5 Best Second Phone Number Apps For 2026

Juggling one number for your personal life and your business is a recipe for trouble. Clients call at 10pm, your friends get bombarded with work texts, and your private number ends up on every invoice, web form, and marketplace listing you fill in. Not only does it look unprofessional, it is a genuine privacy and security problem – once your personal cell is public, you cannot easily take it back.

The fix is simple and cheap: a second phone number app that adds a separate business line to the phone you already own – no extra SIM, no second handset, and no long-term carrier contract. These apps use the internet to route calls and texts, so you can spin up a dedicated work number in minutes and manage everything from a single app on your existing smartphone.

Quick answer: The best second phone number apps in 2026 are LimeCall (best for business calls and an AI receptionist that answers when you cannot), OpenPhone (best for growing teams), Google Voice (best free option in the US), Sideline (best for texting), and Hushed (best for cheap, disposable numbers). Most offer a free trial or a free tier, so you can get a working second number in a few minutes.

Why use a second phone number app?

A dedicated second line does far more than keep your personal life private. Once your work calls and texts live on their own number, the way you run your business changes. Here is what a good second phone number app unlocks:

• Enhanced professionalism: Give clients a dedicated business number instead of your personal cell, complete with a professional voicemail greeting and business hours. No more scrambling to explain a personal call in the middle of a meeting.
• Streamlined workflow: Separate business calls and texts from personal ones so nothing important slips through. You can silence the work line after hours and know that anything on it is a lead or a client.
• Improved privacy and security: Keep your real number off invoices, web forms, and marketplace listings. If you ever need to retire the business line, you can do it without changing the number your family and friends use.
• Never miss a lead: Modern apps add call forwarding, voicemail-to-text, call recording, and even an AI receptionist that answers and qualifies callers 24/7 – so a missed call does not become a lost customer.

Want the full background on how these numbers work and whether you can get one for free? Read our companion guide on how to get a second phone number without a landline or SIM card, then come back here to compare the specific apps.

The 5 best second phone number apps for 2026

We looked at pricing, free options, call and text handling, business features, and how each app performs as a real second line rather than a novelty. Here are the top contenders:

1. LimeCall – best for business calls + AI receptionist
2. OpenPhone – best for growing teams
3. Google Voice – best free second number (US)
4. Sideline – best for text-first businesses
5. Hushed – best for cheap, disposable numbers

Second phone number apps compared

Before we dig into each app, here is how the top contenders stack up on price, free options, and what each one does best. Prices are the publicly listed starting rates at the time of writing – always confirm current pricing on each provider’s site, since plans change often.

App	Starting price	Free option	Calls & SMS	AI receptionist	Best for
LimeCall	Free trial, then paid plans (see pricing)	Free trial, no card to start	Yes – calls, SMS, call routing	Yes – built in	Business calls & capturing every lead
OpenPhone	$15/user/month	7-day free trial	Yes – unlimited US/Canada	Add-on / AI features	Growing teams
Google Voice	Free (personal, US)	Yes – free personal tier	Yes – US calls & SMS	No	Free personal second number
Sideline	$9.99/month	7-day free trial	Yes – SMS/MMS focus	No	Text-first businesses
Hushed	$3.99/month or prepaid	3-day free trial	Yes – varies by plan	No	Cheap, disposable numbers

A few takeaways from the table:

• Free vs. paid: Google Voice is genuinely free for US personal use, and Hushed is the cheapest way to get a throwaway number. LimeCall, OpenPhone, and Sideline lead with free trials so you can test the full feature set before you pay anything.
• Business features: If you want your second number to actually answer and route calls rather than just ring, LimeCall is the only option here with a built-in AI receptionist and call-routing on top of a standard virtual number.
• Texting: Every app on this list supports SMS. Sideline is the most text-centric, while Hushed and Google Voice cover the basics and OpenPhone adds team-based two-way texting.

The 5 apps in detail

1. LimeCall – best for business calls + AI receptionist

LimeCall is built for businesses that treat their second number as a real business line, not just a burner. Where most apps stop at giving you a number that rings, LimeCall turns that number into a small phone system: on top of a dedicated virtual number, you get call routing, business-hours rules, voicemail-to-text, call recording, and an AI receptionist that answers, greets, and qualifies callers around the clock – so you never lose a lead to a missed call.

That AI answering layer is what sets LimeCall apart from the rest of this list. If you are a solo founder, a freelancer, or a small team, you cannot pick up every call – you are on other calls, driving, or asleep. LimeCall’s receptionist steps in, has a natural conversation with the caller, captures who they are and what they need, and routes or books them accordingly. Instead of a voicemail nobody returns, you get a qualified lead in your inbox.

Key features:

• Dedicated business virtual number that works on the phone you already own – no SIM swap and no second handset.
• Built-in AI receptionist that answers, greets, and qualifies inbound callers 24/7.
• Call routing and forwarding, so calls reach the right person or ring your team in the order you choose.
• Business-hours settings that route after-hours calls to the AI receptionist or voicemail.
• Call recording and voicemail-to-text for a searchable record of every conversation.
• Two-way SMS so clients can text the same number they call.
• A single dashboard for calls, texts, recordings, and lead capture.

Pros:

• The AI receptionist answers and books callers even when you are busy or closed – the strongest lead-capture story on this list.
• Works instantly on your existing phone; setup takes minutes.
• Free trial with no credit card required to start – see current plans on the pricing page.
• Everything – calls, SMS, recording, routing, and AI answering – lives in one place instead of stitched-together tools.

A caveat to consider: Like most VoIP-based virtual numbers, LimeCall is not intended for emergency 911 calling, because the number is not tied to a fixed physical address. Keep your carrier line for emergencies and use LimeCall as your business line.

Best for: Freelancers, agencies, and small teams that want every inbound call answered and captured, not just a second number that rings out. If missing a call means missing revenue, this is the app to try first. Book a quick demo or start a free trial and test the AI receptionist on your own number.

2. OpenPhone – best for growing teams

OpenPhone is a robust VoIP phone system designed to empower growing teams and simplify their communication. Rather than a single personal second number, it is built around shared numbers, collaboration, and integrations – the kind of features a team of five to fifty people needs when several people answer the same line.

Where OpenPhone shines is teamwork. Multiple people can share one business number, leave each other internal notes on a contact, and pick up conversations where a colleague left off. That makes it a strong fit for support desks, sales teams, and any business where a customer should reach “the company” rather than one specific person.

Key features:

• Unlimited calling and texting to the US and Canada on every plan.
• Local or toll-free numbers, with a free number for each team member and the option to add more.
• Shared numbers so several teammates can answer and respond to the same line.
• Internal threads, contact notes, and direct messaging to keep the team aligned.
• Auto-attendant (IVR) so callers can route themselves to the right department.
• Text automation including auto-replies, snippets, and AI-generated responses.
• Integrations with thousands of business apps, including Slack, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zapier.
• Call recordings, voicemail transcriptions, and newer AI call-summary features.

Pros:

• Excellent collaboration features for teams that share a number.
• Unlimited US and Canada calling and texting keeps costs predictable.
• Deep integration ecosystem turns it into a central communication hub.

Pricing: OpenPhone uses a tiered, per-user structure. The Starter plan begins around $15 per user per month with core features; the Business plan is roughly $23 per user per month and unlocks advanced options like IVR, call transfers, analytics, and CRM integrations; and Enterprise pricing is custom for larger teams. A 7-day free trial is available.

A caveat to consider: Like other VoIP services, OpenPhone does not support emergency 911 calling. Pricing is per user, so costs scale with headcount – great for teams, less economical if you only need one personal second line.

3. Google Voice – best free second number (US)

Google Voice is the go-to free option for a second number in the US, and for many casual users it is all they will ever need. A personal Google account gets you a free number for calls, texts, and voicemail – complete with Google’s clean voicemail transcription and spam filtering – at no cost. It works across the web, iOS, and Android, and ties neatly into the rest of the Google ecosystem.

For light business use, Google offers paid Workspace tiers (starting around $10 per user per month) that add features like multi-level auto-attendants, usage reporting, and desk-phone support. But the core appeal is the free personal tier: if you simply want to keep your real number private when selling online, dating, or signing up for services, Google Voice delivers that for free.

Key features:

• Free US phone number for calls, texts, and voicemail on a personal Google account.
• Voicemail transcription and spam filtering powered by Google.
• Works across web, iOS, and Android with call forwarding to your real phone.
• Paid Google Workspace tiers add auto-attendant, reporting, and admin controls for businesses.

Pros:

• Genuinely free for US personal use – unbeatable on price.
• Reliable, well-integrated voicemail transcription and spam control.
• Familiar interface for anyone already using Gmail and Google apps.

A caveat to consider: The free tier is US-only, has limited business features, and offers no AI answering or advanced routing. International availability is restricted, and porting or scaling for a real business quickly pushes you toward paid Workspace plans or a dedicated provider.

4. Sideline – best for text-first businesses

Sideline takes a text-first approach to second phone numbers, prioritizing messaging for businesses that live and die by SMS. It handles both standard text messages (SMS) and multimedia messages (MMS) smoothly, layers in auto-replies to answer clients even when you are unavailable, and gives you a second number that runs on your existing phone.

If most of your customer communication happens over text – appointment reminders, quick confirmations, quotes, back-and-forth with clients – Sideline is purpose-built for that workflow. Calling is supported too, and the higher tier adds an auto-attendant and multi-line support, but texting is clearly where the app is strongest.

Key features:

• SMS and MMS messaging built for business texting.
• Auto-replies to manage incoming texts when you cannot respond right away.
• A dedicated second number on your existing device.
• Pro-tier extras including auto-attendant (IVR) and international calling.

Pricing: Sideline’s Standard plan starts at $9.99/month with unlimited calling and texting within the US, auto-replies, one user, and a single second number. The Pro plan runs around $14.99/line/month and unlocks international calling, auto-attendant functionality, and the ability to add multiple lines. A free trial is usually available.

A caveat to consider: Sideline has real limitations for call-heavy or team-based businesses. It does not support shared numbers, call recording is not available, and it lacks integrations with tools like Slack, Zapier, or CRM systems. Its pricing spreads features across tiers, so evaluate your needs carefully. It is a great pick when texting – not call handling – is your priority.

5. Hushed – best for cheap, disposable numbers

Hushed is the budget pick for a temporary or disposable number, built around affordability and flexibility. Instead of locking you into one monthly plan, it offers a range of options: pay-as-you-go prepaid bundles of minutes and texts, or unlimited subscriptions if you use the number more often. That makes it ideal for online listings, dating, travel, or short-term projects where you want a number you can walk away from.

Beyond basic calling and texting, Hushed includes handy extras like call forwarding, auto-replies, call routing, and custom voicemail greetings, plus a limited set of integrations with tools like Dropbox and Slack. You can run one to three numbers on a single account, which is convenient if you want to keep, say, a selling number and a dating number separate.

Key features:

• Prepaid, pay-as-you-go bundles of minutes and SMS credits for occasional use.
• Unlimited subscription plans for regular calling and texting in the US and Canada.
• Support for one to three phone numbers on a single account.
• Call forwarding, auto-replies, call routing, and custom voicemail greetings.
• Limited but useful integrations, including Dropbox and Slack.

Pricing: Prepaid plans start around $3.99, while unlimited subscriptions start near $4.99/month. International calling requires a separate add-on. A short free trial is offered.

A caveat to consider: Some users report occasional app glitches and bugs even on a stable connection, and the cheapest plans do not include unlimited minutes – you have to upgrade for that. International calling is an extra cost. Hushed is excellent for privacy and disposable numbers, but less suited as a full-time business line.

How to choose the right second phone number app

With five strong options, the “best” app really depends on what you need the number to do. Run through these factors before you commit:

• Purpose: Is this a personal privacy number (selling online, dating, signups) or a real business line that leads and clients will call? Privacy use points to Google Voice or Hushed; business use points to LimeCall or OpenPhone.
• Call handling: Do you need calls answered, qualified, and routed – or is a number that simply rings enough? If missing a call costs you money, prioritize an app with an AI receptionist and call routing.
• Team size: Solo operators can use almost anything, but teams sharing a number should look at OpenPhone or LimeCall. Per-user pricing matters once you add people.
• Texting vs. calling: If your business is text-heavy, Sideline is purpose-built for it. If it is call-heavy, choose a call-first platform.
• Budget: Google Voice is free for US personal use and Hushed is cheapest for a throwaway line. Business features – unlimited calling, recording, routing, AI answering – live on low-cost paid plans.
• Integrations: If the number needs to feed a CRM or connect to Slack, Zapier, or HubSpot, check integration support before signing up. OpenPhone and LimeCall are strongest here.
• Security and privacy: Prioritize providers that encrypt calls and messages and let you control what data you share. Keeping your real number private is itself a security win.

The honest short version: if you just want a free second number for personal use in the US, Google Voice is hard to beat. For a cheap throwaway line, pick Hushed. For a text-heavy side business, Sideline works well, and growing teams will like OpenPhone. But if your second number is a business line – and you want every call answered, qualified, and captured even when you are busy – LimeCall is the strongest choice, thanks to its built-in AI receptionist and call routing.

Conclusion: the best app for a second phone number

Juggling a single phone number for work and personal life is a fast track to blurred boundaries and missed opportunities. Second phone number apps solve that cheaply and in minutes – the only real question is which one matches how you work.

For pure privacy on a budget, the free and low-cost options do the job. But if your second number represents your business, the value is not in the number itself – it is in making sure every call turns into a captured lead. That is exactly where LimeCall pulls ahead of the pack, pairing a dedicated virtual number with an AI receptionist that answers and qualifies callers 24/7. Book a demo or start your free trial and see how it works on your own number in minutes.

FAQ: second phone number apps

Is a second phone number free?

It can be. Google Voice offers a free second number for personal use in the US, and most business apps – including LimeCall, OpenPhone, and Sideline – give you a free trial so you can use a number at no cost before deciding to pay. For unlimited calling, texting, and business features you will usually move to a low-cost paid plan.

Can I get a second phone number without a SIM card?

Yes. Every app on this list is a VoIP service, which means your second number runs over the internet through an app – no extra SIM or second phone required. You keep your existing device and add the new line inside the app. See our full walkthrough on getting a second number without a SIM or landline.

How do second phone number apps work?

These apps use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. Your calls and texts are converted into data and sent over the internet instead of a traditional phone line. You download the app, choose a number, and use it for calling, texting, and voicemail – all managed through the app’s interface, while your personal number stays private.

Which is the best second phone number app for business?

For business use, LimeCall stands out because it pairs a dedicated virtual number with an AI receptionist and call routing, so inbound calls are always answered and qualified rather than sent to voicemail. OpenPhone is a strong runner-up for larger teams that need shared numbers and deep integrations.

Can a second phone number receive SMS?

Yes. All five apps here can send and receive text messages. LimeCall, OpenPhone, and Sideline are built for two-way business texting, while Google Voice and Hushed cover standard SMS. If texting is central to your business, make sure the plan you pick includes the SMS/MMS volume you need.

Are second phone number apps safe?

Reputable providers encrypt calls and messages and let you control what data you share. Because your real number stays private, a second-number app is generally safer than handing out your personal line on public listings and web forms. Look for apps that offer encryption and reliable data-storage practices.

Do second phone number apps work internationally?

Coverage varies. Google Voice’s free tier is US-only, while LimeCall and OpenPhone offer numbers and calling across many countries and Hushed sells international calling as an add-on. Check the provider’s coverage list – or the LimeCall pricing page – before you sign up.