How to choose a virtual phone number service: price, features and the fine print

A virtual phone number puts a business line on the phone and computer you already have: calls, texts and voicemail on a number that isn't your personal one. The seven services in our virtual phone numbers ranking range from a $7.99 second line to numbers that sit on a full phone system. Prices here were read between Sep 24 and Sep 27, 2026.

What our ranking weighs, and why

We score each service on its entry plan; the methodology shows every formula.

• Price (35%). The monthly price of the entry plan per user or number, annual prepay included, plus any subscription the service requires. $10 or less scores full marks; $40 or more scores nothing.
• Included features (30%). Five things a second line needs: business texting, call forwarding, voicemail transcription, business-hours routing, and mobile and desktop apps.
• Number options (15%). Local, toll-free and vanity numbers, and porting in a number you already have.
• Contract and cancellation (10%). Points come off for no month-to-month option, a seat minimum above one, or a charge for leaving early.
• Support (10%). 24/7 phone and chat scores highest; chat or email only scores low.

The prices you will see

• Line2 Unlimited: $7.99 a month billed yearly, $9.99 monthly, per number.
• Google Voice Starter: $10 a user, plus a paid Google Workspace plan from $8.40 a user.
• Grasshopper True Solo: $14 a month billed annually, for one user and one number.
• Dialpad Standard: $15 a user billed annually, $27 monthly.
• Phone.com Basic: $15 a user billed annually, $18 monthly.
• Quo Starter: $19 a user billed yearly, $28 monthly.
• Talkroute Basic: $19 a month, month to month, one user included.

The traps we found

1. A subscription you must also buy. Google Voice can't be bought on its own. With Workspace Business Starter, the entry cost is $18.40 a user, not $10.

2. Features held back for higher plans. Phone.com Basic has no two-way texting or voicemail transcription; both start on Plus. Talkroute Basic doesn't include hours-of-operation routing; it starts on Plus at $39. Line2 lists voicemail transcription only on its Business plan, and business-hours routing isn't stated for Unlimited.

3. Texting registration fees. Carriers require registration for business texting on local numbers. Talkroute charges $19 once on Basic and $1.50 a month. Line2 says texting needs the same registration but doesn't price it on its pricing page.

4. Annual-only prices. Grasshopper's $14 True Solo price is billed annually; we found no month-to-month price for it on any page we could read. Line2's Starter, Growth and Business plans sign up annually only.

5. A pricing page that disagrees with itself. Quo's plan cards and comparison table showed different prices for the same plans. We use the higher figures.

6. "Unlimited" with a ceiling. Line2's terms charge $0.039 a minute above 30,000 minutes a month.

7. Fax that only receives. Grasshopper and Line2 can receive faxes but not send them. Talkroute doesn't fax at all.

8. Support. Grasshopper offers 24/7 live help by phone or chat. Talkroute answers email 24/7, with live chat and phone on weekdays. Line2 is weekdays 8 am to 8 pm ET. Quo Starter is email tickets only, and Dialpad Standard is 24/5 web and chat.

9. Leaving early. Phone.com runs 30-day terms: cancel mid-term and you owe the rest, plus any disconnection fee, and you must call at least 15 days before the term ends. Dialpad charges the rest of an annual term. Google Voice charges only for the days before you cancel. Our guide to contracts and cancelling covers the rest.

10. HIPAA. Phone.com, Dialpad and Google Voice offer a BAA on the entry plan. Quo's needs Business and Talkroute's needs Pro, and neither covers texting. Grasshopper and Line2 say they aren't suitable for HIPAA. Our list for healthcare practices and our HIPAA BAA guide go further.

Number options

Most services offer local, toll-free and vanity numbers and porting. Google's pages don't say whether Voice offers toll-free or vanity numbers. Porting is free at Grasshopper, Quo and Phone.com, and Dialpad quotes three to five business days for local numbers. Our guide to keeping your business number explains the steps.

A checklist before you buy

• Add up the full monthly cost for your users or numbers, including any required subscription.
• Check the five features on the entry plan itself, not on a features page with no plan named.
• Look for texting registration fees and texting limits.
• Check whether the price you saw is annual or monthly, and what a refund covers.
• Confirm the support hours and channels you'll get.
• If you need more than a second line, read a business phone system or a virtual number.

Where to go next

Our virtual phone numbers ranking scores all seven on these criteria.