Grasshopper vs Nextiva Comparison

When it comes to allowing your customers to get in touch, there’s nothing better than having a seamless virtual phone system in place. Depending on the service you get, you can configure your call flows to reduce call holding time, set up comprehensive IVRs, and more. Grasshopper and Nextiva are two great options to bear in mind, as they both deliver excellent virtual phone systems that allow you to manage your phone lines as you see fit. Despite this, each one has its own characteristics and caters to different types of consumers. So, which one works best for your needs?

Grasshopper’s account dashboard is simple to use thanks to its logically designed interface. Here, you can find all the important information you need, such as voicemails, usage reports, and configuration settings, which includes extensions and recorded greetings. Unfortunately, integrations are quite limited, but it includes major ones like Zapier, Google Voice, and Firepoint.

Obviously, you don’t want a virtual phone system that ties you to your desk phone or computer. Grasshopper knows that and provides mobile applications for both iOS and Android that include some advanced features. Besides having a built-in softphone, Grasshopper allows you to check your voicemails, faxes, and text messages, just to name a few.

You can get Grasshopper for as low as $26 per month, which is the perfect solution for an entrepreneur working solo. If your business already has a few employees, then the Partner plan is more suitable, as it includes three phone numbers. You can always add new phone lines as you see fit for $10 per month each, and there’s a 7-day free trial to test everything out.

The admin dashboard is also quite thorough, but it isn’t the easiest to work with. Since there is so much information and so many settings to play with, it’s easy to feel lost within the platform. Despite this, Nextiva tries to flatten the learning curve by providing some built-in tutorials to help you get started.

Nextiva’s mobile apps provide the same features you’ll find on the desktop’s program. In other words, besides handling calls through the integrated softphone, you can exchange text messages, check your voicemails, set up group calls, and then some. This is the perfect solution for people who want to have all tools available at their fingertips.

Pricing-wise, Nextiva isn’t the cheapest out there. You can get it for as low as $19.95 per month per user, but only if you commit to a 36-month contract. Despite this, all subscriptions offer a free local and toll-free number, unlimited calling for the U.S. and Canada, and a monthly minute allowance to spend on toll-free calls.

Conclusion

There’s no way around the fact that both Grasshopper and Nextiva are reliable virtual phone systems. However, the former is better built for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The software is easier to use and, although it lacks some of the more advanced features, it comes at very affordable prices. On the other hand, Nextiva is a more comprehensive tool where you can set up everything as you please and use Nextiva’s built-in CRM software, live chat, and team collaboration platform. Moreover, while the admin dashboard might be challenging for beginners to understand, both the desktop and mobile apps are quite easy to handle. If you’re still not sure which VoIP service to use, then we recommend trying both platforms for yourself through each company’s free trial.