You're a solo owner or small team that wants a professional number, extensions and a flat bill, using the cell phones you already have.
You need a full phone system: desk phones, video meetings, multiple sites, CRM integrations, or an AI receptionist add-on from the same vendor.
Grasshopper starts at $14/month billed annually for the whole account; RingCentral Core is $20 per user per month billed annually. For a three-person team, that's Grasshopper Solo Plus at $25/month versus RingCentral Core at $60/month. RingCentral gives you much more system; Grasshopper is the simpler, cheaper line.
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 |
| RingCentral | $20/user/mo (RingEX Core, billed annually) | Per user; $30/user/mo billed monthly | Unlimited domestic calling, call recording, 100 toll-free min, 25 SMS per user/mo, video meetings | AI Receptionist (AIR) add-on, starts at $39 | 25 SMS per user/mo on Core, 100 on Advanced; booster add-on $25 | Multi-site teams that want calls, meetings and messaging in one suite |
| 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 RingCentral 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.
RingEX has two self-serve tiers on its pricing page. Core is $20/user/month billed annually or $30 monthly. Advanced is $25/user/month annually or $35 monthly and adds CRM integrations, multi-site support, reporting, 1,000 toll-free minutes and 100 SMS per user per month. Above that, RingCentral sells AI Customer Engagement bundles that include its AI Receptionist, priced by quote. RingCentral says paying annually saves up to 33%.
Add-ons are where totals climb: the AI Receptionist starts at $39, the Business SMS Booster is $25 and the Call Queues Booster is $35. Taxes and fees such as E911 and cost-recovery fees are added on top, and SMS requires carrier (TCR) registration.
Grasshopper is a virtual phone system: a business number with extensions, custom greetings, business hours, voicemail transcription and Instant Response (an automatic text back on missed calls), running through its apps on the phones and computers you already have. Solo Plus adds call recording, phone menus, simultaneous call handling and call summaries.
RingCentral is a full cloud phone system. Core includes unlimited domestic calling, call recording, toll-free minutes, HD video meetings for up to 300 people, team messaging and its AI Virtual Assistant, with desk phone support. Advanced adds CRM integrations, multi-site support and reporting.
Both sell AI call answering as an extra: Grasshopper's AI or live receptionist add-on (AI from $95/month), and RingCentral's AI Receptionist (from $39).
Choose Grasshopper if you want a professional number and a flat bill without running a phone system, and your team can answer on their own phones. Solo Plus ($25/month billed annually) adds the call recording and phone menus most small teams want.
Choose RingCentral if you need meetings, desk phones, multi-site routing or CRM integrations in one platform, and the per-seat price makes sense for your team size.
If the goal is simply not missing calls, both leave that to a paid add-on.
Already leaning toward leaving one of them? RingCentral alternative
Grasshopper gives you a line and RingCentral gives you a system, but on both, answering the calls you miss costs extra. Fast Response is a business number where your team answers first and the AI covers the rest, included 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.