TextNow alternative
A TextNow alternative that doesn’t take your number back
TextNow gives you a free US or Canadian number, paid for by ads — and recycles it if you stop using it. If you need a number that stays yours and gets its verification codes, here is how Numonym compares.
In short
Which one fits you?
Both are good at different things. An honest summary first, the details below.
Stay with TextNow if…
- You want a free US or Canadian number and don’t mind ads.
- You call and text every day, so the number never goes idle.
- You mostly talk to people, and rarely need verification codes.
Choose Numonym if…
- You need a number that stays yours even if you rarely use it.
- You need codes from apps and banks that refuse VoIP numbers.
- You want a number in the UK, Europe or Latin America.
- You don’t want an email or an Apple or Google account behind it.
Side by side
TextNow vs Numonym
| Feature | TextNow | Numonym |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free with ads; paid options remove the ads and lock the number | From $4 a month + $15 one-time activation, no ads; mobile from $7 |
| Keeping the number | Free numbers are recycled when they go unused | Yours for the whole rental, used or not, and for as long as you renew |
| Line type | Internet (VoIP) numbers | Mobile (non-VoIP), local and national |
| Numbers | US and Canada | 12 countries in North America, Europe and Latin America |
| Sign-up | An email address, or an Apple or Google account | A password — you get a random 16-digit account number |
| Payment | Card or app store for the paid options | Bitcoin, Monero, USDT, Ethereum or Solana |
| Where you use it | TextNow apps and the web | Your browser, any SIP app, or texts forwarded to Telegram, email or a webhook |
From TextNow’s public pages, checked 29 September 2026: TextNow — keep your TextNow number · TextNow Help — recycled numbers. Offers change — check their current terms. Trademarks belong to their owners.
Free numbers that get recycled
TextNow pays for free numbers with ads, and a free number that goes quiet is recycled and handed to someone else — along with any codes still being sent to it. TextNow sells a paid option that locks the number to your account.
A Numonym number is paid for up front, for 1 to 24 months, and nobody else can get it during that time — whether you use it daily or once a quarter. Renew at the same price for as long as you like; if you forget, you still have 30 days, then the number goes into quarantine rather than straight to a new user.
Why codes don’t arrive on TextNow numbers
TextNow numbers are internet (VoIP) numbers. Many services look up the line type before they send a sign-up or login code, and refuse VoIP ranges — the text simply never comes.
Real mobile numbers sit in carrier mobile ranges, like a SIM card, and pass those checks far more often. If one doesn’t work for you within 72 hours, we swap it for free. VoIP or real mobile: which do you need?
No ads, and no account to link
A TextNow account is an email address, or your Apple or Google account. Numonym asks for neither: you choose a password and get a random 16-digit account number, then add a passkey or an authenticator app. There are no ads, and no trackers on the site.
Fair is fair
What TextNow does better
If one of these matters most to you, TextNow is the better pick.
It’s free
TextNow’s basic number costs nothing if you accept ads. Numonym numbers start at $4 a month, plus a one-time $15 activation.
Free calling in North America
Free calls and texts in the US and Canada on the free plan. Numonym prices outgoing calls and texts, shown before you send.
Native apps
TextNow’s apps for iOS and Android. Numonym runs in the browser and in any SIP app.
Switching
Moving from TextNow to Numonym
Keep the old number until everything points to the new one.
How it worksGet your number
Create an account with a password, top up in crypto and pick a number in any of 12 countries.
Move your logins
Change the phone number on your 2FA and recovery settings while you still receive codes on the old one.
Tell your contacts
Send the new number from the old one, or share a username on apps that support it.
Let the old one go
Once nothing points to it any more, cancel the old line. Your new number stays yours as long as you renew.
Why does TextNow recycle numbers?
Free TextNow numbers are funded by ads, and numbers that aren’t being used go back into the pool for new users. TextNow’s paid options lock the number to your account. A Numonym number is prepaid for the period you choose and isn’t recycled while it’s yours.
Do TextNow numbers work for verification codes?
Often not: TextNow numbers are internet (VoIP) numbers, and many services refuse those for sign-up codes. Numonym real mobile numbers sit in carrier mobile ranges, which pass these checks far more often — and within 72 hours you can swap a number that doesn’t work for you.
Is there a free alternative to TextNow?
Free alternatives are also funded by ads or by your data, with the same trade-offs. Numonym isn’t free — numbers start at $4 a month, plus a one-time $15 activation — but there are no ads, no inactivity rules and nothing that identifies you.
Can I get a UK number like TextNow?
TextNow numbers are US and Canadian only. Numonym has UK mobile (07), London (020) and UK-wide 03 numbers, and numbers in 9 more countries.
Google Voice alternativeNo US number to link, numbers in 12 countries
Hushed alternativeReal mobile numbers, no email, 12 countries
Burner alternativeNo phone number or Apple/Google account to sign up
MySudo alternativeNo app store, no ID check, crypto only
Silent.link alternativeNumbers that send texts and make calls- All services comparedSMS rental sites, second-number apps and business VoIP, side by side
Try the difference
A number in 12 countries, calls and texts both ways, no email, no ID — with a 72-hour swap guarantee.