Phone.com vs Grasshopper: Which Is Better for Small Business?

Phone.com is a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) provider that provides everything from desk phones to routing equipment, with features like SMS texting and video conferencing. Grasshopper is a virtual phone service, which allows you to place business calls over the internet using no additional equipment but your smartphone. While both services offer similar call management features, they each have benefits for different business settings.

• Phone.com: Best for well-established, growing companies that want a full-solution VoIP plan.
• Grasshopper: Best for startups and small teams that want an additional number and comparable features of a full VoIP solution.

Phone.com vs Grasshopper at a Glance

Takeaway: Both companies have strengths and weaknesses, but Phone.com works better for organizations with a growing number of employees. Grasshopper, while giving users many similar features as Phone.com, works better for startups and small companies and only serves a set number of users.

How We Evaluated Grasshopper vs Phone.com

Unlike Phone.com, Grasshopper is a virtual phone system. This means that while both services support multiple extensions, they use different technology to route business calls to their appropriate destination. In addition, Grasshopper also requires you have an existing phone line, while Phone.com does not. That said, Grasshopper does offer a number of other benefits, particularly for smaller teams.

Therefore, to determine which offered the better business phone system, we compared the following:

• Price
• Scalability
• Included stock features
• Advanced features
• Voicemail services
• Call management features
• Overall customer reviews

When to Use Phone.com

Phone.com is better for companies that can afford to spend money on a business phone that works not just as a second telephone number, but also as a full business solution. Its stock features are impressive on their own, but optional upgrades like customer relationship management (CRM) software integrations and live receptionist services can be purchased for an additional cost. Phone.com offers three service tiers, with its lowest tier starting at $9.99 monthly on an annual basis.

Phone.com Pros & Cons

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Phone.com Pricing

Phone.com prices its plans based on whether you choose pay-per-minute service or unlimited service. You can also choose to be billed on a monthly or annual basis.

Pay per Minute

• Base: $12.99 monthly; $9.99 monthly on an annual basis
• Plus: $19.99 monthly; $14.99 monthly on an annual basis
• Pro: $39.99 monthly; $29.99 monthly on an annual basis

Unlimited Plans

• Base: $29.99 per user, per month; $24.99 per user, per month on an annual basis
• Plus: $37.99 per user, per month; $32.99 per user, per month on an annual basis
• Pro: $59.99 per user, per month; $49.99 per user, per month on an annual basis

Why Phone.com Is the Better Choice for Companies in a Growing Phase

• Choose how you pay: Rather than lock yourself into a contract or agree to a plan that ends up being too much for your needs, choose the payment method that works the best for you. It’s up to you whether you want annual, monthly, unlimited, or pay-by-minute services.
• Impressive stock features: There are 48 features that come with Phone.com’s base tier, including U.S.-based customer support and call queues. These features continue to build upward as you upgrade your service.
• Unlimited user extensions: Each service tier, including the base tier, allows unlimited user extensions. This is an ideal feature for organizations with many employees, whether they’re in-office or remote.

When to Use Grasshopper

If you’re a solopreneur or a startup, then Grasshopper is a better fit for you. Grasshopper is a virtual phone service, which means that it is an ideal solution for very small companies that need the convenience of a second number for business while still using their personal phone. One of Grasshopper’s main draws is that it frees you from additional hardware—all you need is your cell phone.

Grasshopper Pros & Cons

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Grasshopper Pricing

• Solo: $29 monthly; $26 monthly when billed on an annual basis
• Partner: $49 monthly; $44 monthly when billed on an annual basis
• Small Business: $89 monthly; $80 monthly when billed on an annual basis

Although its prices are on the slightly higher side, compared to other virtual phone number alternatives, Grasshopper’s features strike an equal balance between the price you pay and what’s included. If you’re not ready to commit just yet, sign up for Grasshopper’s free seven-day trial.

Why Grasshopper Is the Better Choice for Startups & Solopreneurs

• Fewer user extensions: Rather than pay for unlimited extensions that you will never use, Grasshopper caps user extensions with every service tier.
• Bring your own device (BYOD): You don’t have to rent desk phones or additional equipment to use Grasshopper; all you need is your own smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer.
• Transforms your phone calls: Turn your phone presence into a professional-sounding environment to your customers with auto-attendant services, local and toll-free telephone numbers, and voicemail options.

Visit our Grasshopper reviews page to learn more about features and pricing.

Phone.com vs Grasshopper: Which Is Better for Small Businesses?

Your individual business needs will help you to decide which of the two services you prefer. Grasshopper is fantastic for solopreneurs and very small businesses with only the need for a virtual phone service. Phone.com, however, best works in an environment with multiple employees and a larger setting. Although they have their differences, Phone.com and Grasshopper both have:

• SMS texting: Staying in contact with clients and colleagues is easy with SMS texting included with both services. However, while Grasshopper offers unlimited SMS texting, each Phone.com plan has a cap on how many you can send.
• Local and toll-free numbers: Establish a local presence with an area code of your choice, or pick a toll-free number.
• Mobile apps: Control, tweak, and maintain settings with mobile apps. You can also use each service’s mobile app to place telephone calls.

Ultimately, we have deemed Phone.com as our winner for the better of the two services in a small business setting. Its prices are flexible and allow you to pay for the minutes and data that you will actually use, and you are not forced into an annual contract. Plus, we really like that Phone.com is less limited than Grasshopper is regarding advanced calling options, features, and the number of phone lines you are given per plan.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I have a vanity number through Phone.com or Grasshopper?

You can have a vanity number for either service. Grasshopper and Phone.com both make it easy to create and set up your vanity number.

What’s the difference between Phone.com’s Regular & Unlimited plans?

Depending on the service tier that you subscribe to, Phone.com will include between 300 and 1,000 minutes in your phone plan. If you find that you need more than that every month, you can upgrade to Phone.com’s Unlimited plan so that you do not need to worry about minute overages.

Bottom Line

Which phone service is going to be your best fit will vary depending on your needs. If you’re a solopreneur who needs a professional phone presence, but doesn’t need an overabundance of added telephone lines and team features, then Grasshopper will be the better phone service for you. If you’re a growing company that needs a full service for multiple employees, then Phone.com is going to be a better fit.

For an overall small business solution, though, we have selected Phone.com as our winner. Its prices are flexible and you are not forced into a yearly contract, but you also have three plans to choose from with features that grow with each. Visit Phone.com to see how you can start building your plan today.

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