May 14, 2025

How To Get A Business Number for Free

A business always needs a good point of contact. Running a business is already so costly, so paying for a whole new phone line may have slipped your budget. Luckily, there are ways to set up a business number for free. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) lets you make and receive phone calls using the Internet instead of a traditional landline. VoIP phone calls are cheaper, easier, and perfect for growing businesses on a restricted budget.

Best Free VoIP Providers

You can even get a free phone number, and here’s how.

How to get a free business phone number

Many VoIP providers offer free business phone numbers. This includes popular services like RingCentral, and Vonage. They’re usually easy to set up too, although steps may vary from provider to provider.

Step 1: Choose your business phone provider

Start by comparing different service providers that offer free business phone numbers. Visiting different review sites or forums will help you understand which is best for you. Find out if they provide the essential features you are searching for.

Step 2: Set up your account

For example, with RingCentral, all you have to do is:

Sign up for a free account and complete the registration process. You also choose a plan at this juncture. Choose one that includes phone numbers.

Step 3: Set up your phone number

Navigate to the admin portal.

Locate the section for Phone Numbers or Manage Numbers. (The specific name may vary slightly.).
Click on Request a Phone Number. Decide if you want a local or toll-free number.
Enter your desired area code, or choose from the available options. You’ll see a list of available phone numbers. Select your preferred number.
RingCentral will verify the availability and any associated costs.

Top Free Business Phone Providers

Getting your free business phone number is straightforward. But which provider should you choose for this service? Let’s discuss some of the top business phone providers in the market today.

RingCentral

RingCentral is a popular VOIP that lets businesses communicate with their clients in many ways. It is a comprehensive communication solution with cost-effective and scalable features.

Key Features

Calls: Make and receive calls using a business phone number on any device, as long as you have the app.
Video Conferencing:
RingCentral also lets you host online video meetings with colleagues, clients, or partners. You can host them directly within the RingCentral platform.
Team Messaging: Communicate and collaborate with your team through instant messaging features. You also have access to text messaging and faxing.
Unified Communications:
Connect RingCentral with your existing business tools. These include CRM and project management software. This will streamline your workflow.
Administrative Controls:
Manage user accounts, call routing, voicemail settings, and more through an online admin portal.

Benefits

Reliable Service: RingCentral boasts a high uptime (99.9%) for their services.
Mobility and Flexibility:
Access your business phone system and communication tools from anywhere. You just need an internet connection. Ideal for remote teams.
Scalability:
Easily add or remove phone lines and user accounts as your business grows.
Free Trial:
RingCentral offers a free trial. This lets you test their features to see if they fit your needs before committing. This is a great way to experience the RingCentral system without incurring upfront costs.

Pricing

You get one free company-level phone number when you sign up, even with the free trial. This number can be either toll-free or local, but you’ll have to pay $4.99 for every extra number. Beyond that, RingCentral offers tiered pricing plans to suit different business needs:

Essentials: $20 a month. Suitable for small businesses, it includes features such as unlimited phone calls within the US and Canada.
Standard: $25 per month. It includes all the Essentials plan’s features. Plus, it has features like unlimited audio and video conferencing. This accommodates up to 100 people. You also get access to popular CRM integrations.
Premium: $35 per month. It includes everything in the standard plan. It also has advanced features like automatic call recording, multi-site support, and extra integrations.
Ultimate: $50 per month. It includes all the features of the Premium plan, as well as features like device status reports, unlimited storage, and premium 24/7 support.

Vonage

Vonage started by offering home phone replacements but switched to business communication solutions. Vonage offers a cloud-based business communication platform that combines several important features.

Key Features

Calls: Make and receive calls using a virtual phone number.
Video Conferencing: Host online video meetings with colleagues and clients.
Team Messaging: Chat and collaborate with your team through instant messaging.
Call Routing: Set up automated call forwarding, greetings, and menus.
Integrations: Connect Vonage with your CRM, project management tools, and other business apps.

Benefits

Unified Communications:
Manage all your business communication channels (calls, messages, and video) from one platform.
Scalability: Easily add or remove users as your business grows.
Flexibility: Work from anywhere with the mobile apps.
Cost-effective: Potentially lower costs compared to traditional phone lines.
Improved Collaboration: Enhance teamwork with integrated messaging and video conferencing.

Pricing

Vonage offers a free trial that gives you a free phone number upon signup. After that, you’ll have to purchase a subscription to keep it. Vonage offers three main pricing plans:

Mobile: $20. Includes core phone features, team messaging, and mobile apps.
Premium: $30. Mobile features include video conferencing, voicemail transcription, and call recording.
Advanced: $40. Premium features include integrations with popular business apps and advanced analytics.

TextFree

Textfree is a mobile app that provides a secondary phone number for texting and calling.

Key Features

Free US phone number: Textfree assigns you a free US phone number you can use to text and call others in the US and Canada.
Texting: Send and receive unlimited texts to any number in the US and Canada. It also allows for group messaging.
Calling: Make calls to US and Canadian phone numbers (limited minutes with the free plan). You can buy extra minutes or calling packages.
Voicemail: Get voicemail and transcriptions for free, along with a customizable voicemail greeting.
Group messaging: Create and participate in group chats.
International calling: Make calls to international numbers at discounted rates.

Benefits

Free phone number: You get a free phone number and full flexibility with choosing area codes
Free texting: Great for keeping your personal phone number private while texting or for those who don’t have a traditional phone plan.
Cheap international calling: This can be a cost-effective option for calling friends and family abroad.
Voicemail with transcription: A convenient way to stay on top of your messages without having to listen to recordings.
Separate business lines: useful for separating professional and personal communication.

Pricing

Textfree and its phone number are free. There are two pricing plans:

Free plan: Includes a free US phone number and unlimited texting to the US and Canada. You also get limited calling minutes, voicemail with transcription, and other basic features.
Premium plans start at $10 a month. It offers more calling minutes and international packages. It also gives an ad-free experience and extra features. These include custom caller ID and blocking spam numbers.

Google Voice

Google Voice is a great option for people and businesses looking for a cheap way to manage calls, texts, and voicemails. Google Voice offers a free tier for personal use and paid plans for businesses.

Key Features

Free US phone number: Get a new number or port your existing mobile number to Google Voice.
Free calls: Make calls to the US and Canada for free. International calls come with a pay-per-minute rate.
Free SMS: Text anyone in the US for free.
Voicemail transcription: Receive voicemail messages transcribed to text and delivered to your inbox.
Call forwarding: Forward calls to your mobile phone or another number.
Call screening: screen calls before answering and send callers to voicemail.
Integration with Google Workspace:
Integrates with Google Calendar and Meet for scheduling and video conferencing.

Benefits

Cost-effective: free for personal use, with affordable business plans.
Convenience: Manage calls, texts, and voicemails from one place.
Privacy: Protect your personal phone number by giving out your Google Voice number instead.
Accessibility: Access Google Voice from your desktop, web browser, or mobile app.
Scalability: Business plans offer features like call routing and voicemail transcription for teams (paid plans only).

Pricing

Personal: Free for basic features like calling, texting, and voicemail.
Business: Starts at $10 per user per month (requires a Google Workspace subscription, typically $6 per user per month). Business plans offer additional features like call routing, voicemail transcription, and auto attendants.

Choosing the right business phone number

So how do you know when you’ve chosen the right type of business phone number? First consider your target audience, business goals, and the features you need.

Local Numbers

For a local business, a local area code number builds trust and familiarity. Customers recognize it as belonging to their community. This is perfect for local businesses, but you don’t need an office in that community to buy a number with that area code. Local numbers build local trust, and they’re typically affordable. VoIP providers like RingCentral and Vonage offer local phone numbers as part of their service. Providers that offer free numbers typically let you choose your area code. However, it varies by provider and area code.

Toll-Free Numbers

If you serve a nationwide audience, a toll-free number makes you seem larger and more established. It also spares customers long-distance charges. It is often more expensive, but it secures global reach and projects a professional image. Popular VoIP providers that offer toll-free numbers include RingCentral, Grasshopper, 8×8, etc.

Vanity Numbers

Vanity numbers are a unique, memorable sequence of digits (like 1-800-PLUMBER) for easy customer recollection. They’re great for branding but may be unavailable or very expensive. Some popular VoIP providers that offer vanity numbers include Grasshopper, Nextiva, and Zoom Phone. They typically don’t offer them for free, but you can get a free trial for a vanity number with Grasshopper. These providers let customers search for available vanity numbers based on their preferences. The providers also suggest numbers if the preferred ones are unavailable.

Carefully consider these factors. They will help you choose the business phone number that fits your brand. It should resonate with your target audience and support your needs.

Additional Considerations

Free business phone numbers offer a budget-friendly way to establish a professional presence. However, there are some things to consider before going ahead and setting one up.

Common challenges and solutions

Limited Features: Free options often come with restrictions. You might not get features like voicemail transcription or call recording. You may also be barred access from auto attendants and international calling. These features typically enhance the customer experience and business operations. Consider a hybrid approach. You can use free numbers for basic calls. You can explore paid add-ons if needed. For example, you can get voicemail transcription from a separate service.

Professionalism: Free local numbers might be enough. But, toll-free or vanity numbers have a more established feel. They might be unavailable in free plans. Some providers offer limited-time free trials of paid plans with premium features. This can be a good way to test features before committing.

Scalability: Free services may not offer the flexibility to easily add new lines or extensions as your business grows. This could limit your ability to accommodate a larger team or customer base.

Relevance: Free numbers may not have local area codes. These codes may be relevant to your target audience and can create a disconnect. Carefully assess your communication needs. Prioritize features based on your business size and target audience.

Additional tips

Freemium deals: Freemium models offer some premium functions for free. You can then upgrade to paid plans for more features. Evaluate if the free tier meets your needs and consider upgrading if needed.
Research Lesser-Known Apps: Explore lesser-known VoIP apps. They might offer more features for free than bigger options.

Read Reviews: Before choosing a free service provider, read reviews from other users. They will tell you about call quality, customer service, and any hidden limits.
Compare Plans: Don’t fear to compare plans from different providers. Find the one with the best mix of features and limits for your budget.
Consider Long-Term Needs: While free might be tempting initially, think about your long-term business goals. If you anticipate growth, a free solution might not be sustainable in the long run.

Security considerations

Spam and robocalls: Free numbers can sometimes be targeted more frequently by spammers and robocalls. This can be frustrating for both you and your customers. Free providers might not offer the same level of spam filtering as paid services.
Data Privacy: Carefully read the terms of service of any free provider. Some may collect user data or call recordings for marketing or AI training purposes. Understand how your data is being used and if it aligns with your privacy expectations for your business communications.
Downtime and Reliability: Free services may have more downtime or glitches. This is compared to paid providers with robust infrastructure. This could disrupt your business operations if calls are not received or routed properly.
Limited Customer Support: Free services might offer minimal or no customer support. If you encounter technical difficulties, you might have to work it out by yourself.

Future-proofing your VoIP setup

Making your VoIP system future-proof ensures your communication stays reliable and effective as technology evolves. You can do this by the following.

Understanding Your Needs

Evaluate your current system. Assess call quality, features, scalability, security, and performance to identify improvement areas.
Consider future growth. Will your business need more lines or features in the coming years? If yes, consider a more robust setting.

Choosing a Flexible Provider

Cloud-based VoIP: Opt for cloud-based solutions that automatically update and scale as needed.
Scalability: Make sure your provider offers easy addition or removal of phone lines as your business grows.

Maintaining Security

Regular updates: Keep your VoIP phones, routers, and software updated with the latest security patches.
Encryption: Verify your provider uses strong encryption to protect your calls from eavesdropping.

Added Features

Advanced features: Consider features like call recording, video conferencing, and voicemail transcription for improved communication.
Integration: Ensure your VoIP system integrates with your CRM, email, and other business tools.

Conclusion

VoIP services shine in their ability to connect you with your target audience. A professional phone presence can build trust and credibility with your customers. Free business phone numbers are a convenient and budget-friendly way to get things going. Remember to choose the option that best suits your current situation. Don’t be afraid to scale up as your business thrives.

FAQ

Q: Can I port my free business number to another service provider in the future?

A: Yes, you can typically do a number port to another service provider in the future. Most VoIP providers allow number portability. It lets you transfer your number to a new provider seamlessly. Make sure to double-check with both your current and future providers. Check to ensure compatibility and any fees or requirements for porting.

Q: Can I use a free business number for commercial purposes?

A: Many VoIP providers offer free business numbers that can be used for commercial activities like customer service, sales inquiries, and marketing. However, some providers place restrictions on their free numbers. You should review the terms and conditions of the specific provider. Do this to ensure you comply with any usage restrictions or limits.

Q: Is customer support available for users of free business numbers?

A: This almost entirely depends on the provider. Some providers often offer various support channels, such as phone, email, and live chat to assist users, even those with free numbers. However, the level of support may vary depending on the provider and the specific service plan chosen. Other providers reserve all their support for paid users.