8x8 vs Grasshopper
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which VoIP fits you best.
💰 Pricing
🔧 Features
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Unlimited calling to 47 countries on Express is a standout value. At $24/user/mo, this goes far beyond typical US/Canada unlimited plans, directly benefiting teams with global customers — no per-minute surprises on major destinations like the UK, Germany, and Australia.
- The all-in-one integration is seamless. Voice, video, chat, and contact center tools live in the same app, so switching from a call to a video meeting or sharing screens in chat is frictionless. Users report less context-switching compared to juggling separate tools.
- The X2 plan's CRM integrations are deep and practical. With native integrations for Salesforce and HubSpot, reps see call logs, screen pop-ups, and click-to-dial right from the CRM. Call recording (with consent) is also included, which is a compliance plus and aids in training — something competitors often gate behind higher tiers.
- Advanced analytics throughout the platform, from call quality metrics to team performance dashboards. Managers can track call volumes, response times, and even sentiment in contact center plans, which helps in making data-driven decisions — a rarity at this price point.
- A solid global presence with local numbers in over 100 countries and toll-free numbers in many more. This makes it easy to establish a local presence in foreign markets, a key consideration for SMBs expanding internationally.
⚠ Watch out for
- No free trial forces a leap of faith. Unlike competitors like RingCentral (which offers a 14-day trial) and Dialpad (free plan), 8x8 requires a credit card and up-front payment — the cheapest is $24/user/mo. That's a barrier for teams that want to verify call quality and features before committing.
- Per-user pricing on higher tiers is steep. Scaling to X4 at $64/user/mo (annual billing) can blow up budgets for larger teams. For a 100-person company, that's $6,400/mo — and contact center features are only on the most expensive tiers, which may overwhelm SMBs.
- International coverage is limited to 47 countries on the base plan. Businesses with heavy traffic to major economies like India, Brazil, or China will incur per-minute charges (e.g., $0.11/min to India). If you have a global footprint beyond these countries, costs can escalate quickly when compared to competitors with broader flat-rate bundles.
- The mobile app feels behind its rivals. Icons are less intuitive, and setting up call forwarding or accessing voicemail transcriptions felt clunkier than in RingCentral or Teams Phone. In our tests, push notifications sometimes lagged by a few seconds, which could matter in time-sensitive sales situations.
- Knowledge base could be deeper. While 24/7 live support is available, the self-help articles often lack detailed troubleshooting steps for less-common issues like configuring SIP trunks in niche PBX environments, which can lead to longer support interactions.
🎯 Best for
Small to mid-sized businesses that need a unified cloud communication system with strong international calling and a scalable path to contact center capabilities.
🚫 Who should skip
Solo entrepreneurs or very small teams with basic phone needs and a limited budget, because 8x8's per-user pricing and lack of a free plan may be overkill compared to cheaper alternatives.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — setting up users, configuring call flows, and navigating the admin console takes a learning curve, but day-to-day usage for end users is straightforward.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
8x8 is a compelling choice for small-to-mid-sized businesses that need a single platform for calls, video, and contact center with excellent international calling value. If you're a remote-first team on a budget, the Express plan is hard to beat. However, if you require a free trial, heavy mobile us
💰 Pricing
🔧 Features
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- No hardware required: Grasshopper runs entirely in the cloud. You can set up a business number in minutes and forward calls to your existing phone or use the mobile app for VoIP calls. This is perfect for entrepreneurs who don't want to buy a dedicated desk phone or manage a SIP trunk.
- Simple, predictable pricing: The Solo plan starts at $14/mo when billed annually, which is one of the lowest entry points in the virtual phone market. The Unlimited plan at $25/mo (annual) includes unlimited extensions and minutes, making budgeting easy. No overage fees or hidden charges.
- Professional virtual receptionist: You can record a custom greeting and set up a menu that routes calls to different extensions, prompting callers to press 1 for sales, 2 for support, etc. This creates a polished brand image even for a one-person operation.
- Voicemail transcription included: Voicemails are transcribed and delivered to your email or as a text notification. This means you can triage calls even when you're away, without having to listen to each message.
- Mobile app with SMS/MMS: The mobile app allows you to make and receive calls over data/Wi-Fi, and you can send and receive text messages from your business number. This keeps work communication separate from personal texts.
⚠ Watch out for
- Limited integrations and no open API: Grasshopper only offers a handful of native integrations (e.g., Google Workspace, Outlook, Slack) and a limited Zapier connection. If your business relies on a CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot for call logging, you'll have to use workarounds. There's no way to build custom workflows, which is a dealbreaker for tech-savvy teams.
- No group texting and basic SMS/MMS: You can send individual texts, but not group messages. Additionally, multimedia support is limited—you can attach photos but not other file types. Competitors like OpenPhone and Dialpad offer richer texting and team threads.
- Missing advanced features: There's no call analytics (beyond basic call logs), no hot-desking, no call queuing, and no integrations with helpdesk software. If you need to monitor call volumes or agent performance, Grasshopper is not sufficient.
- Pricing can be confusing for month-to-month: While annual pricing is attractive, the month-to-month cost jumps to $29/mo for the Solo plan. That's a steep increase if you aren't ready to commit, and there are no discounts for annual on the Unlimited plan ($25 vs $30 monthly).
- Support hours are limited: Customer support is available Monday-Friday during business hours (and some weekend hours via chat), but not 24/7. If you have an issue during a weekend launch, you may have to wait until Monday.
🎯 Best for
A solo entrepreneur or a very small team (usually under five people) that wants a simple, professional virtual phone system with call forwarding, a virtual receptionist, and voicemail transcription at a low monthly cost.
🚫 Who should skip
You should skip Grasshopper if you need advanced call routing, deep CRM integrations, video conferencing, team collaboration tools, or robust text messaging capabilities — competitors like RingCentral, Aircall, or Dialpad are better suited for those needs.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — the setup wizard and mobile app are straightforward, and most people can configure extensions and call rules within a few minutes without any technical training.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Grasshopper is an excellent entry-level virtual phone system for solo entrepreneurs and freelancers who need a professional phone presence without breaking the bank. However, if you need team collaboration features, robust integrations, or 24/7 support, you should look at alternatives like OpenPhone
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose 8x8 if...
- You are: Small to mid-sized businesses that need a unified cloud communication system with strong international calling and a sca
- 👍 Unlimited calling to 47 countries on the entry-level Express plan, which is rare at that price point
- 👍 All-in-one communications platform: voice, video, chat, and contact center tools are tightly integra
- 👍 X2 plan offers robust CRM integrations and call recording at $44/user/mo, which is competitive with
- 💰 From $24/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: No free tier, so you must commit to a paid plan to test the service.
Choose Grasshopper if...
- You are: A solo entrepreneur or a very small team (usually under five people) that wants a simple, professional virtual phone sys
- 👍 No hardware required — you can be up and running in minutes using the mobile app or forwarding calls
- 👍 Simple, predictable pricing with a low starting cost for solo users, especially when paying annually
- 👍 Includes voicemail transcription and a customizable virtual receptionist for a professional first im
- 💰 From $29/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Limited integrations and no open API, making it difficult to connect with CRM to
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main differences between the Express, X2, and X4 plans?
Express ($24/user/mo) covers unlimited calls to 47 countries, video meetings, team chat, and a mobile app. X2 ($44/user/mo) adds CRM integrations, call recording, analytics, and supervisor tools. X4 ($85/user/mo) includes contact center features like workforce management, speech analytics, and quality management.
Can I keep my existing business phone numbers when switching to 8x8?
Yes, 8x8 offers number porting from most carriers. The process typically takes 2-3 weeks, and 8x8 provides a porting guide and support team to help. You'll need to keep your old service active until the port completes.
Does 8x8 offer a free trial?
8x8 occasionally offers a free trial, but it's not a guaranteed standard option. The pricing plans are stated as per-user monthly rates with annual commitments, so you'll likely need to request a quote or trial directly from sales.
Are there any setup fees, hardware costs, or hidden charges?
8x8 does not require you to buy IP phones, but you can rent or purchase them separately. You may also encounter one-time setup fees for paid migrations, costs for toll-free numbers, and local taxes/fees that apply to regular phone service.
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