Textfree

Textfree is a free texting and calling app from Pinger, Inc., marketed with free phone numbers that work without a phone plan. The homepage lists a standard tier at no cost with a number, unlimited calls and texts, spam recognition, voicemail transcription and auto-reply, and says the service is ad-supported. TextFree Plus is listed at $9.99 a month, billed monthly, adding a reserved number, verification codes, an ad-free experience, spam management and number changes.

Pinger's own site credits a 2005 founding by Greg Woock and Joe Sipher, says TextFree launched in 2009 and places the headquarters in San Jose, California, with remote offices across the United States and Europe. Textfree sits in a family of products with Sideline and Index. Apps are available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

• Standard tier at no cost. The standard tier includes a phone number, unlimited calls and texts, spam recognition, voicemail transcription and auto-reply. The page states that ads fund it.
• TextFree Plus. Plus costs $9.99 a month, billed monthly. It adds a reserved number, verification codes, an ad-free experience, spam management and number changes.
• Spam recognition. Spam recognition is listed on the standard tier, with spam management on Plus. The pages do not describe how calls are classified.
• Voicemail transcription. Voicemail transcription is part of the standard tier, so a message can be read without playing it. Accuracy and language coverage are not stated.
• Auto-reply. Auto-reply to calls and texts is listed. It lets a user send a standard answer when unable to pick up.
• Works without a phone plan. The homepage says the service works without a phone plan, since it is marketed as free texting and calling with free numbers. It needs the app and a data or Wi-Fi connection.
• Pinger product family. The site lists Pinger, Sideline and Index as related products. Users who want a different style of second line can look at Sideline, which uses the carrier network.

• A student who needs a number for sign-ups. A free number with texts and calls covers verification and casual use without a plan. A reserved number on Plus helps when the number must not change.
• Someone selling items online. A separate number keeps buyers away from a personal phone. Auto-reply and voicemail transcription help handle messages that arrive when unavailable.
• A traveller on Wi-Fi. Because the service works without a phone plan, calls and texts can run wherever there is a connection. The pages we read do not list international rates.

The Textfree app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play for iOS and Android. After installing it a user receives a phone number on the standard tier, which is listed as free and supported by ads. Upgrading to TextFree Plus at $9.99 a month removes ads and adds a reserved number.

The pages we read describe features rather than a numbered setup procedure, and they do not say how long a number stays active without use. Anyone who later wants to leave should know that deletion requests are handled only through the apps, using a Delete My Data link, and that deleting data ends the account.

Textfree comes from Pinger, Inc. of San Jose, California, and its terms name Dinopilot, a Cayman Islands company, as licensor for downloads outside US app stores.

The standard tier includes a number, calls, texts and voicemail transcription, paid for by ads. TextFree Plus adds a reserved number and removes ads. Deleting data through the app ends the account, and the privacy policy places all systems in US data centres.

Textfree is entry #10 of 13 in the virtual phone number apps list: it follows TextNow and comes before Sideline. Established names take the places after the first three, in ranked order, and we give no numeric score.

Home market: the United States, one of 4 North America bases among the 13 products here.

Pinger lists Sideline and Index beside Textfree in its family of products.

The company dates from 2005 and Textfree launched in 2009, according to the homepage.

The about page lists remote offices in the United States and Europe.

Pricing as recorded: Free ad-supported tier; TextFree Plus billed monthly and published.

The standard tier is listed as free, with a number, unlimited calls and texts, spam recognition, voicemail transcription and auto-reply, and the page says the service is ad-supported. TextFree Plus is $9.99 a month, billed monthly, and adds a reserved number, verification codes, an ad-free experience, spam management and number changes. The page shows a dollar sign but does not name a currency code. No yearly price, trial length or business plan appears on the pages we read. Buyers comparing it with paid number apps should note that the price of the free tier is attention to ads, and that the comparison changes once the Plus fee is counted.

Basis: textfree.com, read for the Best Virtual Phone Number Apps in 2026 guide (reviewed 13 November 2026).

The privacy policy names Pinger, Inc. as operator, at a PO Box in San Jose, California, and says data centres in the United States hold all necessary systems. Deletion requests are verified only through the apps, using a Delete My Data link, and deleting data ends the account.

The terms name Pinger, Inc. as licensor for users who download from a US app store and Dinopilot, a Cayman Islands company, as licensor otherwise, and state that Pinger, Inc. is an affiliate of Dinopilot. The pages we read list no security certifications.

Integrations the vendor names (5):

• Apple App Store (iOS)
• Google Play (Android)
• Pinger
• Sideline
• Index

These are the nearest neighbours of Textfree in the same list, picked on shared traits and price model.

• Burner (#3 of 13): Second-number app from Los Angeles with number limits per platform. Suits: Individuals who want a spare number for listings, dating or short projects. (United States)
• CallHippo (#7 of 13): Cloud phone system with numbers in over 150 countries. Suits: Sales and support teams that want CRM sync and numbers in many countries. (India)
• Sideline (#11 of 13): Second-line app that uses the carrier network instead of VoIP. (United States)
• Google Voice (#13 of 13): Workspace-sold phone numbers with Gmail and Calendar links.

Read from the vendor’s own pages on 12 November 2026.

• textfree.com: Tiers, prices, ad support, family of products
• pinger.com: App stores, free marketing, founding and launch dates
• pinger.com/about: San Jose headquarters and remote offices
• pinger.com/privacy: Operator, US data centres, deletion process
• pinger.com/terms: Licensor and Dinopilot affiliation

Four tests decide a position: how soon the product is useful, what the bill really becomes, how data leaves and who it suits. On those tests Textfree lands at place 10 of 13. Read the editorial process for the method and where paid visibility fits in.