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10 Best free and paid Grasshopper alternatives for 2026

Best Grasshopper alternatives

Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that has operated for the past 20 years. But its status as a legacy platform doesn’t make it the best choice for small businesses. They haven’t kept up to date with what modern teams need, leading many businesses to seek Grasshopper alternatives.

We surveyed the market for the best alternatives. We shortlisted the 10 best Grasshopper alternatives for you. Here’s what we found:

  • The best Grasshopper alternative for most businesses is Quo
  • The best free Grasshopper alternative is Google Voice.
  • The best Grasshopper alternative if you want physical desk phones is RingCentral
  • The best Grasshopper alternative to manage all your digital customer channels is Nextiva

What makes these alternatives stand out? They have third-party integrations, AI voice agents, international texting, and more. And in Quo’s case, user-friendly collaboration features, AI automations, connections to Claude and ChatGPT, and custom call routing. You won’t find those features in Grasshopper’s platform. 

In this article, we evaluate each Grasshopper alternative that made our list. We’ll highlight where they excel and where they fall short. We’ll also break down why businesses switch from Grasshopper in the first place. Finally, we’ll help you with what to prioritize when choosing a Grasshopper alternative. 

Scroll down to find the best Grasshopper alternative that’s right for you.

How we ranked the top Grasshopper alternatives

We used a structured review process to identify the best alternatives to Grasshopper:

  • Customer reviews. First, we surveyed customer reviews on platforms like G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. We looked for what customers praised about each platform and what they complained about. 
  • Trials. Our team signed up for and tested each solution to evaluate how it worked. 
  • Primary research. We had anonymous conversations with sales and support teams for each platform to confirm what’s included and what costs extra.

After that, we selected the leading options based on six major criteria:

  1. Value for money. When looking for the best business phone system, consider upfront costs and long-term value. We looked for activation costs and other additional fees. We also compared them against Grasshopper pricing plans.
  2. Reliability. Dropped calls are frustrating, especially when your internet isn’t the problem. We tested call quality and whether calls dropped.
  3. Third-party integrations. Grasshopper doesn’t integrate with any third-party platforms. We looked for the top business phone solutions that work seamlessly with current tools.
  4. Ease of use. The best small business phone systems make communication easier. We considered how quickly a team can get up and running and how user-friendly the platform is.
  5. AI and automation features. AI can help you manage your call volume more efficiently. Call and text automations can help you manage your workload and send timely messages to your customers. Keep an eye out for both these features in a Grasshopper alternative. 
  6. Scalability. Many alternatives work great for one- or two-person teams. But they fall apart when you scale. Evaluate platforms for their collaboration features, pricing for additional numbers, and included features in each plan tier.

10 Best Grasshopper alternatives compared

Get a quick overview of how all our shortlisted alternatives stack up:

Grasshopper alternatives
Providers Annual price Unlimited calls US/CA Free texting US/CA Shared phone lines G2 rating Best for
Grasshopper $14 SMS on local & toll-free; MMS local numbers only 3.9 (~150 reviews) Multi-digit extensions
Quo, formerly OpenPhone $15 Shared phone numbers up to 10 paid users 4.7 (~3290 reviews) Shared numbers, inboxes, and 24/7 AI voice agent
RingCentral $20 25 texts per user per month 4.2 (~1210 reviews) Desk phone rentals
Vonage $13.99 Local US and Canadian numbers only 4.3 (~490 reviews) Video conferencing
Dialpad $15 250 messages per user per month 4.4 (~3930 reviews) Call center teams
Nextiva $15 100 texts per user per month Add-on ($10/user/mo) 4.5 (~2200 reviews) Social media and review management
Ooma Office $19.95 No (SMS not included) 4.6 (~130 reviews) Legacy features like overhead paging and virtual fax
Aircall $30 4.4 (~1460 reviews) Local numbers outside the US and Canada
Google Voice $10 US and Canadian numbers only US customers only 4.1 (~160 reviews) Google Workspace integrations
Zoom Phone $10.50 Requires upgrade US, Canadian, and Australian numbers only Calling only 4.5 (~2640 reviews) Zoom Workplace integrations
TextNow Free Not listed on G2 Free calling and texting

1. Quo: Best for small and growing businesses

Grasshopper alternatives: Quo

Pros

  • Shared phone numbers
  • AI voice agent
  • AI call tags
  • Unlimited calls and texts to US and Canadian phone numbers
  • AI call transcriptions and summaries

Cons

  • Can’t verify accounts through two-factor authentication*


*Nearly all virtual phone numbers share this problem. For safety reasons, companies like Facebook, Uber, and Google rarely let you authenticate accounts through a virtual phone number.

Starting price: $15 per user per month 

Quo, formerly OpenPhone, is a modern business phone system built to scale with your growing business. It comes with features that make it easy to manage your communication and collaborate with your team. Quo’s Starter plan offers unlimited calling and texting to the US and Canada from anywhere. You can easily access Quo from iOS, Android, web, and desktop apps. If you want to split responsibility for incoming calls and messages with your team, you can give them shared access to any Quo number

Looking to take more work off your plate? Quo gives you dozens of ways to save time while you deepen your customer relationships. 

Here’s why Quo is a better alternative to Grasshopper:

  • Custom AI call tags. Surface recurring issues and opportunities with Quo’s call tags. Create tags to track what matters to your business. Quo uses AI to analyze your call transcripts and label them right after your call ends. Grasshopper only has basic AI call sentiment tags that label your calls as “Positive,” “Negative,” or “Neutral.” You can’t customize these labels.
  • 24/7 AI voice agent. Never miss an incoming call with Sona, our AI virtual receptionist. Sona can answer your phone around the clock, even after business hours. It can answer questions, take messages, and send texts to your callers during a call. Train it on your company documentation so it provides accurate responses. 
  • Automated text messages. Quo offers multiple features that let you send the right message at the right time. Schedule texts to customers based on their time zones. Set up auto-replies to customers when your team is busy or unavailable. Plus, you can create automated text workflows with our Make integration.

    Grasshopper only has basic SMS auto-replies in its platform. It also doesn’t offer international texting and limits toll-free texting. You can’t send MMS messages, group texts, or messages to Canadian numbers with Grasshopper toll-free numbers.
  • Automatic call and text logging. Quo connects to thousands of apps to log your calls and texts. Connect directly to CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Zoho. Integrate with additional options using Zapier. Grasshopper has zero third-party integrations. 
  • Claude and ChatGPT integrations. You can use AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT to analyze your Quo data. Connect directly to these tools in their app directories. These tools can analyze your call transcripts, send batch follow-up messages, and update your contact profiles automatically. 
  • Collaboration features. Quo isn’t just where you talk to your customers. It’s where your actual work can get done. Assign follow-up action items to your colleagues with Tasks. Discuss strategies for handling customer requests with internal threads
Grasshopper alternatives: Quo internal threads

Here’s what one business owner who switched from Grasshopper to Quo said: 

“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 Quo 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 and Founder, TripElephant

Quo is rated #1 in customer satisfaction on G2 and is trusted by more than 90,000 businesses. For teams that want to scale with AI without losing the personal touch, Quo is the best Grasshopper alternative.

“Quo is head and shoulders above Grasshopper. So if you want an endorsement from somebody else, if you have someone else who’s on the fence with Quo…Much superior product.” – Laura Cooley, President, CarePatrol of Colorado Springs & Pueblo

Try out the best Grasshopper alternative

You can try Quo for free with a seven-day trial. Then when you’re ready, easily port any existing US, Canadian, or toll-free number over.

Try for free

Quo pricing

OpenPhone Pricing

Quo offers transparent pricing and some of the best rates in the industry for must-have business phone features.

  • Starter: $15 per user per month for shared phone numbers, voicemail transcriptions, 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 for IVR auto-attendant, call transferring, CRM integrations, analytics, and more advanced features
  • Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, inbound phone support, and priority chat and email support

2. RingCentral: Best for desk phone rentals

Grasshopper alternatives: RingCentral

Pros

  • Desk phone rentals
  • Transcriptions

Cons

  • Limited toll-free minutes
  • Limited SMS messages
  • Call recordings are deleted after 90 days

RingCentral is a legacy phone solution designed for mid-market and enterprise teams. It offers unified communications, an AI phone answering service, and desk phone rental options.

Why RingCentral is a good Grasshopper alternative:

  1. Videoconferencing. RingCentral lets you make video calls in its platform. Grasshopper doesn’t offer video calling. 
  2. Desk phone rentals. RingCentral gives you the option to rent desk phones for your office staff. Grasshopper is only available as a desktop or mobile app.
  3. Conversation intelligence. RingCentral has paid add-ons to analyze your calls and meetings. Grasshopper doesn’t have any call intelligence features. Grasshopper isn’t designed for teams that rely on desk phones in the office. RingCentral, on the other hand, supports desk phones, as well as mobile and desktop apps. That flexibility makes it a better fit for businesses that still depend on landlines at their desks. 

But RingCentral comes with limitations that are dealbreakers for many businesses:

  • Limited texting. RingCentral limits texting to 25 messages per user per month on its Starter plan. And it only provides a maximum of 200 messages per user per month on its most expensive plan.
  • Limited toll-free minutes. There are no unlimited toll-free minutes with RingCentral. The base plan only offers 100 free pooled minutes, after which you have to pay extra per minute.
  • Limited recording storage. 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.

RingCentral offers features like call transcriptions and call monitoring software. But it requires multiple upgrades to raise your calling, texting, and storage limits. If you run a small business or manage a leaner team, RingCentral may not be a cost-effective platform.

RingCentral pricing

Grasshopper alternatives: RingCentral pricing

RingCentral’s pricing has three tiers:

  • Core: $20 per user per month for unlimited domestic calling, 25 texts per user, and 100 pooled toll-free minutes
  • Advanced: $25 per user per month for auto call recording, app integrations like Salesforce and Zendesk, 100 texts per user, and 1,000 pooled toll-free minutes
  • Ultra: $35 per user per month for unlimited file sharing for recordings, HD video whiteboards and messaging, 200 texts per user, and 10,000 pooled toll-free minutes

If you want to access features like shared texting, compliance, and company reply templates, you’ll need to purchase their Business SMS Booster at $25 per month. You can also access these features in its Customer Engagement Bundle. If you’re looking for a solution that offers all these features, you might feel confused. The reason: there are five other service options outside of RingCentral’s business phone plans.

3. Vonage: Best for video conferencing

Grasshopper alternatives: Vonage

Pros

  • Video conference calling
  • Unlimited domestic calling

Cons

  • Call groups require an upgrade
  • On-demand call recording requires an upgrade
  • Scheduled texts require an API

Vonage offers many features you can’t get with a Grasshopper phone number. You can unlock video conference calling to host meetings with customers. Plus, it offers APIs that let you create customized automated texting solutions. 

Why Vonage is a good Grasshopper alternative: Grasshopper SMS doesn’t have its own texting API, so if this is a priority then you should consider Vonage.

Unfortunately, Vonage’s APIs only make sense if you send a lot of templated transactional messages. For example, sending customers texts like ‘Thank you for your purchase!’ after they’ve purchased something from your website. 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 starts at $13.99 per user per month for up to four users. But features like simultaneous ring and on-demand call recordings are only available if you upgrade. Plus, its AI features are only available as paid add-ons. That applies to both AI call transcriptions and the AI virtual assistant. If you’re looking for a business phone that includes essential features without forcing you to pay extra, you should look at a different Grasshopper alternative.

Vonage pricing

Grasshopper alternatives: Vonage pricing

The cost of Vonage depends on the size of your team. The fewer team members you have, the more you’ll pay per user.

Here’s a quick rundown of Vonage’s pricing for a team of one to four users:

  • Mobile: $13.99 per line per month for access to the mobile and desktop apps, SMS and MMS, and voicemail
  • Premium: $20.99 per line per month for unlimited video meetings with up to 100 participants, integrations with IP desk phones, and team messaging
  • Advanced: $27.99 per line per month for call groups, visual voicemail with transcription, and up to 15 hours of on-demand call recording

4. Dialpad: Best for large contact centers

Grasshopper alternatives: Dialpad

Pros

  • Real-time analytics and reporting
  • Purchasing multiple numbers requires an upgrade

Cons

  • Toll-free numbers are expensive
  • Higher-tier plans have user minimums
  • Zapier integration requires an upgrade

Dialpad is a cloud-based customer experience platform that launched in 2011. It focuses on providing tools suited for call centers and larger teams. For example, you’ll get access to features like real-time analytics and live coaching. It does offer AI coaching cards to call center teams, but that requires you to switch to its more expensive Dialpad Support plans. 

Why Dialpad is a good Grasshopper alternative: Dialpad has the edge over Grasshopper for these reasons:

  1. Video meetings. Dialpad offers both phone and video calls in its platform. Each video meeting can accommodate up to 150 participants. Grasshopper is limited to phone calls only. 
  2. Call recording on all plans. Dialpad lets your team record calls on all its plans. With Grasshopper, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan to access call recording. 

But Dialpad may not be a good solution for every team. It has several drawbacks you should be aware of, including:

  • Expensive toll-free numbers. Dialpad’s toll-free numbers are pricier than most other providers. You’ll pay $15 per number, plus $0.02 for every incoming minute.
  • Limited plans. Key features, like the option to have multiple numbers and integrations like Zapier, are locked behind higher tiers. 
  • User minimums. Dialpad’s higher-tier plans have user minimums that make them more expensive. 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 more and being unable to upgrade unless you pay for users you don’t have.

Dialpad pricing

Grasshopper alternatives: Dialpad pricing

You can choose from three different Dialpad pricing plans:

  • Standard: $15 per user per month for AI-powered call and voicemail transcriptions, Dialpad SMS, and Google Workspace integrations
  • Pro: $25 per user per month for the option to have additional numbers, international texting, auto-replies, and CRM integrations, with a minimum of three users
  • Enterprise: Call for a quote and get 100% uptime, unlimited locations and ring groups, SSO integrations, and live agent support, with a minimum of 100 users

5. Nextiva: Best for managing omnichannel communications

Grasshopper alternatives: Nextiva

Pros

  • Social media management
  • Call recording requires an upgrade or a paid add-on

Cons

  • Oracle Sales Cloud integration requires Nextiva Enterprise licenses
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 integration requires a paid add-on or an upgrade

Businesses choose Nextiva as their Grasshopper alternative for many reasons. It offers video meetings, social media management, and native integrations with enterprise tools. If your team uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Oracle Sales Cloud, you can connect to them directly.

Why Nextiva is a good Grasshopper alternative: Nextiva lets you manage communications across several different channels. Connect messaging apps like WhatsApp, social media accounts, and even online fax. Grasshopper only offers phone-based communications. 

You should know Nextiva isn’t perfect. There are a few downsides to keep in mind:

  • Limited texting. Unlike Grasshopper, Nextiva caps texting on most of its plans. The base plan caps texts at 100 texts per user per month. Even after you upgrade to the next plan, you only get access to 500 texts per user per month. 
  • Limited toll-free minutes. Need to use a toll-free number for customer support? Nextiva caps your toll-free minutes, which can be challenging as you grow. You need to upgrade from the base plan to access toll-free minutes. Even after you upgrade, you’re capped at 2,000 toll-free minutes per month. 
  • CRM integrations are only available as add-ons. You can automatically log your call and text data with Nextiva, but you’ll have to pay extra for it. Integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other CRMs are only available as add-ons. If you don’t want to pay extra to connect your tools, you’ll need to find another Grasshopper alternative.
  • Most AI features require upgrades. Nextiva has AI features in its platform, but you’ll have to upgrade to access them. AI call notes and summaries are only available in its most expensive tier. Its AI receptionist, XBert AI, is only available as an add-on that starts at $99 per month. 

While Nextiva is a viable Grasshopper alternative, it’s not for everyone. It’s better suited to large enterprises that need to manage communications across six different channels. If you have one or two customer communication channels, you can probably go with a more affordable option.

Nextiva pricing

Grasshopper alternatives: Nextiva pricing

You can choose from three different Nextiva pricing plans:

  • Core: $15 per user per month to access inbound and outbound voice calls, SMS/MMS up to 100 messages per user, voicemail transcriptions, and a simple IVR
  • Engage: $25 per user per month to access call recording, a toll-free number and 2,000 toll-free minutes, 500 SMS/MMS per user, video meeting recording, and Microsoft Teams integration
  • Scale: $75 per user per month for the inbound sales and service call center, priority and skills-based routing, supervisor dashboard, unlimited texting, up to 10,000 toll-free minutes, and automatic call distribution callback

6. Ooma: Best for overhead paging

Grasshopper alternatives: Ooma Office

Pros

  • Unlimited calling in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
  • Ring groups

Cons

  • No texting on the base plan
  • CRM integrations require the most expensive plan
  • Outdated features

Ooma is a fairly traditional virtual phone service. It works with smartphones, analog phones, and Ooma’s proprietary desk phones, so employees can answer calls from any device. You also get access to call queues, ring groups, and video conferencing.

Why Ooma is a good Grasshopper alternative: Ooma is best suited for teams that are used to legacy phone features. Grasshopper doesn’t offer any of these features to businesses. These include:

  • Virtual fax
  • Overhead paging
  • IP phone paging
  • Analog Fax Machine Support

Unfortunately, Ooma’s low 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.

Want to integrate with your CRM to automate workflows? You’ll have to upgrade to Ooma’s higher tiers first. The same goes for Ooma’s AI features. AI transcriptions and AI insights are only available in its Pro Plus plan. Even after you upgrade, you still can only access its AI receptionist as an add-on. 

According to past Ooma customers, the platform is clunky to use and isn’t reliable. Here’s what one customer said:

“When it works, it does the job. But when it doesn’t, there is a major disruption to business, and the perception of our clients is hurt. Wouldn’t really recommend this product unless you have a full-time IT person to manage it.”Diane R. on Capterra

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 baseline performance to communicate with your customers efficiently.

Ooma pricing

Grasshopper alternatives: Ooma pricing

There are three different pricing plans for Ooma.

  • Essentials: $19.95 per user per month for auto-attendants, call forwarding, and overhead paging support
  • Pro: $24.95 per user per month for call recording, voicemail transcriptions, video conferencing, analytics, SMS, and access to Ooma’s desktop app with calling
  • Pro Plus: $29.95 per user per month for call queuing, CRM integrations, hot desking, shared voicemail boxes, and advanced call flows

Additional numbers cost $9.95 per number per month with Ooma.

7. Aircall: Best for outbound power dialing

Grasshopper alternatives: Aircall app

Pros

  • Unlimited calls and SMS/MMS messaging to the US and Canada

Cons

  • Three-user minimum for the base plan
  • AI-generated call summaries require an expensive add-on
  • Unlimited call recording storage requires an upgrade

Aircall is a VoIP provider that focuses on serving large enterprises. Its desktop and mobile apps let you make and receive calls directly from your PC, Mac, Android, and iPhone. Selling or expanding to countries outside the US? You can get international numbers in more than 20 countries. 

Why Aircall is a better Grasshopper alternative: Aircall is a dedicated sales phone solution. It comes with features like call whispering and AI talk-to-listen ratios. It also has WhatsApp and Salesforce Voice integrations that let you communicate with customers wherever they prefer. Aircall works inside these platforms to give you the most flexibility and convenience for your customers and your team. 

But if you’re not running a global call center, Aircall’s pricing may be prohibitive. There’s a three-user minimum for each of their plans, which means the cheapest you’ll pay is $90 per month — even if you’re a solopreneur. 

Aircall also charges you more than comparable VoIP solutions. For example, if you need unlimited storage for AI call recordings and access to the Salesforce integration, you’d pay a minimum of $150 per month with Aircall. Aircall’s AI features are mainly available as add-ons. So you’ll need to budget for even more on top of purchasing an Aircall plan.

According to one G2 reviewer, “The biggest issue is misleading pricing and features. The basic plan does not include the power dialer, and to access it, you’re forced into a 3-seat minimum plan that costs almost $250 per month after taxes. Customer support is very difficult to reach, refund requests are refused, and billing practices feel unfair — including charges after cancellation and unexplained add-ons.

Aircall pricing

Grasshopper alternatives: Aircall pricing

You can choose from three Aircall pricing plans:

  • Essentials: $30 per license for unlimited calls within the US and Canada, IVR, call recording, click-to-dial, and SMS, with a three-license minimum
  • Professional: $50 per license for the Salesforce integration, mandatory call tagging, and advanced analytics and call monitoring, with a three-license minimum
  • Custom: Custom price for unlimited calls worldwide, custom analytics, and custom onboarding, with a 25-license minimum

8. Zoom Phone: Best for Zoom users

Grasshopper alternatives: Zoom Phone

Pros

  • Unlimited auto attendants
  • Hot desking

Cons

  • Metered calling on the base plan
  • Time-consuming to set up
  • Shared inboxes require the Zoom Phone Power Pack add-on

While a video conferencing staple, Zoom has evolved to include a VoIP phone offering. Zoom Phone is a business phone that can help you toggle between having audio and video calls in one place. It has business features that include unlimited auto attendants and hot desking.

Why Zoom Phone is a good alternative to Grasshopper: Zoom’s advantage comes down to third-party integrations and call recording. Zoom Phone is natively integrated with Zoom Workplace. It also has integrations with tools like Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google. Grasshopper has no third-party integrations. Zoom Phone also offers call recording on every plan. Grasshopper requires teams to upgrade to higher plans to access this feature. 

However, Zoom’s base phone plan has one critical missing feature: unlimited outbound calling. And while

it offers quite a few bells and whistles, Zoom Phone is tricky to navigate and time-consuming to set up. Plus, it doesn’t come with essential business phone features like scheduled texts or snippets to automate team texting.

Zoom Phone pricing

Grasshopper alternatives: Zoom Phone pricing

Adding a phone plan to your Zoom subscription could save some time and effort, but it might not save you money. There are five Zoom Phone price plans to choose from. Let’s take a look at the first two:

  • US & Canada Metered: $10 per user per month for metered domestic US and Canadian calling, metered international calling, and toll-free numbers
  • US & Canada Unlimited: $15 per user per month for unlimited metered domestic US and Canadian calling

The next two plans bundle the Zoom Phone US & Canada Unlimited plan with Zoom Workplace:

  • Pro Plus: $18.33 per user per month to access 30 hours of meetings, local and 10 GB cloud recording, Zoom AI Companion, and access to Docs, Mail, and Calendar 
  • Business Plus: $22.49 per user per month to access 300 participants per meeting, unlimited whiteboards, SSO, and device management

If you’re expanding globally and looking for a plan that offers local numbers in different territories, Zoom Phone has a plan for that: 

  • Global Select: $20 per user per month for unlimited domestic calling in 40+ countries and territories and a local number for those territories with each license

There are also a few add-ons to consider:

  • Additional phone numbers: $5 per number per month for toll-free, local, or international premium numbers
  • International calling: $10 per month to make unlimited international calls to more than 15 countries and regions; it can only be purchased with an unlimited calling plan
  • Zoom Phone Power Pack: $25 per month per license for enhanced call queue analytics and historical insights for call center teams
  • Desk phones and headsets: Zoom Phone offers multiple desk phone and headset models for purchase, but they’re not available for rental

Best free Grasshopper alternatives

Most Grasshopper alternatives we’ve explored so far are paid tools. Free alternatives do exist, but they aren’t built for businesses. They offer free calling and texting, but they often lack essential business phone features like:

  • Professional phone numbers — no shared numbers and no toll-free numbers
  • Team collaboration — can’t share access or work together on calls
  • Business integrations — no third-party integrations to share call and text data
  • Call management — no routing, recording, or analytics
  • Reliability guarantees — no uptime promises or business support

With that in mind, here are two popular options worth considering:

9. Google Voice: Best for solopreneurs on Google Workspace

Grasshopper alternatives: Google Voice app

Google Voice is a VoIP provider available for personal and business use. If you want a second phone number to call and text your customers for free, then Google Voice’s personal plan is a good Grasshopper alternative. 

Unfortunately, Google Voice’s free plan doesn’t offer much of anything else. Here are the features you won’t be able to access:

  • Three-way calling
  • Call recording
  • Call transfers
  • Multiple users
  • AI call notes

If you decide to upgrade to a paid Google Voice plan, you do get access to more features. However, it falls short of most of the other options we’ve covered in this list. For example, it doesn’t offer any AI features apart from AI call notes. You’re better off finding a more powerful Grasshopper alternative for your team.

10. TextNow: Best free alternative with high-speed data

Grasshopper alternatives: TextNow app

TextNow is a Canadian second phone number alternative to Grasshopper. It offers unlimited free calling and texting in the US and Canada. Their free plan is supported by ads, which show up after calls and in between your text messages.  Since it works on a PC, iPhone, Android, and iPad, you can switch between devices while working on the go. You can use your existing SIM card with their plans or get a free SIM card if you sign up for their data plans. Their monthly plan costs $35.99 per month for 20 GB of high-speed data, then unlimited 2G speeds. 

While TextNow may be free, it’s not built for small business owners. You won’t be able to share your TextNow number with your team or build call flows that suit your business. Plus, it doesn’t come with any CRM integrations or AI features that your team can use.

Why businesses switch from Grasshopper

Grasshopper is good for solopreneurs just getting started with their customer communications. But as your business scales, it’s bound to fall short. Here are the biggest reasons why businesses seek out Grasshopper alternatives:

  1. No third-party integrations. Grasshopper doesn’t let you share your call and text data with the rest of your tech stack. This means that as your call volume grows, your team will spend hours logging calls and texts in your CRM. You also can’t take advantage of using tools like Claude and ChatGPT to analyze your call and text data. This is a major limitation for fast-growing sales and support teams. 
  2. Texting limitations. Grasshopper offers basic SMS messaging to businesses. Unfortunately, it has several limitations to keep in mind, including:
    • No MMS messaging for toll-free numbers
    • No group texting for toll-free numbers
    • No international texting


While you may be able to work around these limitations early on, they’re unavoidable as your support team grows. 

  1. No collaboration features. Grasshopper doesn’t let team members tag each other in conversations, which means they can’t work together to brainstorm solutions. It also doesn’t allow you to work through follow-up action items in its platform. To get work done with Grasshopper, you need multiple tools, which adds context switching to your team’s plate. 
  2. Outdated interface. Many past users have complained about Grasshopper’s complex, outdated UI. Some of them say it took weeks or even months to understand. Take this Grasshopper review, for example:

    “I tried a few different VOIP products, including Grasshopper, and found the software to feel very outdated – kind of like a webpage from the late 1990s or early 2000s. I switched to Quo because the user experience is super clean, and it’s easy to use.” — Kelly Saunders, Founder, Chargy

    This outdated interface also applies to Grasshopper call forwarding features. Take a closer look, and you’ll see how clunky setting up forwarding in its portal can be.
  3. Unreliable performance. Grasshopper customers consistently complain about its speed and latency issues. Calls can lag, and texts can take a while to deliver. It slows your team down even if you want to move quickly. Here’s an example from a past customer:

    The Grasshopper platform was slow, visually outdated, and the smartphone app had multiple glitches while in use — it was often easier to close the app and start over when attempting to make a second or third call in a row.” – G2

With all of these drawbacks, it’s easy to see why growing businesses find a Grasshopper alternative that works better for them.

Quo: The best Grasshopper alternative

Grasshopper alternatives: Quo Mac and iOS apps

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

Unlike many other VoIP service providers, Quo gives you advanced features. We’re not just talking about Quo’s 24/7 AI agent. We’re also talking about features like caller ID, AI call summaries, team messaging, and IVR software. Quo is designed to help you never miss a call and personalize every customer interaction. It’s why businesses make the switch when they compare Quo vs Grasshopper

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

FAQs

Is Grasshopper good for small businesses?

Grasshopper might seem like a good VoIP service when you’re a one-person operation. But as your team grows, productivity can decline. That’s because Grasshopper doesn’t have integrations, call summaries, or scheduled texts.

Which Grasshopper alternative has the best call recording?

Quo is the Grasshopper alternative that offers the best call recording capabilities. 
Grasshopper offers the option to record calls if you pay for one of its upgraded plans. However, recordings will only be stored for 30 days and then automatically deleted.

Quo offers call recording in all its plans. It also gives teams the option to record calls on demand or automatically. That way, you can choose which calls you want to record. Grasshopper call recording is automatic by default, and you can’t change it based on your team’s preferences.

What is the most cost-effective Grasshopper alternative?

If you look at their base prices, Google Voice and Zoom Phone seem to be the most cost-effective Grasshopper alternatives. Google Voice is available for free, while Zoom Phone starts out at $10.50 per user per month.  

Take a closer look, though, and the numbers tell a different story. Google Voice’s business plans require a Google Workspace subscription. Add both costs, and you end up with a starting price of $17 per user per month. Zoom Phone’s base plan charges you for outbound calls. Upgrade to its next tier to get unlimited domestic calling, and you end up spending $16 per user per month. 

Quo’s base plan starts at $15 per user per month. You can invite your teammates immediately after signing up. You can make unlimited domestic calls and send unlimited domestic texts. Plus, each user gets their own phone number. Unlike Grasshopper, you don’t need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan to get additional numbers or extensions. That’s why Quo is the most cost-effective Grasshopper alternative. 

What’s the best Grasshopper alternative for healthcare teams?

Grasshopper doesn’t offer HIPAA compliance. If you’re discussing protected health information, you need a compliant option like Quo.

Quo’s Business and Scale plan users can request a Business Associate Agreement, or BAA, to ensure HIPAA compliance. And you get secure PHI storage and transmission across calls and voicemails.

Does Grasshopper provide unlimited minutes?

Yes — Grasshopper includes unlimited domestic calling within the US and Canada. International calling is available, but only after an account has been active for at least 60 days. To enable international calling, a $500 deposit is also required.

What AI features do Grasshopper alternatives offer?

Most Grasshopper alternatives offer AI call summaries and transcriptions in their platforms. However, not all of them offer this feature in their plans. While providers like Quo include them, others like Aircall only offer them as an add-on. 

Another AI feature you can find in a Grasshopper alternative is AI voice agents. With Sona, Quo’s AI agent, you can answer incoming calls 24/7, take down messages, and even send texts. You’ll be able to qualify leads, help reschedule appointments, and escalate calls when needed. 

Bonus: Check out our review of Grasshopper AI features.

Do Grasshopper alternatives have free trials?

Yes, most Grasshopper alternatives offer free trials. Quo offers a seven-day free trial with access to all our features. Grasshopper’s seven-day free trial limits your calls to 50 minutes only.