8 Best Grasshopper Alternatives in 2023

Although a popular phone system, Grasshopper lacks several important tools, namely call recording, team messaging, and video conferencing. It supports international calling, but it doesn’t offer international phone numbers. Moreover, it has limited call analytics and third-party integrations. For this reason, businesses look for reliable Grasshopper alternatives with more robust phone system tools, facilitating efficient call management and team collaboration.

Based on our research, these are the top platforms:

• RingCentral: Best for enhanced unified communications (UC)
• Nextiva: Ideal for managing sales leads and deals
• Vonage: Great for customizing the phone system
• Zoom Phone: Solid choice for reaching global audiences
• Dialpad: Top pick for improving call handling through artificial intelligence (AI)
• Phone.com: Best for establishing an international presence
• eVoice: Ideal for reducing calling costs
• Google Voice: Great for solopreneurs needing a dedicated phone number

Grasshopper & Best Alternatives at a Glance

Take our quiz to find out which Grasshopper alternative is best for you.

RingCentral: Best for Enhanced Unified Communications

RingCentral is the best among Grasshopper alternatives, providing an all-in-one communications solution for businesses. It ticks off all the boxes Grasshopper lacks: robust call management capabilities, integrated team messaging and video meetings, and a wide range of third-party integrations.

Its call management system features advanced voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) tools, such as interactive voice response (IVR), toll-free minutes, call delegation, whisper and barge, and up to eight-digit extensions. RingCentral’s instant messaging makes it easier for team members to quickly consult one another for any concern. It also helps that it has built-in task management capabilities.

Meanwhile, its video meeting tool accommodates up to 500 participants when you choose the large meeting add-on. Complementing businesses’ existing tech stacks, RingCentral offers over 300 third-party integrations, including the most popular customer relationship management (CRM) apps: Salesforce, HubSpot, ServiceNow, and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Unfortunately, among the Grasshopper competitors listed here, RingCentral is one of the most expensive, starting at $30 per user. If you need a more affordable business phone system, consider Google Voice and eVoice. Both providers have entry-level packages priced at only $10 per user.

RingCentral Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Core: $30 per user for multi-level auto-attendant, 100 toll-free minutes, 25 short messaging service (SMS) credits per user, and up to 100 video meeting participants
• Advanced: $35 per user for 1,000 toll-free minutes, 100 SMS credits per user, advanced call monitoring, and hot desking
• Ultra: $45 per user for 10,0000 toll-free minutes, 200 SMS credits per user, unlimited storage for files, messaging, and recordings, and device analytics and alerts

*Save up to 33% by paying annually. Volume discounts are available for 50-plus users.

RingCentral Features

• Call flip: Switch between different devices while on a call. If you’re in an active conversation on a desk phone and need to step away from your workstation, flip the call to your mobile phone to keep the discussion going.
• Ring in order: Determine the sequence for ringing your devices when an incoming call comes through the phone system. In the call handling settings, drag and drop the name of the devices to rearrange their order. Determine the duration of ringing for each device before it alerts another.
• Whiteboard: Illustrate concepts and processes using the whiteboard tool in video meetings. The whiteboard features a mini-map that enables you to easily move the entire canvas around and see all the elements.

Nextiva: Best for Managing Sales Leads & Deals

Nextiva is our top pick among Grasshopper alternatives for sales teams because it has a built-in tool that helps manage leads and deals. Its visual sales pipeline guides agents on the next steps to push customers further into purchasing a product or service. The progress of each deal can be easily tracked, allowing you to see which team members are working on specific projects, why a lead isn’t progressing to closing, and what needs to be done to push deals.

The best part about the sales pipeline is its customizability. Add sales stages depending on your own processes to make the visual representation easy to understand for team members. With this tool readily visible on the softphone app, agents are able to adjust their spiels based on where the customer is in the sales pipeline.

Like RingCentral, Nextiva is a unified communications (UC) solution equipped with team chat and video conferencing. However, its meeting duration is only 45 minutes. Consider other Grasshopper competitors if you have longer discussion sessions. Phone.com offers unlimited video meeting duration.

Nextiva Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Essential: $30.95 per user for free local and toll-free numbers, a maximum of 1,500 toll-free minutes, auto-attendant, and video meetings for up to 45 minutes
• Professional: $35.95 per user for a maximum of 3,000 toll-free minutes, voicemail to SMS, multi-level auto-attendant, and advanced integrations with CRM tools
• Enterprise: $45.95 per user for a maximum of 12,500 toll-free minutes, call recording, voicemail transcription, and single sign-on

*Save up to 22% by paying annually. Volume discounts are available for more than four users.

Nextiva Features

• Call notes: Use the notepad icon in the active call widget and write down important details discussed during the call. When you revisit the conversation thread, you’ll see the notes again and use them as a reference for your next call.
• Call transfer to a team: If you’re unsure which colleague to transfer a call to, direct it to a team, e.g., the sales or logistics department. On the call transfer search box, type the name of the team instead of an individual’s name or phone number extension.
• Highlight to call: There’s no need to dial numbers manually on Nextiva. By highlighting a phone number and clicking the hotkeys (Command/Control + Shift + D), the phone system will automatically dial the number.

Vonage: Best for Customizing the Phone System

Vonage is the best Grasshopper alternative for those wanting to customize their phone systems to manage changing call volumes. It follows an a la carte pricing model, wherein a fixed set of VoIP features is included in all subscription plans, and a separate menu is available for add-ons.

When call volume increases at a given period, add call queues, phone extensions, a secondary line appearance, and a virtual assistant to manage the influx of inquiries better. As the demand dips, remove the add-on tools conveniently.

If you want to further customize your phone system’s capabilities, Vonage offers communication APIs for voice, video, SMS, and user verification. With its comprehensive documentation and active developer community, you’ll easily integrate these features into your existing business apps.

While Vonage allows phone system customization and offers APIs, some add-on features are expensive. Some are also out-of-the-box tools you’ll get from other providers’ subscription plans. For instance, Vonage’s business inbox costs an additional $9.99 per month.

It’s best to explore other Grasshopper phone alternatives if you don’t want to pay more or exert effort in installing additional tools. RingCentral is the best small business VoIP service option for this, as it’s an all-in-one communications solution.

Vonage Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Mobile: $19.99 per user for unlimited calls and SMS, use of mobile and desktop apps, access to the Vonage App Center, and unlimited team messaging
• Premium: $29.99 per user for the multi-level auto-attendant, integration with CRM tools, unlimited meetings for up to 100 participants, and internet protocol (IP) desk phone capability
• Advanced: $39.99 per user for on-demand call recording, call group, and visual voicemail

*Pricing includes one main local phone number. Volume discounts are available for more than four users.

Vonage Features

• Call park: Place a call on hold and keep it in a communal parking spot to let colleagues answer the customer’s concern. Any team member is free to retrieve the call from any device, whether the Vonage desktop or mobile app.
• Smart numbers: Program your numbers to facilitate specific functions, such as routing calls, checking calendars, and sending appointment reminders. Integrate smart numbers with third-party apps to extend communication capabilities.
• Spam shield: This tool automatically checks the phone number of every inbound call against a database of numbers linked to robocalls and spam. When it gets a hit, the phone system displays a “Suspected Spam” alert, allowing you to avoid unnecessary calls that negatively affect productivity.

Zoom Phone: Best for Reaching Global Audiences

Among the listed alternatives to the Grasshopper phone system, Zoom Phone is the most suitable for connecting with international customers, as it’s the only one that offers an add-on option for unlimited overseas calls. A total of 19 countries are covered in the add-on, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan.

If your business has remote teams outside the United States (U.S.), your regional offices will benefit from the unlimited domestic calling within the 40-plus countries Zoom supports. These territories include France, Belgium, Brazil, Switzerland, Mexico, and Singapore.

With the provider’s robust call management capabilities, companies maintain efficiency in addressing multiple inquiries from different parts of the world. Direct callers to the right departments using the unlimited auto-attendants and IVR system. Listen to live conversations and intervene when necessary through call whisper and barge. Let assistants handle calls on behalf of executives with shared line appearance.

But while Zoom Phone is better than Grasshopper in terms of connecting with an international audience, note that it doesn’t have virtual fax. If you frequently send faxes to customers, go for RingCentral, as it allows users to send and receive unlimited faxes using any device: computer, mobile, or cloud storage providers.

Zoom Phone Monthly Pricing at a Glance

• Pay As You Go: $10 per user for a local phone number, domestic SMS and multimedia messaging service (MMS), team chat, and video conferencing
• Unlimited: $15 per user for unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada, local phone number, domestic SMS and MMS, and optional add-on of unlimited calling to 19 countries
• Pro Global Select: $20 per user for unlimited domestic calling within one of the 40-plus countries supported, direct dial number, and optional add-on of unlimited calling to 19 countries

Zoom Phone Features

• Elevate a call to a Zoom meeting: If you need to discuss matters in depth, switch from a phone call to a video conferencing session. With a video meeting, use collaboration tools like screen share and whiteboard to illustrate ideas better.
• Call delegation: Delegate call handling tasks to other team members. Each delegator has a maximum of 15 delegates, and a delegate may be assigned to a maximum of 15 delegators.
• Launch an app during a call: The Zoom desktop app can be configured to automatically open a platform or a URL when you accept an inbound call. Use this feature to readily access your CRM system or the LinkedIn home page and get important information about the person who called your business.

Dialpad: Best for Improving Call Handling through AI

Among the listed phone services like Grasshopper, Dialpad is our top recommendation for companies wanting to enhance call management through artificial intelligence (AI). It features real-time call transcription, wherein the phone system jots down the dialogue between call participants as it happens.

Agents won’t have to multitask during calls; they can focus on listening to the customer’s query and responding professionally. They’ll be fully present at the moment and offer the best advice to callers.

Aside from real-time call transcription, the phone system features live speech coaching, which gives instructions to agents on how to speak clearly. For instance, when the representative talks fast, an alert pops up, reminding them to slow down. Dialpad also has automated post-call summaries and real-time analytics and reporting, which are powered by AI.

Unfortunately, Dialpad only allows 10 participants in video meetings. If you have a huge team that frequently meets virtually, it’s best to explore other Grasshopper phone service competitors offering a bigger meeting capacity. RingCentral has a large meeting add-on that accommodates up to 500 participants.

Dialpad Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Standard: $23 per user for a local phone number, multi-level auto-attendant, maximum of three ring groups, custom call routing, and video conferencing for up to 10 participants
• Pro: $35 per user for additional local or international numbers, maximum of 25 ring groups, hold queues, and international SMS
• Custom: Custom pricing for phone extensions, unlimited ring groups, and integration with single sign-on solutions

*Subscription rates lower to $15 and $25 per user when you pay annually.

Dialpad Features

• Visual voicemail: See a list of all your voicemails and select which ones you want to listen to. Dialpad includes an audio transcription, allowing users to read the message right away instead of playing the audio file.
• Call journey: This feature traces all the events a call went through from the moment it entered the system to when it ended. It offers meaningful insights into missed or abandoned calls, helping you strategically configure routing rules.
• International SMS: Send texts to customers and partners overseas. Admins must enable international services and add credits to activate this feature.

Phone.com: Best for Establishing International Presence

For establishing a virtual presence overseas, Phone.com is the ideal platform among these listed alternatives to Grasshopper, as it offers an affordable way to secure international numbers. Its pricing scheme features Standard Rate Countries, a list of countries in which you get global numbers for only $4.99 per month, the usual fee for a local number. Other VoIP providers like Dialpad offer international numbers for $15 per user, monthly.

The countries listed under the standard rate include Australia, Belgium, Italy, Mexico, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Notably, Phone.com offers discounts for bulk purchases of phone numbers. For instance, when you buy more than 50 numbers, the monthly rate lowers from $4.99 to $2.99. Businesses getting over 100 numbers get a discounted rate of $1.99 a month.

However, similar to Grasshopper, Phone.com has limited third-party native integrations. In contrast, our top Grasshopper phone alternative, RingCentral, has over 300 prebuilt integrations, which include the most popular CRM apps.

Phone.com Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Basic: $14.99 per user for one phone number per account, 500 calling minutes, auto-attendant, and video conferencing for 10 participants
• Plus: $21.99 per user for one phone number per user, unlimited minutes, IP desk phone compatibility, and video conferencing for up to 25 participants
• Pro: $31.99 per user for call recording, call analytics, third-party integrations, and video conferencing for up to 100 participants

*Save 15% by paying annually. Volume discounts are available for more than four users.

Phone.com Features

• Audio conferencing: Phone.com’s conference bridge features a password-protected number that helps manage participant access. The maximum number of attendees in audio conferences is 300.
• Call analytics: Evaluate call activities to recalibrate customer support strategies. The phone system displays calls’ duration and time of day, offering insights into your call center’s busiest hours. This should help you create strategic schedules for team members.
• Call recording: Refer to call recordings to confirm the details of a conversation with a customer. The recordings are available in the call logs, represented by the play button.

eVoice: Best for Reducing Calling Costs

eVoice is the most affordable platform in this guide, making it the best alternative to Grasshopper when you want to reduce calling costs. Its entry-level plan is priced at $10 per user only for a maximum of 10 users. But while cheap, it provides an allowance of 30,000 calling minutes and unlimited phone extensions. This generous offering is available in all subscription packages.

eVoice is among the services like Grasshopper, with multiple phone number offerings in the subscription plans. Interestingly, the more phone numbers you buy (and therefore more users), the lower the subscription rate goes. In the $10-per-user plan, you’ll get 30 local or toll-free numbers.

One downside of choosing eVoice is its outdated interface. If you want a modern, more intuitive platform, explore alternatives like RingCentral and Dialpad. We found these platforms to be the most visually appealing and easy to use.

eVoice Monthly Pricing at a Glance*

• Elite 10 Monthly: $10 per user for 10 users, 30,000 minutes, 30 toll-free or local numbers, unlimited extensions, and inbound faxing
• Elite 6 Monthly: $13 per user for six users and 18 toll-free or local numbers
• Elite 11 Monthly: $13.50 per user for 11 users and 33 toll-free or local numbers
• Elite Monthly: $14 per user for one user and three toll-free or local numbers

*Save up to $297 and get two months free by paying annually.

eVoice Features

• Call screening: The phone system prompts callers to state their names before connecting them to an agent. A customer service representative decides whether to accept, decline, or send the caller to voicemail upon hearing who’s on the other end of the line. This feature helps you filter through calls and attend to only the most important ones.
• Click-to-call: Add a click-to-call widget to your website to make contacting your business easier. The button lets the web visitor enter their phone number and request a callback. This request is then sent to the support team, which will contact the potential customer.
• Message center: See all your texts, voicemails, and faxes in one place. The message center features a message preview panel and a search bar, which allow users to quickly read and refer to specific messages.

Google Voice: Best for Solopreneurs Needing a Dedicated Phone Number

If you’re looking for apps like Grasshopper that would let you secure a second phone number for free, Google Voice is the most fitting choice. All you need is a Google account and an active phone number to be linked to the Google Voice number.

When signing up, type your business location’s city or area code in the search bar provided on the website and choose among the local number options in the drop-down menu. Link and verify your existing phone number. If you want to ring multiple devices when a call comes through, link more numbers to your account. Once the number is verified and the platform is downloaded, you’ll have access to unlimited calls and texts within the U.S.

The free phone system won’t have advanced features like multi-level auto-attendant, ring groups, and automatic call recording. You must upgrade to the paid subscription plans to access these tools. However, even with an upgrade, you won’t be able to get toll-free or international numbers because Google Voice doesn’t offer these features. In contrast, Vonage and Dialpad provide these types of virtual phone numbers.

Google Voice Monthly Pricing at a Glance

• Personal: Free for one user, unlimited calls and text messages within the U.S., and voicemail
• Starter: $10 per user for calls to the U.S. and Canada, unlimited text messaging, voicemail transcription, and integration with Google Calendar and Meet
• Standard: $20 per user for unlimited domestic locations, SIP link, multi-level auto-attendant, ring groups, and desk phone support
• Premier: $30 per user for unlimited international locations, advanced reporting, and automatic call recording

Google Voice Features

• Multi-level auto-attendant: Let a virtual receptionist direct callers to the appropriate teams or agents based on menu instructions and key presses. Use the text-to-speech tool or upload your own audio to customize the attendant’s greetings.
• Ring groups: Alert multiple team members when a call comes through your phone system. Choose whether to ring devices simultaneously or one at a time.
• Call forwarding: Redirect calls to an alternative phone number when you’re not able to attend to customer inquiries in the office or for an extended period. If you’re working from home, reroute calls to your residential phone. Send calls to a colleague’s number if you’ll be away for a vacation.

How We Evaluated the Best Grasshopper Alternatives

To assess the best apps similar to Grasshopper, we considered each provider’s subscription costs, call management and unified communications capabilities, usability, and customer assistance. Our evaluation also includes our expert opinion on its value for money and popularity.

Learn how we evaluated the best platforms by clicking on the tabs below:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is there a free version of Grasshopper?

---

Is RingCentral better than Grasshopper?

---

Which Grasshopper alternatives are HIPAA-compliant?

---

Bottom Line

Grasshopper is a no-frills, easy-to-use business phone solution, but it lacks essential communication tools, such as call recording, team messaging, and video conferencing. Among the Grasshopper substitutes we evaluated, RingCentral is the best overall solution, as it offers comprehensive unified communications features, making team collaboration and customer engagement easier.

Moreover, it connects with over 300 third-party tools, improving the phone system’s functionality. Sign up for RingCentral’s 14-day free trial to see if it suits your business communication needs.

Visit RingCentral