable option than Grasshopper. However, additional monthly charges apply to premium features, specifically business texting, call recording, and voicemail-to-text. eVoice’s plans offer access to the common features of a business phone system, such as call routing and call forwarding.
Grasshopper is a standout choice because of the comprehensive subscription plans published on its website. Unlike eVoice, Grasshopper offers unlimited calling and texting in the U.S. and Canada. Starting at $31 per user, per month, users get a suite of tools, such as voicemail transcription, custom greetings, virtual fax, and a business phone number.
Best for Calling Features: Grasshopper
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If you’re looking for extensive calling features, Grasshopper wins this round overall. It offers all the features of a complete phone system without the cost of additional services. While eVoice offers a voicemail-to-text feature as a premium feature, Grasshopper provides voicemail transcription on all plans.
Grasshopper also stands out with its ability to transform your personal smartphone into a straightforward business phone. This way, your personal number remains private, while you never miss a business call or text.
eVoice, on the other hand, falls behind when it comes to call management features. Although it offers conferencing functionalities—that Grasshopper lacks—it is missing features like call analytics, call switching, and business tool integrations.
Best for Virtual Numbers: eVoice
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eVoice is one of our best virtual phone number providers and the clear winner for this category, offering all of the standard options for virtual numbers, such as local, toll-free, and vanity. Not only that, but it also offers numbers in international territories. This is a better option for companies doing business overseas that want to build an international presence.
While Grasshopper has no option for international numbers, it offers a second number that’s ideal for solopreneurs or freelancers wanting to manage calls from customers without using their personal numbers. It provides users with a virtual phone number on its Solo Plan, three numbers with the Partner plan, and five numbers on the Small Business Plan.
Best for Call Handling Features: Grasshopper
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Both eVoice and Grasshopper offer an auto-attendant and live receptionists, but Grasshopper goes one step ahead with its multiple extensions and interactive voice response (IVR) system. Grasshopper allows users to set up their IVR using their own extensions and hours, allowing them to completely customize the way they interact with their customers. Also, by subscribing to the Small Business plan, users have the option to create as many extensions as they want.
While eVoice offers a live receptionist for answering calls, the feature comes with an additional cost of $139 to $400 per month and is only available to answer calls between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time. If you want to try this feature, eVoice offers up to six live receptionists trained on your business services.
Best for Remote Teams: Grasshopper
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Small teams and solopreneurs need a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) solution to help them leave a good impression with customers as well as a professional image of their business. Grasshopper is one of the best VoIP solutions for small businesses. It works best for handling more phone calls efficiently. Professional features, such as custom greetings and instant responses, empower business owners to establish a professional calling experience wherever they are.
Meanwhile, eVoice’s professional calling features are limited to studio-recorded greetings and call forwarding. Call forwarding creates time-based routing rules to make calls when you’re unavailable or forward calls from your business phone to your personal mobile phone.
Best for Communication Features: Grasshopper
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Grasshopper comes out ahead as it offers more communication features ideal for small businesses. Its major points include unlimited domestic calling and texting, perfect for teams handling high volumes of outbound calls. Additional features include voicemail transcription and audio conferencing.
However, eVoice’s communication channels are limited to voicemail and audio and web conferencing. It also has a click-to-call widget feature that enables businesses to add their number to their website or banner ads. When clicked, the button will initiate a call between the client and the company.
eVoice’s click-to-call widget (Source: eVoice)
Best Alternatives
Both eVoice and Grasshopper offer virtual phone numbers and basic VoIP services essential for small businesses. However, both providers lack free versions and robust unified communication features. Before deciding which provider to commit to, check out other VoIP and virtual phone solutions that offer better feature sets and inclusions.
A few Grasshopper and eVoice alternatives include the following:
- RingCentral: RingCentral ranks as our best business phone system with its powerful features, reasonable fees, and ease of use. Businesses needing extensive third-party app integrations will appreciate RingCentral for its built-in connections with popular business solutions. These include Salesforce, Google Workspace, and an open application platform for customized integrations.
- Nextiva: Nextiva is a business phone solution that helps teams collaborate through a vast array of conferencing tools. These functions include screen sharing, task management, team calendars, and meeting scheduling. It also comes with a team collaboration platform called CoSpace, which helps teams sync their business communications.
- Google Voice: Google Voice is our top recommendation for freelancers and solopreneurs looking for a free or low-cost business phone plan. It offers a free phone number, unlimited calls and texts, and international calling for 13 territories. Paid plans start at only $10 per user, per month, making it an ideal choice for businesses on a tight budget.
Looking for more alternatives? Check out our comprehensive guide on the best Grasshopper alternatives to see which provider is the perfect fit for your business.
How We Evaluated eVoice vs Grasshopper
In comparing Grasshopper vs eVoice, we considered the most common features small business owners look for when choosing a business phone provider. These include the pricing, ease of use, and general features. We also looked at the features that are unique to them, such as web conferencing and voicemail transcription.
Here’s a complete breakdown of these factors:
25%
Pricing
25%
General Features
25%
Virtual Numbers
25%
Expert Score
25% of Overall Score
Grasshopper offers three pricing plans, and the difference between each plan is the number of phone numbers and extensions included. Meanwhile, eVoice only offers a single pricing plan. From there, we compared providers based on the cost per user and the number of features included.
25% of Overall Score
In our eVoice and Grasshopper comparison, we examined the general features each one offers, such as virtual numbers and call management features. We also look at the conference capabilities and the number of communication features of each provider.
25% of Overall Score
Since both providers offer virtual phone number services, we examined whether eVoice and Grasshopper offer standard options for virtual numbers. We also gave points to the provider that offered international numbers, international calling, and unlimited domestic calls.
25% of Overall Score
We based our expert score according to our analysis of each solution’s value for the money, popularity, ease of use, and overall user experience. We also examined user reviews and compared them to our hands-on experience.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the premium features offered by eVoice?
eVoice offers multiple premium features, such as voicemail-to-text, web conferencing, business texting, and outbound faxing. Each service has an additional monthly charge.
Does eVoice have its own mobile app?
Yes. eVoice offers a mobile app for iOS and Android users. The mobile app turns any smartphone into a business phone system, allowing you to manage your communications from any location.
Do both providers offer 24/7 customer support?
Grasshopper offers 24/7 customer support and is available via phone, email, and social media pages like Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, eVoice’s customer support is only available on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time via phone and email.
Bottom Line
Grasshopper and eVoice are both excellent virtual phone providers for small teams. Each solution offers affordable plans with virtual phone numbers and standard call management features, such as custom greetings. However, Grasshopper wins this match with its robust mix of features and pricing options. On the other hand, eVoice is a better fit for solopreneurs looking for a low-cost business phone system with an international number.
To learn more about Grasshopper, check out our in-depth Grasshopper review and find out if it’s the right choice for your business.
