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Grasshopper and Ooma share many features. For instance, both offer toll-free numbers, call forwarding, and texting, among other tools.
However, when you look closer, limitations start to appear, especially if you’re in the market for a phone system that can handle the needs of modern business communication.
Grasshopper, for example, is not HIPAA compliant, so you can’t use it to send sensitive customer information.
Ooma, on the other hand, doesn’t offer text messaging unless you’re on the Pro plan or higher. For starters, the Pro pricing starts at $24.95 per use per month. In addition, Ooma has a 250-message monthly cap for outbound messages, unless you purchase additional credits..
These—and other limitations that we’ll discuss later in this article—necessitate the inclusion of an alternative in the Grasshopper vs. Ooma comparison.
We’ll therefore compare the two against iPlum to give a broader choice.
iPlum is not only HIPAA compliant, but also offers texting in its Standard plan for $8.99 per user per month.
In addition, it comes with over 50 features to help streamline communication with clients, whether you’re a small business, solopreneur, or professional.
Table of Contents
1. Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—A side-by-side feature comparison
2. How to Port Your Number to iPlum
3. Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—User Reviews
4.Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—Pricing
5. Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
6. Why Choose iPlum Over Grasshopper and Ooma?
Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—A side-by-side feature comparison
While Grasshopper, Ooma, and iPlum are business phone systems, they differ in ways that matter for daily communication.
For instance, some functions are available only in higher plans, while other features are missing altogether.
Comparing the three platforms side by side, therefore, makes it easier to see which service gives you the most value for paying for the extra bells and whistles you probably don’t need.
To start us off, here’s a quick comparison table.
1. Call Reliability
Reliable calling is one of the most important factors to look for in a business phone system.
A system that cannot guarantee reliability means you’ll often experience dropped calls or weak audio, which can spiral into customer frustration and missed opportunities.
Here’s what you get with the three platforms
Grasshopper
Grasshopper primarily offers VoIP calling through its mobile and desktop apps.
However, we scoured the web for Grasshopper reviews. And, some of the complaints that kept coming up more often revolved around missed calls and poor call quality when Wi-Fi connectivity is poor.
Grasshopper, therefore, may not be dependable for on-the-go communication.
Ooma
Ooma, like Grasshopper, offers internet-based calling and generally performs in stable connections. However, if the internet goes down, so does the service. The lack of dual reliability, therefore, means your calls are more vulnerable in mobile or remote work environments.
iPlum
iPlum outperforms Grasshopper and Ooma with dual-mode reliability.
The platform enables you to use your voice network to route calls with carrier-class reliability, eliminating the need for VoIP, while still displaying your iPlum number as Caller ID.
Alternatively, you can switch to internet data mode with Wi-Fi/3G/4G/LTE when the connection is strong. The benefits include fewer dropped calls and clear audio.
Simply put, iPlum is a good phone system for business if you’re looking for dependable communication, whether in a clinic, office, or on the go.
And the beauty of it is that iPlum supports web calling, so you can use it via the app, desktop, or laptop.
2. Text Messaging
SMS has an open rate of 98%. Your VoIP service, therefore, should allow you to leverage texting for business communication without limits.
Here’s how the three platforms compare.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper offers texting as part of its mobile and desktop apps.
You can send and receive standard SMS for back-and-forth client communication. However, the platform only allows group texting for local numbers with a limitation of up to 10 contacts.
Furthermore, Grasshopper doesn’t have text templates. Plus, reviewers mention occasional issues with delayed or missed texts.
Ooma
Ooma doesn’t offer texting in its base plan.
Instead, it locks this essential feature to Pro and Pro Plus plans, which start at $24.95 per user per month.
And even then, there are message caps—250 outbound texts on Pro and 1,000 on Pro Plus. If your business exceeds these limits, you will need to purchase bulk SMS packages.
While the setup may work for light texting, it becomes costly if your team depends on SMS for regular communication.
iPlum
iPlum includes texting from the Standard plan at $8.99 per user per month.
You get unlimited SMS and MMS with no caps, plus advanced features like auto-reply, scheduled messages, text templates, and broadcast texting for reaching groups at once.
On the Professional and Premium plans, iPlum takes it a step further with secure, encrypted texting and a free account that you can assign to your clients for safe communication.
3. HIPAA Compliance and Secure Communication
If your business handles sensitive information, you need a phone system that protects client data.
Let’s see how the three platforms compare.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper does not meet HIPAA standards.
Therefore, you can’t use it to send or receive sensitive customer or patient information without risking compliance issues.
For regulated industries, Grasshopper is not a suitable choice.
Ooma
Ooma can be HIPAA compliant. However, you must manually activate the feature.
Furthermore, once activated, SMS texting becomes disabled. As a result, this limits Ooma's usefulness for day-to-day patient or client communication.
Therefore, while the platform offers some security, you should be wary of losing the convenience of text messaging in HIPAA mode.
iPlum
iPlum, by comparison, is HIPAA compliant starting from the Professional plan at $14.99 per user per month.
It comes with secure, encrypted texting, call encryption, and a Business Associate Agreement (BAA).
What sets it apart from Ooma, though, is the inclusion of a free iPlum account that you can give to your clients (for example, patients).
With the free account, your clients can communicate with you through secure, bidirectional messaging that’s different from regular SMS/MMS.
4. Auto-Attendant and Phone Tree
An auto-attendant, or phone tree, allows you to direct callers to the right department or person without requiring a live receptionist.
The feature can help you save time in addition to ensuring no call goes unanswered.
Here’s what you get with the three services.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper comes with a basic auto-attendant with custom greetings and per-extension voicemail greetings.
Furthermore, the feature allows you to upload or record your own audio for customized greetings and set business hours.
However, it doesn’t have a multi-level IVR as advanced as iPlum, which makes it hard to set up so complex, nested menus.
Ooma
Ooma includes a Virtual Receptionist with all Office plans, starting at $19.95 per user monthly on Essentials. At this level, you can set up a standard greeting and basic call routing.
However, to access unique greetings, customized menus, and advanced call actions, you’ll need the Pro plan at $24.95 per user monthly or the Pro Plus plan at $29.95.
While these tiers can allow you to create more personalized caller experiences, cost can be an issue if you’re on a tight budget.
iPlum
iPlum offers a robust auto-attendant with a phone tree and extensions, starting from its Standard plan at $8.99 per user per month.
With iPlum’s phone tree, you can record custom greetings, route calls by department or individual, and set business hours to handle after-hours calls with different rules automatically.
And, unlike Grasshopper, which limits you to a single-layer setup, iPlum allows for more complex routing, ensuring that callers always reach the right destination.
Moreover, while the Ooma virtual extension is more flexible than Grasshopper, it costs nearly four times as much as iPlum.
5. Call Recording and Archiving
Call recording is a crucial feature for training, compliance, and record-keeping purposes. In addition, it enables you to review calls, enhance service, and maintain accurate records of customer interactions.
Here’s what you get with the three platforms.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper does provide call recording.
However, you must manually activate the feature. Additionally, recording becomes available in the Solo plan ($25 per user per month) and higher plans.
The takeaway here is that since Grasshopper is not HIPAA compliant, you cannot use recordings to store or share sensitive information in regulated industries.
Plus, the platform stores recordings for only 30 days.
Ooma
Ooma offers call recording on its Pro plan for $24.95 per user per month and above. Calls can be automatically recorded and stored for later review and playback.
While it offers a longer storage period than Grasshopper, you need to subscribe to the Pro Plus plan at $29.95 to access these management options.
So, although Ooma can meet your call recording and archiving needs, you will need to allocate a higher budget per user, which can quickly increase costs as your team expands.
iPlum
iPlum offers automatic call recording and archiving as part of its Premium plan for $19.99 per user per month.
The system records calls with consent, ensuring every recording meets legal and compliance standards.
Also, it securely stores your recordings, along with their content, for a period of one year. You can retrieve the information whenever you need it.
iPlum’s design is HIPAA compliant, making it safe for healthcare, finance, and legal professionals who handle sensitive information.
Furthermore, automatic recording eliminates the need for manual session initiation.
6. Business Numbers and Porting
A good business phone system should offer flexible number options. It should also make it easy to keep your existing business number.
Number porting ensures continuity, while access to toll-free and local numbers helps your business look credible to customers.
Here’s what you get with the three platforms.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper offers local, vanity, and toll-free numbers with every plan, starting at $14 per month per user. You can also port your existing number into the service at no extra charge.
Ooma
Ooma includes one toll-free number across all Office plans, starting at $19.95 per user monthly. Like Grasshopper, Ooma also supports number porting, allowing you to transfer your current line without losing it.
iPlum
iPlum offers flexible number options across all plans. You can choose local numbers in the U.S. and Canada, toll-free numbers, or even custom vanity numbers to make it easy for customers to remember your brand.
In addition, iPlum allows number porting (more on that below), making it easy to bring your current line over without interruption.
Furthermore, the platform offers number sharing, allowing multiple users to use the same number under a single account, which can help manage different departments or services.
How to Port Your Number to iPlum
Speaking of number porting, you can easily transfer your existing number to iPlum in a few steps. Watch the video below for a detailed breakdown
Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—User Reviews
User reviews often reveal what marketing pages leave out. Reading them, therefore, allows you to have a sneak peek into how the phone systems perform in day-to-day use.
Below is a snapshot of what users say about the three platforms.
Grasshopper Reviews
Many users love Grasshopper for its simplicity. However, some mention often glitches in the app, missed calls, and issues with voicemail playback.
❌ App freezes often
"It freezes a lot. It requests multiple updates, but it does not update. Sometimes calls drop without notice, and if they close the call, then it freezes, and we have to restart the app." — Verified user, G2
❌ Glitches when calling
"The Grasshopper platform was slow, visually outdated, and the smartphone app had multiple glitches while in use." — Avery C., G2
❌ Voicemails with missing audio
"Recording messages was challenging at times because the first word or two would be cut off during playback." — Andrea M., Capterra
✔ Voicemail transcription available
"I love the voicemail feature, where voicemails are transcribed to text and sent to users via email.” — Reema D., Capterra
Ooma Reviews
Ooma’s reviews paint a mixed picture. Some users appreciate the straightforward setup, but concerns around dropped calls, distorted call quality, and poor support still linger.
❌ Calls drop mid-day
"Calls will stop working during business hours, and you cannot reach anyone with support." — Brad D., Capterra
❌ Call quality issues
"The quality of the calls was not always very consistent. Some calls, I was unable to hear the other person on the line when they were local and on a hardline." — Chris D., Capterra
❌ Support is hard to reach
"Customer service is virtually unreachable. I have severely suffered in the last few months." — Brad D., Capterra
✔ Ease of implementation
"Ooma Office was very easy to implement, with a simple online interface to control everything." — Chris D., Owner, Alternative Medicine, Capterra
iPlum Reviews
iPlum users love the platform’s easy setup, the ability to keep business and personal numbers separate, HIPAA compliance, and reliable texting features.
However, some raise concerns about the lack of video conferencing.
✔ Easy setup and quick activation
"Getting started was straightforward. The app installation and number setup took less than 15 minutes, and I was making calls immediately." — Verified user, G2
✔ Multiple numbers on one device
"The ability to have separate business and personal numbers on the same device has been invaluable. I can maintain professional boundaries while keeping everything consolidated." — Verified user, G2
✔ Useful business texting feature
"The business texting capability works well, and having a dedicated business number for SMS has helped keep communications organized." — Verified User, G2
✔ Good value for features
"Compared to traditional business phone services, iPlum offers good value, especially for solo entrepreneurs and small teams." — Verified user, G2
⚠️ iPlum does not currently offer video conferencing.
Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—Pricing
Let’s now see how the three platforms compare when it comes to pricing.
How Much Does Grasshopper Cost?
Grasshopper costs $14 to $55 per month based on your plan, as follows:
True Solo – $14 per month
The plan allows a single user, one phone number, and a single extension.
Solo Plus – $25 per month
The plan allows unlimited users, a phone number, and up to three extensions in addition to the True Solo offering.
Small business – $55 per month
The plan allows for unlimited users, four phone numbers, and unlimited extensions, plus the Solo Plus features.
How Much Does Ooma Cost?
Ooma costs between $19.95 and $29.95, depending on your plans, as follows:
Essentials plan - $19.95 per user per month
Includes unlimited calling in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, along with a virtual receptionist and mobile app access.
Pro plan - $24.95 per user per month.
Adds everything in Essentials plus a desktop app, text messaging with up to 250 messages per month, videoconferencing for up to 25 participants, and call recording.
Pro Plus plan - $29.95 per user per month.
Includes all Pro features while expanding text messaging to 1,000 per month, videoconferencing for up to 100 participants, CRM integration, team chat, hot desking, and call queuing.
How Much Does iPlum Cost?
Plum costs $8.99 to $19.99 per user per month, depending on your plan, as follows
Standard Plan – $8.99 per user per month
The plan comes with mobile app calling and texting in the U.S. and Canada, voicemail, auto-replies, business hours, and a phone tree.
Professional – $14.99 per user per month
This plan builds upon the Standard plan, offering features such as web-based calling and texting, secure and encrypted texting, and voicemail transcription.
You also get group and broadcast messaging, text archiving, and HIPAA compliance with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for healthcare.
Premium – $19.99 per user per month
The plan includes everything in the Professional plan, in addition to call recording and compliance features for finance, insurance, legal, sales, and support sectors.
Grasshopper vs Ooma vs iPlum—Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Grasshopper HIPAA compliant?
No. Grasshopper does not meet HIPAA standards, so it cannot be used to handle sensitive health information.
Does Ooma include texting in all plans?
No. Texting is only available on Ooma’s Pro and Pro Plus plans, starting at $24.95 per user monthly, with caps on outbound messages unless you purchase additional credits.
What makes iPlum better for small businesses?
iPlum combines HIPAA compliance, dual-mode reliability, auto-attendant, and secure texting, starting at $8.99 per month.
Why Choose iPlum Over Grasshopper and Ooma?
Grasshopper and Ooma each offer useful features, but both carry business-critical limitations—whether it’s unreliable calling, capped texting, or the lack of HIPAA compliance.
iPlum removes these barriers with dual-mode reliability, unlimited texting, secure communication, and professional tools like call recording and auto-attendant.
Best of all, pricing starts at just $8.99 per user per month, making enterprise-grade communication affordable for small businesses and solo professionals.
So, if you’re ready to streamline communication, protect client data, and save money while doing it, the smarter choice is clear.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes and may not reflect the most current features or capabilities of the products or companies mentioned. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to the official sources of each company.
