Getting a business phone number sounds easy in theory. But it gets a lot more complicated when you consider different types of numbers, area codes, and service providers.
If you’re struggling to find a specific phone number for your business, this guide is for you.
In it, we cover the different types of phone numbers to choose from, how to check if a phone number is available, and ways to pick the perfect number for your business needs.
Plus, we compare five of the best Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers at the end.
Now, let’s dive into everything you should know about how to get a specific phone number.
How to get a specific phone number with OpenPhone
Not sure if the number you want is available for your business? With OpenPhone, you don’t have to guess — you can search our available local US, Canadian, and toll-free numbers in the look-up tool. You can also port existing numbers for free, so you don’t have to worry about confusing your customers.
Here’s how to get your desired number with OpenPhone:
- Sign up for an account with OpenPhone. When you sign up, you can try out OpenPhone free for seven days.
- During signup, select your city or area code in the US or Canada to pick your phone number or choose a North American toll-free number. Our phone picker tool is easy to use and lets you check if specific US, Canadian, and toll-free numbers are available.
The different types of phone numbers
There are three different types of phone numbers for businesses:
Local numbers
Local numbers are 10-digit telephone numbers associated with a specific location. For example, if your business serves customers in New York, you can choose a number with a local area code specific to that location, like 917 or 347.
You can establish a local presence and build trust by using local numbers since customers are more likely to recognize a familiar area code. Local numbers may also be readily available and more cost-effective, depending on your VoIP provider.
Toll-free numbers
Unlike local phone numbers, toll-free numbers bill the business (not the caller) for calls. They typically begin with three-digit prefixes like 800 and 833.
Toll-free numbers are ideal if you serve customers across the US or Canada or if you’re expanding your business to international markets. Just keep in mind incoming calls can look like spam to some customers, so you may want a local phone number in addition to a toll-free one.
Vanity numbers
Vanity phone numbers function like toll-free numbers, where the owner of the number typically pays for the call. However, the last few digits also spell out a word or phrase (think 1-800-FLOWERS or 1-800-GO-FEDEX).
Vanity numbers are ideal if you want your phone number to represent the product or service you offer. They’re also a great way for customers to remember your message — it’s hard to forget something like 1-800-CONTACTS, for example.
But vanity numbers can get expensive, which doesn’t always make sense for a small business budget. Some of the most memorable 212 numbers (New York’s original area code) can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
How to choose a specific phone number for your business
Picking the right phone number can feel overwhelming at best. Here’s a three-step process for narrowing down your options:
1. Identify the goals for your phone number
The first step is deciding what you want to accomplish with your phone number.
You may want to ask the following questions:
- Are your customers local? Show you’re a part of the community with a local number. Remember: you don’t need to live in a specific location to purchase a number with a desirable area code. Even if you’re in North Dakota, you can buy a number with a Chicago area code.
- Do you want to build a national presence or credibility? Consider a toll-free number. This allows customers to call you free of charge, even from long distances.
- Do you want callers to remember your number? Purchase a vanity number that speaks for your business. With VoIP providers like OpenPhone, you won’t have to pay for inbound or outbound minutes.
2. Make your phone number memorable
Memorable phone numbers are easier for customers to recall since they usually share a pattern of similar digits (like 777 or 111). Studies show people remember vanity 800 numbers 75% better than generic numbers.
If you’re thinking about a vanity number, consider words that stand out to customers in your marketing and advertising. You’re not necessarily limited to seven digits, but any number after seven will be just for branding purposes. Take 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, for example: there are more than seven letters in the phrase, but just 10 digits in the actual number (1-800-776-4737).
3. Use a provider that gives you more flexibility
Look for a phone number provider that offers advanced business t features so you can deliver a superior customer experience when you make or receive calls.
For example, you should have:
- Access to shared numbers so reps can collaborate from the same unified inbox. Tools like threads and mentions help you keep everyone in the loop, which can help you resolve customer issues faster and keep your team on the same page.
- Service and coverage across the US and Canada. That way, you can be sure your customers are taken care of.
- Transparent plans and pricing that let you upgrade and downgrade as your business evolves. This allows you to access more or newer features and downgrade your plan if you’re not using them as much as you thought.
- Additional phone numbers are available to buy as your business grows. You should have the option to purchase local and toll-free numbers.
Keep reading to compare virtual phone solutions with specific phone numbers for businesses.
5 virtual phone solutions that offer specific phone numbers
As mentioned, picking the type of number you want is the first step in getting a specific phone number. You also need to choose a VoIP provider to host your number and provide additional features.
Here are several VoIP number providers that can host the specific phone number you choose:
1. OpenPhone: Best for small businesses and growing teams
Pros
- One free local, toll-free, or vanity number per user is included
- Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
- Integrations with 7,000+ apps, including Zapier and HubSpot
- Shared phone numbers
- Easy to set up and use
- Auto-attendant functions (IVR) for inbound calls
Cons
- No verification through two-factor authentication*
*Nearly all virtual phone numbers share this problem. For safety reasons, companies like Facebook, Uber, and Google rarely let you authenticate accounts through a virtual phone number.
OpenPhone is a modern business phone system that helps entrepreneurs and growing teams serve their customers. The base plan starts at $15 per user per month. You’ll also get free calling and texting to anyone in the US and Canada.
When a new team member joins your OpenPhone workspace, each user on your account comes with one free toll-free, or local US or Canadian number. They can share this number with clients and team members to keep their personal numbers private. You can also buy additional phone numbers at $5 per number per month.
Prefer to share a number with your team members and split responsibility for incoming calls? Assign your team members to a shared phone number. Each member of your team will receive call and text notifications so there’s always someone around to pick up the phone.
OpenPhone makes international calls a breeze. All you have to do is add credits to your account and you can make and receive overseas calls almost immediately. And with reliable uptime as per our server status page, you’ll know your phone number is in good hands.
See why OpenPhone is rated the #1 business phone solution by thousands of professionals on G2. Sign up for a free seven-day trial and get a local, toll-free, or vanity number today.
Key features of OpenPhone
- Free calling and texting to the US and Canada
- Call recordings and voicemail transcriptions
- Snippets, auto-replies, and scheduled messages
- Additional phone numbers ($5 per number per month)
- Integrations with Gmail, Slack, Zapier, HubSpot, and more
- International calls with credits in your account
OpenPhone pricing
- Starter: $15 per user per month for one free local or toll-free number per user, shared phone numbers, voicemail transcriptions, unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada, and more
- Business: $23 per user per month for CRM integrations (Salesforce and HubSpot), call transferring, auto-attendant (IVR), analytics, and more
- Enterprise: Custom price for a dedicated account manager, priority support, and audit logs
2. RingCentral: Best for desk phone rentals
Pros
- Cost-effective desk phone rentals
- Advanced call handling
Cons
- 100 toll-free minutes per month limit on the base plan
- 25 texts per user per month limit on the base plan
- Limited call recording storage unless you upgrade
RingCentral is one of the oldest VoIP services on the market. It’s also compatible with desk phones and PBX phone systems, which is ideal for companies that still use on-premises hardware. You can rent desk phones with a multi-year contract or connect devices you already own. If you’re a business with a larger tech stack, you can integrate with apps like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams.
Unfortunately, RingCentral imposes several limitations that might force you to upgrade before you’re ready. For example:
- All saved files, including call recordings, are deleted after 90 days. And you can only store up to 5,000 messages unless you upgrade to the most expensive plan for unlimited storage ($35 per user per month).
- You need to upgrade if you want to send more than 25 texts per user per month. If you’re a fast-growing business or a customer service center, you’ll likely need far more than that. However, the second plan only offers 100 messages per user per month, while the Ultra plan scales to just 200.
- The base plan offers just 100 toll-free minutes per account. This means everyone on your plan will use these pooled toll-free minutes, and once they’re gone, you’ll pay extra per minute.
Not a fan of unnecessary limits? You might want to consider some RingCentral alternatives.
Key features of RingCentral
- Unlimited domestic calling
- Local and toll-free numbers
- Visual voicemail
- IVR
- AI tools (meeting transcriptions and summaries)
RingCentral pricing
- Core: $20 per user per month for 100 toll-free minutes per account, unlimited calls in the US and Canada, local and toll-free numbers, caller ID, 25 text messages per user per month, and more
- Advanced: $25 per user per month for 1,000 toll-free minutes per account, 100 text messages per user per month, CRM integrations (Salesforce and Zendesk), unlimited internet fax, automatic call recording, and more
- Ultra: $35 per user per month for 10,000 toll-free minutes per account, 200 text messages per user per month, unlimited storage, and device analytics and alerts
3. Grasshopper: Best for phone number extensions
Pros
- Unlimited calling to the US and Canada
- Desktop and mobile app
Cons
- No shared phone numbers
- No international text messaging
- No native integrations
Grasshopper offers unlimited calling to the US and Canada, which is ideal if you have customers in North America. It also offers unlimited extensions if you need to forward incoming calls to another phone number.
However, Grasshopper wasn’t designed for team collaboration — and it shows. The platform gives you limited productivity features, such as templated text messages, and you don’t have internal threads to see your conversation history with contacts. Additional numbers cost an extra $9 per month, which could get pricey if you want everyone on your plan to have their own number.
Grasshopper also doesn’t offer shared numbers, which makes it even harder for your reps to collaborate on fixing problems. And since you can’t integrate Grasshopper with your other apps, you’ll have to switch between multiple tabs to get work done.
If you’re a solopreneur looking for a basic business number, Grasshopper might have what you need. But if you’re a growing small business with multiple team members, this platform might not be a fit.
Key features of Grasshopper
- Local phone numbers and toll-free numbers (additional numbers are $9 per month each)
- Phone number extensions (additional extensions are $3 per month each and require upgrade)
- “Ruby” live virtual assistant receptionist (add-on)
- 24/7 customer support
- Auto-replies (only to first-time callers)
- Incoming call controls (custom schedules and business hours)
Grasshopper pricing
- True Solo: $14 per month for one user, one phone number, and one extension
- Solo Plus: $25 per month for unlimited users, one phone number, and three extensions
- Small Business: $55 per month for unlimited users, four phone numbers, and unlimited extensions
4. JustCall: Best for contact centers
Pros
- Toll-free numbers available in the US, UK, and Canada
- Schedule text messages
Cons
- Integrations require upgrade
- Toll-free numbers require upgrade
- Limited outbound calling (500 mins per user on the base plan)
JustCall’s plans offer advanced business communication features like call transfers, analytics, and smart call routing. It also works on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, which is useful if your team members use different devices and operating systems.
Unfortunately, you can’t access all number types through JustCall without upgrading. Toll-free numbers are locked behind the Team plan, which starts at $29 per user per month.
You should also know it costs extra to receive inbound calls on toll-free numbers. Outbound calls are limited to 500 minutes per user per month unless you upgrade to the Team plan, which starts at $29 per user per month. This isn’t the case with most virtual phone providers: inbound and outbound calling is usually free and unlimited.
And while you’ll get nifty SMS features like the ability to schedule messages on JustCall, you also have to contend with some strict limitations. You can’t send more than 250 messages per user per month on the base plan, which may cause issues if you use text messages to provide customer support.
Don’t want restrictions on calls, texts, and number types? You may want to consider a JustCall alternative.
Key features of JustCall
- Local and vanity numbers
- Toll-free numbers (requires upgrade)
- Calls to landline numbers in Australia and the UK
- SMS scheduling
- Call forwarding
JustCall pricing
- Essentials: $19 per user per month for access to local phone numbers, 500 outbound minutes per user, 1,000 inbound minutes per user, 250 text messages per user, and more
- Team: $29 per user per month for access to toll-free and vanity numbers, 1,000 outbound minutes per user, 1,000 inbound minutes per user, 500 text messages per user, and more
- Pro: $49 per user per month for the Salesforce integration, 1,000 outbound minutes per user, 1,000 inbound minutes per user, 1,000 text messages per user, and more
- Business: Custom price for dedicated success managers, custom onboarding, premium support, and custom SMS, inbound, and outbound limits
5. Google Voice: Best for Google Workspace users
Pros
- Free plan for personal use
- Integrates with other Google apps
- Comes with a local number
Cons
- No toll-free numbers (even if you already own them)
- Texting is available in the US only
- No integrations outside of G-suite
- No auto-replies or texting templates
There are two Google Voice plans: the free personal plan and the paid Google Voice for Business plan.
The free plan offers one local phone number per account if you’re based in the US, as well as basic features like voicemail transcriptions and email notifications. Keep in mind it doesn’t offer customer support, which means you can’t contact anyone to help solve problems you may have with the software.
The paid business plan was specifically designed for business use, offering a few more business features (such as support for multiple phone numbers).
When comparing Google Voice’s business vs. personal plans, you’ll notice neither integrates with apps outside Google Workspace. This means you’re stuck with basic tools like Calendar and Meet, which could force you to switch between tabs to access other tools.
Google Voice also lacks time-saving texting features. And you won’t have access to tools like auto-replies, so you can’t instantly respond to your customers outside business hours.
The biggest drawback? No toll-free numbers. You can’t purchase or port over toll-free numbers, either.
If toll-free numbers are critical for your business, you’ll want to consider a Google Voice alternative.
Key features of Google Voice
- Local phone numbers (US and Canada)
- SMS support (for US customers only)
- Call forwarding
- Mobile apps (iOS and Android)
- International locations (requires upgrade)
Google Voice pricing
- Starter: $10 per user per month for 10 users max, text messaging in the US, unlimited calls to the US only, and integrations with Google Suite tools (like Calendar and Meet)
- Standard: $20 per user per month for unlimited users, SIP link support, multi-level auto-attendants, ring groups, and more
- Premier: $30 per user per month for international locations, advanced reporting with BigQuery, and automatic call recording
OpenPhone: The best way to get a specific phone number for your business
Choosing a specific phone number is a big deal for your business. But choosing a specific phone number provider is an even bigger deal.
That’s why thousands of small business owners pick OpenPhone as their phone number provider. As the #1 business phone solution on G2, we make it easy to purchase local, toll-free, and vanity numbers so you can build better relationships with your customers.
Sign up for a seven-day free trial of OpenPhone.
Yes, you can request any unique phone number as long as it’s not in use. The best way to find out if a number is available is to use our phone number look-up tool. Alternatively, you can contact your provider directly.
A business phone number is dedicated to managing business operations. This could be contacting customers, texting leads, or coordinating internal communications. Business phone numbers also help to separate your personal number from your business so you don’t blur the lines between your personal and professional life.
Here’s how to get a specific cell phone number from a US provider, using OpenPhone as an example:
1. Sign up for an account or a seven-day free trial.
2. For local phone numbers, select your preferred city or area code in the US or Canada. For a North American toll-free number, use our phone number look-up tool to check availability.
3. Use any existing phone number and a credit card to verify your account.
This process allows you to get a specific cell phone number in 15 minutes or less.
Yes, you can buy a mobile phone number with a specific area code. With a VoIP phone provider like OpenPhone, you can choose from hundreds of local area codes in the US and Canada. You can also select a toll-free number with area codes such as 833 and 844.
If you wish to purchase a phone number online, you should start by selecting a VoIP provider. Once you’ve selected a reputable provider, you can browse available numbers for free. Then, you can purchase a plan, onboard your team, and start making and receiving calls through your WiFi connection.
There’s no way to reserve a custom phone number without renting or buying it first. Thankfully, your phone service provider can check availability and host your phone number through your internet connection. With OpenPhone, you can purchase as many phone numbers as you need — including local, toll-free, and vanity numbers — to build better relationships with your customers.
