11 best second phone number apps for 2023

When you’re running a business, the last thing you want is to use your personal number for your company. Imagine putting your private phone number on Google for all to see or getting business calls through the night with no way to distinguish them from your personal calls. Using a personal number can quickly grow bothersome, hectic, and insecure, especially as your business expands.

The good news is getting an alternate phone number — one that you can exclusively use for business — is simple and affordable. Instead of purchasing a brand-new landline or cell phone, all you need to do is sign up for a second phone number app to separate business and personal calls with ease.

1. OpenPhone: The best second phone number app

OpenPhone is a modern VoIP phone system built for businesses to help growing teams easily scale their communication. When you sign up, you can get one free US, Canadian, or toll-free number for every user on your team — and you can always get more numbers for $5 each per month.

Alternatively, you can assign specific team members to shared phone numbers so anyone who’s available can pick up calls or respond to texts.

OpenPhone is far more than a second phone number app. It’s here to help your business streamline your phone and text communication. For example, you can set up automations like auto-attendant, which lets your clients route their own calls, and texting auto-replies. Or, you can integrate with business apps like Gmail, Slack, Zapier, and HubSpot to speed up your workflow.

Key features of OpenPhone

• Free calls and texts in the US and Canada
• Text from your computer, smartphone, or tablet 
• Affordable international calls
• Shared phone numbers
• Direct team messaging, internal threads, and other collaborative elements
• Call recording
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Auto-attendant (IVR)
• Schedule text messages
• Text message auto-replies
• Business hour settings
• Integrations with business apps like Slack, Zapier, and HubSpot CRM

OpenPhone pricing

• Standard: $13 per user per month
• Premium: $20 per user per month to access call transfers, analytics, CRM integrations, and more
• Enterprise: Contact us for more information

Get a second phone number in minutes through OpenPhone. See for yourself why thousands of businesses use OpenPhone — sign up for a free, one-week trial.

OpenPhone app download links

• iOS
• Android

2. Google Voice

Google Voice for Google Workspace is a popular second phone number app for iPhone, Android, and the web. However, it offers fairly limited features for a business phone system, even with upgrades. Google Voice doesn’t support toll-free numbers, call recording, or many other features that modern businesses need.

While Google Voice offers a basic VoIP call forwarding service to all users, you need to upgrade for auto-attendant. Plus, integrations are limited to two Google tools, which don’t even include Gmail.

Google Voice for Google Workspace starts at $10 per user per month. In any case, to use Voice, you also have to subscribe to Google Workspace, which starts at $6 per user per month, to access this second phone number app.

Key features of Google Voice

• Unlimited calls to the US or to Canada from the US
• Unlimited texts in the US
• Auto-attendant (upgrade required)
• Integrations with Google calendar and Google Meet

Google Voice pricing

While Google Voice has a free version (in the US only), it’s not intended for business use. You won’t be able to access ring groups, auto-attendants, and other features. For their paid plans:

• Starter: $10 per user per month (maximum of 10 users)
• Standard: $20 per user per month to access on-demand call recordings, ring groups, and phone menus
• Premier: $30 per user per month to access automatic call recordings and advanced reporting
  Plus at least $6 per user per month for Google Workspace.

Google Voice app download links

• iOS
• Android

3. Sideline

Sideline is a smartphone app that supports alternate phone numbers within the contiguous US. It also offers a web app, though it doesn’t support phone calls.

Sideline is best known as a text messaging service for business, which means its most useful features — like auto-replies and text marketing tools — help you text clients with ease. International calling and auto-attendant aren’t even available unless you upgrade. Toll-free numbers, call recordings, and integrations aren’t possible at all with Sideline. 

Keep in mind with Sideline also you must activate VoIP calling in the app’s settings to make calls over the internet instead of using your cell phone minutes.

Sideline key features

• Unlimited calls and texts in the US (except Hawaii and Alaska)
• Shared phone numbers
• Text message auto-replies
• Text message templates (upgrade required)
• Business hour settings (upgrade and iOS required)

Sideline pricing

One challenge you may run into with Sideline is getting all the features you need with one plan. Sideline offers different features on each of their plans, but none of Sideline’s plans offer every feature available on their app. Their Standard plan offers auto-replies and basic calling and texting.

Standard

• $9.99 per month
• Can only have one user and a second number per account

Pro

• $14.99 per month
• Unlocks business hours, automated text reminders, and do not disturb

Team Number

• $9.99 per month
• Can either share a number or have a personal second number, but not both
• No advanced features

Enterprise

• $9.99 per line per month
• Unlocks international calling and auto-attendant (IVR) capabilities. Both of these features require an additional cost. 
• Admin controls to manage phone lines

Sideline app download links

• iOS
• Android

4. Burner

Burner is a second phone number app for Android and iOS that’s designed to protect your privacy. From spam-blocking technology to do-not-disturb settings, it’s filled with features that can keep you safe. Plus, after you sign up, you can treat your alternate phone numbers like burner numbers by switching or deleting them at any time.

However, Burner isn’t the best option for growing teams. While the app offers local phone numbers with area codes throughout the US and Canada, you’re limited to three numbers per account. Don’t expect any advanced business features beyond text message auto-replies either.

Key features of Burner

• Unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada
• Text message auto-replies
• Spam call blocking
• Integrations with business apps like Slack, Google Drive, and Evernote

Burner pricing

Burner ‘s pricing for one phone number starts at $3.99 per month but depends on the area code you’re looking for and the total amount of phone numbers you need. Unfortunately, Burner doesn’t share the exact costs publicly and requires you to download their app before you’re even presented with how much you can pay for those numbers through Burner.

Burner app download links

• iOS
• Android

5. TextFree

TextFree is a basic US phone number app you can access from your desktop and smartphone when you sign up for free.

However, don’t expect any outstanding business features from this second phone number app. Since it’s built for personal use, you won’t be able to add team members, get extra phone numbers, or send international texts. Plus, outbound calls cost extra. You also need to subscribe to a paid plan to avoid ads.

Key features of TextFree

• Unlimited texting in the US
• Unlimited inbound calls (minutes or upgrade required for outbound calls)
• International calls to Canada, Mexico, Singapore, and India (minutes required)

TextFree pricing

You can sign up for TextFree for free, but you risk losing your alternate phone number if you go 30 days without making a phone call or sending a text. Its limited paid plan starts at $9.99 per month.

TextFree app download links

• iOS
• Android

6. Line2

Line2 is a second phone number app that supports up to five local and toll-free numbers on every account. It’s available as a desktop and mobile app.

However, it’s not a robust platform by any means. While Line2 supports free calling for up to 99 users with all its plans, most of the business features that you may need require plan upgrades or add-ons.

Key features of Line2

• Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
• Unlimited texts in the US
• Auto-attendant (upgrade required)
• Call recording (add-on or upgrade required)
• Voicemail transcriptions (add-on or upgrade required)

Line2 pricing

Line2 starts at $13.75 per month.

Line2 app download links

• iOS
• Android

7. Dialpad

Dialpad is a feature-rich business phone system that offers a number of helpful features, like call recording and voicemail transcriptions with every plan. It also supports one local number with every plan. If you want your new number to be toll-free, you can expect to pay an extra $15-$17 per month.

Dialpad pushes users to upgrade, which can make it an incredibly costly service for small businesses. You can’t send international texts, set up auto-replies, or integrate with apps (other than Google Workspace and Office 365) without an upgrade — and you must pay for at least three users for a Pro plan or 100 users for an Enterprise plan if you do upgrade.

Dialpad starts at $20 per user per month.

Key features of Dialpad

• Unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada
• Call recording
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Auto-attendant (IVR)
• Integrations with business apps like Slack, Zapier, and HubSpot (upgrade required)

Dialpad pricing

• Standard: $15 per user per month (maximum of 3 users on a shared number; no additional numbers allowed)
• Pro: $25 per user per month (minimum of 3 users) to get additional numbers, international texting, call transfers, and auto-replies
• Enterprise: custom pricing (100-user minimum) to access dial by extension, priority support, and 100% uptime

Dialpad app download links

• iOS
• Android

8. Vonage

Vonage is a VoIP platform that’s been helping users access second phone numbers without new landlines for over two decades. But like many other legacy systems, you may run into issues with Vonage. While Vonage offers plenty of business features, many of them (like auto-attendant and call recording) require upgrades or come at an extra cost. You can access over 20 third-party app integrations with a standard plan, but toll-free numbers don’t come free.

Plus, MMS (picture messaging) is only available with API implementation, which can make it inaccessible to any team without developers.

Key features of Vonage

• Unlimited calls to US, Canada, and Mexico
• Unlimited SMS to the US and Canada (local US and Canadian numbers only)
• Auto-attendant (upgrade required)
• Call recording (upgrade required)
• CRM integrations (upgrade required)

Vonage pricing

Vonage’s price per user varies depending on your team’s size. The following pricing is for teams of one to four users:

• Mobile: $19.99 per user per month
• Premium: $29.99 per user per month to access phone menus, CRM integrations, and desk phone compatibility
• Advanced: $39.99 per user per month to access voicemail transcriptions, call groups, and on-demand call recordings

Vonage app download links

• iOS
• Android

9. Ooma

Ooma is a second phone number app that’s built for small businesses. When you sign up, you can get one free toll-free number for your team or choose from a variety of local numbers. It also uniquely supports overhead paging.

The downside is Ooma is pretty costly for the value it provides. You can’t access integrations or analytics with any plan. Plus, you need to upgrade to access Ooma’s desktop app. Otherwise, you can only work exclusively via your phone using Ooma.

Key features of Ooma

• Unlimited calls to US, Canada, and Mexico
• Auto-attendant
• Call recording (upgrade required)
• Voicemail transcriptions (upgrade required)

Ooma pricing

• Office Essentials: $19.95 per user per month
• Office Pro: $24.95 per user per month to access Ooma’s desktop app, phone menus, call recording, voicemail transcriptions, Google and Office 365 integrations, and video meetings
• Office Pro Plus: $29.95 per user per month to access reporting, Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrations, and automatic call distribution

Ooma app download links

• iOS
• Android

10. Grasshopper

Grasshopper is another platform marketed toward small businesses. It differs from other second phone number apps by offering 100% of its features — including voicemail transcriptions and custom voicemail greetings — with every plan. However, this means you pay based on the amount of phone numbers and extensions you need.

Since the basic plan only includes one phone number (and five with its highest-tier option), Grasshopper isn’t the best VoIP service for growing teams.

Grasshopper also lags behind when it comes to modern business phone features. For example, it doesn’t offer integrations, shared phone numbers, or call recording. While it offers local and toll-free numbers, you can only send MMS and group messages from local US numbers — and you can’t send SMS messages internationally or from a toll-free number to a Canadian number.

Key features of Grasshopper

• Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
• Call forwarding
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Custom voicemail greetings

Grasshopper pricing

Grasshopper is more difficult to scale due to their pricing structure. Compared to other business phone systems, they don’t charge by how many users you have. Instead, you pay for a set amount of phone numbers and extensions.

• Solo: $28 per month for one number and three extensions
• Partner: $46 per month for three numbers and six extensions
• Small business: $80 per month for five numbers and eight extensions
  Any additional numbers are $10 per month.

Grasshopper app download links

• iOS
• Android

11. JustCall

JustCall is a second phone number app that offers alternate phone numbers from 70 different countries, which can be helpful for brands with an international presence. It’s a high-tech platform that offers plenty of automations, created especially for sales and support teams. However, it can get incredibly pricey, even for large teams.

While JustCall is free for inbound calls if you have a local phone number, their platform charges by the minute for outbound calls, as well as all calls from toll-free numbers.

JustCall starts at $30 per user per month.

Key features of JustCall

• Unlimited incoming calls for local numbers
• Call recording
• Voicemail transcriptions
• Auto-attendant
• SMS automations
• Integrations with over 100 business apps

JustCall pricing

• Standard: $24 per user per month
• Premium: $48 per user per month to access to access multi-level phone menus, call whispering, Salesforce integrations, and other integrations
• Custom: You need to contact for details to access unlimited calling, Single Sign On, and personalized onboarding

JustCall app download links

• iOS
• Android

The best apps for a second phone number compared

Looking to see how these apps stack up side by side? Here’s a quick snapshot of how each of the best second phone number apps compares:

Get started with OpenPhone, the best app for alternate phone numbers

Signing up for a second phone number app is a simple and affordable way to separate business calls from personal ones, so you don’t need to answer to clients when your workday is over. An alternate business phone number app also ensures your personal number stays private.

But while all second phone number apps offer these perks, they’re all equipped with different features and pricing plans.

OpenPhone offers high-value features — including shared phone numbers, integrations, and call recording — on every plan, so you don’t need to rely on upgrades to get the features that modern businesses need. Start your seven-day free trial of OpenPhone.

FAQ

Every phone system is different, with some offering far more benefits than others. However, our answers to these frequently asked questions can help you explore how second phone number apps function at their core.

How can I use a second phone number app?

With most second phone number apps, all you need to do is sign up for a VoIP phone service, choose a new phone number, and download your VoIP provider’s app.
Once your account is activated you can call or send a text message from the provider’s mobile or desktop app, just like you would on your smartphone’s built-in calling and messaging apps.

How do second phone number apps work?

Many second phone number apps let you call and text using any solid internet connection, including WiFi. However, some providers use your cell phone minutes or data, meaning you’d still need a cell phone plan.

Is a second phone number app safe?

The best second phone number apps encrypt all your data and have other security protocols in place to protect it. For example, OpenPhone is SOC2 compliant. This keeps your information private. Of course, just like you would anywhere else, it’s always best to take additional precautions including using strong passwords and virtual private networks to help keep your information secure.

Emily Liu

Emily is a freelance business and marketing writer based in the desert, though her writing is anything but dry. Her passion is writing compelling, human-friendly content that helps growing businesses perform better.