Nextiva is a secure communication platform for businesses wanting to upgrade from traditional PBX systems. It uses VoIP technology to empower businesses to make and receive voice and video calls and exchange messages from a local or toll-free phone number. Nextiva services can be accessed through applications for desktop and mobile devices, a web browser extension or IP deskphones. Along with communication, Nextiva eases processes by offering additional services such as contact management, voicemail and auto attendants. These services are bundled into 3 business communication plans and 4 contact center plans.
Nextiva and Grasshopper are similar platforms for business communication.
If you're looking for a VoIP based communication platform, Grasshopper is the name to reckon with. Grasshopper caters to the needs of startups and small businesses with monthly subscription plans. These plans have common features but offer a varying number of phone numbers and extensions. The key features of these subscription plans are unlimited calling to numbers in the USA and Canada, voicemail and more. If required, businesses can get additional phone numbers and extensions connected to their chosen plan by paying an extra fee.
Nextiva’s quick start plan known as the Essential plan is priced at $30.95 per user per month for 4-member teams. Per user subscription reduces for larger teams. This includes unlimited voice and video calling as well as voicemail access, call recording and contact management.
For a per user monthly subscription of $35.95, businesses with small teams can upgrade to the Nextiva Professional plan. This includes all the basic features as well as conference calls for up to 40 participants, multi-level auto attendants and Salesforce/HubSpot integrations.
Upgrading to the Nextiva Enterprise plan will cost you a monthly subscription ranging from $39.95 to 45.95 per user depending on the team size. This plan includes all the features of the other 2 plans as well as exclusive features such as call recording, CRM integration and conference calls with unlimited participants.
Nextiva plans start from a higher rate as compared to Grasshopper.
The Solo plan by Grasshopper is priced at $28 per month. This is inclusive of a new phone number and 3 extensions that can be used by the entire team. Some of the key features of this plan are incoming call controls, call forwarding, virtual voicemail and custom greetings.
While all Grasshopper plans have common features, the number of phone numbers available changes from plan to plan. The Partner plan includes 3 local/toll free numbers and 6 extensions. Similarly, the Small Business plan includes 5 local/toll free numbers and unlimited extensions. These numbers can have different area codes.
Nextiva subscribers can make and receive calls through a desktop app, web browser or IP deskphone.
Similar to Nextiva, businesses subscribing to Grasshopper can access their services through a desktop app.
Voice and video calls can be made and received through Android and iOS devices.
In the case of both Nextiva and Grasshopper, incoming and outgoing calls can be handled through a mobile app for all smartphones.
Nextiva offers an automated answering service to direct inbound calls to the right agent based on caller keystroke responses. This service is included in all Nextiva plan but the Professional and Enterprise plan subscribers get an added benefit of unlimited sub menus.
Unlike Nextiva plans that include call routing options, an optional Ruby receptionist service add-on pack is available to Grasshopper subscribers.
Welcome messages for the auto attendant routing incoming calls can be customized as per your business profile. Customized greetings must be recorded in 8 or 16 bit .wav files to be uploaded.
1. Login to the Nextiva website with admin account.
2. Click on Sites and navigate to auto attendant.
3. Click on Greetings.
4. Click on the upload button to browse through your computer files and upload the new recording.
Nextiva and Grasshopper take similar approaches to customized greetings.
Greetings can be customized by recording it through a call or the computer microphone, uploading a recorded message or having the message voiced and recorded professionally.
Nextiva does not give subscribers a way to listen to live calls but there are still options available to assess call quality and agent productivity. Essential and Professional plan supervisors can read call history and call log files. In addition to this, Enterprise plan users can also record calls and read voicemail transcriptions. This allows them to follow up on calls that are received or that agents are unable to answer.
Nextiva and Grasshopper have similar approaches to call monitoring. Live call monitoring is not included but agents do have the option of forwarding calls to supervisors if they require assistance. Understanding that not all calls can be taken by agents, those sent to voicemail have their messages transcribed. These transcribed messages are sent through email so that agents can respond faster. Grasshopper also includes reports on call analytics such as average call duration, call type, etc. to assess team productivity.
Subscribers to the Nextiva Essential and Professional plans cannot record calls from the dashboard. This is a feature available exclusively with the Enterprise plan. Call recording can be manually controlled or automated. The recordings can be access for 6 months after they have been saved.
When it comes to call recording, Nextiva advanced plan subscribers have an edge over Grasshopper subscribers.
Irrespective of which interface calls are made from. Grasshopper subscribers cannot record calls handled by them.
If you are making calls to numbers outside the USA and Canada, you should check the per minute rates. All international calls are billed additionally according to a location-specific per minute rate. In some cases, rates may also differ based on operators. For example, calls to a mobile Vodafone number in Australia is billed at a $0.11 per minute rate while calls to Australian Mobile Telstra numbers are billed at a $0.19 rate per minute.
Like Nextiva, Grasshopper plans include calls to certain locations.
Grasshopper plans include unlimited calling within the USA and Canada except to numbers in Alaska and Hawaii. Other calls are billed additionally with call duration rounded up to a minute. For example, calls to Rome are billed at a 51¢ per minute rate.
Businesses can set up their Nextiva accounts from the Nextiva website. The process is quick and simplified by a drag-and-drop call flow builder. Subscribers can customize greetings and call routing menus according to their operating hours and other filters. Once the account has been created, user roles can be defined and users can start making and receiving calls from Nextiva apps installed on their desktops and mobile devices as well as certain IP deskphones.
Both Nextiva and Grasshopper have comparable account creation processes.
Your existing number can be ported to Grasshopper when setting up a new account. Alternatively, you can get a new local or toll-free number. Once the account has been created, user roles can be configured from the dashboard. Services can be accessed through free apps for smartphones, laptops and desktop devices or through a landline phone with a calling card that has been registered and activated.
