Hushed alternatives

6 Best Hushed Alternatives in 2026 (Tested)

Six options worth shortlisting — what each is for, what it costs, where it falls short.

Hushed has carved out a clear position as the throwaway phone-number app: prepaid, week-by-week, intentionally disposable. For users whose actual need is a one-off burner — selling a couch on Craigslist, listing on a marketplace once, signing up for one risky service — Hushed is purpose-built and we'd recommend it over the alternatives on this list.

People look for Hushed alternatives for three main reasons: they discovered the number expires when credit runs out and they wanted to keep it; they need international inbound numbers Hushed doesn't carry; or they need port-in to bring an existing number into the service. Each of those is a real limitation of Hushed's model, and each is solved by a different tool below.

This list covers the six alternatives we think are worth shortlisting in 2026. Voklit ranks #1 for the most common use case (ongoing second line, ad-free, international support). Burner ranks high for users staying within the privacy-first throwaway use case. Google Voice and Sideline appear for US-residency cases. Each entry is honest about who it's actually for.

Voklit

$4.99/mo

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Who it's for: Anyone who wants an ongoing second line — durable, ad-free, with port-in and port-out — at roughly the same monthly cost as Hushed's recurring plan

Voklit is the right Hushed alternative for users whose use case is ongoing rather than throwaway. The pricing is comparable to Hushed's monthly tier ($4.99 vs ~$4.99) but the number is durable, port-in and port-out are supported, and the international coverage is wider. For users hitting Hushed's "my number expired" problem, Voklit is the direct fix. For users hitting Hushed's "I want a UK or India number" problem, Voklit covers those routes too. Where Hushed still wins: genuine short-term burner use under one month — Voklit doesn't compete on absolute price there.

Pros
  • Number stays yours through the subscription; port-out supported
  • Free port-in from any major carrier
  • Inbound numbers from US, UK, India, Mexico, Philippines, Egypt, Canada
  • Ad-free, real customer support
  • Published international outbound rates
Cons
  • No 7-day cheap-throwaway tier (if you need that, use Hushed)
  • Monthly subscription model with card on file (some users prefer Hushed's prepaid privacy posture)
2

Burner

Starts ~$4.99/mo or one-time burns

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Who it's for: Users staying within the privacy-first throwaway use case who prefer Burner's brand and UX over Hushed's

Burner is Hushed's closest direct competitor — same throwaway positioning, similar pricing, similar feature set. For users who prefer Burner's UX or have had specific issues with Hushed, it's a near-equivalent alternative. The honest assessment: if you've decided you want a throwaway app, Burner vs Hushed comes down to brand preference and which app feels right to you. Neither solves the "I want to keep this number long-term" problem.

Pros
  • Direct competitor to Hushed in the throwaway space
  • Polished privacy-first UI
  • Solid US/CA coverage
Cons
  • US/CA only
  • Limited port support
  • No call recording or business features
3

Google Voice

Free (personal) / $10+/user (Workspace)

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Who it's for: US residents with a US mobile who want a free domestic second line

Google Voice is the strongest option for US residents who want a free durable second line. Unlike Hushed, the number doesn't expire. Unlike Hushed, it has best-in-class voicemail and spam filtering. The catch is the residency constraint: if you live outside the US, you can't register easily, and the inbound number is US-only. For US-based Hushed users who realized they wanted a permanent number, Google Voice's free tier is the strongest alternative — for non-US users it isn't an option.

Pros
  • Free personal tier with a real US number
  • Best-in-class voicemail transcription
  • Strong spam filtering
  • Native Gmail integration
Cons
  • Requires existing US phone to register
  • US-only inbound numbers
  • $20 port-in fee on free tier
  • No human support on free tier
4

TextNow

Free (ad-supported)

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Who it's for: Free domestic US/CA use where ads are tolerable

TextNow is the free alternative for ad-tolerant users. For Hushed users who only need a casual personal line and don't want to pay even Hushed's prepaid price, TextNow's free tier covers it. The trade-offs are real: ads in the app, low trust score for SMS verification, and possible number recycling. It's not better than Hushed — it's free instead of cheap, with the corresponding compromises.

Pros
  • Genuinely free with a real US/CA number
  • Free domestic calls and SMS
Cons
  • Ad-laden free tier
  • Number pool flagged for SMS verification
  • US/CA only
  • Numbers can be recycled after inactivity
5

Sideline

~$10/mo

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Who it's for: US users who want a polished business-positioned second line and are willing to pay 2x Hushed's price for it

Sideline positions as a business second-line app rather than a throwaway. For users moving from Hushed because they want a more professional-feeling product, Sideline's UX delivers. The price (~$10/mo) is higher than both Hushed and Voklit, so the value depends on whether Sideline's specific features and brand matter to you. For non-US users, Sideline isn't an option.

Pros
  • Auto-reply, custom voicemail, business-app feel
  • Real US number with port support
  • Stable, well-maintained app
Cons
  • US only
  • Roughly double Hushed's monthly price for a similar core feature set
6

MySudo

Free / ~$1–$15/mo for tiers

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Who it's for: Privacy-obsessive users who want multiple identities with phone, email, and credit-card masking together

MySudo isn't a pure phone-number app — it's a multi-identity privacy suite that includes phone numbers as one piece. For users whose Hushed use case is broadly "I want to compartmentalize my digital identity," MySudo extends that thinking to email and virtual cards alongside phone. For users who only need a phone number, it's overcomplicated. Worth knowing about; rarely the right answer for a narrow phone-only need.

Pros
  • Multi-identity model with phone + email + virtual card
  • Strong privacy positioning
  • End-to-end encrypted in-app communication
Cons
  • Phone-number features are secondary to the identity-suite framing
  • Pricing tiers get expensive for multi-line use
  • Smaller community / less mainstream

At a glance

The full lineup compared on the dimensions that usually decide the call

Service
Starting Price
Coverage
Number Durability
Port-In
Ads
Best For
Voklit
$4.99/mo
US + 9 more
Durable (port-out supported)
Yes, free
None
Ongoing second line
Hushed
$1.99 / 7 days
US, CA, UK
Expires when credit runs out
No
None
Throwaway use
Burner
~$4.99/mo
US, CA
Renew or lose it
Limited
None
Throwaway (Burner UX)
Google Voice
Free (US users)
US only
Durable
$20 fee
None
Free US line
TextNow
Free
US, CA
Can recycle on inactivity
No
Yes (free tier)
Free casual use
Sideline
~$10/mo
US
Durable
Limited
None
Sideline UX fans
MySudo
Free / tiered
US, CA
Tied to identity
No
None
Multi-identity privacy

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6 Best Hushed Alternatives in 2026 (Tested) | Voklit