Grasshopper Pricing, Reviews, Pros and Cons: The Full Picture
One Reddit user signed up for Grasshopper's "$29/month" plan and watched their actual bill hit $63 after extra line charges, taxes, and fees. That user eventually switched to FreedomVoice and saved roughly $600/year. That's not an edge case - it's the pattern.
Grasshopper's pricing page says "starting at $14/month," and that number is technically real. But the gap between the sticker price and what you'll actually pay is what this breakdown is about.
30-Second Verdict
Grasshopper works for solo founders who need one business number for inbound calls and nothing else. The $14/month True Solo plan is real - but the moment you need texting, a second number, or a small team, expect your total to climb into the $60+/month range once add-ons stack up.
Competitors like Quo ($15/user) and Zoom Phone ($10-15/user) include more features at similar or lower prices. If your real bottleneck is reaching prospects rather than receiving calls, your contact data matters more than your phone plan - verify numbers with a tool like Prospeo before you dial.
Grasshopper Pricing Breakdown
Plan Tiers
Grasshopper runs three plans, all priced per number (not per user):
| Plan | Annual Billing | Monthly Billing | Numbers | Extensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| True Solo | $14/mo | $18/mo | 1 | 1 |
| Solo Plus | $25/mo | $32/mo | 1 | 3 |
| Small Business | $55/mo | $70/mo | 4 | Unlimited |
There's a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Most teams can set up Grasshopper in under 15 minutes.
Add-Ons That Inflate the Bill
Here's where the real cost hides:
| Add-On | Cost |
|---|---|
| Extra phone number | $9/mo each |
| Extra extension | $3/mo (annual) / $5/mo (monthly) |
| Call blasting | $9/mo |
| Voice Studio greetings | $75 one-time per recording |
| Ruby receptionist | $160/mo for 50 call minutes |
| International calling | $500 deposit + up to $0.95/min |
| A2P SMS registration | $4.50 (Campaign Registry) + $15 (carrier review) + $1.50/mo ongoing |
That $500 international calling deposit - which you can't access until you've been a customer for 60 days - never shows up on the pricing page.
What You'll Actually Pay
A one-person operation with one number can stay close to the advertised price. But once you add texting registration and compliance fees, most people land around $18-25/month even on the cheapest tier.
Start stacking basics like extra numbers, extensions, and call blasting, and totals climb fast. A Nextiva breakdown estimates that a $25 Solo Plus plan can hit $60-100/month once basic add-ons pile up. One Reddit user reported that each failed SMS brand verification attempt triggered a $4.50 fee - billed multiple times even though texting never actually worked. Another reported a $55.50 final bill when porting out to Quo, nearly 3x their usual charge.
Here's the thing: if your average deal size is under five figures and you're spending more than $30/month on a phone system, you're optimizing the wrong line item. The phone plan is a commodity. The data behind who you call is what drives revenue.
Key Features
Grasshopper covers the basics well enough. You get call forwarding and routing with scheduling, voicemail transcription delivered to your email, business texting (which requires A2P registration), an auto-attendant, mobile and desktop apps for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows, call recording on certain plans, virtual fax as PDFs via email, and VPN support within the U.S. and Canada.
Since GoTo acquired Grasshopper, they've shipped a unified Conversations tab that combines calls, texts, voicemails, and faxes into a single searchable thread. Grasshopper also benefits from GoTo's security infrastructure, including SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications.
We've found the mobile app notifications are fast, but the desktop client feels dated compared to Zoom Phone or Dialpad. What you won't find: AI call summaries or CRM integrations. In 2026, that's a significant gap.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Dead-simple setup - business number in minutes
- 7-day free trial with no credit card
- Adequate if you literally just need one inbound number
- Unlimited users on certain plans, which is rare at this price point
- Per-number pricing can save money for large teams - if 10+ people share a single number, Grasshopper beats per-user competitors on cost
Cons:
- Headline pricing is misleading once add-ons, taxes, and fees hit
- Zero integrations - no CRM, no Zapier, nothing
- You can't cancel online; you have to call support
- App glitches and dropped calls show up across G2 and Trustpilot
- SMS compliance is a headache - failed verification attempts still get billed
- $500 deposit for international calling
- MMS only works with local numbers
Your phone plan is a commodity - the numbers you dial aren't. Grasshopper can't tell you if a prospect's number is real. Prospeo gives you 125M+ verified mobile numbers with a 30% pickup rate, so every call connects.
Spend less on your phone bill, more on data that actually books meetings.
What Users Actually Say
The review scores tell a split story:
| Platform | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 3.9/5 | 155 |
| Software Advice | 4.3/5 | 357 |
| Trustpilot | 2.1/5 | 257 |
The divergence makes sense once you understand what each platform captures. G2 and Software Advice reflect daily product usage - people who forward calls and find it adequate. Trustpilot captures the billing and support horror stories: unexpected charges, fees for unused services, and a cancellation process that requires calling support. One G2 reviewer specifically called out that you must phone in just to cancel, which feels absurd for a product that markets itself as simple and modern.
The consensus on r/VOIP leans negative. Most threads about Grasshopper end with someone recommending Quo or Google Voice instead.
Who Should (and Shouldn't) Use It
Use Grasshopper if you're an independent operator who needs one business number for inbound calls, you take fewer than 10 calls a day, you don't need texting or integrations, and you have no plans to grow the team.
Skip Grasshopper if you're a team of two or more, you need reliable texting, you want any CRM integration, you make international calls, or you plan to scale. "Simple" isn't a feature in 2026 when competitors are simple and cheaper and integrated.
Alternatives Worth Considering
| Tool | Starting Price | G2 Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quo (OpenPhone) | $15/user/mo | 4.7/5 | Grasshopper refugees |
| Zoom Phone | From $10/user/mo | 4.6/5 | Budget teams |
| Google Voice | $10/user/mo | N/A | Google Workspace users |
| Dialpad | $15/user/mo | 4.4/5 | AI features |
| Nextiva | $15/user/mo | 4.5/5 | Growing teams |
| RingCentral | $20/user/mo | 4.1/5 | Enterprise needs |
| FreedomVoice | $9.95/mo | N/A | Bare-bones budget |
Quo is the most common landing spot in Reddit threads when people port out after SMS or billing headaches. FreedomVoice at $9.95/mo is the budget pick if you want even simpler pricing than Grasshopper's sticker claims.
Let's be honest, though - your phone system handles the calls, but if the numbers you're dialing are dead, it doesn't matter which plan you're on. We've seen teams waste hundreds of minutes a month on disconnected lines. Prospeo's mobile finder covers 125M+ verified numbers with a 30% pickup rate, so you're calling people who actually answer.
If you're building outbound lists at scale, start with a business contacts database and then validate what you collect with proper data validation.
Before you debate $14/mo vs $55/mo phone plans, ask: are you even calling the right numbers? Prospeo delivers 98% accurate emails and verified direct dials at $0.01/lead - 90% cheaper than ZoomInfo.
Fix your contact data first. The phone system is the easy part.
The Verdict
If you're a solo founder who just needs a business number for inbound calls, Grasshopper's True Solo plan at $14/month is fine. Everyone else should look at Quo, Zoom Phone, or Dialpad - they all give you more features for similar or lower prices with actual integrations.
The fact that you can't cancel online in 2026 is inexcusable.
If you're already on Grasshopper and frustrated, port your number out. It's free and takes about two weeks. Just be prepared for a final bill that's higher than you expected - because that seems to be the pattern.
If you’re doing outbound calling, pair your dialer with a CRM for cold calling and a tighter B2B sales cadence so you’re not wasting touches.
FAQ
Is Grasshopper really $14 a month?
The $14/month True Solo plan exists, but it requires annual billing and covers only one number with one extension. Add texting registration ($4.50 + $15 + $1.50/mo ongoing), taxes, and any extras, and most users report paying $18-25/month minimum - even on the cheapest tier.
Why is Grasshopper's Trustpilot score so low?
Grasshopper scores 2.1/5 on Trustpilot across 257 reviews because that platform captures billing disputes and support frustrations. Common complaints include hidden fees, SMS verification charges for failed attempts, and the inability to cancel online. G2's 3.9/5 reflects more day-to-day product satisfaction from users who stick to basic call forwarding.
What's the best Grasshopper alternative for small teams?
Quo (formerly OpenPhone) at $15/user/month is the most popular switch - it includes texting, CRM integrations, and shared numbers out of the box. Zoom Phone at $10/user/month is the budget pick. If your priority is reaching the right prospects, pair any phone system with a data verification tool so you're not burning minutes on dead numbers.
Can I port my number away from Grasshopper?
Yes, porting out is free and typically takes 7-14 business days. Initiate the port with your new provider and keep your Grasshopper account active until it completes. Expect a final bill that may include prorated charges - multiple users have reported unexpectedly high closing invoices.