Tutorials
9 minute read | | Posted byDaryna Kulya
Looking to get a US phone number for your business? Now is a great time to switch to the cloud. Instead of using a traditional SIM card to make calls, you can use a virtual US number to build relationships with your customers.
A US virtual phone number can help you call and text US contacts with a country code and area code they’re already familiar with. Have multiple teammates working remotely? Want to create a larger local presence? You can use US numbers to grow your business and help customers connect with your brand.
It’s also a good idea to get multiple numbers to reach US customers wherever you are. A 2023 study of over 13,000 consumers confirms voice is still the best way to connect with customers. Success isn’t just about great customer service — it’s about being present and accessible for callers, too.
The best part about getting a virtual phone number? It’s easier than buying a landline number. You’re not tied to a device or glued to your desk — as long as you have a WiFi connection, you can use your US virtual phone number to call your customers in the US.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to add a US number to your existing devices and why you should get a virtual US number.
Contents hide
Why you need a US phone number
How to get a US phone number
How OpenPhone stacks up to 5 other platforms
Why OpenPhone is the best option for a US phone number
Try out your new US number for free
FAQs
Why you need a US phone number
If your business isn’t based in the US, but you’re currently working with US customers (or want to work with US customers), you should have a US phone number.
There are many benefits to having a US phone number, including:
- Your company looks bigger and more legitimate to US customers
- No international calling fees when calling US-based customers
- US customers are more likely to answer calls from recognizable US area codes (you can even select a local phone number in specific cities with a large concentration of your customers)
- Easier communication with clients and team members located in the US
- Better quality of your local calls since you don’t need to worry about long-distance ping or jitter
- More privacy means you and your team can share a second phone number while directing callers to your customer support number
Most international businesses think a free Google Voice number can help them reach US customers, but this isn’t possible. You can’t create a free Google Voice account unless you already have a US phone number to verify it. Fortunately, you can use plenty of Google Voice alternatives to get a US phone number.
Getting a US phone number is an easy process with the right virtual phone number provider. Instead of working with traditional phone services, setting up expensive infrastructure, or waiting for implementation, you can use virtual US phone number services to get a US business phone number much faster.
With OpenPhone, you can get a US phone number in minutes. See for yourself why thousands of businesses use OpenPhone — sign up for our seven-day free trial today.
How to get a US phone number
Getting a US phone number for your business is an easy process and only takes a few minutes to complete.
Watch the video below to learn how to sign up for an OpenPhone account and select a US, toll-free, or Canadian phone number.
How to create an OpenPhone account
- Create an account with OpenPhone.
- Select your city or area code in the US to pick your phone number — you can pick a local number in virtually any city or state in the US.
- Once the signup process is complete, you’re done!
- You now have a US phone number.
How OpenPhone stacks up to 5 other platforms
We recommend getting your US phone number through OpenPhone. However, there are other virtual phone number apps you can use as well:
- Google Voice
- TextNow
- RingCentral
- Skype
- Grasshopper
Here’s a chart of how these stack up:
| Provider | Starting price | Unlimited calling to US & Canada | SMS/MMS to US & Canada | Shared phone numbers | Additional phone numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenPhone | $15 per user per month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $5 per number per month |
| Google Voice | Starts at $16 per user per month (must have Google Workspace) | Unlimited calls to Canada from the US only | US customers only | Requires upgrade (ring groups only) | X |
| TextNow | Free (SIM and add-ons cost extra) | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| RingCentral | Starts at $20 per user per month | ✓ | 25 messages per user per month | ✓ | $4.99 per number per month |
| Skype | Credit-based pricing | X | X | X | Varies |
| Grasshopper | $14 per account per month | ✓ | Local numbers only | X | $10 per number per month |
1. Google Voice
Google Voice needs no introduction: it’s one of the most popular tools for getting a free US number. That said, it’s not a perfect solution — the free version of Google Voice is only available in the US.
The only way to get a US phone number outside the US is to buy a Google Voice for Business plan and add an active Google Workspace subscription (a minimum of $6 per user per month). Even if you do decide to get a paid account, keep in mind texting is still only available to US customers.
Google Voice for Google Workspace does offer free calls to the US (and Canada, if you’re a US user). But beyond voicemail transcriptions and business hour settings, it provides limited features to help your business grow. There’s not even a desktop app available — you have to use your browser to call with the Google Chrome extension.
Key features
- Free unlimited calling to the US
- Free unlimited calling to Canada (US customers only)
- Free texting to US numbers (Texting is available to US customers only)
- Google Calendar and Google Meet integrations
- Call recordings (Requires upgrade)
- Ring groups (Requires upgrade)
- Phone menus (Requires upgrade)
Pricing
Google Voice’s paid plans require you to have an active Google Workspace subscription (starting at $6 per user per month) on top of one of these three Google Voice plans:
- Starter: $10 per user per month (maximum of 10 users)
- Standard: $20 per user per month to access on-demand call recordings, ring groups, and phone menus
- Premier: $30 per user per month to access automatic call recordings and advanced reporting
2. TextNow
TextNow is a WiFi texting app you can also use to make and receive calls. If you want to send texts without WiFi, you can purchase a TextNow SIM card for an additional fee.
TextNow’s free calling and texting service is ad-supported, but you can always upgrade to an Ad Free Lite plan ($1.99 per month). Plus, your phone call recipients aren’t required to have TextNow installed on their device, which means you can directly call their cell phone or landline without communicating through the app.
Unfortunately, TextNow is only available in the US and Canada. If you’re located outside the US, you have to sign up with a VPN installed on your device. Plus, it’s possible to lose your phone number due to inactivity unless you pay an extra $4.99 per month to ‘lock in’ your number. You can also upgrade to a Premium Number (also $4.99 per month) to protect your number from deactivation.
Key features
- Free phone number (fees apply to premium numbers; you must unlock your iPhone or Android to use the mobile app)
- Voicemail transcription (requires upgrade)
- Incoming caller ID (requires upgrade)
- International calling and texting (requires the purchase of credits)
Pricing
TextNow is free to users with ads, or $1.99 per month for a ‘reduced ad’ experience. Removing all ads costs $9.99 per month. If you want to purchase a TextNow SIM card, you have to pay an additional $0.99.
3. RingCentral
RingCentral is a VoIP service provider offering unified communications to businesses. This means you can access call, text, and video calling tools on your mobile phone, laptop, or desktop computer.
Unfortunately, there are many drawbacks to using RingCentral’s service, even if you are located in the US. Many of their basic business features require upgrades to a higher tier — the base plan only includes 25 messages per user per month, for example. Since you can only have up to 20 users on the basic plan, you may feel pressured to upgrade before you’re ready.
Plus, RingCentral’s shared number feature only works for fielding calls, which means you can’t manage texts together as a team. And since its shared inbox separates calls, texts, and voice messages into different inboxes, you may struggle to get context from your team members.
Key features
- IVR
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Call recordings
- Local or toll-free phone numbers
- Android and iOS Mobile app
- Business texting
- Team messaging
- Document file sharing
Pricing
- Core: $20 per user per month to access unlimited calls in the US and Canada and 25 SMS messages per user per month
- Advanced: $25 per user per month to get 100 SMS messages per user per month, automatic call recording, and CRM integrations
- Ultra: $35 per user per month to get additional storage, device analytics, and 200 SMS messages per user per month
4. Skype
Skype provides one of the easiest ways to get a US number. It offers better security than platforms like WhatsApp or FaceTime, since they encrypt all voice, video, file transfers, and instant messages. You can purchase up to 10 local phone numbers for your business — just keep in mind you can’t port over existing phone numbers.
Getting a Skype plan is relatively straightforward. First, you pay for subscription credits to reach your US customers. Then, you can make free voice and video calls for as many as 100 people at a time – as long as the callers are Skype users.
Unfortunately, Skype doesn’t include any business phone features besides two-way SMS and caller ID. Even then, it doesn’t support MMS messages, and you can’t receive text messages unless you’re located in the US. Since domestic calls aren’t included in the price unless your clients are Skype users, this may be an expensive way to reach US contacts.
Key features
- Free calls to other Skype users
- Two-way SMS (requires Skype credits)
- Outbound calls (requires Skype credits)
- Caller ID
Pricing
You must purchase credits to call and text non-Skype users. Skype credits are available in three increments: $5, $10, and $25. The rate to reach others varies by country and the currency you choose to pay with.
5. Grasshopper
Grasshopper is a popular choice in the world of virtual phone providers, especially if you want to get extensions with your US phone number. You can add unlimited users to any plan except for the True Solo tier. Since every available feature is included with every plan, you won’t have to pay for upgrades to access more features.
On the downside, Grasshopper’s platform is a bit outdated and doesn’t come with modern features such as call recording and shared phone numbers. It also costs nearly twice as much to purchase additional numbers compared to OpenPhone.
Keep in mind Grasshopper is only available to customers in the US and Canada. This means you need to be physically present in the US or Canada to sign up, or you need a VPN to create a Grasshopper phone number for your business.
Key features
- Local texting (Grasshopper doesn’t support international texting; MMS texting isn’t available with toll-free numbers)
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Phone menus
- Auto-replies
- Call transfers
- Simultaneous ring (additional $10 per month)
Pricing
Grasshopper charges based on how many telephone numbers you need. Their platform offers these four plans:
- True Solo: $14 per month for one number and one extension (one user only)
- Solo: $28 per month for one number and three extensions
- Partner: $46 per month for three numbers and six extensions
- Small business: $80 per month for five numbers and eight extensions
Why OpenPhone is the best option for a US phone number
OpenPhone is a virtual business phone built specifically for startups, small businesses, and individuals worldwide. Our platform works on iOS and Android devices on mobile and web browsers for desktop users.
For international businesses and US-based companies looking to expand to other cities, OpenPhone gives you the ability to create a US phone number in just a few minutes.
You can use this dedicated US phone for talking and texting with customers in the US. Calling and texting any US or Canadian number is free with OpenPhone. Best of all, your OpenPhone number works anywhere with an internet connection.
Why should you use OpenPhone? We have many required features for international businesses, including:
- Local US, Canadian, and toll-free numbers for the US and many other North American countries and regions
- SMS and MMS support
- Voicemail to text transcriptions
- Auto-attendant and call routing
- Ability to share responsibility for a phone number with your team
- Automatic call recording
- Ability to set business hours to control when you’re available to receive calls
- Multiple phone numbers tied to one account
- Works in the United States, Canada, and internationally
- Mobile apps available for iOS and Android
- Web-based app for all browsers
- Desktop apps for Mac and Windows
- Slack and email integrations
If you already have an existing US phone number, OpenPhone can port the number over, taking care of the logistics for you.
Try out your new US number for free
Ready to get a US phone number? Start calling and texting with your new OpenPhone business number.
FAQs
Is there a way to get a US number without a US address?
Yes. With OpenPhone, you can purchase US numbers without an address — as long as you verify your identity for security reasons.
Is there a way to get a free US number?
You can get a US number through OpenPhone free for seven days. Once you’ve confirmed we’re a good fit for your team, you can register for our Starter plan at $15 per user per month.
4.8/5 - (258 votes)
Daryna Kulya
Co-Founder at OpenPhone. Ukrainian-Canadian in SF. Love exploring new hiking trails.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or expertise. However, I can provide information and insights on a wide range of topics, including the concepts used in this article. Here's an overview of the concepts mentioned in the article:
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US virtual phone number: A US virtual phone number is a telephone number that is not tied to a physical phone line or device. It allows businesses to have a presence in the US and make calls and send texts using a US country code and area code. Virtual phone numbers are typically hosted in the cloud and can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.
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Benefits of having a US phone number: The article mentions several benefits of having a US phone number for businesses. These include making your company appear larger and more legitimate to US customers, avoiding international calling fees when calling US-based customers, increasing the likelihood of US customers answering calls from recognizable US area codes, facilitating easier communication with clients and team members located in the US, ensuring better call quality for local calls, and maintaining privacy by sharing a second phone number with your team while directing callers to your customer support number.
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Obtaining a US phone number: The article suggests using a virtual phone number provider like OpenPhone to obtain a US phone number. It mentions that OpenPhone allows users to get a US phone number in minutes and offers features such as local US, Canadian, and toll-free numbers, SMS and MMS support, voicemail to text transcriptions, auto-attendant and call routing, multiple phone numbers tied to one account, and more.
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Comparison of virtual phone number providers: The article compares OpenPhone to other virtual phone number apps like Google Voice, TextNow, RingCentral, Skype, and Grasshopper. It provides information on the starting price, unlimited calling and messaging capabilities, shared phone numbers, and additional phone numbers offered by each provider.
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Why OpenPhone is recommended: The article highlights why OpenPhone is recommended as the best option for a US phone number. It mentions that OpenPhone is specifically built for startups, small businesses, and individuals worldwide, offers local US, Canadian, and toll-free numbers, supports SMS and MMS, provides voicemail to text transcriptions, allows for shared responsibility for a phone number with your team, offers automatic call recording, and works in the United States, Canada, and internationally.
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Getting a US phone number with OpenPhone: The article provides a step-by-step guide on how to get a US phone number with OpenPhone. It explains the process of creating an OpenPhone account, selecting a city or area code in the US to choose a phone number, and completing the signup process.
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Free trial and pricing: The article mentions that OpenPhone offers a seven-day free trial and provides information on the pricing plans for OpenPhone, as well as the features included in each plan.
These are the main concepts discussed in this article. Let me know if you have any specific questions or if there's anything else I can assist you with!
