Get a virtual phone number for your business: Free & paid options

Curious about virtual phone numbers, but don’t know where to start? 

A virtual phone number is a telephone number that routes calls and texts over the internet. It uses Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, technology to make this happen.

You can get a virtual phone number in three simple steps. You just need to choose a VoIP provider, create an account, and select your preferred local or toll-free number.  

In this post, we’ll go over how virtual phone systems work, how to get a virtual phone number, and why your business may benefit from having one.

What is a virtual phone number?

A virtual phone number is a cloud-based business phone line. It works through your internet connection rather than traditional phone hardware.

You can make and receive business calls and texts on any device without giving out your personal number. Since it’s hosted virtually, you can use it from any location. They let you communicate more effectively with your customers compared to traditional mobile phones at a lower cost.

How to get a virtual phone number in 3 steps

You can get a virtual phone number for your business in just a few steps:

1. Create a Quo account. Sign up and start your free seven-day trial. 
2. Pick your number. Select your city or area code in the US or Canada to get a local phone number. You can also choose a toll-free number.
3. Start calling. After completing the rest of the sign-up process, you can start placing calls in your workspace.

Watch below to get a sneak peek of how to set up an account on Quo:

How to get a free virtual number

Want to try a virtual phone number but don’t want to pay for one? You can get free virtual numbers to make calls and send texts. Providers like Google Voice and TextNow offer free phone numbers for individual users. Here’s how to get a virtual number with them:

How to get a free virtual number with Google Voice

Google Voice gives you one free US number tied to your Google account. You’ll need a working phone that can receive texts, because Google sends a verification code to it.

1. Download the Google Voice app from the App Store or Google Play or go to voice.google.com in a browser.
2. Sign in with your Google account.
3. Select your preferred virtual number, including the area code you’re looking for. 
4. Verify an existing phone number. Google texts you a code. Enter it to confirm your identity and finish setup.

Here are a few limitations of Google Voice you should know before you commit:

• No toll-free numbers
• The free version is available only in the US
• No dedicated customer support
• No business hours support
• You can’t share your phone number with your team

If those limitations are a dealbreaker for you, you should consider these Google Voice alternatives. 

How to get a free virtual number with TextNow

TextNow gives you a free US or Canadian number for unlimited calling and texting over WiFi. It’s free because it’s supported by ads on their platform. Here’s how to get a number through TextNow: 

1. Download the TextNow app on iOS or Android, or open textnow.com in a browser.
2. Create an account with an email address and password or sign in with Google or Apple. No ID verification required.
3. Choose an area code. Allow location access to get a local area code automatically, or type in any US or Canadian area code you want.
4. Start calling and texting. Stay on WiFi, and the service stays free. Cellular data costs extra. 

TextNow might seem like a good option for your first virtual phone number. However, you should keep its limitations in mind if you consider getting a number from them:

• Ads show up between your calls and texts. They can distract you from your conversations.
• You could lose your number if you don’t use it enough. TextNow can reclaim a virtual number if you don’t regularly make calls and send texts with it. 
• No shared numbers. You can’t share incoming calls and texts with a team.
• No third-party integrations. You can’t log your conversations in a CRM. 
• No desktop and web apps. You can’t multitask and have conversations across multiple devices. 

Free virtual phone providers are fine to get started. But if you want to scale your customer relationships using a virtual number, you should go with platforms designed for teams.

How much does a virtual number cost? 

With many small businesses and startups embracing remote work, virtual phone numbers can help you save money while providing the business features you need.

The numbers don’t lie: smaller businesses can save thousands of dollars on business phone system costs by using virtual phone systems instead of traditional phone services. Virtual phone subscriptions typically cost $15–$50 per user per month, while on-premises PBX systems can cost up to $1,000 per user. Plus, you avoid hardware expenses like desk phones, which cost around $150 each.

You can use these savings to invest in more advanced features, like automated texting workflows, AI transcriptions, and analytics and reporting.

As a point of reference, Quo’s pricing starts at $15 per user per month. Here’s how it compares with free and paid virtual phone number options:

Provider	Starting price	What you get	Available if you upgrade
Quo	$15 per user per month	Unlimited calls and texts, shared numbers, on-demand call recording, voicemail transcripts	Automatic call recording, AI call summaries and transcripts, IVR, CRM integrations
Dialpad	$15 per user per month	Unlimited calling in the US and Canada, SMS and MMS, AI call transcripts, multi-level auto attendant	CRM integrations, 24/7 live support, more ring groups, local numbers in 70+ countries
RingCentral	$20 per user per month	Unlimited calls, 25 texts per user per month, AI call summaries, shared numbers for calls only	Automatic call recording, CRM integrations, custom analytics, shared SMS inbox with a paid add-on
Google Voice	Free	One US number, calls and texts in the US, voicemail transcripts, spam filtering	Ring groups, multi-level auto attendant, number porting, AI call notes — from $10 per user per month
TextNow	Free	One US or Canadian number, unlimited calls and texts over WiFi, voicemail, caller ID	Ad-free app, locked-in number, call forwarding, cellular data — from $4.99 per month

While virtual numbers offer more value for businesses compared to traditional PBX systems, not all virtual numbers are created equal. The price you see might catch your attention, but plan upgrades, hidden fees, and add-ons can paint a different picture. Here are a few examples:

• Available phone numbers. Quo assigns each user in a business account a dedicated phone number in its base plan. Providers like Dialpad only offer one phone number in their base plan. To get more numbers, you have to upgrade to its next tier. 
• Texting limits. Quo offers unlimited domestic texting in each plan. RingCentral doesn’t offer unlimited texting in any plan. Once you exceed the limits in each plan, you’ll be charged for each message you send. 
• Lack of shared numbers. Quo offers shared numbers in each plan. RingCentral only offers shared SMS texting when you purchase its Business SMS Booster add-on. 

The bottom line: when you’re evaluating a virtual phone provider, keep an eye out for what they offer in each plan. The advertised price doesn’t always translate to your monthly bill.

Free vs paid virtual numbers: Which should you choose? 

If you’re looking to reduce your phone bill, free virtual numbers may look like a great option. If you’re a solo business owner looking to get a second phone number, they’re a good way to get started. However, they don’t work well for teams. In some cases, they may require more work than you’d expect. 

Here’s a quick comparison to show how each option stacks up:

Feature	Paid virtual numbers	Free options
Shared phone numbers	✅	❌
Third-party integrations	✅	❌
AI features	✅	❌
Custom call routing	✅	❌
Advanced text messaging features	✅	❌
Desktop and mobile apps	✅	❌

Free works until your business starts growing. Then three things break at the same time:

1. You can’t share the number. Free apps are built for one person on one device. The moment you go on vacation or need coverage past 5 p.m., your team can’t take calls without you physically giving them the phone. Every call routes to one phone, and when that phone is busy, calls go to voicemail. 
2. Your texts stop going through. Carriers require businesses to register for A2P 10DLC compliance before sending texts to US numbers. Free apps don’t register you, so carriers filter your messages. You’ll send appointment reminders and quotes that don’t arrive, and you won’t know which ones.
3. You can’t collaborate with your team. Beyond being unable to share calls, you lose team productivity and efficiency. You can’t tag your teammates in customer conversations, and you can’t track sales calls in your CRM. Plus, you can’t review calls quickly or analyze call and text trends. 

Using a free provider to handle your business calls is like driving a car in first gear. It’s slow, and it hurts your business in the long term. Now that you know to choose a paid business phone provider, scroll down to learn about the essential features to look for.

7 Essential features you should get with a virtual phone number

Not all virtual phone providers are built the same. Some offer a basic second number and not much else. Others give you a full business communication system. Before you commit to a provider, make sure it includes these seven features.

1. Shared phone numbers and inboxes

Shared numbers let your team split responsibility for incoming calls and texts, which cuts down on missed calls and shortens response times. A shared team inbox puts every call, text, voicemail, and recording in one place, so you can see which teammate is talking to which customer.

This is the single biggest reason to get a virtual phone number rather than a second SIM card. It’s what lets a team move in sync instead of stepping on each other.

2. Customizable call flows

A call flow is a set of rules that decides what happens when a call reaches your number — who it rings first, what menu options callers hear, and where it goes if nobody picks up. Look for ring groups to control how calls reach your team, phone menus so callers can route themselves to the right department, and business hours so you can run different flows at different times of day.

The best providers bring all that together in a visual call flow builder. In Quo, you can drag and drop each step on a canvas, so you can see where a call will be routed before a customer dials.

3. Support for SMS and MMS

Many businesses use SMS as a customer communication channel. While it hasn’t replaced email and phone calls as the go-to support channel, SMS support has been increasing year over year. 

Most traditional desk phones don’t support texting, making it harder to meet customers where they are. With a virtual SMS phone number, you can text customers and clients to support them however they need.

4. Call recording and transcriptions

Recording calls gives you a clear record of what customers shared with you during conversations. You can use call recordings to coach your team and to settle potential disputes. With a virtual phone number, you can record your calls and review them quickly with AI call summaries and transcriptions. 

You can coach reps and keep track of what you committed to in every customer meeting. Listen back to discovery calls to hear what customers need in their own words. Look for automatic call recording so you don’t have to decide call by call.

Just make sure you record phone conversations with appropriate legal consent, since the rules vary by state.

5. Call forwarding during and after business hours

Managing customer expectations is simple with configurable call forwarding and voicemail settings. Let’s say you want to forward calls outside business hours to avoid missed calls. You can easily do this through your virtual number provider’s call flow settings. Enter your business hours, turn on call forwarding, and customize your call forwarding destination. You can route calls to your AI answering service, another phone number, or voicemail.

6. Third-party integrations

Integrations share your call and text data across your tech stack, so customer conversations show up where your team already works. Regular phones don’t integrate with anything, so conversations are siloed and your team loses context.

For fast-growing teams, the CRM is usually the source of truth. Logging calls by hand is admin work nobody does consistently. With HubSpot, Salesforce, and Jobber integrations, calls and texts log themselves. Virtual providers also connect to tools like Slack, Gong, and Zapier, with API access when you need something custom.

Newer on the list: AI tools. You can connect your virtual phone number to Claude and ChatGPT to analyze call and text data, pull conversation insights, and draft follow-ups.

7. Desktop, mobile, and web apps

Your virtual phone number should work wherever your team works — phones, computers, and tablets — with everything synced in real time so nobody is looking at stale information.

Pay attention to which apps a provider offers. Some have web and mobile apps, but no desktop app. Others offer desktop and mobile apps, but nothing in the browser. Check before you sign up, because it’s the kind of gap you only notice once your team is already using a platform.

Benefits of using virtual phone numbers

A basic virtual number gives you a second phone number. A great virtual phone system changes how your whole team communicates. Here are four things the right one does for your business:

1. Never miss a customer call. Anyone with shared access to your business number can answer incoming calls and messages, so customers don’t fall through the cracks. With simultaneous ring, everyone gets notified at once, or you can set up a hunt group to control who rings first. When your team can’t pick up, a 24/7 AI answering service like Sona can capture leads, answer common questions, and take messages. Companies using Sona go from missing 70% of their calls to missing 10% or less.
2. Collaborate better as a team. Everyone with shared access can see call history, voicemails, and text messages by contact, so anyone can pick up where a teammate left off. Internal threads let you tag a colleague next to a customer conversation without the customer seeing it. Tasks keep follow-ups from getting lost. You can also save what matters about each customer with custom properties and contact notes.
3. Follow up with customers faster. Traditional phone providers offer bare-bones messaging. You can’t control when you message your customers, which can affect your speed to lead. Data from Drift shows the impact of speed to lead on conversion — even a five-minute delay can 10x your lead loss rate.
   
   With Quo’s automated texting tools, you can send the right message at the right time to customers. Auto-replies answer missed calls instantly, scheduled messages go out at the right time, and snippets turn your most-asked questions into reusable text templates. Connect Zapier or Make and you can automate appointment reminders, review requests, and follow-ups across 9,000+ apps.
4. See how you’re doing in real time. A virtual phone number captures the data your business runs on — call and text volume, call duration, handle times, and unique conversations by day or week. You can spot your busiest times and staff the phones accordingly and pull audit logs when you need a record of who called when.

Disadvantages of virtual phone numbers you should know

At this point, you might be wondering: are virtual numbers too good to be true? While they come with perks, it’s important to take a balanced look before making a decision. Here are six drawbacks to keep in mind with virtual phone number providers:

1. Hidden fees. Some providers may advertise low rates but include costs for features, toll-free minutes, or international calls. Similarly, you may have limits for text messaging or storage. Look for a provider that has a transparent pricing page. 
2. Difficulty registering. Registering a virtual phone number for SMS messaging can be complicated if the provider’s process isn’t user-friendly. With Quo, all you have to do is fill out our carrier registration form.
3. Steep learning curve. A poorly designed interface can make it time-consuming to get your team up and running. It may even deter you from using features like call flows. Teams on Quo can get set up in minutes.
4. Hard to scale. A provider with limited options may make it difficult to add more numbers or integrate advanced features. Rigid pricing plans could make scaling challenging and expensive. You can add users and change plans for more advanced features right in your Quo workspace.
5. Requires high-bandwidth internet service. Since they run on VoIP technology, virtual numbers require internet access to work. If you’re in a remote location with low bandwidth or have a poor WiFi connection, you might be unable to make calls with your virtual number. Call quality depends on your internet connection. If you have a weak connection, try a wired internet connection or move closer to your router.
6. No emergency calling. Since virtual numbers aren’t tied to a physical location, many providers don’t support emergency services like 911. If your business has a physical location that needs emergency calling, consider a backup landline number or a VoIP provider like Quo that offers E911 support.

Best virtual phone number apps compared

Not sure if Quo is right for you? Here’s how the top virtual phone number apps compare:

🔍Want a full breakdown of these providers? Check out our guide to the best US virtual phone services.

How virtual phone numbers work

Virtual numbers transmit voice and text data over the internet. This method of transmission is called Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. Once you dial the number you want to reach, your VoIP provider converts your voice into digital data and sends it to the call recipient instantly.

Virtual numbers operate differently compared to traditional landlines and cell phones. Traditional landlines use physical phone lines, known as Plain Old Telephone Service, or POTS, lines. These lines are directly connected to your home or office phone number. Since they rely on physical infrastructure, these lines are fixed. You can’t take your landline with you to make calls.

Cell phones convert voice signals into radio waves and transmit them through a network of cell towers. They’re a step up from traditional landlines, but they’re limited because each cell phone has its own SIM card and dedicated mobile number.  

You don’t need to buy extra hardware or change your phone number to get a virtual phone number. Virtual phone providers operate cloud-based communications platforms. You just need to log into a provider’s platform to communicate with your customers at scale.

Since VoIP phones can make calls wherever you have an internet connection, you don’t have to pay for a separate mobile data plan.

Types of virtual phone numbers

With a virtual phone system, you can get any kind of number you need. Here are the types of virtual numbers you can choose from:

• Local numbers. VoIP service providers offer thousands of local numbers in most area codes. Search for any city in the provider’s database to see which numbers are available. This can help you establish a local presence in the markets you serve. Most providers offer US and Canadian numbers in their databases. Some providers also offer local numbers outside the US and Canada. 
• Toll-free numbers. Want a classic 800, 877, or 888 toll-free number to offer nationwide customer support? With virtual toll-free numbers, your North American callers can reach your business without paying long-distance fees.
• Vanity phone numbers. Vanity numbers like 1-800-FLOWERS are great if you want a number clients will remember. Get a custom vanity number that matches your brand. 

All three types of numbers also offer international calling, so you can reach customers anywhere in the world.

Virtual vs traditional phone numbers

When you’re choosing a business phone system, you might be more familiar with traditional landlines. However, virtual phone numbers can offer your team key advantages over traditional phones. Here are the ones you should keep in mind:

1. More cost-effective. Virtual numbers cost a fraction of traditional landlines. You don’t need expensive hardware to set them up. You can access a virtual number with your existing devices. Traditional numbers require custom equipment and constant maintenance, which can cost you thousands of dollars over time.  
2. Easy to set up and maintain. You can set up a virtual number in three simple steps. The best part is you can do it by yourself. Traditional numbers require a technician to install hardware in your office. Any time you run into a technical issue, you’ll have to bring them in to fix it. 
3. Built for scalability. Team members can use virtual numbers to take calls at home, in the office, or on the go. Traditional numbers are fixed at a single location, which limits where your team can take calls. You can add virtual numbers to multiple locations in minutes. With traditional numbers, you have to repeat the setup process. See how teams like Hannon De Palma use Quo to expand to new locations faster.

How to choose a virtual number provider

Plenty of virtual number providers are available. So how do you find the one best suited to your needs? Here’s a quick checklist:

• Features. Review your shortlist to see what each plan includes and which provider will make your team more productive. Do they offer value-added features like IVR menus and AI receptionists, or just basic calling and texting?
• Usability. Think about how many people will use the number. Not all providers let multiple teammates call and text from the same number, and that’s the feature teams miss most after they sign up.
• Plans and pricing. Analyze each provider against your team size and calculate the real cost, not just the listed one. Some providers limit the base plan to push you into upgrading, and add-ons like extra numbers and carrier registration are often priced separately.
• Reviews and ratings. See what a provider’s existing customers say about the platform. Visit G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot to collect real user reviews.
• Reliability and security. A public status page shows a provider is confident in its infrastructure. Check their uptime for the past three months to see whether the platform is stable. If there’s no status page, ask for a report.
• Free trial. For your top two or three options, sign up for the free trial and see how they work before committing. If a provider doesn’t offer one, that’s usually a sign they aren’t willing to let the platform speak for itself.

As you weigh your options, start with what you need your virtual number for:

• If you need a second number for personal use, for online shopping, or for sharing with businesses, a free app like Google Voice or TextNow is enough.
• If you need a number to communicate with customers and collaborate with your team, choose a business phone provider. That’s the moment shared numbers, call routing, and carrier registration stop being nice-to-haves.

If you want a business phone system with an easy-to-use interface and powerful call management features, consider Quo. Shared numbers reduce missed calls and texts. AI call summaries and transcripts keep your team on top of customer context. And Sona answers calls 24/7, even when your team can’t. More than 90,000 businesses use Quo, and we’re rated #1 on G2 for customer satisfaction.

Don’t just take our word for it:

“Quo not only has reliable coverage, a simple and intuitive app, and [a] super easy number porting process, it also has, hands-down, the friendliest customer service I have ever experienced from a web-based service provider.”

— Desirée Alarie, Realtor, Powell Property Group

Want to see it for yourself? Start a seven-day free trial of Quo.

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