Grasshopper vs RingCentral: Which is Better for Business?

Our Verdict: Choosing between Grasshopper and RingCentral comes down to whether you’re looking for a no-frills solution or a full feature suite. Grasshopper brings simplicity at an affordable price while RingCentral provides customization and control.

We Recommend RingCentral if You Need:

• High levels of security: RingCentral offers an 99.999% uptime SLA and 7 layers of enterprise-grade security, making it one of the most secure communication platforms in the market
• Integrations: Teams using Google Drive, Dropbox, or Slack will generally have a more convenient experience on RingCentral thanks to its high-level support for third-party integrations. On the flip side, you can save money on third-party tools thanks to the video conferencing capabilities at RingCentral
• New hardware: Companies replacing their old equipment with newer desk phones stand to gain from the discounted first-party hardware that RingCentral can bundle in

We Recommend Grasshopper if You Need:

• A minimalist VoIP platform: Companies needing the bare minimum to migrate over from PSTN to VoIP should be satisfied with Grasshopper. It’s a solid and affordable solution that lets you run calls through the internet to optimize workspace efficiency
• An affordable phone system: With its flat monthly pricing model and low prices, Grasshopper is one of the most affordable VoIP systems in the space
• A scalable solution: Grasshopper’s lean business model makes it cheaper to scale up–ideal for companies currently in the lean startup phase but expecting rapid future growth

• Verdict
• Summary
• What is Grasshopper?
• What is RingCentral?
• Feature Comparison
• Pricing and Plans
• Pros and Cons
• Alternatives

Grasshopper vs. RingCentral: Summary

What is Grasshopper?

Grasshopper is an affordable virtual business phone system catering to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. Grasshopper has an easy to use, minimalist platform with 24/7 support on all plans. Pricing is monthly and there are no per-user fees, making it a great choice for small teams. Grasshopper does not offer advanced features like video conferencing, but does include business texting, call forwarding, and a virtual receptionist.

What is RingCentral?

RingCentral is a cloud-based UCaaS and CCaaS provider that offers a unified omnichannel communication platform packed with features such as interactive voice response (IVR), team messaging, and an enhanced business analytics suite. RingCentral’s platform is highly secure and HIPAA compliant, with features like Single Sign On (SSO), custom roles, and a 99.999% uptime guarantee. RingCentral’s solution includes a full featured video conferencing platform that allows users to host video meetings with up to 200 participants.

RingCentral vs. Grasshopper: Feature Comparison

Phone System Features

Summary: Both virtual phone system providers offer unlimited domestic calling in the US and Canada with Voice over Internet Protocol. RingCentral provides one local or toll-free number per user, while Grasshopper users can share one phone number or get up to 5 business phone numbers with the Small Business Plan. RingCentral offers a wide variety of phone features while Grasshopper includes only the essentials. Grasshopper offers a better value and includes unlimited toll-free minutes on all plans with Wifi calling.

Shared Features

Both RingCentral and Grasshopper offer: 

• Mobile and Desktop apps for any iOS or Android mobile device (cell phone, tablet, laptop, etc.)
• Online faxing
• Voicemail transcription
• Incoming call control with call screening, Caller ID, spam block

Differences

• Toll-free minutes:
• • RingCentral: Number of included monthly toll-free minutes varies by plan
  • Grasshopper: All plans offer unlimited toll-free minutes

• Auto attendant:
  • Grasshopper: Simple, straightforward auto attendant with simultaneous call handling and forwarding to the next available agent
  • RingCentral: Robust multi-level IVR with up to 250 voice menus, dial-by-name directory, and graphical editor

• Push to talk: Only RingCentral allows users to communicate in a walkie-talkie style
• Hot Desking: Only RingCentral includes hot desking, allowing users to access their settings and voicemail from any shared phone

Messaging

Summary: Both RingCentral and Grasshopper offer unlimited SMS texting on all plans. RingCentral also includes team messaging and file sharing for all users, and gives Ultra Plan users unlimited storage.

Shared Features

• Group texts
• Texting on the Desktop app

Differences

• MMS
  • RingCentral: RingCentral users can send image attachments, design heavy text, and more to any number
  • Grasshopper: Grasshopper users can only send/receive MMS messages from and to local numbers

• Fees
  • Grasshopper: Grasshopper users must pay an initial setup fee of $19 to register with TCR plus a $2 monthly fee to remain in compliance
  • RingCentral: Includes a limited allotment of SMS messages per user that varies by pricing tier, no carrier fees

• Team messaging: Only RingCentral includes a robust team messaging platform with file sharing
• Automated messages:
  • Grasshopper: Grasshopper users have access to the “Instant Response” feature which will send an automatic text to incoming callers when no one can answer
  • RingCentral: Automated messages can be sent using pre-built SMS integrations or open APIs

Analytics and Reporting

Summary: Grasshopper includes reporting in all plans and includes all of the essential phone metrics such as average handle time (AHT) while RingCentral offers a robust analytics and reporting dashboard with real-time and historical reporting.

Shared Features

• Usage reports to track average call length, minutes used, etc.
• Details: Users can drill down data, access Caller ID reports, and use filters and custom date ranges
• Activity reports: Both platforms will display an overview of calls by type such as voicemails, hang ups, etc.

Differences

• Real-time reports: RingCentral offers real-time interactive reports to all users
• Templates:
  • Grasshopper: Grasshopper has three reporting templates to choose from
  • RingCentral: RingCentral allows users to choose from a long list of pre-defined reporting templates or build their own report from scratch
• Alerts: RingCentral enables users to receive data-driven alerts delivered to their inbox
• QoS reports: RingCentral offers quality of service reports that display network data, endpoints, devices, etc.
• Advanced analytics: RingCentral includes adoption and business analytics in its upper level pricing plans, add-on available for real-time call queue management and live KPIs

Auto Attendant

Summary: Grasshopper includes a virtual receptionist (auto attendant) with limited features that is suitable for small businesses. RingCentral offers a fully featured IVR system with many advanced features.

Shared Features

• Custom greetings for inbound calls
• Call forwarding rules let admins build inbound call flow paths
• Custom hold/transfer music
• Business hours: Automatically direct phone calls based on a pre-set schedule for open and closed hours

Differences

• Multi-level IVR: Only RingCentral lets users create a structured, multi-layer call menu with submenus and advanced call routing
• Dial by name directory: RingCentral includes a dial-by-name directory
• Extensions: Although both providers have extensions, RingCentral Advanced/Ultra Plans include  8-digit extensions with site codes

Integrations

Summary: Grasshopper does not directly integrate with platforms, but call tracking can be integrated with marketing and CRM software. With over 300 integrations, RingCentral has one of the most vast integration ecosystems in the market.

Shared Features

• Custom integrations with APIs and SDKs
• Call tracking integrations with marketing applications and CRMs such as HubSpot, Marketo, Keap

Differences

• Variety of apps: RingCentral offers over 300 third party integrations from productivity tools to EHRs
• Out of the box integrations: RingCentral offers many out-of-the-box integrations including Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google, Zendesk, Skype, etc.

RingCentral vs. Grasshopper: Pricing and Plans

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral offers three different pricing plans with annual discounts.

• Core Plan ($20-$30 per user/month): Includes unlimited calling (domestic) via VoIP service, business SMS, IVR, video conferencing for up to 100 participants, and team messaging with limited storage
• Advanced Plan ($25-$35 per user/month): Adds unlimited internet fax, multi-site administration, and auto call recording
• Ultra Plan ($35-$45 per user month): Adds unlimited storage for files and recordings, up to 200 video participants, and up to 10,000 toll-free minutes

Grasshopper Pricing

Grasshopper offers 4 pricing plans with flat monthly fees. Features are consistent in all plans, but the number of phone lines and extensions varies by plan.

• True Solo Plan ($14 per month, 1 user, 1 phone number, 1 extension): Includes business texting, call forwarding, custom greetings, and basic reporting

• Solo Plus ($28 per month, unlimited users, 1 phone number, 3 extensions)

• Partner ($46 per month, unlimited users, 3 phone numbers, 6 extensions)

• Small Business ($80 per month, unlimited users, 5 phone numbers, unlimited extensions)

Grasshopper vs. RingCentral: Pros and Cons

Grasshopper Pros

• Custom numbers: Grasshopper offers vanity numbers, toll-free, and local numbers to let businesses build their brand, appear more established, and create a local presence
• Reliability: With multiple backup servers across different geographic locations, Grasshopper has enough redundancy in its system to guarantee 99.999% uptime
• Robust Mobile app: The Grasshopper app (available on iOS, Android, and Mac or Windows desktop computers) offers full SMS and voice calling capabilities, including call/SMS history, virtual faxing, and voicemail transcriptions

Grasshopper Cons

• Lack of video conferencing: Grasshopper does not offer as many communication channels as other providers and lacks a native video conferencing platform
• Limited features: Grasshopper lacks advanced features like visual IVR, call whisper, real-time analytics, and skills-based routing
• Security: Grasshopper lacks essential security features like Single Sign On and HIPAA compliance

RingCentral Pros

• Video conferencing: In addition to standard functionality like whiteboarding, screen sharing, and file sharing, RingCentral web conferencing allows users to switch between devices mid-meeting
• Analytics: The RingCentral Analytics Portal provides real-time and historical data on every agent, client, or department
• Team Collaboration: RingCentral enables admins to create chat channels for specific departments or projects to streamline workflow and segment teams

RingCentral Cons

• Customer service: Some users complain RingCentral’s live customer support is difficult to reach
• Price: RingCentral is expensive compared to competitors, with many advanced features blocked behind premium licenses
• Learning curve: With dozens of features and customizable options, RingCentral’s platform takes time to learn and requires managers to extensively train employees

Alternatives to Grasshopper and RingCentral

The below business VoIP providers and UCaaS platforms are the most popular alternatives to Grasshopper and RingCentral