ExpressNumber gives you 5 numbers on Basic with no ads, kept as long as your plan is active. TextNow gives you one line paid for by ads, and recycles a free number that goes unused.
A free TextNow number stays active only with a call or text every day, or $1.99 a week for Lock In Number. Basic is $9.99 a month for 5 numbers, kept while your plan is active, and the first 7 days are free.
| Feature | ExpressNumber | TextNowAs published on their site |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | $0 today and for 7 days. Then Basic is $9.99 a month, Pro is $29.99 a month. | $0 a month with ads. Plus is $18.99 a month or $4.99 a week without ads, and Unlimited $35.99 a month. |
| Try it free first | Yes. 7 days free on either plan, $0 today. Cancel before then and you pay nothing. | Yes. The free plan stays free, paid for by ads. A SIM card is $3.99 and an eSIM is free. |
| Numbers on one plan | Yes. 5 or 100 numbers on one plan. Extra numbers are $1 a month on Basic, 50 cents on Pro. | No. A TextNow plan is one phone line with one number. |
| The number stays yours | Yes. Kept for as long as your plan is active, however rarely it rings. | Partly. A free number stays with a call or text every day, or with Lock In Number at $1.99 a week. A released number cannot be restored. |
| No ads | Yes. No ads, on any plan. | Partly. The free plan is paid for by ads. Plus, Unlimited and Ad-Free+ remove them. |
| Calls reach the phone you already carry | Yes. Forwarded to the mobile you verified, ringing like any other call. The caller only ever sees the burner. | Partly. Calls ring in the TextNow app or on a TextNow SIM. Call forwarding comes with Ad-Free+, $6.99 a week. |
| Verification codes | Partly. Texts arrive on every plan. Some banks refuse virtual numbers, so keep your real line for those. | Partly. Most codes need a TextNow SIM card or a paid add-on such as Lock In Number or Ad-Free+. |
| Where the numbers are | Partly. US numbers only today. | Partly. US local numbers, in most metro area codes. |
Our minutes count forwarded calls only, rounded up to the minute, and inbound texts are never billed. Past your monthly allowance, forwarded minutes are 5 cents each, capped at $50 a month on Basic and $100 on Pro.
TextNow says a free number stays active with a call or text every day, and a released number cannot be restored. Ours stay for as long as your plan is active, however rarely they ring.
TextNow sells talk, text and data in its app or on a SIM, and its lines call and text out. ExpressNumber numbers receive calls and texts and forward them to the phone you already have.
Both plans start with 7 days free and $0 today. Put the number on the next form that asks for your phone number and watch who calls it.
Keep comparing
Hand out a number you can burn. Keep the one your family calls.
Try it free for 7 days