Quick Answer
It depends on where you live and whether you need to send texts. If you live in the US and already have a US mobile number, Google Voice is free for personal use and hard to beat. If you need to send texts, want monthly plans, or want numbers in several countries, apps like Hushed may suit you better. The TripoSIM US Number ($100 a year) fits people who live outside the US and mostly need calls to and from the US and Canada, with voicemail and one simple yearly price. It cannot send texts.
We sell a US number, so you might expect us to say ours is best for everyone. It isn't, and this guide says so plainly. Different apps are built for different people. Here is how the main options compare, so you can pick the right one, even if it's not ours.
A note on prices: other apps change their prices and plans often, so we don't quote them here. Check each company's website for current prices.
The short version
- You live in the US: Google Voice is free for personal use. Start there.
- You need to send texts: Google Voice, Hushed and TextNow can. The TripoSIM US Number can't.
- You want to pay month by month: many other apps offer this. Ours is yearly only.
- You live outside the US, need a US number for calls with the US and Canada, and want it in the same app as your travel eSIM: the TripoSIM US Number is built for you.
Side-by-side comparison
| TripoSIM US Number | Google Voice | Hushed | TextNow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made for | People anywhere who need calls with the US and Canada | People in the US | People who want a second number | People in the US and Canada |
| Set up from outside the US | Yes (except sanctioned countries) | Usually hard: personal accounts need a US number to link | Yes | Mainly for the US and Canada |
| Price | $100 a year | Free for personal use; paid plans for business | Paid plans (check their site) | Free with ads; paid options |
| Send texts | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Receive texts | From US and Canadian senders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call other countries | No, US and Canada only | Yes, paid | Check their plans | Yes, paid |
| Voicemail | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Bank and WhatsApp codes | Not guaranteed | Not guaranteed | Not guaranteed | Not guaranteed |
The last row matters: no internet number can promise verification codes, because each bank or app decides for itself. See will a virtual US number work for verification codes?
Google Voice
Where it's better: it's free for personal use, it can send and receive texts, and it works well for people in the US. If you can set it up, it's hard to beat on price.
Where it's harder: personal Google Voice is meant for US users, and signing up usually needs an existing US phone number to link. That is a problem for many people who live abroad and don't have one. People who set it up while living in the US often keep using it when they travel.
Choose it if: you live in the US, or you already have a working Google Voice number.
Hushed
Where it's better: it is built for second numbers, it sells numbers in several countries, and its plans can include sending texts. It also offers shorter plans, which helps if you only need a number for a short time.
Where it may fall short: plans and allowances vary, so compare the minutes and texts you get with how you will actually use it.
Choose it if: you need to send texts, you want numbers in more than one country, or you only need a number for a few weeks.
TextNow
Where it's better: there's a free, ad-supported option, and it includes texting.
Where it may fall short: it's made mainly for people in the US and Canada, and free numbers may be taken back if you don't use them for a while. Check their current rules.
Choose it if: you live in the US or Canada and want a free second number.
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What about Skype?
Skype, and its Skype Number feature, was a popular choice for years. It closed in 2025, so it is no longer an option.
TripoSIM US Number
Where it's better:
- Made for people outside the US. You can buy it from any country except sanctioned ones.
- You choose your number by state or area code.
- One simple price: $100 a year (about $8.33 a month) for 300 outgoing minutes a month to US and Canadian numbers, incoming calls (fair use up to 300 minutes a month), voicemail and incoming texts.
- One app for your trips: the same TripoSIM app holds your US number and your travel eSIMs, and you get a $5 eSIM credit as a welcome bonus.
- Clear limits: extra minutes are 100 for $5, and minutes reset every month on the day you bought the number.
Where others are better:
- You can't send texts with our number. You can only receive them.
- Yearly only. If you need a number for one month, a monthly app costs less.
- No refunds, except if we can't deliver your number within 72 hours or the law of your country requires one.
- US and Canada calls only. Other apps let you call more countries.
- No 911, like most app numbers.
TripoSIM US Number
Live outside the US and need calls with the US and Canada? Choose your number by state or area code. $100 a year. Choose your US number →
How to choose in three questions
- Do you live in the US? If yes, try Google Voice first.
- Do you need to send texts? If yes, choose an app that includes sending, like Hushed, Google Voice or TextNow.
- Do you live abroad and mostly need calls with the US and Canada, for a year or more? The TripoSIM US Number is a simple fit.
Things every app number has in common
Whichever app you choose:
- It needs internet. Calls use about 0.5 to 1 MB of data per minute. A travel eSIM keeps you online cheaply when you travel.
- Notifications must be allowed, or your phone won't ring.
- Some countries restrict internet calling apps. See our list of countries that block internet calls.
- Keep your real mobile number for banks and WhatsApp. Read can you receive OTP codes with a travel eSIM?
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Voice free outside the US?
Personal Google Voice is free, but it's meant for US users and signing up usually needs a US phone number to link. Many people abroad can't set it up for that reason.
Which US number app is cheapest?
For people in the US, Google Voice (free for personal use) or TextNow's free plan. For people abroad, compare the yearly cost: the TripoSIM US Number is $100 a year, about $8.33 a month.
Can the TripoSIM US Number send texts?
No. It can receive texts from US and Canadian senders, but sending texts is not included. If you need to send texts, choose an app that includes it.
Will any of these apps work for WhatsApp or bank codes?
None can promise it. Banks and apps decide for themselves, and many refuse internet numbers.
Can I switch later?
Yes, but you would get a new number. Before you change, tell your contacts and update any accounts that use the old number.
The bottom line
There is no single best US number app. Google Voice is great if you live in the US. Hushed and TextNow are good if you need to send texts. The TripoSIM US Number is a simple, honest choice if you live abroad and mostly need to call and be called by people in the US and Canada.
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