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iPlum is the best Grasshopper alternative for several reasons.
And, in this iPlum vs. Grasshopper comparison, we’ll break down the main differences. That way, you can choose the ideal option for your business from a point of information.
That said, here’s a quick snapshot of some of the things you get with iPlum.
- HIPAA compliance solution
- Cloud phone system with auto-attendant and extensions
- Mobile app and web calling
The best part?
You can get a new iPlum number to experience these features and more. Or, you can port your existing number to iPlum to maintain business continuity.
iPlum vs. Grasshopper—What Do Users Say?
User reviews often reveal what the feature lists don’t. In this section, we’ll look at what customers say about iPlum and Grasshopper.
Grasshopper Reviews
Some users appreciated Grasshopper’s ease of use and its ability to separate personal and work calls.
However, others shared complaints about app bugs, missing features, security gaps, and serious SMS-related issues.
❌ Unreliable app experience
"It keeps forgetting who I am… I have to reset my password when I go into the app." — Kathleen B. S., G2
❌ Severe technical and service issues
"Every aspect of everything. Even customer 'service' couldn’t solve their issues." — Stewart S., G2
❌ SMS verification failure and hold times
"Unreasonable hold times, inability to verify for SMS texting... loss of business due to these things." — Verified User in Medical Practice, G2
❌ No account security safeguards
"All anyone needs to steal your account and phone number is your credit card information… they will not return it without a court order." — Greg P., G2
❌ Broken SMS record access
"When porting our numbers... we would be losing access to our SMS/MMS records… the only way to retrieve them is by taking screenshots." — Verified User in Construction, G2
❌ No caller ID or call transfer
"I wish it would show the caller ID and allow us to transfer calls to different extensions." — Verified User, G2
On the positive side of things, Grasshopper users said the following about the service.
✔ Easy to use
"Grasshopper was very user friendly... The implementation was easy." — Alex R., G2
✔ Separates personal from work calls
"The ability of having another phone number without carrying around two phones!" — Jordan W., G2
iPlum Reviews
iPlum users often praise its reliable call quality, strong privacy features, and responsive support. It’s especially valued by professionals and businesses that need a secure, easy-to-use solution for everyday communication.
✔ Designed for HIPAA compliance
"It’s HIPAA compliant—perfect for anyone in healthcare or mental health fields." — Angela Sanders, Trustpilot
✔ Fast, responsive support
"They answered all my questions… helped me port my number and fix a payment glitch. Great way to start a new service." — David Campbell, Trustpilot
✔ Smooth number migration
"The support team pulled off a last-minute migration from Skype… very responsive with everything else too." — Pronto CX, Inc., Trustpilot
✔ Shared line option for teams
"Being able to share one number across my staff helps improve team collaboration." — Verified user, Trustpilot
✔ Clear call quality and ease of use
"The call quality is consistently clear… the app is incredibly user-friendly." — Angela Sanders, Trustpilot
✔ Differentiated ringtone and privacy
"Everything I need to stay in touch with clients… easiest HIPAA-compliant service I’ve used." — Customer, Trustpilot
✔ Separates work and personal lines
"Lets me communicate for work without using my personal phone." — GN, Trustpilot
❌ No video conferencing
While iPlum doesn’t offer video conferencing, the feature’s development is at an advanced stage and will be released soon.
iPlum vs. Grasshopper —A Feature Comparison
iPlum and Grasshopper are solid phone systems. However, they differ significantly in terms of the value they bring to your business as outlined in the sections below.
Here’s a quick comparison table to give you a sneak peek of what to expect with each phone system.
Business Texting
iPlum and Grasshopper offer business texting, allowing you to send and receive messages using a dedicated business number. Still, there are notable differences you should be aware of.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper activates texting once you complete SMS registration. After that, you can message clients using the app on mobile or desktop. The platform allows you to use the same number for calls and texts.
While this works well for one-to-one communication, Grasshopper doesn't offer message scheduling, contact segmentation, or archiving. That limits how businesses can organize outreach or maintain texting records for long-term reference or follow-up.
iPlum
iPlum provides businesses with more control over messaging through features that support both short-term responses and long-term planning.
First, you can archive texts to reduce clutter while still preserving message history. On top of that, you can schedule texts in advance, which is particularly useful for sending appointment reminders or billing notices.
The platform also offers text templates for faster replies to common inquiries. Meanwhile, secure texting with attachments ensures conversations remain compliant when working in industries such as healthcare, finance, or legal.
And there’s auto-replies that let you respond to missed texts during off-hours. In addition, iPlum's broadcast messaging allows you to send individual texts to multiple recipients in a single step.
Lastly, you can pin important threads, mark conversations as unread, and forward messages to email for backup or review.
HIPAA Compliance
Most businesses now handle sensitive data through mobile apps. And, iPlum and Grasshopper aim to serve professionals in regulated fields. However, only one delivers HIPAA-compliant texting and calling.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper does not offer HIPAA-compliant texting or calling. While it gives you a dedicated business number and basic texting features, there is no encryption for messages or calls.
In addition, the platform does not provide a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), which is required when handling electronic protected health information (ePHI).
For therapists, clinics, healthcare providers or users subject to HIPAA regulations, Grasshopper cannot fulfill compliance needs.
Sure, you can still use it for general communication. However, it is not designed for storing or transmitting sensitive client information in line with U.S. healthcare privacy laws.
iPlum
iPlum gives therapists, healthcare providers, and users in highly regulated industries a fully compliant second line that meets HIPAA standards.
You can send secure texts and encrypted faxes, record voicemails safely, and enable compliant call routing with auto-attendants.
Furthermore, each number comes with its own BAA, giving you a structured way to manage risk under HIPAA.
What’s more, you can add associates under a business account, each with their own secure mobile line.
Secure messaging works alongside normal texting, allowing you to separate general inquiries from private conversations.
Business Phone Numbers
iPlum and Grasshopper give you access to local and toll-free numbers for business use. However, while the number types may look similar on paper, the business value they deliver is not the same.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper offers local and toll-free numbers. Once active, the number works for both calls and texts through their mobile and desktop apps.
Grasshopper markets vanity numbers as branding tools that create a stronger image in print and advertising.
While that’s useful for businesses that want a recognizable identity, there’s little beyond number selection and basic usage. Privacy, call quality controls, and compliance features do not come built into the number setup.
iPlum
iPlum also offers local, toll-free, vanity and Canadian numbers.
But it ties them to business features that go beyond marketing. You can link any iPlum number to secure texting, call recording, voicemail, or auto-attendant routing. Plus, every line works independently, with its own ringtone, voicemail box, and call log.
In addition, you can assign numbers to staff, set up call routing, and forward toll-free lines to mobile or landline numbers.
Furthermore, iPlum numbers support secure calling and texting under HIPAA rules. This makes them more than just marketing tools. The numbers become a working part of your communication setup, with privacy and control built in from the start.
You can also configure a shared number setup, allowing multiple team members to call or text from the same line, a handy feature for smooth client communication as a group.
Virtual Reception/Auto-attendant
iPlum and Grasshopper offer auto-attendant features. But once you look at how each service handles setup, routing, and costs, one gives your business more control.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper has basic auto-attendant features as part of its system. You can record greetings, assign extensions, and forward calls to different users.
However, to get a live receptionist service, you must add Ruby—an outside provider—at an additional cost.
And while this add-on lets you answer and schedule calls, it doesn’t connect to internal call flows. So, although Grasshopper’s virtual receptionist works for general routing, it lacks depth in how calls are filtered or assigned across different business scenarios.
iPlum
iPlum builds a phone tree with extensions into every number, local or toll-free. You can set up a greeting, and then route calls to extensions, voicemail boxes, or external numbers.
In addition, the setup runs in the cloud, so you don’t need hardware or operator support. Businesses use iPlum’s phone tree to create structured call flows, separating departments such as sales, service, and admin lines with a single setup.
Plus, you can build time-based routing or special announcements for holidays or hours. And, unlike Grasshopper, you don’t need a third-party platform to use the phone tree.
Mobile Call Recording and Voicemail Transcription
Both platforms offer call recording and can convert voicemail to text. The difference, however, is in compliance control.
Grasshopper
Grasshopper transcribes voicemails into text, allowing you to read them on your phone or computer. That's useful if you're screening messages or working in a quiet environment.
However, call recording is only available in the more expensive plans. More importantly, there's no support for regulatory frameworks like FINRA, Dodd-Frank, or HIPAA.
iPlum
iPlum, on the other hand, allows you to scan voicemail transcripts in the app, web portal, or email, whichever method fits your workflow.
More importantly, iPlum enables call recording with consent announcements for both incoming and outgoing calls. Furthermore, the platform supports legal, finance, and insurance compliance frameworks, including FINRA, SEC, CMS, GLBA, and CFTC.
You can, therefore, be sure that every recorded file with iPlum meets audit and retention standards set by these regulations.
iPlum vs. Grasshopper —Pricing
In this section, we’ll compare iPlum and Grasshopper to see which one gives you more for less.
How Much Does iPlum Cost?
iPlum costs $8.99 to $19.99 per user per month, depending on your plan, as follows
Standard Plan – $8.99/user/month
Includes mobile app calling and texting in the U.S. and Canada, voicemail, auto-replies, business hours, and phone tree.
Professional – $14.99/user/month
This plan builds upon the Standard plan, offering web-based calling and texting, secure encrypted texting, shared number, transcription, group and broadcast messaging, text archiving, and HIPAA compliance with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for healthcare.
Premium – $19.99/user/month
Offers everything in the Professional plan, plus call recording and compliance features for finance, insurance, legal, sales, and support sectors.
How Much Does Grasshopper Cost?
Grasshopper charges $14 to $55 per month, depending on your plan and number of users. All plans are billed annually, with the following options:
True Solo – $14 per month
This plan comes with one number and one extension. It covers business texting, voicemail, call forwarding, mobile and desktop apps, and basic call handling.
Solo Plus – $25 per month
This plan adds unlimited users while keeping one number and up to three extensions. You also get voicemail-to-text, instant response, and basic auto-attendant features.
Small Business – $55 per month
This top-tier plan includes four phone numbers and unlimited extensions. While it supports unlimited users and core features like call transfers, it doesn’t include HIPAA compliance.
How Does iPlum Pricing Compare to Grasshopper’s
When comparing annual pricing, iPlum starts at just $8.99 per user per month, while Grasshopper begins at $14 per month for a single user.
For multi-user access, iPlum’s Professional plan costs $14.99 per user, offering HIPAA compliance, encrypted texting, and voicemail transcription. In contrast, Grasshopper’s Solo Plus plan costs $25 per month, yet lacks compliance features and call recording.
At the high end, iPlum’s Premium plan is $19.99 per user, covering secure texting, call recording, and regulatory compliance, while Grasshopper’s Small Business plan costs $55 per month and still omits compliance support.
Therefore, iPlum delivers more capabilities for less, especially for businesses in regulated industries or those needing secure mobile communication.
How to Port Your Number to iPlum
Porting your number to iPlum is easy. Watch the video below for a step by step guide.
iPlum vs. Grasshopper —Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Grasshopper Free?
No. Grasshopper is not free. The system costs $14 to $55 per month, depending on the plan that you choose.
How Do I Enable Texting on iPlum?
Texting is available once you select a plan with texting features. However, if you turn off the function, you can follow this comprehensive guide to enable texting.
How Do I Get a Virtual Phone Number?
Choose a local, toll-free, or Canadian number during signup with providers like iPlum. Once selected, the number becomes active and ready to use on mobile or desktop.
Why Choose iPlum Over Grasshopper
When deciding between iPlum and Grasshopper for a business phone system, the decision comes down to value.
iPlum gives you secure calling, HIPAA-compliant texting, call recording, a shared business number and a cloud phone system, at a lower monthly cost.
In addition, you don’t need add-ons or external tools to set up extensions, forward calls, or route voicemail.
Indeed, Grasshopper covers the basics, but many features either incur additional costs or fall short in terms of compliance and control.
You can start with a new number or transfer your current one. Either way, you get a business phone system designed to work the way you do.
Click the link below to get started with iPlum
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.
