If you’re looking to compare Google Voice to Grasshopper phone service, this guide will walk you the main differences between the two providers. I will cover the main sticking points I’ve found with trying to use a free phone service for clients and internet marketing, as well as some of the benefits of number forwarding services in general. By the end of this article, you’ll easily be able to decide which phone system is right for your needs.

Grasshopper VS Google Voice Comparison Review Summary

If you’re in a hurry, and just need to know if Google Voice or Grasshopper is right for you, here’s a quick list of pros and cons to each service. Keep in mind that both are BYOD number forwarding services, that provide virtual business lines on your cell phone. (BYOD providers = bring your own device)

• Google Voice – www.google.com/voice
  • Pros: free, large available number pool to choose from
  • Cons: you can’t add toll free numbers for business, you don’t own the number, Google stores your call data on their servers (src), only available in the US, no international support
• Grasshopper – www.grasshopper.com
  • Pros: cheap, easy to setup just like Google Voice, free smartphone app just like Google Voice
    
  • Cons: no call recording for ad tracking, cannot add phone adapters or physical hardware for voip phones

*Anything else I’d recommend as an alternative that might be better for you than these two?  Yes, I would look at www.phone.com if you think you might want a phone adapter, or you may want to add an office desk phone in the future.

Related Reading:

• What Are The Best Alternatives To Google Voice?
• How To Get A Toll Free Number On Google Voice
• The Cheapest Business Phone Service You Can Take With You Anywhere
• The Top 5 Toll Free 1-800 Service Providers
• How To Get A Business Phone Line In Less Than 20 Minutes (for $12/mo)
• Why I Don’t Use A Business Phone Service Like Vonage

What Are The Limitations Of Google Voice

I’ve talked about the limitations of Google Voice in the past for business use, but as of recently there a few privacy concerns that have come up over on reddit that I linked to above in the summary. Personally, I want my business calls to stay private, and I don’t like the idea of all my voicemails going to the Google data centers to use their transcription technology… who know what happens to my call recordings and data after that, it’s hard to say.

Can’t Get Toll Free Number, (no 800, local, or vanity numbers)

The biggest complaint I have about Google Voice for business use, is that I don’t truly own the number, and the lack of my ability to get available numbers in any area code I want. Not to mention, you cannot currently get 800 numbers through Google Voice, nor can you elect to use a vanity number that matches your business name.

For me, these are deal breakers, when I can just pay $10 bucks a month and get Grasshopper instead.

The Problem With Free Google Voice Alternatives For Business Use

I’ve seen these companies out there that advertise free forwarding numbers for business use, but my problem with those is that I don’t trust that they’ll stay around forever. So if I put effort into building up my side business, I don’t want to be hanging in the wind if they hold my business line hostage at some point. Not saying they’re all bad, that’s just not a risk I’m willing to take just to save a few bucks a year on a phone service.

Is Grasshopper The Best Google Voice Replacement For Small Business?

So I recommend several virtual phone service providers, not just Grasshopper. You can see here in my quick summary section of How To Choose A VOIP Provider, that Grasshopper isn’t always the best fit for every situation.

Related Reading: Grasshopper Phone Service Reviewed And Compared

I usually recommend Phone.com a lot too, as they’re the most flexible voip phone provider I know of, and are still very affordable.

Other Business Phone Alternatives

• Grasshopper VS Vonage: Which Is Better?
• Talkroute VS Grasshopper: Who’s The Best?
• Is There A Better Alternatives To Grasshopper Phone Service?
• What’s The Best Phone App Like Google Voice?
• The 3 Best Alternatives To Evoice’s Virtual Phone System
• Is Kall8 Still Good For Voip? Reviews & Alternatives Comapred
• 3 Good Alternatives To Talkroute: For Anyone Looking For A Solid Virtual Phone Provider
• Cheaper Alternatives To Landline Telephone Providers

Get All The Benefits Of Using A Number Forwarding Service Like Google Voice For Work, And Much More With A True Business VoIP System

Top 3 Recommended Providers:

1. Grasshopper

2. Phone.com

3. RingCentral

Additional Resources:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/4mv7ef/guide_for_switching_to_google_voice_ama_if_you/

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