We may earn money when you click on links to our partners. Advertiser Disclosure

Grasshopper

Review by ALEX MCOMIE
Updated December 22, 2023

Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that allows you to manage business calls from a personal device. You can opt for a toll-free number or a number from your local area. Grasshopper also comes with key phone features such as SMS, call forwarding, and a virtual receptionist.

Pros

  • Virtual receptionist tool
  • Instantly respond to missed calls via SMS
  • Easy to set up
  • 7-day free trial, no credit card required
  • Works on both desktop and mobile
Cons

  • Price increases with add-ons
  • Mixed reviews on Android
  • No call recording

Grasshopper logo
Best for solopreneurs
4.5
Features
4
Pricing
5
Support
4
Reputation
4

What is Grasshopper phone service?

Grasshopper is a virtual phone service that’s specifically designed for the needs of entrepreneurs and small business owners. Rather than paying for dedicated hardware, you can integrate Grasshopper onto your existing smartphone while still managing personal and business calls separately.

While Grasshopper runs on personal hardware, it still includes many of the features you would expect from a more conventional business phone system. For example, you can create virtual extensions to make it easier for callers to connect with the person they want to talk to.

grasshopper dashboard screenshot

Viewing my account overview and basic options from the Grasshopper dashboard. Source: Grasshopper free trial

Furthermore, you can configure the virtual receptionist to respond with custom greetings and direct callers to the right resource. This cuts down on the need for human employees while enabling you to offer a reliable customer experience around the clock.

grasshopper inital onboarding process screenshot

Setting preferences during the initial Grasshopper onboarding process. Source: Grasshopper free trial

Grasshopper also supports SMS, making it easier to stay in touch with your audience without the need to place a call. The instant response SMS tool automatically replies to contacts after you miss a call — for example, you might give them other contact methods or send them your business hours so that they can call again later.

This feature minimizes friction from a missed call and increases the chance that they’ll stay in contact in the future.

grasshopper instant response screenshot

Creating a custom instant SMS response that will be sent automatically after a missed call. Source: Grasshopper desktop app (Mac)

How much does Grasshopper phone system cost?

Grasshopper plans start at $31/month.

Starting price:
$31 per month
Free trial:
7 Days
Free version:
Not Available
Grasshopper Pricing & Plans
Solo Partner Small Business
Starting at $31/mo paid monthly Starting at $51/mo paid monthly Starting at $89/mo paid monthly
1 number + 3 extensions 3 numbers + 6 extensions 5 numbers + unlimited extensions

What’s included in every Grasshopper plan? Every Grasshopper subscription comes with the same set of features — the only difference between plans is the limit on phone numbers and extensions.

Which features does Grasshopper offer?

Small Business Phone Systems Features
Voicemail Transcription
Call Scripting
Lead Management
Queue Management
Meeting Management

Other notable Grasshopper features

  • Mobile app (iOS and Android)
  • Virtual receptionist
  • Extensions
  • 24/7 customer support

What types of support does Grasshopper offer?

Data Migration
1-on-1 Live Training
Self-Guided Online Training
Knowledge Base
FAQs/Forum
Email Support
Live Chat
Phone Support
grasshopper help center screenshot

Grasshopper help center with onboarding tutorials and general user guides. Source: Grasshopper website

Grasshopper user review highlights

We analyzed 912 user reviews about Grasshopper from five third-party review websites to provide this summary.

While Grasshopper has received mostly positive reviews, feedback is more mixed than we’ve seen from some other small business phone services. In particular, users seem to have trouble with inconsistent response times and the overall helpfulness of the customer support team. This could result in unnecessary downtime along with other problems for your business.

On the other hand, users had good things to say about the platform’s ease of use and variety of features. Extensions, call forwarding, automatic SMS responses, the virtual receptionist, and other tools allow customers to offer a professional experience without investing in a conventional business phone platform.

  • Ease of Setup – The simplicity of Grasshopper is one of its main strengths. While business phone systems can be notoriously difficult to work with, Grasshopper is straightforward to set up and works with your existing devices. Most users said they were able to get started with little to no problems.
  • Ease of Use – Similarly, Grasshopper offers a smooth experience after the initial setup. In particular, reviewers noted the convenience of being able to access the application from either their desktop or mobile device.
  • Features – You’ll feel differently about Grasshopper’s features depending on what you’re looking for. Customers are generally satisfied, but Grasshopper doesn’t include some helpful tools such as call recording, spam text filtering, and branching extensions.
  • Quality of Support – As mentioned above, customer support was a sticking point for a number of users. Several people had negative experiences — for example, one customer lost their business phone number and wasn’t able to get the issue resolved for multiple weeks.
  • Value for Money – Most reviewers are happy with Grasshopper’s functionality for the cost. However, some highlighted that the price can be significantly higher than advertised after considering the platform’s various add-ons.

Grasshopper Contact Information

Parent Company:
GoTo
Headquarters:
Boston, MA
Year Founded:
2003
Website:
grasshopper.com
Facebook:
facebook.com/grasshopper
Twitter:
twitter.com/grasshopper
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/showcase/grasshopper

Grasshopper alternatives

Software Starting Price B2B Reviews Score
Grasshopper $29/month 4.5
GoToConnect $32/user/month 4.5
Nextiva $30.95/user/month 4.375

Grasshopper Reviews

When we've collected enough reviews for a good sample, we'll publish them here.

Write a review