Grasshopper Review

• Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that routes calls to each employee's mobile and home phones.
• This phone service gives businesses with a mobile workforce an opportunity to present a professional image.
• Grasshopper offers businesses three service plans to choose from ‒ each plan includes unlimited minutes.
• This article is for business owners interested in learning more about Grasshopper, our choice as the best virtual phone system.

Grasshopper is the gold standard of virtual phone systems. It gives small businesses needing a virtual phone system all the tools and features they need to present a professional image at all times, such as automated attendants and business texting. Users can set up a call forwarding tree that works for them. They can forward their calls to as many phone numbers in any order they want. That flexibility ensures that users of Grasshopper never miss a call. Businesses can choose from three service plans, all of which are affordably priced. It's for these reasons and more that we chose Grasshopper as the best virtual phone system for businesses with a mobile workforce in 2020. 

To understand how we selected our best picks, you can find our methodology, as well as a comprehensive list of business phone systems, on our best picks page.

Editor's note: Looking for information on business phone systems? Use the questionnaire below and our vendor partners will contact you to provide you with the information you need. 

Pricing 

Grasshopper is available in three different service plans. Each plan includes unlimited minutes, every Grasshopper feature, and a 30-day, money-back guarantee ‒ no contract required. You can upgrade your plan at any time. 

• Solo: The Solo plan costs $29 per month. It includes one number and three extensions.
• Partner: The Partner plan costs $49 per month and includes three numbers and six extensions.
• Small Business: The Small Business plan costs $89 per month and comes with five numbers and unlimited extensions. 

Regardless of which plan you choose, you can save 10% if you pay annually instead of monthly. 

You might incur a few other costs. Additional phone numbers cost $10 per month each. Professional voice greetings are $75 each, and there is a one-time $30 cost for porting phone numbers into the system.

Key takeaway: Grasshopper is available in three service plans that cost between $29 and $89 per month.

Features

Grasshopper has an extensive set of features that allows businesses with a remote workforce to present a professional image at all times. One critical feature is the automated attendant. The auto attendant greets callers and then forwards them to the person or department they are trying to reach. 

Available on both iOS and Android devices, the Grasshopper mobile app allows you to make and receive calls from your business line. Unlike other virtual services, when you make a call using the Grasshopper app, your business line number shows up on the caller ID of the person you are calling. 

Other valuable features all Grasshopper users have access to are voicemail, voicemail-to-email, voicemail transcription, hold music, a dial-by-name directory, conference calling for up to 10 participants, call screening, online fax, and fax-to-email. 

Key takeaway: Grasshopper offers a wide selection of valuable features, including auto attendants, voicemail-to-email, online faxing, and conference calling.

Grasshopper Pros

Part of what makes Grasshopper such an appealing option for businesses with a remote workforce is that it requires no equipment and is simple to use. 

Since Grasshopper is a virtual phone system, there is absolutely no hardware, equipment, or wiring necessary to run it. It basically works as an extensive call-forwarding system. When a customer calls your business's main number, the call is answered by an automated attendant and forwarded to the appropriate employee or department. The call then rings on the employee's preferred phone. Employees have the option of answering the call immediately, asking for caller information, or transferring the call to voicemail.

Grasshopper gives your business a local, toll-free or vanity number, as well as virtual extensions for each employee. If you already have a phone number you want to use, with Grasshopper, you can transfer it to the system. This process, called porting, can take anywhere from a couple of days to two weeks. There is a one-time $30 fee to transfer an established number into Grasshopper's system. 

An appealing aspect of Grasshopper is that you can control the entire system through an online portal. Administrators can add users and extensions, create departments, listen to and organize voicemails, update your plan, change your phone number, and view call reports all from the portal.

Employees can also access the system via the online portal, desktop app or mobile app to create their own ring trees. Employees can choose the numbers they want their calls forwarded to, the order in which those numbers ring, and whether they want calls forwarded to them during certain hours, such as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Key takeaway: Grasshopper requires no equipment and can be managed and controlled from an easy-to-use online portal.

Grasshopper Cons

One downside to Grasshopper is that it doesn't offer some features and tools that other virtual services do, such as call recording and integrations with programs like Microsoft Office. On the other hand, many other virtual systems don't offer a powerful mobile app that allows you to make calls from your business line on your smartphone.

Another potential negative is that Grasshopper only offers a virtual system. If your business were to outgrow a service like this and need a traditional phone system, you would have to find a new provider like RingCentral. Some providers offer both types of services. [Get more information on how to choose a business phone system.]

Key takeaway: Grasshopper isn't as feature-rich as some traditional full-service VoIP phone systems.

Customer Service

We were impressed with the customer service Grasshopper provided. We contacted the company numerous times, posing as a new business owner. Each time we reached out, our calls were immediately taken by representatives who provided clear and detailed answers to all our questions. The reps never tried to pressure us into signing up for the service. We were also pleased to see that the company offers 24/7 support to all customers.   

Grasshopper's parent company, LogMeIn, is an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating. Over the past three years,128 complaints have been filed against the company. However, not all of those complaints were related to the Grasshopper service.

Key takeaway: Grasshopper offers users 24/7 customer service.

Editor's note: Looking for information on business phone systems? Use the questionnaire below and our vendor partners will contact you to provide you with the information you need.