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ToolGPA

Google Voice vs Grasshopper

We give Google Voice a 2.4 GPA and Grasshopper a 3.0, out of 4.0. Google Voice grades higher on the free plan. Grasshopper grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

Google Voice

Google's phone number service for calls and texts on any device

Free plan · from $10/mo
Full detailsworkspace.google.com

Grasshopper

Virtual business number on your own phone, priced per account

Free trial · from $14/mo
Full detailsgrasshopper.com

How we grade them

2.4GPAGoogle VoiceFair3.0GPAGrasshopperVery good
Value for money
C$10 a head for five on the Starter add-on, cheap on its own. But every team plan sits on top of a paid Google Workspace plan billed separately, so unless you already pay for Workspace the real cost per head lands mid-pack. Alone, it's $10.
ASolo Plus is $25 a month billed yearly for unlimited users. Add two $3 extensions so all five of you get one and it's about $6.20 a head, under 60% of this category's cheaper quarter. On your own, True Solo is $14.
Free plan and trial
BThe personal version is free: a US number with unlimited US calls and texts and voicemail transcripts. One person could live on it, but there's no recording or 911, it needs an existing mobile number, and teams get nothing free.
CA 7-day free trial with no credit card needed. No free plan.
Features
CCalls, texts, transcribed voicemail, spam filtering and Gemini call notes, with auto attendants, ring groups and queues higher up. The gaps: no CRM links beyond Google's own apps, unlimited texting is US only, and team plans need Workspace.
CA local, toll-free or vanity number, a shared inbox for calls, texts and voicemail, extensions, recording with AI summaries, auto-replies and fax. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller job: no integrations, and advanced routing is on Small Business.
Ease of use
C4.26 from about 62,000 App Store ratings, a little behind the other big names here. Team plans are set up through the Workspace admin console.
A4.75 from about 46,000 App Store ratings. Pick a number, install the app and the calls start ringing.
Platforms and integrations
BWeb, iPhone, iPad and Android, plus Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Vault and BigQuery. There's no desktop app, and a service that's web and phones only tops out here.
BMac, Windows, iPhone and Android apps, so phone and computer are covered. No web app and no integrations on record, which keeps it off the top grade.
Best fora free US number, or calling for Workspace teamsa second business number on your own phone

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Google Voice and Grasshopper. How we grade

Price against what you get

Google Voice starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Grasshopper starts at $14 a month and scores 3.0.

Grasshopper scores higher, and starts $4 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other business phone systems on the chart, none scores higher than Google Voice for less, and none scores higher than Grasshopper for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessGoogle VoiceGrasshopper

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of business phone systems, and the best at every price

Where they differ

  • Google Voice starts at $10 per month for one user; team plans $10 per user / month plus Workspace. Grasshopper starts at $14 per month, billed annually.
  • Google Voice has a free plan. Grasshopper does not, though it has a free trial.
  • Only Google Voice lists a web app.
  • Only Grasshopper lists macOS and Windows apps.
  • Grasshopper also covers shared inbox.
In commoniOSAndroidAI featuresTranscriptionBusiness phone lineBusiness texting

At a glance

Google VoiceGrasshopper
PricingFree planFree trial
Starts at$10 per month for one user; team plans $10 per user / month plus Workspace$14 per month, billed annually
Free planGoogle Voice for personal Gmail accounts, US only: one number, unlimited US calls and texts, and voicemail transcripts. Needs an existing mobile number.None
Free trialNone listed7-day free trial, no credit card required
Web
macOS
Windows
iOS
Android
Made byGoogleGrasshopper
Price read fromworkspace.google.comgrasshopper.com
CheckedOct 17, 2026Oct 17, 2026

Who each one suits

Google Voice

  • Individuals in the US who want a free second number
  • Teams already paying for Google Workspace
  • Businesses that live in Gmail and Google Calendar

Grasshopper

  • Solo founders who want a business number on their own phone
  • Small teams that want a flat bill however many people answer
  • Businesses that need a toll-free or vanity number

Worth knowing

Google Voice

  • Team plans are add-ons to a paid Google Workspace plan billed separately; the Starter add-on stops at 10 users.
  • The free and single-user plans are US only; team plans offer local numbers in 14 countries, and unlimited texting is US only on every plan.
  • The free version needs an existing phone number to verify the account and has no call recording, desk phones or 911 support.
  • Auto attendants need Standard, ring groups need the Workspace Standard add-on, and automatic call recording needs Premier.

Grasshopper

  • Sold only in the US and Canada; international calls are billed per minute by destination.
  • Texting needs carrier registration: a $19.50 one-time fee and $1.50 a month on every plan.
  • Extra numbers cost $9 a month each on annual billing ($10 monthly), and extra extensions $3 ($5 monthly).
  • The pricing page shows annual prices and says annual billing saves over 20%; only Solo Plus's monthly price ($32) was readable.

Key features

Google Voice

One number on every device
A single number rings on Android, iPhone and iPad apps, on the web and in Gmail, and on supported desk phones from the paid plans up.
Voicemail transcription and spam blocking
Voicemails are transcribed to text on every plan, and Google AI filters spam calls. Voicemails and texts can arrive in Gmail.
Gemini call notes
From Standard up, Gemini records and transcribes a call and writes notes from it. The notes are available in English.
Auto attendants and ring groups
Standard adds multi-level auto attendants; the Workspace Standard and Premier add-ons add ring groups, call queues and call delegation.
Admin console and eDiscovery
Workspace admins assign and port numbers, set up devices and handle billing; Vault brings calls, voicemails and texts into eDiscovery.
SIP Link
On Standard and Premier, numbers from another carrier can be connected to Google Voice through certified session border controllers.

Grasshopper

A second number on your phone
Pick a local, toll-free or vanity number and use it through the mobile or desktop app, keeping business calls apart from a personal number.
Shared inbox
Calls, texts and voicemails sit in one thread per customer, and the inbox is shared so the whole team sees the same history.
Extensions and call forwarding
Forward calls to any number and add extensions for staff or departments: one on True Solo, three on Solo Plus and unlimited on Small Business.
Recording and AI call summaries
Call recording with transcription, plus call summaries and AI sentiment drawn from customer calls.
Automated replies
Instant Response sends a set text reply when a call is missed, and scheduled auto-replies cover hours when no one is working.
Virtual fax
Inbound faxes arrive by email and in the app, without a fax machine.

Plans

Google Voice

  • Google Voice$0

    Personal use with a Gmail account, US only. Unlimited US calls and texts and voicemail transcripts; no call recording or 911 support.

  • Voice Starter (Standalone)$10

    per month

    One user, US only. Adds call recording, three-way calling and transfers, desk phones, 911 support and 24/7 Voice support.

  • Voice Standard (Standalone)$20

    per month

    One user, US only. Adds auto attendants and Gemini call notes. Advertised at $10 a month for the first 6 months.

  • Voice Starter (Workspace add-on)$10

    per user / month, plus a paid Google Workspace plan

    Up to 10 users, local numbers in 14 countries, corporate directory contacts and Calendar-based do not disturb.

  • Voice Standard (Workspace add-on)$20

    per user / month, plus a paid Google Workspace plan

    Unlimited users, auto attendants, ring groups with call queues, call delegation, Gemini call notes, eDiscovery and SIP Link.

  • Voice Premier (Workspace add-on)$30

    per user / month, plus a paid Google Workspace plan

    Adds international billing locations, numbers outside the home country, automatic call recording and BigQuery reporting.

Grasshopper

  • True Solo$14

    per month, billed annually

    One user, one local or toll-free number and one extension, with unlimited calls and texts.

  • Solo Plus$25

    per month, billed annually ($32 billed monthly)

    Unlimited users at no extra cost, one number and three extensions; more extensions cost $3 a month each.

  • Small Business$55

    per month, billed annually

    Unlimited users, four numbers and unlimited extensions, with advanced call routing and call tracking.

Ways to pay less

Google Voice

  • Other savings

    Voice Standard at half price for 6 months

    The single-user Voice Standard plan is $10 a month for the first 6 months of a subscription, then $20 a month.

Grasshopper

  • Annual discount

    Annual savings over 20%

    Grasshopper's pricing page says annual billing saves over 20%; its comparison page gives Solo Plus as $25 a month annually against $32 monthly.

More comparisons