Grasshopper toll-free numbers: Cost, limits, & what to know

Want to know if toll-free numbers are available through Grasshopper? Yes, Grasshopper offers toll-free numbers on all plans. You’ll be able to find numbers with all the toll-free prefixes: 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833. However, you should know that Grasshopper toll-free numbers have significant texting restrictions: no MMS, no group texts, and no text messaging to Canadian numbers. Grasshopper isn’t known for having a smooth registration process. 

In this article, we’ll cover what toll-free numbers you get with Grasshopper and where it falls short. We’ll also present a Grasshopper alternative that can scale with you as your business grows. 

Grasshopper toll-free numbers: What you should know

Grasshopper offers toll-free numbers in all of its plans. If you sign up for its True Solo and Solo Plus plans, you only get access to one phone number. You’ll need to choose between getting a local or a toll-free number in these plans. If you upgrade to its Small Business plan, you’ll get access to four different phone numbers. 

To add a toll-free phone number to your Grasshopper account:

1. Sign in to the admin portal.
2. Go to Call management and Numbers & call routing.
3. Select Add new number in the top right and then choose which type of number you’d like to add.
4. Select New batch to load more options.
5. Select Add number.

When to choose toll-free vs local numbers

One of the benefits of signing up for a virtual phone system is the option to use both local and toll-free numbers. Local numbers have specific area codes tied to a city and state. Toll-free virtual phone numbers use toll-free area codes that apply across North America. They aren’t tied to a specific region.

But when do you choose one versus the other? 

• Local numbers. Choose a local phone number when you want to build trust and familiarity for a regional business. Customers are more likely to recognize a local number and not treat it as spam.
  
  Local numbers are useful for individual team members to manage their communications with your customers. For example, if you run a trade or real estate business, you can assign local numbers to each of your team members. 
• Toll-free numbers. Choose a toll-free number when you want to present a professional image to customers. They can make your business seem more polished and established. If you choose a vanity toll-free number, you can also stand out to customers easily.
  
  Toll-free numbers are great for customer support. Callers don’t have to figure out which local number to dial to get help. You can also use them for your marketing materials to advertise your business. 

In Grasshopper’s case, another consideration when choosing local or toll-free numbers comes down to their texting features. Scroll down to find out about its toll-free texting limitations.

Grasshopper toll-free number limitations

With Grasshopper toll-free numbers, your team can become a more recognizable presence wherever you operate. But they have several limitations you should keep in mind, especially with Grasshopper SMS:

1. No MMS messaging

Let’s say you’re trying to troubleshoot a customer issue. Maybe their HVAC isn’t working or their sprinkler system isn’t running. You can quickly diagnose what’s happening by asking them to take a photo and send it to your team. Unfortunately, you can’t do this with Grasshopper’s toll-free numbers. 

Grasshopper local numbers offer both SMS and MMS messaging. But you won’t find MMS messaging in its toll-free numbers. That can be a serious drawback for your customer support team.

2. No group texting

Another drawback for Grasshopper’s toll-free numbers? No group texting. 

Want to bring multiple stakeholders on your team together to discuss a customer request? Or need to loop in customers and vendors together in the same support thread? Grasshopper doesn’t give you the flexibility to have group conversations with toll-free texting. You’ll have to move the conversation to a local number or use a different platform entirely. 

3. No texting to Canadian numbers

North American toll-free numbers have area codes that are recognizable across the US and Canada. That means you can use them for customer support if you offer service to Canada. 

The problem? You can’t text your Canadian customers using your toll-free number. You’ll run into a similar situation to group texting. You’ll have to move the conversation to a local Canadian number or use a different platform entirely. 

4. Users cite Grasshopper’s texting registration process as frustrating

If you want to send texts through a VoIP SMS service, you need to complete The Campaign Registry registration. But according to past users, Grasshopper doesn’t make this easy.

Delays with A2P registration are unique to Grasshopper. It can take multiple attempts to get approved using Grasshopper’s verification process. Take this example from a past Grasshopper customer who switched to Quo:

“I switched to Quo from Grasshopper after six rejected attempts and countless hours trying to fix my website and forms to meet their constantly changing requirements. I used the exact same application with Quo, and it was approved within 24 hours.” —– G2

5. No texting to international numbers

Looking to scale outside the US? Grasshopper makes this difficult for teams. 

First, you’ll have to wait to access international calling. It comes with two requirements:

1. An upfront deposit of $500 in your account
2. Account age of 60 days

Even after you’re approved to make international calls, you can’t use Grasshopper local or toll-free numbers to send texts. 

6. No call and text logging in your CRM

Want to keep track of your customer support conversations in your CRM? With Grasshopper’s toll-free numbers, you can’t. 

Grasshopper doesn’t offer any third-party integrations with CRMs or any other tools. Your team will spend time toggling between tools as they try to stay on top of customer requests. It’s a recipe for details to quickly slip through the cracks. 

Luckily, you don’t have to struggle with these limitations. Scroll to the next section to learn about a Grasshopper alternative that doesn’t have any of these restrictions.

Why Quo is the better choice for toll-free numbers

If you’re looking for a virtual phone system with toll-free numbers that don’t limit your growth, then you should consider Quo, formerly OpenPhone. 

Quo is designed for fast-growing businesses to manage their business communications. You can make unlimited calls with US and Canadian local numbers or with North American toll-free numbers. Get access to all the features your business needs, including: 

• 24/7 virtual receptionist with Sona, our AI voice agent
• Auto-attendants
• Automatic call recording
• Call forwarding
• Voicemail transcription
• Business hours call routing
• Collaboration features, including task management
• Desktop, web, and mobile apps

Quo offers toll-free numbers on all of our plans. Each user in your workspace automatically gets their own phone number. You can choose to assign local or toll-free numbers. Plus, you can share numbers for different departments.

Here are the reasons why Quo toll-free numbers are a better option compared to Grasshopper:

• No toll-free texting restrictions. With Quo’s toll-free numbers, you can send MMS messages, group texts, and texts to Canadian numbers. We don’t limit what you can do with a toll-free number. Offer 24/7 support to your customers without switching to a local number or a different app entirely. 
• No international calling restrictions. Sign up for a Quo trial, choose your toll-free number, and start making international calls right away. You don’t have to pay an upfront deposit or wait for your account to “grow up.”
• No international texting restrictions. After you’ve registered your Quo number under A2P 10DLC regulations, you can send texts to international numbers. Check our rate sheet to estimate your international texting costs. 
• Save money with additional numbers. Grasshopper only offers a single phone number in most of its plans. Additional numbers cost $9 per number per month. On the other hand, Quo offers each user their own number. If you need more, additional numbers cost $5 per number per month.
• 9,000+ integrations. Share your toll-free call recordings and texts with your preferred tools. You can sync your recordings, summaries, and transcripts with your CRM. Connect directly to Salesforce, HubSpot, Jobber, Pipedrive, and Zoho. Or integrate with thousands more tools using our Zapier and Make integrations. 

See how Quo’s toll-free numbers compare to Grasshopper in this table:

Feature	Quo	Grasshopper
MMS toll-free messaging	✔️	X
Group toll-free messaging	✔️	X
Canadian toll-free texting	✔️	X
International texting	✔️	X
CRM integrations for toll-free numbers	✔️	X

See why Quo is the better business phone

Quo isn’t just better than Grasshopper when you compare their AI features. It’s also a better overall business phone.

Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what past customers had to say in their Grasshopper reviews:

“I have tried multiple online phone companies, including Google Voice and Grasshopper. The very best one has been Quo due to how easy it is to use and how many features it has, including knowing who on my team has called or texted a client right on the conversation view.” – Hector Bilbao, Principal, Real Tax Advisors LLC

“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 Grasshopper… I’ve told people we are just beyond thrilled about it. Much superior product.” – Laura Cooley, President, CarePatrol

See why Quo is the better virtual phone system. Check out our full analysis of Quo vs Grasshopper.

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