6 best Verizon Second Number alternatives

At first glance, Verizon Second Number checks all the boxes — it’s cost-effective, easy to use, and pretty convenient if you’re an existing Verizon customer.

But that doesn’t mean it’s the best plan for a business owner. It’s kinda like fast food: convenient and cheap but not that great for the long term.

We explain everything you should know about Verizon Second Number, including why users turn to alternatives (hint: because it costs a lot for a little). 

And speaking of Verizon Second Number alternatives, we cover six other second number providers, including services built specifically for business owners.

What you need to know about Verizon’s Second Number plan

Second Number is a Verizon plan that lets you add a second phone number to your smartphone. This service was announced in 2024 as an easier alternative to carrying two phones.

Second Number lets you switch between your primary and secondary numbers with the touch of a button. It comes with basic features like unlimited talk and text in the US, Canada, and Mexico, which allows you to make and receive calls and texts from both numbers without switching SIM cards.

But you should know Verizon’s Second Number plan requires a Dual SIM device that can hold and use two SIM cards at once. It should support an eSIM (a built-in digital SIM), which not all devices do. Plus, you must have an existing Verizon plan, which could get expensive depending on your contract.

Wonder what else is behind the curtain?

Here are four other reasons why Verizon Second Number isn’t a good fit for businesses:

1. No shared phone numbers to work together to solve customer problems

You can get a second phone number with Verizon, but you can’t share this number with members of your team. That means only one person can make and receive calls or texts from a single phone number, making things tricky if more than one rep needs to talk to a customer. There’s no way for teammates to jump in and help, and important messages can slip through the cracks. If your team needs an easier way to handle calls and texts together, you’ll need something better.

2. No third-party integrations or automations to speed up your workflow 

Like many other traditional carriers, Verizon doesn’t integrate with third-party apps. This means you can’t automatically log call activity in your CRM like HubSpot or send missed call notifications to messaging apps like Slack.

3. No automatic call recording to help you remember who said what

Depending on your smartphone, there’s likely no easy way to automatically record calls with Verizon Second Number, making it difficult to refer back to important conversations at a later date.

It’s also much more difficult to spot coaching opportunities for your team. And checking for trends in customer conversations? All but impossible without a true business phone system.

Remember: Verizon’s Second Number plan was designed for personal rather than business use, so don’t expect any features beyond the basics. Even the ones you do get may have ‘functional’ limitations. Features like visual voicemail may not work correctly when using your second phone number on your device.

4. Customer conversations aren’t stored in a single inbox

Every call, voicemail, and text message in Verizon lives in a separate inbox. That’s not a bad thing if your second number is only for personal use, but if you’re using it for business, conversations will get tedious quickly.

First, you’ll have to fish through call logs, text messages, and your voicemail inbox to get enough context around specific conversations. Then, you’ll need to piece together a breadcrumb trail to figure out how best to respond to your customers.

This is a far cry from true business phone systems like OpenPhone, where all your calls, texts, and call recordings live under the same contact thread.

Verizon Second Number pricing

Verizon Second Number starts at $10 per number per month, not including taxes and fees (or the cost of your existing line). Keep in mind this is an initial promotion, and the cost will eventually go up to $15 per number per month.

Almost any Verizon monthly mobile postpaid plan will work with Second Number, but be prepared to spend anywhere from $30 to $90 per number per month. Add that to the cost of your Verizon Second Number, and you’ll pay as much as $105 per month for basic phone service — without business-specific features like call recording, voicemail transcriptions, or third-party integrations.

If you look into Verizon’s One Talk app, you won’t fare much better due to the limitations when it comes to sharing numbers, accessing features across devices, contacting support, and Verizon’s simultaneous ring feature. That’s why many people seek out Verizon One Talk alternatives. 

Comparing the best 6 Verizon Second Number alternatives

Realizing Verizon Second Number isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

Here are six popular alternatives worth considering instead:

Let’s start with the best VoIP service on the list:

1. OpenPhone: Best for small and growing business

Pros

• Supports unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada
• Works on computers, laptops, and phones (Android and iOS)
• Functions anywhere with a WiFi connection (cell service not required)
• Offers US and Canadian local numbers and North American toll-free numbers
• Integrates with leading CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)

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 business phone provider trusted by 58,000+ growing teams. Unlike Verizon Second Number, we were designed with business owners in mind and offer phone plans with features that help you build better relationships with customers.

Getting started with OpenPhone is simple. First, add as many numbers as you need to a single workspace, whether that’s local, toll-free, or vanity numbers. Then, make free calls and texts in the US and Canada from any device that’s connected to the internet. You don’t need to have an existing carrier or worry about pricey data services tacked onto your plan.

OpenPhone also makes it easier to collaborate with your team. For example, every user on your plan comes with one number so coworkers can make calls on their own separate numbers if they need direct numbers or you need phone numbers to support multiple locations. You can also split responsibility for incoming calls with shared numbers, letting your team make and receive calls from a single phone number.

OpenPhone is more than just a second number app, though. For less than the cost of your existing Verizon plan, you can:

• Tag coworkers in internal threads to get their attention without leaving the app.
• Use automatic call recordings and AI-powered call transcriptions to generate accurate transcripts of customer conversations you can easily refer to for any follow-up tasks.
• Sync contact data directly from your CRM to your OpenPhone workspace, which makes it easier for reps to stay up to date.
• Set up different ring orders — including all at once, random, and custom batches — so you never have to worry about missing important calls.
• Use scheduled texts to queue messages in the recipient’s time zone. That way, you don’t have to stay up late to press send or worry about interrupting your customers with after-hours business messages.
• Save message templates for frequently asked questions (also called snippets). Everyone on your team can create and share snippets so they always provide customers with fast, consistent help.
• Answer customers when away from your phone. With auto-replies, you can customize messages during and after business hours to set expectations and let customers know you’ll get back to them soon.

Sign up today for a seven-day free trial and see why OpenPhone is rated the #1 business phone system on G2.

Key features of OpenPhone

• Desktop, browser, and mobile apps
• Texting automations like scheduled texts, snippets, and auto-replies
• Customizable ring orders (random, custom, and all at once)
• Shared phone numbers for collaborating with your team
• Automatic call recording (requires upgrade)
• 7,000+ third-party integrations
• AI-powered call transcriptions

OpenPhone pricing 

OpenPhone’s pricing offers three different plans:

• Starter: $15 per user per month for unlimited calls in the US and Canada, one local or toll-free number per user on your account, voicemail transcripts, OpenPhone API, and access to manual call recording
• Business: $23 per user per month for automatic call recording, advanced call forwarding, phone menus, analytics and reporting, call transfers, and ring order
• Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, and priority chat and email support

2. Google Voice: Best for Google Workspace users

Pros

• Free version is available
• Mobile and web apps are available

Cons

• No multiple numbers on the free plan
• Business subscription requires Google Workspace
• No third-party app integrations 

Google Voice is an older VoIP provider that offers a paid version and a free version. The free version is for personal use, though it allows you to make calls from a different number. The paid version requires a Google Workspace subscription on top of your Google Voice subscription (which costs a minimum of $17 per user per month).

You get a few basic features on every Google Voice plan, including unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada and access to mobile and web apps (no desktop app, though). Unfortunately, Google Voice is as much of a legacy provider as Verizon.

The limitations speak for themselves:

• Google Voice doesn’t offer any texting automations. This means no auto-replies, snippets, or scheduled texts.
• Google Voice doesn’t support toll-free numbers at all. You can’t even port them in, so good luck finding a home for existing numbers.
• Google Voice’s ring groups require the Standard plan, which costs $20 per user per month (plus $7 extra to purchase Google Workspace).

Want a second phone number with better features for the price? You ought to look for a Google Voice alternative.

Key features of Google Voice

• Voicemail transcriptions
• Ring groups (requires upgrade)
• Call forwarding
• Mobile apps
• Google Workspace integrations

Google Voice pricing

Google Voice’s pricing plans give you three options to choose from:

• Starter: $10 per user per month for unlimited calls in the US and Canada, voicemail transcriptions, integrations with Google Workspace, call forwarding, access to mobile and web apps, and usage and activity reporting
• Standard: $20 per user per month for ring groups, desk phone support, ad-hoc call recording, and multi-level auto attendants
• Premier: $30 per user per month for advanced reporting with BigQuery, automatic call recording, and unlimited international locations

*You’ll need to add $7 per user per month for your Google Workspace subscription.

3. Burner: Best for temporary or disposable personal numbers

Pros

• Get up to 200 phone numbers
• Delete or swap numbers whenever you want

Cons

• Not designed for business use
• Not always user-friendly or reliable
• No advanced business features

Burner is a second phone number app that supports up to 200 additional phone numbers with any area code in the US or Canada. When you’re finished with a number, you can delete it or swap it for another. If you’re willing to upgrade for more impressive features, you can unlock number lookup, video messaging, and AI voicemail transcription.

But Burner was designed for personal rather than business use, as its features clearly show. You won’t have access to integrations, call recording, or phone menus. You also have to upgrade for fairly bare-bones features, including sending and receiving voicemail messages.

Keep in mind Burner doesn’t have the best reputation, especially when you hunt through user reviews. Calls may not always be reliable, and the learning curve could be steep, which is not ideal for growing small businesses.

Key features of Burner

• Spam blocking
• Unlimited calls and SMS in the US
• Do Not Disturb
• Call Mute
• AI voicemail transcriptions (requires upgrade)

Burner pricing

Burner offers three different pricing options:

• Monthly Subscription: $9.99 per month for spam blocking, do-not-disturb features, and call muting
• Annual Subscription: $4.99 per month (or $59.99 per year) for the same features at a discounted rate
• Premium Subscription: $89.99 per year for VPN, reverse number lookup, audio and video messaging, and AI voicemail

4. Sideline: The best for essential business needs

Pros

• Voicemail-to-text, group messaging, and auto-replies
• Call ~139 international countries with the international calling plan ($14.99 per line per month on Enterprise accounts)

Cons

• International calling costs extra
• Requires a US number for registration
• Customer service may not be responsive

Sideline offers second phone numbers on Android and iOS that come with local US area codes. It also allows users to port an existing number from another device or landline, as long as it’s based in the United States.

With Sideline, you can access unlimited calls, SMS, MMS, and group messaging on every plan. It also offers an auto-reply feature so you can instantly respond to missed calls or messages. Need to connect with customers overseas? There’s even international calling available.

But international calls with Sideline aren’t as simple as you might think. You’ll need to upgrade to the Enterprise plan and purchase the add-on for $14.99 per number per month. 

And keep in mind Sideline suggests getting an active carrier plan to improve call quality. This might be frustrating if you don’t want to connect to your carrier number or want high-quality calls that work directly through your internet connection.

Speaking of support, past users have reported multiple issues with Sideline’s customer service responsiveness. Check out what this reviewer had to say:

“Customer service is awful. There is no one to talk to personally, ever. If something goes wrong, it will stay wrong for hours or days while they take their time to respond to your email for help. If you need to make a change in the app, it will not auto-install. You will have to delete the app and log back in. No, I’m not joking. For every change. It’s literally archaic. Good luck.”

Key features of Sideline

• International calling (requires upgrade and add-on )
• Voicemail-to-text
• Group messaging
• Auto-replies
• Number porting (costs $19.99 to unlock a phone number you bought in-app)

Sideline pricing

Sideline’s pricing offers two different plans: Standard and Enterprise.

There are three ways to pay for a Standard plan:

• Monthly: $14.49 per month for auto-replies, unlimited messaging, and ring and text tones
• Half Yearly (six-month plan): $69.99 upfront for the same features 
• Yearly (12-month plan): $129.99 upfront for the same features 

The Enterprise plan costs $14.49 per number per month. You’ll have access to all the features you get in the Standard plans and have the option to buy international calling and phone menu add-ons.

5. Cloud SIM: The best for multiple international phone numbers

Pros

• Add multiple international virtual numbers to your phone
• Free calls and texts between Cloud SIM users

Cons

• External calls and texts require credits
• SMS credits are currently disabled in-app
• No business-friendly features (like call recording or auto-replies)

Cloud SIM (moving to Call.com) is a second number app for iPhone and Android. This app allows you to add up to four additional phone numbers to your existing smartphone. You can pick numbers from a variety of countries — including the UK, US, Canada, Poland, and France — then make free calls and text chats to other Cloud SIM users via your internet connection. 

With Cloud SIM, you can make and receive calls using WiFi or mobile data, which may be useful if you tend to take calls where you don’t have a strong internet connection. It also provides a separate voicemail for each mobile number you buy, making it easier to keep track of different messages on different numbers.

Unfortunately, Cloud SIM doesn’t offer important business features like auto-replies or third-party integrations. You also need to purchase credits for calls or texts to anyone without a Cloud SIM account. As you might imagine, this gets expensive fast.

Plus, many past users have warned of poor customer service leading to extremely expensive mistakes. Just take a look at this review:

“Up until recently I would have recommended this app. However, recent bad customer experiences mean I can no longer do so. On renewing my number, they took payment 5 times and extended the number 5 times as if they were separate renewals (i.e., as if I had gone in and renewed 5 times). After many unsuccessful attempts to contact them, someone eventually responded basically saying ‘tough’ and refusing to refund the 4 additional ‘renewals.’”

Key features of Cloud SIM

• International calling
• Free calls and texts between users
• Import/export contacts
• WiFi and mobile data enabled
• Contact blocking

Cloud SIM pricing

You’ll pay $5.99 for a one-month Cloud SIM subscription. You’ll also need to purchase minute bundles to make calls to non-Cloud SIM users.

To reach customers in the US, you’ll pay:

• 330 minutes for $3.25
• 500 minutes for $4.55
• 1,000 minutes for $6.50

SMS credits are no longer available in-app. This means you can only text other Cloud SIM users (or find a better Verizon second number alternative).

6. FreeTone Calls & Texting: The best for personal use

Pros

• Compatible with iPhone and Android
• Free calls and texts to other FreeTone users

Cons

• Designed for personal use
• Credits required for calling non-TextMe users
• Calling rates may not be transparent

If you just want a second number for personal use, FreeTone (now called TextMe) may be what you’re looking for. This app provides users with a free US or Canadian phone number so they can get a second phone number for dating or traveling abroad.

Like other VoIP platforms, FreeTone doesn’t rely on your cell service. Instead, calls require an internet connection, which is a nice alternative to purchasing a cell plan. FreeTone also supports features like SMS and video calls, which are useful if you want an alternative to voice calls.

Keep in mind that FreeTone was designed for personal use — and it shows. You won’t find helpful features like call recording or built-in support for vanity or toll-free numbers.

You also have to worry about paying for minutes. Calls to users in the US are typically free, but there’s no way to know for sure unless you individually check rates for different contacts.

Key features of FreeTone Calls & Texting

• Voicemail services
• Custom phone numbers
• International calls and texts (require per-minute fees)
• Make calls from iPads and iPods
• Unlimited calls in the US and Canada (requires upgrade)

FreeTone Calls & Texting pricing

FreeTone’s free plan provides one free local US or Canadian number, unlimited talk and text, and call block. However, you’ll have to pay extra for the Premium plan:

• Weekly: $6.99 per week for ‘secure your number,’ call forwarding, and no ads in-app
• Monthly: $9.99 per month for the same features
• Monthly Renewing: $7.99 per month for the same features on an auto-renewing plan

OpenPhone: The best Verizon Second Number alternative

Verizon Second Number is the karaoke version of a real business phone system — it hits some of the right notes, but you can tell it’s not the real deal. So if you’re growing a small business and see a lot of potential on the horizon, you’ll need more than a glorified extension to help build better relationships with customers.

With OpenPhone, you can easily purchase multiple numbers for the same price as Verizon Second Number. Plus, your plan comes with features you could never unlock with Verizon, including automated call recording, integrations, ring orders, and AI-powered features like call summaries, transcriptions, and call tagging.

Curious to see what sets us apart?

Get a second phone number with OpenPhone today by signing up for a seven-day free trial.

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