Grasshopper Alternatives: 7 Better Business Phone Options

Grasshopper has amassed thousands of users over the past 20 years. But staying power doesn’t make it the best choice for small businesses. With their platform not being up to date for what teams need now, it does lead to businesses seeking out Grasshopper alternatives.

Also, Grasshopper is one of the pricier VoIP options. It also doesn’t offer as many features. Don’t expect integrations, call transcriptions, or international texting. 

While Grasshopper is an okay service, it’s an option that may not meet the needs of modern businesses. Read on to learn more about Grasshopper alternatives and which one offers the features you need.

Breaking down the best Grasshopper alternatives

Looking to see how the best alternatives to Grasshopper stack up? Check out the table below for a quick rundown of the top options:

Let’s dive deeper into these alternatives and figure out which one is the best match for your business needs. 

1. OpenPhone: The best Grasshopper alternative for small businesses

Voted the #1 business phone solution on G2, OpenPhone is a modern phone system that lets you easily manage your communication and collaborate with your team.With OpenPhone’s Starter plan, you get free calling and texting to the US and Canada from anywhere. If you want to split responsibility for incoming calls and messages with your team, you can give them shared access to any OpenPhone number.

Looking to take more work off your plate? OpenPhone gives you dozens of ways to save time cultivating your customer relationships. You can also queue up personalized touchpoints through scheduled texts and set clear expectations on when your team is available with auto-replies. 

Repetitive but essential tasks — like logging phone communication in your CRM or texting clients appointment reminders — can be automated through our integrations to platforms like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zapier.

Team members can even work together behind the scenes using internal threads on client calls and messages. Plus, it’s easy to play back call recordings so you have a clear communication trail and can coach teammates.

We could say more, but we’ll let businesses that have switched from Grasshopper to OpenPhone speak for us: 

“Grasshopper has a very antiquated interface online, and no feasible mobile option. I think there is an app, but it is more for admin than anything else. I like how well-designed the OpenPhone mobile and web apps are. You feel like you’re using a professional product made with care and attention to detail. I also love how easy it is to turn your number on and off from the app when you don’t want to receive calls. 10/10 recommend it to any entrepreneur.” — Misha Plotkine, CEO or Founder, TripElephant

“When we saw that OpenPhone had unlimited minutes vs. paying by the minute at Grasshopper, it seemed like the obvious choice. OpenPhone’s user interface and experience on both the web and the app was much more modern and intuitive, and the higher level and more personal customer support was much more in line with my expectations for this kind of company.” — John Godfrey, Creative Director, Chargefield

Key features of OpenPhone

• Free calling and SMS/MMS to any US or Canadian number
• Shared phone numbers, VoIP call forwarding, and call routing
• Snippets, scheduled messages, auto-replies, and dozens of other ways to save time texting
• Integrations (Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Zapier)
• Crystal-clear audio quality
• Dedicated customer support
• Toll-free, Canadian, and US numbers
• On-demand and automatic call recording options
• AI call summaries and transcriptions
• Lower international call and text rates compared to older VoIP providers
• Browser-based and desktop apps, along with mobile apps for iPhone and Android

OpenPhone pricing

OpenPhone provides cost-efficient and transparent rates for businesses. We offer three pricing tiers so you can pick the one that meets your needs:

• Starter: $15 per user per month to share a number with up to 10 teammates, free calls and texts in the US and Canada, and dozens of ways to streamline your business’s phone communication 
• Business: $23 per user per month to unlock call transfers, logs and analytics, the HubSpot CRM integration, call transcriptions, and more
• Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, and priority chat and email support

How to get a virtual number with OpenPhone

Get a virtual phone number in minutes

Try for free

Getting a new phone number from almost anywhere in the world is a simple process when you choose OpenPhone as your virtual phone number provider. Follow these three steps:

1. Create an account with OpenPhone (when you sign up, you get a free, seven-day trial).
2. During signup, choose your city or area code in the US to select your preferred phone number.
3. Once the signup process is complete, you’re all set to use your new virtual phone number!
4. Once you’ve confirmed OpenPhone is a good fit, you can easily port over any US, Canadian, or North American toll-free number (if needed).

How to switch and port your number from Grasshopper

Want to port your number from Grasshopper to OpenPhone so you can keep the same phone number? Here’s how easy it is:

1. Create an OpenPhone account.
2. Select a brand new number you can use temporarily to confirm that OpenPhone is a great fit during your free, seven-day trial. 
3. Submit a request to port your number in the OpenPhone app.
   
   That’s it! We’ll take care of the rest.

2. RingCentral: The best option for desk phone rentals

RingCentral is an older phone solution that offers unified communications and desk phone rental options. If you’re dead set on having desk phones (vs. giving your team the flexibility to work from their computer or smartphone), RingCentral could be a fine fit.  .

But RingCentral is one of the more expensive alternatives to Grasshopper. It also comes with limitations that are a dealbreaker for many businesses:

• RingCentral limits texting to 25 messages per user per month on its Starter plan and only provides a maximum of 200 messages per user per month on its most expensive plan.
• There are no unlimited toll-free minutes with RingCentral. The base plan offers 100 free pooled minutes, after which you have to pay extra per minute.
• You can only store RingCentral call recordings for a maximum of 90 days. If you’re a B2B business with longer sales cycles, it might be difficult to get context on past conversations.

Bottom line: RingCentral requires multiple upgrades to raise your calling, texting, and storage limits. If you’re running a small business or managing a leaner team, RingCentral may not be a cost-effective platform.

Key features of RingCentral

• SMS and MMS in the US and Canada
• Local or toll-free phone numbers
• Android and iOS mobile app
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Document file sharing
• Team messaging
• Call recordings
• IVR

RingCentral pricing

RingCentral’s three plans are on the pricier side among the business phone service options. And you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan if you’re looking for unlimited storage. Want automatic call recording and advanced call monitoring software? You’ll need to upgrade for those, too.

Here’s a breakdown of RingCentral’s tiers:

• Core: $20 per user per month to get unlimited calls in the US and Canada with business SMS
• Advanced: $25 per user per month to access video meetings with voicemail transcriptions, automatic call recording, and CRM integrations
• Ultra: $35 per user per month to get additional storage and device analytics

3. Vonage: The best alternative with an API

Vonage offers a number of features you can’t get with a Grasshopper phone number. You can unlock video conferencing and CRM integrations along with APIs to create customized automated texting solutions.

Unfortunately, Vonage’s APIs only make sense if you send lots of templated transactional messages (like ‘thank you for your purchase!’). If you’re a small business owner sending conversational messages, Vonage’s API won’t make much sense.

The biggest drawback of Vonage is its above-average pricing. The Mobile plan may start at $13.99 per user per month, but vital l features — like simultaneous ring and voicemail transcriptions, and on-demand call recordings — are only available if you upgrade. 

Key features of Vonage

• Team messaging (requires upgrade)
• Mobile and desktop apps
• Texts in the US and Canada
• Unlimited calling in the US, Canada, and Mexico
• 20 third-party integrations (like Clio or Google Workspace)
• SMS in the US

Vonage pricing

With Vonage, don’t expect a clear breakdown of your monthly costs. Access to features most businesses need — like call recording and auto-attendant — requires upgrades or add-ons. You may bump into hidden fees, and lower rates are only available to teams of five or more.

Here are Vonage’s plans for 1-4 users: 

• Mobile: $13.99 per line per month for desktop and mobile apps
• Premium: $20.99 per line per month to unlock auto-attendant and CRM integrations (HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, and more)
• Advanced: $27.99 per line per month to access simultaneous ring, on-demand call recording (15 hours max), and voicemail transcriptions

Keep in mind Vonage doesn’t offer a free trial. And if you’re signing up for a new annual account, prepare yourself for a minimum one-year contract.

4. Dialpad: The best choice for large contact centers

Dialpad is a cloud-based customer experience platform that launched in 2011. Today it’s heavily focused on AI solutions — which is why it’s best suited for call centers and larger teams focused on call quality control, sales training, and real-time agent coaching. 

However, Dialpad isn’t a good solution for small business owners. There are a number of drawbacks you should be aware of, including:

• Expensive toll-free numbers: While no plan offers them for free, Dialpad’s toll-free numbers are pricier than most other providers.
• Limited plans: Key features like auto-replies, Slack and Zapier integrations, and international texting are stuck behind higher tiers, which could force you to upgrade before you’re ready.
• User minimums: Dialpad’s higher-tier plans have user minimums that make them more expensive than advertised. For example, their Pro plan requires a minimum of three users.

If you’re a small business owner or a solopreneur, Dialpad doesn’t make much sense. You’ll end up paying considerably more and be unable to upgrade unless you pay for users you don’t have.

Key features of Dialpad

Key features of Dialpad

• Analytics
• Call recording
• Auto-attendant (IVR)
• Call and voicemail transcriptions
• Integrations with Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) and Office 365
• Offers unlimited calling and texting to US and Canada with any plan (if you’re based in either country)

Dialpad pricing

Dialpad’s pricing is more than what’s advertised. Not only are there user minimums, but you also need to pay for add-ons like toll-free numbers.

You have three pricing plans to choose from:

• Standard: $15 per user per month to access unlimited calling, unlimited Ai Meetings for up to 10 participants, and SMS, MMS, and team messaging
• Pro: $25 per user per month to access 24/7 live agent support, CRM integrations (Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, Zoho, and more), and the Microsoft Teams integration (three-user minimum)
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing to access 100% uptime, unlimited office locations, and unlimited ring groups (departments)

Learn more about how these two platforms compare by checking out our Dialpad vs Grasshopper guide.

5. Nextiva: The go-to option for Microsoft and Oracle integrations

There are many reasons why businesses opt for Nextiva — it offers video meetings directly in its platform and native integrations with enterprise tools (think Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Oracle Sales Cloud).

The downside with Nextiva is it doesn’t offer essential features (like call recording and voicemail transcriptions) on the base plan. If you want to access those features, you’ll have to upgrade to the Enterprise plan. Just prepare yourself for sticker shock: it costs $32.95 per user per month.

Another missing feature? SMS and MMS messaging. If you don’t want to pay extra for texting your customers, you’ll need to find another Grasshopper competitor.

Key features of Nextiva

• Standard auto-attendant
• Voicemail
• CRM integrations (requires upgrade)
• Unlimited internet fax
• Toll-free numbers (limited minutes)
• Integrations with Outlook and Google Contacts
• Unlimited voice and video calling in the US and Canada

Nextiva pricing

• Digital: $20 per user per month for digital features only and no calling or texting
• Core: $30 per user per month for inbound and outbound voice, video meetings, and call routing
• Engage: $40 per user per month for call center software and queueing, toll-free numbers, and a chatbot
• Power Suite: $60 per user per month for advanced IVR, intelligent routing, and transcribe and summarize

Check out our guide to Nextiva vs Grasshopper for more information.

6. Ooma: The best alternative with overhead paging

If you’re working with a tight budget, Ooma’s barebones business phone system might help you save some money. This is a fairly traditional service that works with smartphones, analog phones, and Ooma’s proprietary desk phones so employees can answer calls from any device.

Unfortunately, Ooma’s cost-effective price point comes at a cost: texting isn’t available on the base plan. Even if you upgrade to the highest tier, you’re limited to a max of 1,000 messages sent and received per account.

You also have to upgrade to get the features most small businesses need, like call recordings, voicemail transcriptions, and additional toll-free minutes. Want to integrate with your CRM to automate workflows? You’ll have to upgrade to Ooma’s higher tiers first. Unfortunately, Ooma includes features you’ll never use, like analog fax and overhead paging.

As your business continues to grow and scale, you’re bound to send more messages to your customers. You shouldn’t have to worry about texting limits or upgrading your plan before you’re ready.

Key features of Ooma

• Ring groups
• Call recording (requires upgrade)
• CRM integration (requires upgrade)
• Desktop app (requires upgrade)
• Voicemail transcriptions (required upgrade)
• Video conferencing (requires upgrade)

Ooma pricing

Ooma offers three different plans:

• Essentials: $19.95 per user per month for standard phone features, along with a virtual receptionist, ring groups, and email audio attachments
• Pro: $24.95 per user per month for text messaging, video conferencing, Ooma’s desktop app, call recording, and dynamic caller ID
• Pro Plus: $29.95 per user per month for the HubSpot integration, hot desking, call queuing, and an auto dialer

Need more information? Check out our guide to Ooma vs Grasshopper.

7. Google Voice: The best option for Google Workspace

Google Voice is a free alternative to Grasshopper that’s popular among startups and small businesses. While it’s not designed for business use, it still offers an okayish starting point — you’ll get a couple of integrations in the Google ecosystem, which is something you can’t get with a Grasshopper phone.

Just don’t expect to add a phone menu or share access with teammates through Google Voice. Plus, the free plan isn’t available outside the US, so it’s not an option unless you have a US-based mobile or landline number.

If you want a phone system to do more than take basic business calls, there’s Google Voice’s business phone system, Google Voice for Google Workspace. Just keep in mind it doesn’t support toll-free numbers or auto-replies. Plus, Google Voice for Google Workspace is also only available in select countries.

Want to learn more? Check out our guide on Grasshopper vs Google Voice.

Key features of Google Voice

• Call routing
• Custom greetings
• Voicemail transcription
• Integration with Google Workspace
• Multi-level auto attendants and ring groups

Google Voice for Google Workspace pricing

Google Voice is free for personal use. If you want business-specific features, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid tier. Google Voice for Business offers three paid plans:

• Starter: $10 per user per month to unlock access for up to 10 team members 
• Standard: $20 per user per month to access ring groups and multi-level auto attendants for an unlimited number of users 
• Premier: $30 per user per month to unlock all of the above features plus advanced reporting

You also need to pay at least $6 per month for Google Workspace — even if you prefer other tools.

Why many businesses move on from Grasshopper

Despite its staying power, Grasshopper isn’t meant to be used by growing businesses. Grasshopper pricing plans aren’t straightforward and lack scalable features teams need to grow.

Let’s take a closer look.

1. Teams lose context easily

Grasshopper misses many of the advanced features that growing small businesses need. It doesn’t offer any option for call recording unless you upgrade so that you can keep tabs on past conversations or internal communication tools for leaving comments or tagging teammates. Even if you upgrade, call recordings get automatically deleted after 30 days.

Worse, you can’t create shared numbers to keep your team up to speed. Your only option is simultaneous call handling, which only forwards a caller to another rep’s business phone number. This isn’t the same as a shared phone number, which lets all members of the number work together to answer incoming messages.

The best VoIP service providers make it easy to store customer context. This means you’re able to record business calls — including customer calls, sales calls, and interviews — and store past voicemails and texts in the same shared inbox. Everyone added to a shared number can answer messages as a team, which empowers them to build relationships and ultimately delight your customers.

2. Teams lose time and pay extra

Grasshopper doesn’t offer any time-saving automations, which is the exception rather than the rule for most modern business phone systems. There’s no way to connect with the tools in your stack or unlock additional functionality that could save time on other tasks.

Want to reach customers located overseas? You’ll need a deposit of $500 USD to activate international calling. Plus, accounts must be at least 60 days old to enable international calling. This could be a problem if you’re trying to port a number.

The good news is that Grasshopper alternatives (including OpenPhone) can help you save time, delegate tasks, and reach international customers. You also won’t need to pay a $500 activation fee — you’ll only pay for the minutes you use.

3. Grasshopper’s interface is outdated

Grasshopper is a legacy virtual phone system — and so is its UI. Many past customers report a frustrating layout and say it’s difficult to navigate without sifting through dated help docs.

For example, you can’t activate Grasshopper’s extensions directly from your phone. You have to update them from the company’s outdated web portal, which isn’t convenient if you work on the go. 

Grasshopper’s steep learning curve could also slow down your workflow and prevent you from handling phone calls effectively. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives with sleeker interfaces — including OpenPhone.

OpenPhone: The best Grasshopper alternative

If you’re looking for a Grasshopper alternative, look no further than OpenPhone.

OpenPhone is the only phone system on this list to offer call recordings, shared phone numbers, and key integrations without locking everything behind extra fees or enterprise-level plans. It’s also the most affordable option on this list — and you can test it before committing. 

Ready to see how it can help you connect with your customers? If so, start your free trial of OpenPhone today.

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