TextNow Alternatives 2026: 5 Options, 3 Free
TextNow alternatives: Google Voice, Talkatone, Textfree (Pinger), Quo (formerly OpenPhone) and 1 more. Prices and licenses checked October 25, 2026.
•3 min read•Team Chat, Meetings & Phone
Verdict:TextNow is free because of ads and data upsells, so people leave it for three reasons: the ads, the number-recycling worry, and a need for something that looks more professional. For a personal second number at no cost, Google Voice is the sturdiest option. It ties the number to your Google account and needs an existing mobile number on its basic plan, which TextNow does not require. Talkatone and Textfree work the same way as TextNow, free with ads and a paid way to remove them, so switching to either solves nothing about ads unless you pay. Talkatone sells Remove Ads at $2.99 in the App Store, and Textfree lists Plus at $9.99 with a $69.99 yearly plan. If the number is for a side business or freelance work, OpenPhone is a better home: paid from $15 per user per month billed annually, with a shared inbox and a trial rather than a free plan. Dialpad is the step beyond that for call routing, from $15 per user per month. The trade-off is simple: any free option keeps ads or needs a mobile number on file, and anything without ads costs money. Stay with TextNow if you only need a throwaway number. Move when you need the number to be yours for years.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | Free (Basic personal plan; needs an existing mobile number); paid from $10 per user/month (Workspace Voice Starter, up to 10 users, needs a Google Workspace plan) | Web browser | Second number tied to a Google account | Docs only |
| Talkatone | Free (free US/Canada number with calls and texts to most US/Canada numbers over WiFi or data; ad-supported; 911 not supported); paid from $1.99 per one-time or in-app price (Talkatone Light $1.99; Plus $4.99; Remove Ads $2.99) | iOS, Android | Free WiFi calling and texting app | Docs only |
| Textfree (Pinger) | Free (free second number for calls and texts, supported by ads); paid from $2.99 per in-app price (Remove Ads $2.99; Text Free Plus $9.99; yearly Plus $69.99) | iOS, Android | Ad-supported second number | Docs only |
| Quo (formerly OpenPhone) | Paid from $15 per user/month, billed annually (Starter; $19 billed monthly) | Web, iOS, Android | Business texting with a real team inbox | Docs only |
| Dialpad | Paid from $15 per user/month (Dialpad Connect Standard) | Web browser | Small business calling and texting | Docs only |
| Line2 | Paid from $7.99 per month, billed yearly (Line2 Unlimited; $9.99 billed monthly) | Mobile app | Communication | Docs only |
| iPlum | Paid from $8.99 per user/month, billed annually (Standard; $13.99 billed monthly) | iOS, Android | Communication | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You want a free second number with no ads to manage (Google Voice is the pick)
- You want to keep the same free-with-ads model on another app (Talkatone is the pick)
- You run a small business and need a shared team inbox (Quo (formerly OpenPhone) is the pick)
- You need call routing and a proper business phone system (Dialpad is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on TextNow features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
TextNow today: Free (free number with talk and text, supported by ads) (TextNow pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Why people look for TextNow alternatives
TextNow's free talk and text is supported by ads, and the app lets you earn points by watching ads to spend on data passes and other extras. Data is not part of the free base: you add it by the day or go Unlimited, and Unlimited is subject to TextNow's 2G Data Fair Use Policy with speeds not guaranteed. Anyone needing reliable data or an ad-free app has to look at paid options.
Google Voice
Compared with TextNow: Free personal number with calls and texts, but it needs an existing mobile number to set up. TextNow gives you a number and its own network without that step; Google Voice drops the ads and the SIM.
Price: Free (Basic personal plan; needs an existing mobile number); paid from $10 per user/month (Workspace Voice Starter, up to 10 users, needs a Google Workspace plan) (Google Voice pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.
Best for: Second number tied to a Google account.
Worth knowing: Standard is $20 and Premier $30 per user/month.
Talkatone
Compared with TextNow: Also free for US and Canada calls and texts over WiFi, with the same ad-supported model as TextNow. It has no phone network of its own, and 911 is not supported. Ad removal is a $2.99 in-app purchase.
Price: Free (free US/Canada number with calls and texts to most US/Canada numbers over WiFi or data; ad-supported; 911 not supported); paid from $1.99 per one-time or in-app price (Talkatone Light $1.99; Plus $4.99; Remove Ads $2.99) (Talkatone pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Free WiFi calling and texting app.
Textfree (Pinger)
Compared with TextNow: Free ad-supported second number from Pinger, closest to TextNow's free tier. The yearly Plus plan is $69.99 and the $2.99 Remove Ads purchase is cheaper, but numbers can expire without Plus.
Price: Free (free second number for calls and texts, supported by ads); paid from $2.99 per in-app price (Remove Ads $2.99; Text Free Plus $9.99; yearly Plus $69.99) (Textfree (Pinger) pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Ad-supported second number.
Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
Compared with TextNow: A paid business line from $15 per user per month billed annually, with no free plan. You lose the free tier TextNow offers, but gain shared numbers, team inboxes and US and Canada calling and messaging.
Price: Paid from $15 per user/month, billed annually (Starter; $19 billed monthly) (Quo (formerly OpenPhone) pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary SaaS.
Best for: Business texting with a real team inbox.
Dialpad
Compared with TextNow: Paid from $15 per user per month with no free plan. Far more than TextNow needs for personal use, but it adds call routing and a business phone system if your texting is really customer contact.
Price: Paid from $15 per user/month (Dialpad Connect Standard) (Dialpad pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.
Best for: Small business calling and texting.
Other popular options (paid)
Line2
Compared with TextNow: One flat plan at $9.99 a month, or $7.99 a month billed yearly, with unlimited US and Canada talk and text, a chosen area code and no ads, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee. TextNow's free tier is ad-supported.
Price: Paid from $7.99 per month, billed yearly (Line2 Unlimited; $9.99 billed monthly) (Line2 pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
iPlum
Compared with TextNow: Business-oriented: Standard is $8.99 per user a month billed annually ($13.99 billed monthly) with phone tree, voicemail, business-hours auto-reply and iOS and Android apps. US business numbers need a one-time $20 carrier registration fee.
Price: Paid from $8.99 per user/month, billed annually (Standard; $13.99 billed monthly) (iPlum pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Which one to pick
- You want a free second number with no ads to manage: Google Voice
- You want to keep the same free-with-ads model on another app: Talkatone
- You run a small business and need a shared team inbox: Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
- You need call routing and a proper business phone system: Dialpad
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Google Voice, Talkatone, Textfree (Pinger), Quo (formerly OpenPhone), Dialpad: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from TextNow. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
Related guides
More in Team Chat, Meetings & Phone
- Ooma Office alternatives
- Vonage Business Communications alternatives
- Google Voice alternatives
- Quo (formerly OpenPhone) alternatives
Sources
Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-25: TextNow, Google Voice, Talkatone, Textfree (Pinger), Quo (formerly OpenPhone), Dialpad, Line2, iPlum. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.