Grasshopper does one thing: give solopreneurs a professional business phone number. No video conferencing. No team messaging. No CRM integrations. Just a second phone line that separates personal and business calls.
That simplicity is either exactly what you need or completely insufficient—depending on your situation.
What is Grasshopper?
Grasshopper is a virtual phone system that provides:
- Business phone numbers (local, toll-free, or vanity)
- Call forwarding to your existing phone
- Voicemail with transcription
- Business texting
- Auto-attendant (professional greetings)
- Mobile and desktop apps
- Virtual fax
Calls route through Grasshopper to your personal cell phone or landline. You answer business calls on your existing device but with a separate business identity. Clients see your business number, not your personal cell.
Pricing Breakdown
True Solo - $14/month (annual)
- 1 user
- 1 phone number
- 1 extension
- Unlimited calling minutes (US/Canada)
- Unlimited texting
- Voicemail transcription
- Custom greetings
- Mobile and desktop apps
- 24/7 support
Monthly billing: $18/month
Best for: Solo consultants, freelancers, side hustlers who need a professional number.
Solo Plus - $25/month (annual)
- Unlimited users
- 1 phone number
- 3 extensions
- Everything in True Solo
- Auto-attendant (IVR)
- Call transfers
- Call recording
Monthly billing: $32/month
Best for: Small teams sharing one business number with department routing.
Small Business - $80/month (annual)
- Unlimited users
- 4 phone numbers
- Unlimited extensions
- Everything in Solo Plus
- Multiple departments and locations
Monthly billing: $92/month
Best for: Growing businesses with multiple departments or locations.
The Add-On Problem
Grasshopper’s base prices look competitive until add-ons accumulate:
Additional Phone Numbers
$9/month per number. Want local numbers for multiple cities? That’s $9 each.
Additional Extensions
- $3/month (annual) per extension
- $5/month (monthly) per extension
The True Solo plan with one extension is limiting. Adding 3 extensions costs $9-15/month extra.
Call Blasting
$9/month to ring multiple phones simultaneously. Essential for team coverage.
International Calling
This is where Grasshopper gets expensive:
- $500 deposit required before enabling international calling
- Account must be 60+ days old
- Per-minute rates vary by country
- Some destinations cost $0.95/minute
Grasshopper is effectively US/Canada only unless you’re willing to jump through hoops.
Voice Studio
$75 per order for professionally recorded greetings. One-time fee.
Realistic Monthly Cost
The advertised $25 Solo Plus often becomes:
- Base plan: $25
- Call blasting: $9
- Extra extension: $3
- Additional number: $9
- Actual cost: $46/month
That $25 plan can easily reach $60-100/month with basic add-ons.
Strengths
True simplicity: Setup takes minutes. No technical knowledge required. Download app, pick number, start receiving calls.
Separation of concerns: Keep personal and business calls completely separate. No more answering work calls on vacation by accident.
Professional presence: Small operations get enterprise-sounding auto-attendant, custom greetings, and toll-free numbers.
No hardware: Everything works through your existing smartphone. No desk phones required.
Affordable entry: $14/month True Solo is genuinely cheap for a professional business number.
24/7 support: All plans include round-the-clock customer support.
Limitations
No video: Zero video conferencing capabilities. Need Zoom or Google Meet separately.
No team messaging: No internal chat or collaboration features.
No integrations: No CRM connections. No Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zapier.
International restrictions: $500 deposit, 60-day wait, high per-minute rates make international calling impractical.
Add-on dependency: Basic features like call blasting require additional fees.
US/Canada focus: Effectively limited to North American operations.
No web calling: Must use mobile app or forward to existing phone—can’t make calls from browser.
Who Should Use Grasshopper?
Ideal for:
- Solopreneurs needing a business number
- Freelancers who want work/life separation
- Side hustlers testing business ideas
- Real estate agents, consultants, contractors
- Small service businesses (plumbers, tutors, etc.)
- Anyone wanting simple without features they won’t use
Not ideal for:
- Teams needing collaboration tools
- Businesses requiring CRM integration
- Companies with international clients
- Organizations wanting video conferencing
- Growing businesses that will outgrow limitations quickly
Grasshopper vs Google Voice
| Feature | Grasshopper | Google Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14/month | $10/user/month |
| Personal plan | N/A | Free |
| Toll-free numbers | Yes | No |
| Vanity numbers | Yes | No |
| Auto-attendant | Solo Plus+ | Standard+ |
| Video conferencing | No | Via Google Meet |
| Required ecosystem | None | Google Workspace |
| International | $500 deposit | Per-minute rates |
Choose Grasshopper if: You need toll-free or vanity numbers, want standalone service without Google dependency.
Choose Google Voice if: You’re already in Google Workspace and want lower costs.
Grasshopper vs Dialpad
| Feature | Grasshopper | Dialpad |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14/month | $15/user/month |
| Video conferencing | No | Yes |
| Team messaging | No | Yes |
| AI transcription | No | Yes |
| CRM integrations | No | Pro plan |
| Unlimited users | Solo Plus+ | All plans |
Choose Grasshopper if: You only need phone service and nothing else.
Choose Dialpad if: You need video, messaging, or AI features alongside phone.
The Hidden Value Calculation
Before choosing Grasshopper, calculate your actual needs:
Scenario 1: True solopreneur
- True Solo: $14/month
- No add-ons needed
- Annual cost: $168
- Grasshopper makes sense
Scenario 2: Small team (3 people)
- Solo Plus: $25/month
- Call blasting: $9/month
- 2 extra extensions: $6/month
- Annual cost: $480
- Compare to Dialpad at $540/year (3 users x $15) with video and messaging included
Scenario 3: Growing business
- Small Business: $80/month
- Multiple add-ons: $30+/month
- Annual cost: $1,320+
- Full VoIP platforms offer more features at similar price
The Bottom Line
Grasshopper excels in a narrow use case: solopreneurs who need a professional business number without complexity. The True Solo plan at $14/month delivers genuine value for freelancers, consultants, and side hustlers.
The math changes quickly as needs grow. Add-ons accumulate, international calling is impractical, and the lack of video/messaging becomes limiting. By the time you’re paying $50+/month for Grasshopper, full VoIP platforms offer more functionality at similar prices.
For true solopreneurs wanting simplicity above all else, Grasshopper works. For anyone else, evaluate whether the missing features will force additional tool subscriptions that negate the cost savings.
Try the 7-day free trial before committing.