Verizon recently announced a new Second Number plan, letting customers add a second line to their existing Verizon phones. This might sound familiar as Verizon previously offered a similar feature called My Numbers that allowed up to four lines, but that offering ended in 2022. One big distinction is the older program used virtual numbers and required an app, whereas Verizon’s new plan uses your device’s eSIM and works just like a real number. Calls and texts will work with native messaging and phone calling apps, though data will be dependent on your main connection.
Verizon Second Plan isn't the cheapest, but it is a convenient way to add a second line.Verizon says Second Number is aimed at those of us who want more privacy for our main line. This could be especially useful for anyone who needs a number for side hustles or online dating without giving out their main number. From now until June 5th you can sign up for the new plan and lock it in at a rate of $10 a month, whereas it goes up to $15 after that for new plan members. Is Second Number worth it when there are free and cheap alternatives out there? It depends on what you’re looking for.
If cost is your main concern, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives to Verizon Second Number. The catch is that nearly all the free or dirt-cheap options use a special app for calls and texts. This won’t provide as stable or reliable of a connection as you’d get with Second Number. Of course, some of these apps have other advantages including support for multiple virtual numbers, cheap international calling rates, and more.
Below let’s take a look at five of the most popular second-number apps and how they compare to Verizon’s new plan at a glance:
Google VoiceFree for personal (with permission to use data acquired)
Starting at $16 for Business
Call forwarding, call routing, Voicemail transcriptions, Spam protection, Personal voicemail greetings, Google Cal/Meet integrations
As you can see, there are a lot of alternatives out there and that’s far from a comprehensive list. Many of these options will be cheaper than Verizon’s Second Number. There are also several eSIM options to choose from, which we’ll talk about a bit later. The real question is if Verizon’s Second Number is better, and the answer to this also varies depending on your use case.
If you just want a spare number to give out to others but don’t plan to use it much beyond receiving calls and texts, Cloud SIM is a free, minimalist, and ad-free experience. Unfortunately, it’s not great if you plan to use your number regularly as other options on this list could end up cheaper in the long run.
If you plan to use the number frequently but your main concern is value, I’d go with Google Voice. The trade-off is that you have to willingly give Google access to your data, which is not something everyone wants to do with private calls and texts. A very nice alternative for value-focused consumers is FreeTone Calls. Its ads are aggressive, but they don’t keyword-mine your conversations or texts, which is something Google is less clear about.
Verizon Second Number is going to be the easiest and most reliable method, but it comes at a premium.
If privacy or multiple-line support are the most important aspects, I’d go with Burner. Not only does it go out of its way to protect your data but it has tons of integrations for apps like Slack, Google apps, Evernote, and many more. The fact that Burner supports up to 200 temporary numbers and three main virtual numbers makes it even more impressive, perfect for those that freelance, run a small business, have side hustles, or just have an active dating life and don’t want to give out their main number.
Verizon Second Number makes a lot of sense for those who want the most reliable connection. Using eSIM ensures you won’t have sthe same problems you might with others on this list. For example, I have used Google Voice and Burner and, while they work well, sometimes calls just won’t go through or messages will never arrive. It’s rare, but it could still be a dealbreaker if you rely on your second number for important calls and texts. This won’t be an issue with Second Number or another eSIM plan. Will another eSIM plan work better? Probably not, but you could save a few bucks if you don’t mind the extra hoops you’ll have to cross versus the simplicity of signing up for Verizon Second Number.
TL;DR: Verizon Second Number isn’t necessarily a bad plan at $10 a month, but at $15 I feel it is a bit of a stretch. If you can lock in the introductory price, it might be worth it if you want the most convenient and reliable way to add a second line. Just be aware there are options with other advantages like lower costs, multiple virtual numbers, and higher security.
interested in Verizon’s Second Number plan? You can sign up directly through Verizon’s website. Of course, there are other subtle differences between the different second phone number apps. You can take a closer look at the best alternatives below.