Grasshopper vs GoogleVoice: Which one is the best for your business?

October 10, 2023

Explore the rivalry: Grasshopper vs. Google Voice. Discover the supreme communication contender for your business. Let the showdown commence!

Introducing Grasshopper: Elevate your business image with a virtual phone system. Ideal for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses, it offers unlimited USA and Canada calls/texts, call queue management, extensions, and more. Choose plans based on phone and extension numbers.

Shifting our gaze to the opposite corner, we see Google Voice: VoIP tailored for global operations. Link seamlessly through web, mobile, desk phones. Seamlessly merge with Google apps. Access voice, video, and beyond, with added texts, voicemail transcriptions. Explore their trio of plans.

Compare Grasshopper and GoogleVoice plans and features

How many users do you need?

	Grasshopper	Googlevoice
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Price for users	/month	/month
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Key features
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Pros and Cons
Best For

Google Voice Cheaper plans or Grasshopper's wider range of features

Entrepreneurs can tap into the Grasshopper True Solo and Solo Plus plans, available for a mere $16 per month. The True Solo subscription offers access to a suite of services through 1 extension (or 3 with Solo Plus). For businesses with a need for extra extensions, there's the Partner plan, which includes 3 phone numbers and 6 extensions. Opting for the Small Business plan provides subscribers with 5 phone numbers and the luxury of unlimited extensions.

Grasshopper may seem expensive as compared to Google Voice. A Google Voice Starter plan subscription can be used by a team of up to 10 users. The subscription fee is priced at $10 per user per month. It includes features such as call forwarding, voicemail transcription, Google app integration and more. Paying $20 per user per month gives you access to the Google Voice Standard plan. There is no user limit for this plan. It includes all the features of the Starter plan as well as multi-level auto attendant, ring groups and ad-hoc call recording. Businesses can pay $30 per user per month to subscribe to the Premier plan. This is inclusive of all Standard plan features as well as automatic call recording and advanced reports.

A step-by-step comparison between Grasshopper and GoogleVoice

To help you find what solution fits best your need between Zoom Phone and Ringcentral, we have conducted an unbiased comparison based on 8 criterias:

#1 Manage your office calls : How will you handle calls while at the office? Can you use computer-based calls or do you require an office phone?

#2 Manage your calls on the go: Does it offer a mobile app with VoIP calls? Do you need to set up call forwarding to your mobile device?

#3 Auto-attendant : Can you easily distribute calls to your team?

#4 Greetings Management : Can you set up company greetings on your own? How easy is it to create and manage announcements?

#5 Call Tracking : How easy is it to monitor your business calls?

#6 Call recording : Can you record and listen to calls?

#7 Call billing : How much does it cost to make and receive calls? Is everything included?

#8 Activation : How easy is it to activate a phone number and set up your phone system?

COMPARE

Manage Your Office Calls
Manage Your Calls On The Go
Auto-attendant
Greetings Management
Call Tracking
Call recording
Call billing
Activation

#1 Manage Your Office Calls

Browser and deskphone support for both Grasshopper and Google Voice

Grasshopper services can be used via a desktop application for Mac and Windows devices.

Businesses subscribing to a Google Voice or Grasshopper plan can access their subscriptions through a deskphone or web application.

#2 Manage Your Calls On The Go

User-friendly mobile apps for Grasshopper and Google Voice

Calls can be made and received through an app for Android and iOS devices.

Irrespective of the plan chosen, Grasshopper and Google Voice subscribers can make and receive calls through a free mobile app.

#3 Auto-attendant

Ruby receptionist service by Grasshopper vs Google Voice IVR call routing

The Ruby virtual receptionist services are available as an add on pack.

Unlike Grasshopper, GoogleVoice does not have add-on packs for IVR, auto attendants or virtual receptionists. Inbound calls to a Google Voice Standard or Premier pack account can be routed through a multi-level auto attendant. This is not included in the Starter plan.

#4 Greetings Management

Access to a professional voice artist for greeting customization ranks Grasshopper higher

Recorded greetings can be customized or a message can be uploaded to be voiced and recorded by a professional voice artist.

With a process similar to Grasshopper, call and voicemail greetings can be customized from the Google Voice app or web browser. Step 1: Choose Voicemail greetings from the settings menu. Step 2: Click on the record button. Start recording your message and click stop when the recording is complete.

#5 Call Tracking

Detailed call metrics make quality control simpler with Grasshopper

With all of Grasshopper's plans, you can make sure calls are never missed. You can forward business calls to another number or to voicemail. Voicemail transcriptions can be sent to your email inbox for easy, on-the-go access. You can also keep track of all calls with detailed call metrics like call type, average call length, voicemails, etc. While live calls cannot be monitored or recorded, any agent can forward a call to another agent or a supervisor.

Grasshopper and GoogleVoice offer similar call monitoring features. Subscribers can listen to voicemails or read voicemail transcriptions to prioritize responses. They can also transfer calls to other agents or supervisors for faster query resolution. Supervisors can also access reports on calls made and received by agents to assess team productivity. The Google Voice Standard plan has an in-built eDiscovery feature. This helps them find specific conversations from their calls, text messages and voicemail records. The plan also includes ad-hoc call recording. In addition to the Starter and Standard plan features, the Premier plan includes access to advanced call reports and automatic call recording.

#6 Call Recording

Call recording availability puts Google Voice ahead

Call recording is not included in the Grasshopper plans.

Though access is limited, GoogleVoice has more call recording capabilities as compared to Grasshopper. Only businesses subscribing to the Google Voice Standard or Premier plan can record calls handled by their agents. Call recording is available on an ad-hoc basis in the Standard plan and is automated for Premier plan subscribers.

#7 Call Billing

Unlimited domestic calling with per minute international call billing by both Grasshopper and Google Voice

Calls to numbers in the USA and Canada except for Hawaii and Alaska are unlimited. Calls to other destinations are billed at a country-specific, per minute rate. For example, calls to Puerto Rico are billed at 10¢ while those to Grenada are billed at 95¢.

International calls are billed at similar rates for Grasshopper and GoogleVoice subscribers. All Google Voice plans are inclusive of calls to other Google Voice accounts and numbers in the USA and Canada. International calls are billed according to usage at location specific per minute rates. For example, charges for calls to Australia range from $0.01 to $1.95 per minute.

#8 Activation

Simple account creation for both VoIP service providers

You can create an account with your existing number or a new local/ toll free number on the Grasshopper website. Once you have created your account, you download applications for mobile and desktop devices to use the Grasshopper services. To set up a landline phone for outgoing Grasshopper calls, you will need to contact customer support to activate and register the calling card feature on your phone.

As for Grasshopper's account creation, business accounts can be set up on the Google Voice app or web browser. Services can then be accessed through a web browser or smartphone app. Standard and Premier plan subscribers can also use desk phones with Obi Edition firmware.

All prices indicated are before tax and all information has been taken from the websites of the companies concerned as of 10/10/2023