7 Best Grasshopper Alternatives for Small Business (2026)
Grasshopper still works, and GoTo shipped AI call summaries for it this spring. People leave anyway, for the same three reasons: add-on costs, texting registration headaches, and a voicemail box that fills up while you’re on a job.
The quick answer: if you want calls answered and turned into booked work, pick Carly Phone. Carly gives you a business number for calls and texts, picks up when nobody else can, qualifies the caller, checks your real calendars and books the right person, then logs everything to your CRM. The Carly team sets it up with you, so book a call with the Carly team to see it on your own call flow. If you just want a cheaper second line, Quo and Google Voice are the usual swaps.
Grasshopper alternatives compared
US prices, checked September 2026. “Annual” means the per-month rate when billed yearly.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price (US) | AI call answering | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carly Phone | Businesses that want calls answered, qualified and booked | Priced on a short call | AI voice agent books on your real calendars and texts a link after | Set up with the Carly team, not a self-serve app |
| Grasshopper (baseline) | Solo owners adding a business line | $14/mo annual, $18 monthly (True Solo) | AI and live receptionist options added spring 2026 | Texting registration fees; users report phone-only cancellation |
| Quo | Small teams that live in text threads | $15/user/mo annual, $19 monthly | Sona agent, 10 calls/mo included, then credits | Per-user pricing adds up; extra Sona calls cost credits |
| Google Voice | Teams already on Google Workspace | $10/user/mo (Starter) | AI call notes on higher tiers | Needs a paid Workspace plan for teams |
| RingCentral RingEX | Multi-location teams that want video and chat too | $20/user/mo annual (Core) | AI Receptionist add-on, from $39 | Add-ons stack on top of the seat price |
| Dialpad | Sales and support teams that want AI transcripts | $15/user/mo annual, $27 monthly | AI Agents billed per conversation | Pro tier has a three-user minimum |
| Nextiva | Phone plus live chat and contact center | $15/user/mo annual, $23 monthly | XBert AI Receptionist add-on | Engage jumps from $25 to $50 on monthly billing |
| Ooma Office | Offices that still want desk phones | $19.95/user/mo | Virtual receptionist phone menu | Features step up tier by tier |
Most of this list replaces Grasshopper’s phone line. Carly replaces the line and the job of calling people back. See Carly Phone on a call if that second part is what’s costing you.
Why small businesses leave Grasshopper
The plan ladder is steeper than the $14 headline. True Solo is $14/month billed annually or $18 monthly, with one user, one number and one extension. Grasshopper’s own pricing page says True Solo does not include call recording, and the comparison grid leaves phone menus (IVR), simultaneous call handling and call summaries off that tier too. Getting those means Solo Plus at $25/month annually or $32 monthly, which still includes only one number and three extensions. Small Business, with four numbers, is $55/month billed annually.
Add-ons show up after checkout. Extra numbers run $9/month each on annual billing or $10 monthly. Extra extensions on Solo Plus are $3 to $5 each. Business texting requires a $19.50 one-time registration fee ($4.50 for The Campaign Registry plus $15 for carrier review). International calls are billed per minute, and a professionally recorded greeting is $75.
Texting registration is where the complaints pile up. Threads on r/VOIP and r/smallbusiness describe months of waiting for a line to be approved for texting, with the $4.50 brand fee charged again after failed attempts.
Support and cancellation. Grasshopper’s Trustpilot reviews lean heavily on billing disputes and support that couldn’t fix the problem. Users also report having to phone support to cancel instead of doing it in the app.
The AI is new and focused on taking messages. The May 2026 release added call recording and transcripts, AI sentiment, AI call summaries, and a choice of AI, live or hybrid receptionists. Grasshopper describes its after-hours AI receptionist as answering common questions, gathering information and logging follow-ups. That’s a smarter voicemail, but you still have to make the callback.
If the callback is the part you want gone, get a walkthrough of Carly Phone.
1. Carly Phone: best when a missed call is a missed job
Carly is an AI assistant for businesses, and Carly Phone adds a business line that Carly runs. You get a new local number or bring the one you already have, with calls and texts on the same number. The Carly team builds the routing with you: ring the team at once or in order, business-hours and after-hours rules, call flows and phone menus that match how you work.
The difference shows up when nobody picks up. Carly’s voice agent answers, handles the caller’s questions, qualifies them against your criteria, checks your real calendars and books the right person. Afterwards it can text the caller a booking page or application link. Carly already works in your email and CRM, so the person who emailed a quote request last Tuesday gets treated like a known lead, not a stranger leaving a message.
Here’s how that plays out. Josh runs a four-person roofing crew. A homeowner calls at 7:40pm about storm damage. Carly picks up, confirms the address is in the service area, sees the homeowner emailed photos on Monday, books an inspection on Michael’s calendar for Thursday morning and texts a confirmation. The call summary and outcome are in the call inbox and in HubSpot before Josh finishes dinner.
What else comes with it:
- Business texting: a shared SMS inbox where Carly answers texts and anyone on the team can take a conversation over, with photos, attachments and opt-out handling (how SMS booking works)
- One call inbox: voicemail transcripts, call outcomes and summaries, with resolve and reopen so follow-ups don’t slip
- CRM logging: every call lands in Carly’s built-in CRM and in HubSpot, Salesforce or Dynamics 365
- The rest of Carly: email, calendar, scheduling and follow-ups on the same assistant, which connects to thousands of apps
Whatever you use Grasshopper for today (shared numbers, routing, menus, voicemail transcription, texting), the Carly team sets it up for you. Book a call with the Carly team and bring your current call flow.
Best for: service businesses, agencies and professional firms where an unanswered call is lost revenue. Pricing: Carly Phone is a team add-on, scoped and priced on a short call. Carly’s AI agents start from $35/month, and phone is priced separately. Getting started: the Carly team sets it up with you, and you’re live after one call.
2. Quo: best straight swap for a team that texts
Quo (the company renamed from OpenPhone in late 2025) is the alternative Grasshopper users mention most. Each user gets their own number, calls and texts sit in shared threads, and the Sona AI agent answers calls on every plan. Sona runs on credits: each plan includes 1,000 credits a month, which covers 10 calls, and credit packs start at $25/month for 40 calls.
Best for: small teams that want a modern shared inbox and per-user numbers. Pricing: Starter $15/user/month annually ($19 monthly), Business $23 ($33), Scale $35 ($47). Extra numbers are $5/month. Texting registration is $19.50 one-time plus $1.50 to $3/month. Watch out for: a five-person team pays for five seats, where Grasshopper charges per plan. AI summaries for every call, HubSpot and Salesforce sync, and phone menus start on Business. More in Quo vs Grasshopper and Quo pricing.
3. Google Voice: cheapest if you already pay for Google Workspace
Google Voice adds calling to Workspace accounts. It’s simple and cheap, and it follows your Google login. Standard adds auto attendants and ring groups. Premier adds automatic call recording, transcription and AI notes.
Best for: teams already on Google Workspace who need a clean business line. Pricing: Starter $10/user/month (up to 10 users), Standard $20, Premier $30. Watch out for: team plans sit on top of a paid Workspace subscription. See Google Voice for business and Quo vs Google Voice.
4. RingCentral RingEX: best for a full phone, video and chat suite
RingEX is RingCentral’s business phone platform, with calling, team messaging, video and a huge integration library. It’s more system than most Grasshopper users need, but it scales to multiple sites.
Best for: growing, multi-location teams that want one vendor for every channel. Pricing: Core $20/user/month, Advanced $25, Ultra $35, billed annually. RingCentral says annual billing saves up to 33%. The AI Receptionist (AIR) add-on starts at $39, and shared business texting is a separate booster. Watch out for: add-ons and TCR registration fees stack on the seat price, and phone rental requires a multi-year contract. See RingCentral pricing, RingCentral’s AI Receptionist and RingCentral alternatives.
5. Dialpad: best for AI transcripts on sales and support calls
Dialpad built its phone system around AI transcription, recaps and live coaching. Its newer AI Agents are billed per conversation from a pool of credits, and a conversation only counts when the agent looks something up or takes an action.
Best for: sales and support teams that review calls and want transcripts by default. Pricing: Connect Standard $15/user/month annually ($27 monthly), Pro $25 ($35). Enterprise is quoted. Watch out for: Pro has a three-user minimum, and monthly billing costs far more than annual. See Dialpad alternatives and RingCentral vs Dialpad.
6. Nextiva: best for phone plus live chat in one place
Nextiva bundles business phone, SMS, video and team chat, and its higher tiers add live chat and contact-center tools. XBert, its AI receptionist, is an add-on on every plan.
Best for: customer-facing teams that want calls, texts and web chat in one system. Pricing: Core $15/user/month annually ($23 monthly), Engage $25 ($50 monthly), Scale $75. Watch out for: monthly billing on Engage doubles the price, and the AI receptionist costs extra. See RingCentral vs Nextiva.
7. Ooma Office: best for offices that still want desk phones
Ooma Office is a straightforward VoIP system with a virtual receptionist phone menu and ring groups, popular with offices moving off a landline.
Best for: small offices that want physical desk phones and month-to-month billing. Pricing: Essentials $19.95/user/month, Pro $24.95, Pro Plus $29.95, with no annual contract. Watch out for: texting, recording and CRM features step up by tier, so check which one your team actually needs.
Which Grasshopper alternative fits your business
- Calls are revenue and callbacks slip: Carly Phone. The AI books the job instead of taking a message. Book a call to map your call flow.
- A small team that mostly texts: Quo.
- Already on Google Workspace and price is everything: Google Voice.
- Many locations, video and chat in one vendor: RingCentral or Nextiva.
- Heavy call review and coaching: Dialpad.
- Desk phones on every desk: Ooma Office.
For the wider field, see best small business phone systems, the best AI receptionists and AI answering services.
Moving your Grasshopper number to Carly
Keep your number. Carly Phone can bring the number you already have, so customers, Google listings and truck wraps don’t change. Two rules make the move painless:
- Don’t cancel Grasshopper first. Keep the account active until the port finishes, or you risk losing the number.
- Write down your call flow before the call. Who rings first, what happens after hours, which callers get booked and with whom. That’s what the Carly team builds with you.
Get a walkthrough of the switch and bring your Grasshopper setup.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Grasshopper?
For businesses that lose money on missed calls, Carly Phone is the strongest alternative: it answers, qualifies the caller, books them on a real calendar and logs the call to your CRM. For a basic second line, Quo and Google Voice are the most common swaps. Book a call with the Carly team to see Carly on your call flow.
Is Grasshopper still in business in 2026?
Yes. Grasshopper is owned by GoTo and released a spring 2026 update on May 6 with call recording and transcripts, AI sentiment, AI call summaries and a choice of AI, live or hybrid receptionists. Plans start at $14/month billed annually.
How much does Grasshopper cost?
True Solo is $14/month billed annually or $18 monthly. Solo Plus is $25 annually or $32 monthly. Small Business is $55/month billed annually. On top of that: a $19.50 one-time texting registration fee, $9 to $10/month per extra number, per-minute international calls, and taxes.
Can I keep my Grasshopper number if I switch?
Yes. Business numbers can be ported to a new provider. Keep your Grasshopper account active until the port is complete. Carly Phone can bring the number you already have as part of setup, so book a call before you cancel anything.
Is Quo better than Grasshopper?
For teams that text a lot, many users prefer Quo’s shared inbox, per-user numbers and Sona AI agent. Grasshopper charges per plan instead of per seat, which can be cheaper for several people sharing one line. The full breakdown is in Quo vs Grasshopper.
Does Grasshopper have an AI receptionist?
Yes, as of the spring 2026 release. Grasshopper offers AI, live or hybrid receptionist options, and describes the after-hours AI as answering common questions, gathering information and logging follow-ups. If you want the AI to book the caller on the right calendar instead, see Carly Phone on a call.
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