Google Voice alternatives
Google Voice alternatives: what replaces each part of it in 2026
TL;DR
If you live in the US and can pass Google's checks, Google Voice is still hard to undercut; TextNow is the closest free match, but only for the US and Canada. Elsewhere I found no free service that both calls phone numbers and gives you a number of your own. For calling phones from a browser tab, look at pay-per-minute dialers such as Yolla or TwinPhone; for a local number, at business lines from Sonetel or Zadarma.
Key facts
- Personal Google Voice accounts are available only in the US, and a new number can't call until a government-ID check is done (checked ) [1][2].
- TextNow gives a free US or Canadian number [3], but its terms limit it to people living in the US or Canada (checked ) [4].
- WhatsApp Web now places calls in a browser tab [5], but its help pages describe calls only to WhatsApp contacts and call-link guests; none offers calls to ordinary phone numbers (checked ) [6][7].
- A UK landline costs $0.01 a minute on Google Voice, from $0.06 on Yolla and $0.06 on TwinPhone (rate pages read ) [8][9][10].
Why look for a Google Voice alternative?
Most people look for an alternative because Google Voice will not take them. Personal accounts work only in the US [1], new numbers stay blocked until a government-ID check is done [2], and the free plan needs another phone number to verify and forward calls [11][12]. Others pass the checks but want 911, a number abroad, or more prepaid credit.
| Limit | What Google's help pages say | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Personal accounts, free and paid, are only available in the US [12]. | Anyone living outside the US |
| Sign-up | A text code to a phone number you already have [11], then a government-ID check before a new number works [2]. | People without a second phone, or unwilling to upload an ID |
| 911 | No emergency calls on the free plan; only the Voice Starter ($10 a month) and Standard ($20 a month) standalone plans and Workspace accounts get them [13][14]. | Anyone who wants one line for everything |
| Credit | Bought in US dollars only, and the balance can't go above $70 [1][15]. | Frequent international callers |
| Number | One US number picked by city or area code, and no 1-800 numbers [16]. | Anyone who needs a local number in another country |
From Google Voice Help, read on .
If none of these limits apply to you, keep Google Voice: from the US almost all calls to US and Canadian numbers are free [17]. What the free plan leaves out is covered in my look at what Google Voice actually charges for.
Google Voice alternatives side by side
No single service copies all of Google Voice. TextNow is the nearest free match but stays inside the US and Canada; Yolla and TwinPhone are pay-per-minute dialers for calling real numbers from a tab; Quo, Sonetel and Zadarma sell business numbers. I put Google Voice first as the yardstick for sign-up rules, cost, incoming calls and 911.
| Service | Who can sign up | Sign-up needs | Typical cost | Incoming calls and caller ID | Emergency calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | Personal accounts: US only[1] | Phone number for a text code, plus ID check[2] | Most US/Canada calls free; UK $0.01/min[8] | Yes: your free number rings in the tab[18] | Not on the free plan[13] |
| TextNow | US and Canada residents only[4] | Google, Apple, Facebook or email login[19] | US and Canada free; India from $0.01/min[20] | Yes: the free number rings in the browser[21] | 911 with limits, US and Canada[4] |
| TwinPhone | No country limit stated (unverified) | Email or Google; no phone number, no card[22] | US $0.02/min, UK mobile $0.12/min[10] | With a rented US/Canada number, $0.02/min[23] | No: 911, 112 and 999 can't be dialled[24] |
| Yolla | No country limit stated (unverified) | Phone number with SMS check (app); web unclear[25] | US from $0.01/min[26] | No: outbound only[27] | No emergency calls[28] |
| Quo (formerly OpenPhone) | — | Mobile SMS, card and photo ID check[29] | From $15/user/month, billed yearly[30] | — | — |
| Sonetel | Most countries; business use only[31] | Email, no card; ID to activate a number[32] | US $0.012/min, UK landline $0.62/min[33] | Yes: your number rings in the web app[34] | No[31] |
| Zadarma | Users in 160 countries, by its own count[35] | Email, then a prepaid top-up[36] | US $0.008/min before VAT[37] | Yes, with a number from 110 countries[38] | Only with a local number, on request[39] |
On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
The order of the rows is not a ranking. The only numbered list on this site is the ranking on the home page, scored for a reader in the US, and there TextNow and Google Voice both come out ahead of every paid dialer.
Two names that older lists still recommend are gone or renamed. Skype was retired on [40], and OpenPhone has been called Quo since [41].
Is there a free Google Voice alternative?
Yes, but only one that comes close, and only in North America. TextNow gives a free US or Canadian number with free calls to both countries [3], paid for by in-app ads [45]. Outside the US and Canada, the free options either stay inside an app (WhatsApp Web, Google Meet) or are capped web dialers, and none of them gives you a number of your own.
TextNow
TextNow's terms say the service is intended for people living in the US or Canada and exclude residents of the EU and EEA; they also forbid ad blocking and let TextNow restrict VPN use [4]. Its browser support article says the web client makes and receives calls in Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge [21].
I could not confirm two things: that article is an older copy, as the current help centre returned an error to me, and the sign-up link sent me to the app download page, so a new account may need the app first.
Free, but without a phone number
WhatsApp Web added voice and video calls in a browser tab on [5], and its help centre still says the feature is rolling out gradually [46]. Its calling pages describe calls to WhatsApp contacts only [6], and none of the pages I read offers a way to ring a landline or a mobile that isn't on WhatsApp. Google Meet on a personal account cannot dial phone numbers either: dial-out works only in meetings organised by a Google Workspace account [47].
Free web dialers do reach real numbers, within tight limits. PopTox shows one shared number on every call [48], Call2Friends allows one or two free calls a day per IP address [49], and Globfone wants a verified phone number and a payment card first [50]. I go through those limits in what is actually free.
Which Google Voice alternative works outside the US?
Not Google Voice itself: Google's help says it 'can only be used in the US' [51]. Outside the US I would choose by the job. To call phone numbers from a browser tab, Yolla and TwinPhone state no sign-up country limit on the pages I read. For a local number in your own country, Sonetel and Zadarma sell numbers in 69 and 110 countries, mainly to businesses [52][38].
| Service | United States | Europe, UK and other Workspace countries | Elsewhere | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TextNow | Yes | No | No | US and Canada residents only[4] |
| Google Voice | Yes | Business plans only | No | Personal accounts: US only[1] |
| TwinPhone | No limit stated | No limit stated | No limit stated | No country limit stated (unverified) |
| Yolla | No limit stated | No limit stated | No limit stated | No country limit stated (unverified) |
| Google Meet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Any Google account; country limits not checked |
| PopTox | No limit stated | No limit stated | No limit stated | No country limit published (unverified) |
| Call2Friends | No limit stated | No limit stated | No limit stated | No limit published; free calls vary by country[53] |
| Microsoft Teams (free) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Microsoft account; country limits not checked |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Any mobile number; country blocks not checked | |
| Globfone | No limit stated | No limit stated | No limit stated | Depends on country and IP; no list[54] |
| Telegram Web | Yes | Yes | Yes | All major platforms; country blocks not checked[55] |
| Zadarma | No limit stated | No limit stated | No limit stated | Users in 160 countries, by its own count[35] |
| Sonetel | Business plans only | Business plans only | Business plans only | Most countries; business use only[31] |
On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Google Voice alternatives in Europe
There is one Google route in Europe: Google Voice as an add-on to a paid Google Workspace subscription [12], available in 14 countries, among them the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands [56]. It is a company phone system run by an admin, not a personal number.
Sonetel has a free Basic plan with no card required [57][58], a web app for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari [59], and local numbers in 69 countries from $2.00 a month [52][57]. Its terms limit use to your own business purposes, and a number is activated only after you give a billing address and ID number [31][32].
Zadarma signs you up with an email address [36], includes a free cloud PBX plan [60], and sells numbers in 110 countries [38]. Its webphone makes and receives calls in the browser [61], but the setup is built for office phone systems, so expect more configuration than Google Voice needs.
If you are set on Google Voice itself, for example from Canada or the UK, my guide to Google Voice from abroad explains what Google allows and what it doesn't.
Google Voice alternatives for international calls
Google Voice's international rates are low: its rate card lists UK landlines at $0.01 and India at $0.02 a minute [8]. Of the consumer dialers that state no sign-up country limit, Yolla comes closest. TwinPhone matches Yolla on UK landlines but charges more to UK mobiles, India and Mexico [10]. Zadarma, a business PBX, is cheaper to UK numbers if that kind of account suits you.
| Service | UK landline | UK mobile | India | Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | $0.01[8] | $0.01[8] | $0.02[8] | $0.01[8] |
| Yolla | from $0.06[9] | from $0.10[9] | from $0.0239[62] | from $0.011[63] |
| TwinPhone | $0.06[10] | $0.12[10] | $0.08[10] | $0.02–$0.04[10] |
| Zadarma | $0.008 | $0.020 | $0.022 | $0.020[64] |
Per minute, lowest published rate on the date checked. Scroll sideways on a phone.
Three caveats. Google's UK mobile rate covers EE, O2, Vodafone and Three; other UK mobiles cost $0.28 a minute [8]. Yolla's figures are 'from' prices [9]. Zadarma's prices exclude VAT [37], and from its calls to the US carry a 12-second minimum [65].
For occasional calls, the smallest top-up matters as much as the rate. Google Voice's auto-recharge options are $10, $25 or $50 [15], Yolla starts at $4 [25], and TwinPhone at $10, with no trial credit but credit that never expires [66][24].
Google's full rate card is unpacked in Google Voice's per-minute prices by country, and the other services are compared destination by destination in calling abroad online.
Apps like Google Voice that give you a number
Part of Google Voice's appeal is a number that rings in your browser. Among the alternatives, TextNow gives a free US or Canadian number, TwinPhone rents numbers in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, Quo includes one in a business subscription, and Sonetel and Zadarma sell numbers in many more countries. Yolla's browser dialer is outbound only [27], so it cannot take calls in the tab.
| Service | Number countries | Price of the number | Rings in the browser | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | US, personal accounts [12] | Free | Yes, with the tab open [18] | Government-ID check for new numbers [2] |
| TextNow | US, Canada [3] | Free, with ads | Yes [21] | US and Canada residents only [4] |
| TwinPhone | US, Canada, Puerto Rico [67] | From $3.19 a month [67], plus $0.02 a minute for incoming calls [23] | Yes, in the tab or the iPhone app [23] | Takes texts from US and Canadian senders, cannot send SMS [68] |
| Quo | US, Canada [69] | Included in Starter, $15 per user a month billed yearly [30] | Yes [70] | Real mobile number and photo ID required [29] |
| Sonetel | 69 countries [52] | From $2.00 a month [57] | Yes [34] | Business use only; ID and address to activate [32] |
| Zadarma | 110 countries [38] | US number $1.79 a month on yearly payment [38] | Yes, in the webphone [61] | PBX-style setup; prices shown without VAT [37] |
TwinPhone, which sponsors this site, makes its case on its own Google Voice alternative page. What I could confirm on its other pages: sign-up with an email or Google account, with no phone number or card, and calls from Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave or Safari [22]. Without a rented number, the person you call sees a shared number that cannot be called back; showing your own verified mobile costs $1 a month [71].
Don't count on any of these numbers for bank or app verification texts: Google itself warns that some third-party services may not accept numbers that began on Google Voice [72]. I explain where virtual numbers get refused in calling without a SIM card, and the steps to get a Google Voice number cover Google's ID check if you still want its own.
For a business line
Quo (formerly OpenPhone) is the closest business match: a browser app with no install [73], US and Canadian numbers, and calls to both countries included from anywhere under a fair-use policy [30]. A one-person account is allowed, but sign-up needs a card and the 7-day trial excludes international calls [29][74].
How to switch away from Google Voice
Decide what you are replacing before you sign up for anything: the number people know, free US calls, cheap international rates, or just a way to call from a laptop. Keep Google Voice running until the new service works for you, and move the number out last; once a port starts, don't delete the Google Voice number [72].
- List what you actually use: free US and Canada calls, international calls, texts, voicemail, or a number people already have.
- Check the sign-up rules for where you live. TextNow is for US and Canada residents [4], Quo needs a real mobile number and photo ID [29], and TwinPhone asks only for an email or Google account [22].
- On each operator's own rate page, note the per-minute price for the countries you call most and the smallest top-up.
- If you want to keep the number, ask the new provider whether it takes ported numbers before you unlock anything. Quo's plans include one new or ported number per user [30].
- In Google Voice settings, unlock the number. Unlocking costs $3, or nothing if the number was originally ported in from another carrier [72]. Then ask the new provider to start the port.
- Keep a mobile or landline for emergencies, whichever service you end up with.
What none of these alternatives replace
A phone line for emergencies. Google Voice's free plan cannot place emergency calls [13], and TwinPhone, Yolla, Quo and Sonetel rule them out in their own documents [24][28][75][31]. TextNow handles 911 in the US and Canada, with documented limits [4]. Whatever you choose, keep a mobile or landline for 911, 112 or 999.
Zadarma can switch on emergency calling only after you buy a number in a supported country and ask for it in a support ticket [39]. WhatsApp's terms exclude emergency services altogether [76].
In this guide
Services
Can you use Google Voice outside the US? Countries, travel and moving abroadGoogle Voice not available in your country? Personal accounts are US-only. I checked the 34 countries Workspace covers and what still works on a trip abroad.
Services
Is Google Voice free? What is free and what you pay forGoogle Voice is free in the US for calls to most US and Canada numbers. I list what it costs: Starter and Standard plans, calls abroad and number fees.
Services
Google Voice international call rates: what a minute costs and how the credit worksWhat Google Voice charges a minute to call abroad, with dated rates for 12 countries, how prepaid credit and auto-recharge work, the balance cap and refunds.
Services
How to get a Google Voice phone number in 2026: requirements, steps and fixesHow to get a Google Voice number in 2026: who qualifies, the sign-up steps at voice.google.com, the text code and ID check, and fixes for common errors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the downside of Google Voice?
For most people it is access. Personal accounts are US-only [1], and a new number needs a code sent to a phone you already have plus a government-ID check [11][2]. After that, the free plan has no 911 [13], credit is capped at $70 [15], and browser calls ring only while you are signed in with the tab open [18].
Can TextNow replace Google Voice?
For people living in the US or Canada, largely yes. TextNow gives a free number with free calls to both countries [3], and its terms accept Canadian residents, which Google Voice does not [4][1]. The trade-offs: in-app ads you may not block, and an account inactive for more than a year can be cancelled [4]. Unlike the free Google Voice plan, it handles 911, with documented limits [4][13].
Is Google Voice free for international calls?
No: international calls are paid from prepaid credit at rate-card prices, which on listed India at $0.02 and Mexico landlines at $0.01 a minute [8]. That is lower than most alternatives on this page, but only US residents can open the account that buys the credit [1], and how Google Voice credit and its cap work is covered separately.
Can I use a VPN to get Google Voice outside the US?
I don't recommend it: a VPN changes your IP address, but a new number still needs a text code to a phone you already have and a government-ID check [11][2], and Google says the service is only available in the US [1]. A service that openly accepts your country is the safer route, and what Google allows when you live abroad is explained in a separate guide.
Can WhatsApp replace Google Voice?
Only for calls to other WhatsApp users. WhatsApp Web now places voice and video calls in a browser tab [5], but its help pages describe calls to WhatsApp contacts only [6]. It gives you no new number, needs your existing mobile number to register [76], and none of its pages offers calls to landlines or to mobiles outside WhatsApp.
Does Google have another way to call phone numbers from a browser?
Two, both limited. Google Meet can dial a phone only in meetings organised by a Google Workspace account, with US and Canadian numbers included in every edition [47][77]. Google Fi's web calls work only for US residents on a Fi plan whose main phone is Android, not iPhone [78][79]; plans start at $20 a month plus data [80].
Can I keep my Google Voice number if I switch?
Yes, by porting it to a provider that accepts it. You unlock the number in Google Voice settings, which costs $3 unless the number was originally ported in, then ask the new provider to start the transfer [72]. Don't delete the Google Voice number while the port is under way. Google also notes that some third-party services may not accept numbers that began on Google Voice [72].
Which Google Voice alternative works in Canada?
TextNow is the closest free match, since its terms cover people living in the US or Canada [4]. For a Canadian number that rings in a browser, TwinPhone rents one from $3.19 a month [67], and Quo includes one in its business plans [69]. Canadian companies on Google Workspace can also add Google Voice [56].
Is OpenPhone still a Google Voice alternative?
It is, under a new name: OpenPhone rebranded as Quo on [41]. Quo's Starter plan costs $15 per user a month billed yearly, or $19 billed monthly [30], and it works from any country, though its numbers are US and Canadian only [69]. Sign-up needs a real mobile number and photo ID, and it has no emergency calling [29][75].
TwinPhone FAQ
Can TwinPhone replace Google Voice?
Partly. It calls landlines and mobiles from a browser tab, signs you up with an email or Google account and no phone number [22], and rents US, Canadian or Puerto Rico numbers that ring in the tab [67]. It is not free: there is no trial credit, the smallest top-up is $10 [24][66], and US calls cost $0.02 a minute [10]. Its numbers cannot send SMS [68], and it places no emergency calls [24].
Does TwinPhone work outside the US?
The pages I read state no sign-up country restriction, which is not a confirmed worldwide list, so I treat it as unverified. Numbers are limited to the US, Canada and Puerto Rico [67]. Reach is stated inconsistently: 145+ countries on the browser-calling page, 165 destinations on the rates page [22][10]. UK mobiles cost $0.12 and India $0.08 a minute, above Yolla's $0.10 and $0.0239 [9][62].
Prices are converted to USD at the rate of October 30, 2026 (ExchangeRate-API (open access endpoint)). Hover over a price to see the operator's original price.
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