You can get a business phone number for $0. A handful of apps will hand you a real local number that rings on the phone you already own, so customers stop calling your personal line. For a brand new business, that is one less bill while you work on cutting costs.
Free comes with strings, though. Before you pick one, ask three things. What do you have to do to keep the number? Will it show you ads or block verification texts? And do you need a toll-free number? The free options hand out local numbers. The quick picks below sort that out, and the table after them puts the fine print side by side.
Free business phone numbers at a glance
| Service | Price | Calls and texts | To keep the number | Biggest catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | $0 a month (Basic) | Unlimited domestic calls and texts | Use it, or Google reclaims it | Needs an existing mobile number |
| TextNow | $0 with ads | Unlimited calls and texts | Can be revoked if left inactive | Ads, and verification codes are a paid feature |
| TextFree | $0 with ads | Unlimited calls and texts, U.S. and Canada | Call or text every 30 days | Ads, and no verification codes on the free plan |
Details come from each company’s own website, checked for this update. Free plans change often, so confirm the terms in the app before you print the number on anything.
The best free business phone number services
All three of these give you a real second number without a second phone or a contract. The difference is what each one asks for in return.
Google Voice
Best overallGoogle Voice is the one to start with. The Basic plan is $0 a month and gives you one number that works across your phone and your computer, with unlimited domestic calling and texting. You sign in with a Google account, search by city or area code and pick the number you like. You also get voicemail transcripts you can read and search, spam protection, call screening and your own voicemail greeting.
Good to knowGoogle takes the number back if you stop using it, and you then have 45 days to reclaim it. It does not offer 1-800 numbers, and its rules ban bulk promotional texting, so use it to talk to customers, not to blast them.
See Google VoiceTextNow
No phone plan neededTextNow gives you a free U.S. or Canadian number with unlimited calling and texting, and you pay for it by seeing ads in the app. It fits a side business that does not want to hand a personal number to every customer or marketplace buyer.
Good to knowTextNow says a number can be revoked if it is left inactive, and that verification codes are a paid feature. Check the app for the current terms before you put this number on a business card.
See TextNowTextFree
Fastest setupTextFree says setup takes about 30 seconds: download the app, choose an area code and you have a real, dialable number. Calls and texts run over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so it works without a carrier plan, on iPhone, Android or a computer. Voicemail transcription, auto-replies to missed calls and spam detection are part of the free version.
Good to knowGo 30 days without a call or text and the number expires. Verification codes only work on TextFree Plus, which is $9.99 a month and also removes ads. It only works while you are physically in the U.S. or Canada.
See TextFreeMoreHow to start a business with no money
Free plan, free trial or free number: know which one you are getting
A lot of “free business phone number” offers are really a free trial. Grasshopper lets you try it free for 7 days with no credit card. Quo, which used to be called OpenPhone, also gives you 7 days. After that, you pay or you lose the number.
Others are free plans with a bill attached. Zoho Voice lists its Solo plan as free, but call charges apply and you rent the number itself with prepaid credits. That can still be cheap. It is not $0.
Only count a number as free if the number, the calls and the texts all cost nothing month after month. That is the three services above. Everything else belongs in your small business budget as a monthly line.
When to pay: low-cost business phone numbers
A free number is fine while you are testing an idea. Once the number is on your truck, your invoices and your Google listing, losing it costs you customers. That is the point to pay a few dollars a month for a number that stays yours. These are the starting prices each company publishes.
| Service | Starting price | Try it free | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice Starter | $10 a month | None listed | Number is not reclaimed for inactivity. Adds call recording, call transfers and 24/7 support |
| eVoice Elite | $14 a month, or $12 billed annually | 30-day money-back guarantee | Local or toll-free number, unlimited U.S. and Canada calls. Texting needs Elite Plus at $21 |
| Grasshopper | From $14 a month | 7 days, no credit card | Annual billing saves over 20% |
| Quo | $19 per user a month, or $15 billed annually | 7 days | One local or toll-free number per user, calls and texts to U.S. and Canadian numbers |
| Nextiva Core | From $15 per user a month | None listed | Voice, business texting and video meetings in one plan |
Prices are each company’s own published U.S. prices, checked for this update. Promotional pricing comes and goes, so confirm the price at checkout.
If you work alone, Google Voice Starter at $10 a month is the cheapest way to lock in a number. If you want a toll-free number or extensions for a small team, start with eVoice or Quo. Either way it is a small line next to what a business checking account or insurance costs you.
More8 ways to dramatically lower your business expenses
Types of business phone numbers
The free services hand out local numbers. Here is what each type is for, so you know when a local number is enough.
| Type | What it is and when you want it |
|---|---|
| Local number | A standard number with an area code. It makes you look like part of the community you serve. This is what Google Voice, TextNow and TextFree give you. |
| Toll-free number | Starts with 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844 or 833. The business pays for the call, not the customer. It makes a small company look national. Google says Voice does not offer 1-800 numbers, so plan to pay for this one. |
| Vanity number | A number that spells a word, such as 1-800-FLOWERS. Easy to remember in ads. You usually pay extra to find and reserve one. |
| International number | A local number in another country that forwards to you. Useful if you sell abroad and want customers to dial a familiar code. |
| Direct line or extension | A number or extension that rings one person or one department. This is a team feature, and you will find it on paid plans. |
How to get a free business phone number
Setup takes a few minutes and you do not need new equipment. A smartphone with Wi-Fi or mobile data is enough.
- Pick the service. If you already have a mobile number and a Google account, start with Google Voice. If you do not have a phone plan at all, TextNow and TextFree both work over Wi-Fi or data.
- Choose your number. Sign in, search by city or area code and select a number. Pick the area code your customers are in, not the one you grew up with.
- Record a business greeting. Say your business name, your hours and when you will call back. A voicemail that sounds like a business is half the reason to have the number.
- Put the number to work. Add it to your website, your invoices, your Google Business Profile and your social accounts. Stop giving out your personal number from this point on.
- Use it on a schedule. Free numbers are taken back when they sit idle. Make a call or send a text from it at least every couple of weeks, or set a recurring reminder.
Getting a number is one small step in starting your own business. While you are setting things up, these business apps cover the invoicing, scheduling and bookkeeping side.
The catches with a free business number
You can lose it. All three free services can take the number back if you stop using it. TextFree puts the limit at 30 days. If that number is on 500 business cards, you are reprinting them.
Verification texts may not arrive. TextNow and TextFree both treat verification codes as a paid feature. That matters when you try to use the number to sign up for a bank, a payment app or an ad account.
You are the product on the ad-supported apps. TextNow and TextFree are free because they show ads. Google Voice Basic asks for something different: an existing mobile number to link.
It runs on the internet. These numbers place calls over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so call quality follows your connection. Google also notes that emergency calling on an internet phone service works differently from a traditional line.
None of that is a reason to skip a free number. It is a reason to treat it as a starter. Use it to keep your personal number private and to sound professional from day one. Move to a paid line when the number becomes something you cannot afford to lose, the same way you would move from personal to free business checking once money starts coming in.
Free business phone number FAQ
Yes. Google Voice has a Basic plan at $0 a month with unlimited domestic calling and texting, and it needs an existing mobile number. TextNow and TextFree also give you a free number and pay for it with ads. All three can take the number back if you stop using it.
The Google Voice Basic plan is $0 a month and gives you a single number for all your devices. Paid plans start at $10 a month for Starter, which adds 24/7 support, call recording and a number that is not reclaimed for inactivity. Team plans for Google Workspace run $10, $20 or $30 per user a month.
The free services here hand out local numbers, and Google states that Voice does not offer 1-800 numbers. The low-cost route is a paid plan that includes a toll-free number, such as eVoice from $14 a month or Quo from $19 per user a month. Grasshopper and Quo both have a 7-day free trial.
You can. Google Voice reclaims numbers that show no activity and gives you 45 days to get the number back. TextFree numbers expire after 30 days without a call or text. TextNow says a number can be revoked if it is left inactive. Use the number regularly or move to a paid plan.
Yes. A second-number app puts a separate business number on the phone you already own, so you do not need a second device. Calls to the business number ring in the app, and you can set a business voicemail greeting. Your personal number stays private.
The bottom line
Start with Google Voice. The Basic plan costs $0, it rings the phone you already carry and it gives you voicemail transcripts and spam protection. If you do not have a mobile plan to link, use TextNow or TextFree and make a habit of using the number so you keep it.
When the business is real enough that losing the number would hurt, pay for it. $10 a month for Google Voice Starter keeps the number from being reclaimed, and $14 to $19 a month gets you toll-free numbers, extensions and a free trial to test them. A phone number is one of the cheapest ways to grow your business with a more professional front door.
