SimVala

The best Google Voice alternatives, and which one fits you

In short

Google Voice is free, but only inside the US, and new users now show a government ID. Outside the US or keeping your ID private, a paid virtual number is the answer: ours start at $0.99 a month for a US number paid yearly. Running a team? A business phone system like Quo or Dialpad fits better.

Find your alternative Compare them

Facts checked 26 October 2026 on Google's help pages and each service's own site

A woman on a phone call at her desk, looking at her laptop

What Google Voice asks for

  • Live in the USRequired
  • A phone to verifyRequired
  • Government IDNew users
  • Name and addressNew users
  • Use it or lose itEvery 3 months
  • Texts to short codesNot possible

The problem

Why people look for a Google Voice alternative

Google Voice is a good free service for people who live in the US. Most people searching for an alternative have hit one of these five walls, all of them from Google's own rules.

  • It only works in the US

    Google says Voice is only available in the US. Outside it, you cannot sign up, and existing users pay international rates.

  • New users must show ID

    Sign-up now asks for your legal name, a government ID and your address. No calls or texts until it passes.

  • You need a number to get a number

    Google texts a code to a phone you already own. A community guide says it must be a US mobile.

  • Idle numbers get taken back

    No calls or texts for 3 months and Google can reclaim the number. You then have 45 days to recover it.

  • Some codes never arrive

    No texts to short codes, and Google says some banks and subscription services will not text Voice numbers.

  • US numbers only

    Personal accounts get US numbers. A UK, German or Mexican number needs a paid Workspace plan or another service.

Alternative finder

Which Google Voice alternative fits you?

Tick what you need the number for and how private you want sign-up to be.

1. What do you need it for?

Pick as many as you like.

2. What can you sign up with?

What replaces it

  1. A US number while living outside the US

    • Best fitSimVala US numberOurs

      $2.99 a month, or $0.99 a month paid yearly. No US address, ID or US phone needed.

      See prices

    • MySudo

      US, Canadian and UK numbers from $1.99 a month. Check it is offered in your country's app store.

  2. Receiving verification codes

Side by side

Google Voice requirements compared with a SimVala number

The biggest difference is not the price. It is what you have to hand over, and what happens if you stop using the number for a while.
  • Where you liveGoogle VoicePersonal accounts only work in the USSimValaNo residence requirement
  • Existing phone numberGoogle VoiceA phone that can receive Google's text codeSimValaNone
  • Government IDGoogle VoiceLegal name, ID and address for new usersSimValaNone
  • Countries of numbersGoogle VoiceUS only for personal accountsSimVala200+ countries
  • Keeping the numberGoogle VoiceUse it at least every 3 months or Google can reclaim itSimValaRenews from your balance, with 3 days' grace
  • Texting short codesGoogle VoiceNot possibleSimValaVaries by sender, like any virtual number

Where Google Voice wins: it is free, US calls are free, and if you already live in the US with a US mobile, the ID check is a one-time step. If that is you and you are fine with Google holding your ID, keep using it.

Where we win: you can be anywhere, pay in crypto, and nobody asks who you are. That suits people abroad who need a US presence, and anyone who keeps a second number precisely so it is not tied to their name.

Alternatives

Google Voice alternatives compared

Personal numbers first, then business phone systems. Details from each service's own site on 26 October 2026.

For a personal or second number

  • SimVala virtual number

    Ours: numbers in 200+ countries, paid in crypto
    • A US number for $2.99 a month, or $11.88 for a year
    • No ID, no email and no existing phone number. You get an account number
    • Rings the SIP app on your phone or computer, and shows as your caller ID
    • Unlimited texts in and out; renews from your balance so it stays yours
    • It is not free, unlike a personal Google Voice number
    • Some apps and banks refuse virtual numbers, just as they refuse Google Voice
    • Calls go through a SIP app, which takes a few minutes to set up

  • TextNow

    Free with ads
    • A free US number with ads
    • Calls and texts over Wi-Fi
    • US numbers only, and its SIM service outside the US ended after 30 July 2026
    • Idle numbers are taken back, much like Google Voice

  • Hushed

    Second-number app
    • US, Canadian and UK numbers in 300+ area codes
    • Plans from $6.99 a month
    • Its own help pages say numbers are not guaranteed to work for verification codes
    • No crypto option on its pricing page

  • MySudo

    Privacy app
    • Plans with up to nine numbers, each kept separate
    • From $1.99 a month for one number
    • US, Canadian and UK numbers only, and UK numbers need identity verification
    • No crypto option on its plans page

  • JMP.chat

    Number for chat apps
    • US and Canadian numbers, $4.99 a month from an account balance
    • Its FAQ says most US and Canadian short codes work
    • Runs through an XMPP chat app, which takes some setting up
    • The payment options were not listed on the pages we read

For a business or a team

If several people answer the same number, or you need call menus and a shared inbox, a business phone system is the right tool. We do not sell one of those.

  • Quo

    Formerly OpenPhone
    • Shared numbers and inboxes for a team
    • US and Canadian numbers; calls abroad as an add-on
    • From $15 a user a month, paid yearly
    • Its own blog lists no verification codes as a drawback
    • Business texting registration costs extra

  • Dialpad

    Business phone system
    • Local numbers in over 50 countries
    • From $15 a user a month
    • 14-day trial
    • Priced per user, so it adds up for one person
    • Built for companies, not private numbers

  • Grasshopper

    Small business line
    • A simple business number for a small company
    • Starting at $14 a month
    • Only available in the USA and Canada

Where a site did not state something, such as whether it accepts crypto, we left it out rather than guess. Burner, Talkatone and Dingtone were left out because we could not confirm their countries or current terms.

Number prices

What a number costs, in the US and beyond

Live prices from our catalog. Monthly plans renew each month; yearly plans cost less per month and renew once a year. Both renew from your balance.

Every number comes with unlimited texts in and out. Calls to it ring the SIP account in the app of your choice, and calls you make from there show the number as caller ID. See all 200+ countries, or our guide to getting a second phone number.

Verification codes

Verification codes: what any alternative can and cannot do

This is where most lists oversell. No virtual number, from Google or anyone else, works with every app. Here is how to give yourself the best chance.

  • For a code you need once

    Use a one-time number made for codes. Ours are priced per app, and if no code arrives you get your money back automatically.

    SMS codes

  • For an account you will log into again

    Use a number you keep, so you can receive the next code too. Apps that check line types may still say no.

    Numbers for verification

  • For banks and payment apps

    Keep your real mobile number. Banks are the strictest checkers of all, and Google says some of them will not text Google Voice either.

    Are virtual numbers safe?

Switching

Leaving Google Voice without losing calls

A number you have had for years is on bank records, doctors' files and old friends' phones. Move in this order.
  1. 1

    Get the new number first

    Set it up and make a test call before you touch the old one.

  2. 2

    Keep Google Voice alive

    Make one call or send one text every few weeks, so Google does not reclaim it while you move.

  3. 3

    Update accounts and people

    Change the number on accounts that use it for codes, then send the new number to your contacts.

  4. 4

    Port it, or let it go

    To move the old number to a provider that accepts transfers, Google charges $3 to unlock it. Our numbers are new numbers, not transfers.

Do not move to Skype

Several Google Voice alternative lists still recommend Skype Numbers. Skype closed on 5 May 2025 and the last Skype Numbers ended in May 2026. Our guide to Skype alternatives covers what replaced it.

Method

How we chose, and who we are

Facts about Google Voice come from Google's own help pages, read on 26 October 2026. Facts about the other services come from their pricing and help pages on the same day. We left out anything we could not read on an official page, and we left out services whose terms we could not check at all.

SimVala sells virtual numbers, so we are not neutral. We have said plainly where Google Voice is the better choice, and where a business phone system is.

Main sources

No ID, no US address

A US number from anywhere, paid in crypto

$2.99 a month, or $11.88 for a whole year. Unlimited texts, calls to your SIP app, and your number as caller ID. Numbers in 200+ other countries too.

Get a US number All countries

Also replacing Google Voice calling?

A SIP account calls landlines and mobiles worldwide, billed by the second on most routes, and uses your new number as caller ID.

SIP account prices

Google Voice alternative questions, answered

Can I use Google Voice outside the US?+

Not as a new personal user. Google says Voice is only available in the US, and you buy credit in US dollars. Existing users can still call from abroad, but Google charges international rates. Paid Google Workspace accounts can get Voice in 14 countries.

Does Google Voice require ID now?+

Yes, for new users. Google asks for your legal name, a government-issued ID and your address at sign-up. A new number cannot call or text until the check passes, a manual review can take up to 3 business days, and you only get a limited number of attempts.

Can I get Google Voice without a phone number?+

No. Google sends a code to a phone you already have, and the free plan needs a number to forward calls to. A community guide on Google's forum says that number must be a US mobile, not a landline or another internet number.

Will Google take my Google Voice number back?+

It can. Google's policy allows it to reclaim a number if you make no calls and send no texts for 3 months. You get a warning first, and after the reclaim date you have 45 days to get the number back.

Why do banks and apps reject Google Voice numbers?+

Many services check the line type and refuse internet numbers because of fraud. Google itself says some banks and subscription services will not text Google Voice numbers, and that you cannot text five or six digit short codes. The same applies to every virtual number, including ours.

What is the best free Google Voice alternative?+

Inside the US, TextNow gives a free number with ads. Outside the US there is no reliable free private number: the free ones are shared public inboxes anyone can read. A paid number from about a dollar a month on a yearly plan is the realistic option.

Can I move my Google Voice number to another provider?+

Usually, yes. Google charges $3 to unlock a number for porting, free if you ported it in. The new provider has to accept the transfer. Our numbers are new numbers, so keep your Google Voice number alive while you move your contacts over.

Can I get a US phone number without a US address or ID?+

Yes. A SimVala US number costs $2.99 a month and asks for no address, no ID and no email. You pay in crypto, and calls ring the SIP app on your phone or computer.

Keep reading

Also useful: US virtual number · Free virtual number · SIP account

Google Voice and the other names here are trademarks of their owners. SimVala is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google or any service named on this page.