Hushed vs Google Voice: which second phone number should you get?
Last updated: August 10, 2026
Short answer: If you're in the United States and want a free, permanent second number with calling, Google Voice wins — it costs nothing and it isn't close. Choose Hushed when Google Voice won't work for you: you want a number you can throw away, you want several numbers, or you can't complete Google's signup because it requires an existing US phone number to verify. The catch neither one escapes is that both want an account and an app on your phone.
Who’s writing this: we make Petitext, which appears as a third option below. We don’t earn anything if you pick Hushed or Google Voice, and for a lot of people one of them is the right call — so the comparison says so plainly.
Hushed vs Google Voice, side by side
| Hushed | Google Voice | Petitext(ours) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing phone number needed to sign up? | No — an app account and a payment method | Yes — a US number to verify with | No — an email address is all it takes |
| App install required? | Yes — iOS or Android app | App or web, plus a Google account | No |
| Available from outside North America? | Numbers in the US, Canada, and UK; varies by region | Not for new signups | Yes — works from any country |
| Time to a working number | A few minutes | A few minutes | About a minute |
| Tied to a permanent account? | Yes — a Hushed account | Yes — your Google account | No |
| Where your conversations live | In the app | In the app or web inbox | Your own email inbox — searchable and exportable |
| Can you text first, not just reply? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Short-term use without a subscription | Prepaid 30, 90, or 365-day periods | Not applicable — free and permanent | Yes — from $1.99/day |
| What happens when you stop | Cancel, or let a prepaid period lapse | The number stays on your account | The number expires on its own |
| Voice calls | Yes | Yes | No — text only |
| Reliable for verification codes | Often works, not guaranteed | Often works, not guaranteed | No |
| Price | About $7/month and up | Free for personal use | $1.99/day · $10.99/month |
Hushed and Google Voice details checked against their own sites on August 10, 2026 — Hushed pricing, Google Voice pricing. Prices change; check theirs before you buy.
Choose Hushed if…
- You want a disposable number you can drop when you're done with it
- You want more than one number, or numbers in the UK as well as the US and Canada
- You don't have a US phone number to verify a Google account with
- You'd rather pay a few dollars than have the number tied to your Google identity
Choose Google Voice if…
- You're in the US, where signup actually works
- You want it to be free, permanently
- You want voicemail transcription, calling, and a number you'll keep for years
- You're already deep in Google's ecosystem and want it in the same place as your email and calendar
What neither one solves
Both assume you can install and run their app, and Google Voice additionally assumes you already have a US phone number to verify with. Those two assumptions rule out more people than you'd think — anyone on a work phone whose MDM profile blocks the app store, anyone on an older handset new apps no longer support, anyone whose phone has no free storage, and anyone outside the US trying to get a US number in the first place.
The third option: a number with no app to download
Petitext is ours, so weigh this accordingly. It exists for the case the two above don’t cover: you get a dedicated US or Canada number, and every text sent to it arrives in the email inbox you already use. You reply from your inbox and it reaches them as an ordinary text. There’s no app to download, no eSIM, and no SIM card, which is why it works on work phones locked down by an MDM profile, older handsets, and phones with no storage left — and from any country, since all it needs is email.
Where Petitext loses: it has no voice calls — it is text only, so if you need to take calls, Hushed or Google Voice beats it outright. And it is not reliable for one-time verification codes: our numbers are VoIP-classified and many banks and apps reject those. If OTP codes are your whole reason for wanting a number, don’t buy Petitext for that.
Pricing is $1.99 for a day, $8.99 for a week, or $10.99/month on the Monthly Pass — cancel anytime. See plans and pricing, or the full comparison against all four.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hushed or Google Voice cheaper?
Google Voice is free for personal use, so nothing beats it on price. Hushed starts around $6.99/month for unlimited local talk and text, with prepaid periods from about $7.99/month. You're paying Hushed for disposability and for not needing a US number to sign up — not for a cheaper phone line.
Can I get Google Voice without a US phone number?
Not through the normal signup. Google Voice's free personal tier asks you to verify with an existing US phone number, which is exactly the thing most people looking for a US number don't have yet. Hushed doesn't require that, and neither does Petitext, which needs only an email address.
Do Hushed and Google Voice both need an app?
Hushed requires its iOS or Android app. Google Voice has a web version as well as an app, but it still requires a Google account and a US number to verify at signup. If installing an app is the blocker for you, Petitext is the option that needs neither — texts arrive in the email inbox you already use.
Which is better for verification codes?
Neither is dependable. Both issue VoIP-classified numbers, and a great many banks and apps detect and reject those for one-time passcodes. Codes sometimes arrive and sometimes don't. If receiving OTP codes is your whole reason for wanting a number, no virtual-number service — including ours — is a safe bet.