You want one flat monthly bill for the whole team, extensions for people or departments, and you don't use Google Workspace.
Your business already runs on Google Workspace and you want a low per-user line that lives inside Gmail and Calendar.
For one or two people already on Workspace, Google Voice Starter ($10/user) is the cheaper line. For a growing team that wants a phone menu and extensions, Grasshopper's flat plans get cheaper per person as you add people. Neither answers calls with AI on its base plans.
Entry prices, how each one bills, and what you get on the cheapest plan. We added a third row so you can see where Fast Response fits.
| Vendor | Starting price | How it's billed | Cheapest plan includes | AI answering | Business texting | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grasshopper | $14/mo (True Solo, billed annually) | Flat price per account, not per user; monthly billing costs more (annual saves 20%+) | 1 user, 1 number, 1 extension, unlimited calling and texting, voicemail transcription | Add-on: AI or live receptionist, AI from $95/mo | Unlimited, plus a $19.50 one-time registration fee and $1.50/mo messaging fee | Solo owners and small teams who want a flat bill and extensions |
| Google Voice | $10/user/mo (Starter) | Per user per month, plus a Google Workspace plan billed separately | Up to 10 users, unlimited domestic calling and US texting, call recording, voicemail transcription | No AI agent answers calls; Gemini call notes from Standard ($20/user) | Unlimited US texting included | Small teams already running on Google Workspace |
| FAST RESPONSE AIThe third option | $29/mo (Starter, 1 user) | Flat monthly plan, no per-seat fees; Pro is $79/mo for your whole team; no contract | Business number, calls and texts answered 24/7, recording, transcripts and summaries, built-in CRM, web chat | Built in on every plan, in 29+ languages; your team can pick up first | Included; we handle your texting registration so you text from day one | Small teams that want your team and an AI answering the same number |
Grasshopper and Google Voice figures are list prices from each vendor's own pricing page, checked September 30, 2026, in USD before taxes and fees. Annual prices assume a yearly commitment. Check each vendor's site for current pricing. Fast Response figures are exact.
Grasshopper sells three plans, priced per account rather than per user. Billed annually, True Solo is $14/month (one user, one number, one extension), Solo Plus is $25/month (unlimited users, one number, three extensions), and Small Business is $55/month (unlimited users, four numbers, unlimited extensions). Paying month to month costs more; Grasshopper advertises annual savings of over 20%.
Extras to budget for: business texting carries a $19.50 one-time registration fee and a $1.50/month messaging fee, extra numbers are $9 to $10 a month each, and an AI or live receptionist is a separate add-on, with the AI option starting at $95/month. Call recording, phone menus (IVR) and simultaneous call handling start on Solo Plus, not True Solo. There's a 7-day free trial with no card required.
Google Voice for teams is an add-on to Google Workspace, priced per user per month: Starter is $10 (up to 10 users), Standard is $20 (unlimited users, auto attendants and ring groups), and Premier is $30 (adds automatic call recording, transcription and AI notes, plus advanced reporting). Google states the Workspace plan is billed separately, so your real cost is the Workspace seat plus the Voice license.
Because it's per user, the bill scales with headcount: five people on Standard is $100/month for Voice before Workspace. Phone menus aren't on Starter, so a team that wants "press 1 for sales" starts at $20 per user.
Both give you a business number that rings on your cell and computer, unlimited US calling, voicemail transcription and texting. The real differences are in call routing and what you're tied into.
Grasshopper is built for small businesses that want to sound bigger: extensions, custom greetings, business hours, and Instant Response, an automatic text back when you miss a call. Solo Plus adds call recording, phone menus, simultaneous call handling, call summaries and AI sentiment on calls. It stands alone, so you don't need any other subscription.
Google Voice lives inside Gmail, Calendar and Meet, and is managed from the Workspace admin console. Standard adds auto attendants, ring groups, call queuing and Gemini note-taking on calls; Premier adds automatic call recording with transcripts and AI notes. If your team already lives in Google, it's the most integrated option.
What neither does on its base plans is answer a call with AI when nobody picks up. Grasshopper sells that as a paid add-on; Google Voice doesn't offer it.
Choose Grasshopper if you want a standalone line with a flat bill, you need extensions for departments or teammates, and you don't use Google Workspace. Solo Plus ($25/month billed annually) covers most small teams.
Choose Google Voice if you already pay for Workspace, you're a small team happy with the basics, and you'd rather manage phones in the same console as email. Starter at $10/user is hard to beat for one to three people.
If missed calls are the real problem, neither base plan solves it on its own.
Grasshopper and Google Voice both give you a line. Neither answers it when you can't. Fast Response is a business number where your team answers first and the AI picks up whatever they miss, on every plan, from $29/month.
Weighing it against a traditional service too? See our breakdown of answering service cost, or compare Fast Response plans.