How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Google Voice is the best free second number for personal use in the United States, with calls, texts, and voicemail transcription at no cost.
- TextNow is the best free alternative if you want a number without a Google account, with ads on the free tier.
- Burner and Hushed suit short-term privacy, with numbers you can delete the moment you stop needing them.
- Line2, Sideline, and OpenPhone suit business use, with greetings, auto-attendants, and team features that personal apps lack.
- Second numbers work over the internet, so call quality depends on your connection, and some services block verification texts.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Google Voice | Free personal second number | Free | Yes |
 TextNow | Free number without Google | Free | Yes |
 Burner | Temporary disposable numbers | $4.99 per month | No |
 Hushed | Private numbers in many countries | $4.99 per month | No |
 Line2 | Solo business second line | $13.75 per month | No |
 Sideline | Business texting and calls | See website | No |
 OpenPhone | Teams and shared numbers | $15 per user per month | No |
 TextFree | Free texting second number | Free | Yes |
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The best second number apps
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Google Voice is the simplest free second number for personal use in the United States. Sign up with a Google account, pick a number, and you get calls, texts, and voicemail transcription free, with forwarding to your real phone. Spam filtering keeps most robocalls away, and the number stays yours as long as you use it.
The limits are geography and verification. Personal Google Voice is US only, and some banks and services block Voice numbers for verification texts, so keep your real number for those accounts. Business plans through Google Workspace cost $10 per user per month and add more numbers and features. For a free personal second line, Voice is still the first app to try.
What we like- Free US number with calls, texts, and voicemail transcription
- Call forwarding to your real phone
- Spam filtering
Watch out for- US only for personal use
- Business plans cost $10 per user per month
- Some verification texts fail
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
TextNow gives you a free number for unlimited calls and texts in the United States and Canada, without needing a Google account. That makes it the best free fallback when Google Voice does not fit, for example on a device without Google services. A paid number lock-in option stops the number from being recycled if you go quiet for a while.
The free tier shows ads, and an unused number can be taken back, so active use matters. International rates are low, but not free. For a free second line with little fuss, TextNow is the closest rival to Google Voice, and many users keep both.
What we like- Free US and Canada calls and texts
- Number lock-in option
- Low-cost international rates
Watch out for- Free tier shows ads
- Number can be recycled if unused
- Paid add-ons needed to remove ads
Starting price$4.99 per month
Free planNo
Burner is built for numbers with an expiry date. Create a number for selling a car, dating, or a short project, and delete it the moment the job ends, cutting off spam and unwanted follow-ups at the source. Spam blocking is built in, and the app stays simple on purpose.
It costs $4.99 per month per line in guides, and it covers the United States and Canada only. There are no team inboxes or business phone menus here. For temporary privacy, where the point is to disappear cleanly, Burner is the best tool in this list.
What we like- Numbers you can delete at any time
- Spam blocking
- Good for dating, selling, and short projects
Watch out for- Costs $4.99 per month per line
- US and Canada only
- No team features
Starting price$4.99 per month
Free planNo
Hushed suits users who need numbers beyond North America. It offers private numbers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and more than 40 countries for calling, with forwarding to your real phone and easy delete-and-replace when a number has served its purpose. That range helps travelers, remote workers, and anyone dealing with contacts abroad.
Pricing varies by plan, with guides listing about $4.99 per month per line and cheaper per-number options near $1.99, so check the current store terms before committing. Multiple lines add up fast, so Hushed fits best when you need one or two numbers, not a fleet of them.
What we like- Numbers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and 40 plus countries for calling
- Easy delete and replace
Watch out for- Pay-per-number structure can add up
- Starting price varies by plan, about $4.99 per month in guides
Starting price$13.75 per month
Free planNo
Line2 turns your phone into a two-line business phone. You get a second number with call screening, custom greetings, vanity numbers, toll-free options, and an auto-attendant, plus a desktop app for taking calls at your desk. For a solo founder who wants to sound like a business without carrying two phones, it covers the basics well.
The cautions are price and ratings. Guides disagree on the monthly rate, from about $13.75 to $15.99, and user ratings are mixed, with Android reviews notably rougher. Test the trial carefully, especially call quality and texting, before moving your business number here.
What we like- Business number on the phone you carry
- Call screening and vanity numbers
- Toll-free numbers and auto-attendant
Watch out for- Price varies across guides, about $13.75 to $15.99 per month
- User ratings are mixed, especially on Android
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Sideline is built for small businesses that live by text. It gives your team a second number with business texting, call handling, and a shared presence, and its hybrid calling uses carrier minutes as the primary path, with Wi-Fi fallback, which helps reliability where data is weak. That design suits field teams and service businesses better than a pure internet calling app.
Pricing is the weak point in guides, with figures from about $2.99 to $9.99 per month, so the starting price here is "See website" until you check the current plan. For personal privacy alone, Burner or Hushed fits better. For a small team that texts customers daily, Sideline is worth a trial.
What we like- Second number with business texting
- Carrier-minute calling option for reliability
- Team features for small groups
Watch out for- Price varies across guides, so check the site
- Business focus means less for pure personal privacy
Starting price$15 per user per month
Free planNo
OpenPhone, now branded Quo in 2026 guides, is the team pick. Shared numbers let several people answer the same business line, team texting keeps conversations in one thread, and AI transcripts plus Slack and CRM integrations fit sales and support workflows. The app feels modern, closer to a messaging app than a phone system.
At $15 per user per month, it is more than a solo user needs, and personal users should stick with Google Voice or TextNow. For a small team that needs one number answered by several people, with a record of every call and text, OpenPhone is the strongest app here.
What we like- Shared numbers and team texting
- AI transcripts
- Integrations with Slack and CRMs
- Modern app design
Watch out for- Costs $15 per user per month
- More app than a solo user needs
- Now branded Quo in 2026 guides
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
TextFree is the simplest free texting number. Pick a US number, text and call over Wi-Fi or data, and keep your real number private for sign-ups, selling, and casual contacts. Setup takes minutes, and the free tier covers the core job without a subscription.
Ads support the free tier, and call quality follows your connection, like every internet calling app. Business features are thin next to Line2 or OpenPhone, and verification texts can fail as with other virtual numbers. For a free texting-first second number, TextFree is a solid, low-friction choice.
What we like- Free US number for texting and calls
- Simple setup
- Works over Wi-Fi
Watch out for- Ads on the free tier
- Call quality depends on connection
- Fewer business features than rivals
How we chose
We started from what a second number must do well: give you a real, working number, handle calls and texts reliably, and keep your real number private. We compared vendor pages, store listings, and current 2026 guides, and we favored apps that are still maintained, fairly priced, and plain about their limits. We left out dead apps, email-only alias tools, and apps whose numbers could not be verified. Prices here come from 2026 guides and vendor pages, and they change, so check the pricing page before you pay. Note that virtual numbers sometimes fail verification texts from banks, so keep your real number for sensitive accounts.
How to pick a second number app
Start with how long you need the number. A number for a weekend sale and a number for your business need different apps, and paying a monthly fee for a temporary job wastes money.
Match the number to its lifespan
For a free, long-term personal number, Google Voice or TextNow covers you. For a temporary number, Burner or Hushed lets you delete it when done. For a business number you will keep for years, Line2, Sideline, or OpenPhone gives you greetings, routing, and team features that personal apps lack. Pick the lifespan first, then the app.
Test before you port anything important
Before moving business contacts to a new number, test it for a week: call quality on Wi-Fi and data, text delivery speed, voicemail transcription accuracy, and whether your bank accepts it for verification. Porting a number you rely on to an app that fails verification texts causes real trouble, so keep your real number for banks and government accounts regardless.
Keep personal and business separate
Use one number for personal privacy, such as dating and selling, and a different number for business, so neither world leaks into the other. A second number only protects your privacy if you actually give it out instead of your real one, so update your listings, profiles, and signatures to show the new number, and keep the real one off public pages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free second number app?
Google Voice, because it is free for personal use in the United States, with calls, texts, and voicemail transcription. TextNow is the best free alternative if you want a number without a Google account.
Can I use a second number for verification texts?
Sometimes. Many services accept virtual numbers, but some banks and platforms block them. Keep your real number for bank, government, and password recovery accounts, and use the second number for sign-ups, selling, and dating.
Which second number app is best for business?
OpenPhone for teams, because of shared numbers and team texting. Line2 suits solo founders, and Sideline suits small teams that text customers daily. All three cost more than personal apps, but they add greetings and routing that personal apps lack.
How do I delete a Burner or Hushed number?
Open the app, pick the number, and choose delete or burn. The number stops working at once, which cuts off spam and unwanted contacts. Get any messages you need first, since deleted numbers cannot be recovered.
Do second number apps work without cell service?
Yes, over Wi-Fi or data, since calls and texts run through the internet. Sideline also offers carrier-minute calling for reliability where data is weak. Call quality follows your connection, so test on your usual networks first.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://voice.google.com
- https://www.textnow.com
- https://www.burnerapp.com
- https://hushed.com
- https://www.line2.com
- https://www.sideline.com
- https://www.openphone.com
- https://www.textfree.us
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.