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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
User consensusAlternativesIs it worth it?
Better options than

Talkatone alternatives

Talkatone users often seek alternatives due to persistent bugs, poor customer support, and issues with message delivery and call quality, even for premium subscribers. Alternatives like TextNow and Burner offer varying strengths, from free texting and calling to enhanced privacy features, though some also face challenges with verification codes or subscription models.

Why users look for alternatives to Talkatone

The alternatives

TextNow
4.8★ · 909,825 ratings · Free

TextNow is a free app for calling and texting, especially useful for communicating with Android users R58. It provides a reliable way to stay connected, with some users reporting fast and trusted service . It is recommended for those who need a phone number but don't have one R58.

Better for: TextNow is better for users who need a free, reliable texting and calling app, especially for cross-platform communication with Android users R55R58. It suits those who don't mind ads or minor hiccups for a free service .

Head-to-head: Talkatone vs TextNow
Text Me
4.7★ · 663,570 ratings · Free

Text Me can be a good option for emergency situations R66 and for calling friends, including those on Android . However, users report that many features, especially receiving verification codes, are behind a paywall, with subscriptions costing around $29.99 a month R67.

Better for: Text Me might be better for users who need a number for occasional emergency use or calling friends, and are willing to pay for premium features like receiving verification codes R66. It is not ideal for those seeking a completely free service R67.

Head-to-head: Talkatone vs Text Me
Text Free
4.7★ · 590,123 ratings · Free

Text Free is considered one of the best free text/call apps available R83. It offers a good texting experience, but users note that receiving verification codes is a paid feature R82. Call quality can be inconsistent, with reports of low volume and spotty connections even with good internet .

Better for: Text Free is better for users primarily looking for a free texting app R83. It suits those who can tolerate ads and potentially inconsistent call quality, and who are willing to pay extra for specific features like verification codes R81R82.

Head-to-head: Talkatone vs Text Free
textPlus
4.6★ · 271,736 ratings · Free

textPlus is appreciated by some users for offering a free verification code process, unlike other second phone number apps R94. However, many users report issues with the app, including being unable to make calls or send texts even with a paid subscription R93. There are also complaints about messages not showing as delivered and accounts being suspended without reason .

Better for: textPlus might be suitable for users who specifically need a free way to receive verification codes R94. However, due to reports of payment issues, poor customer service, and unreliable messaging and calling, it may not be ideal for consistent use R93R96.

Head-to-head: Talkatone vs textPlus
Burner
4.7★ · 92,978 ratings · Free

Burner is praised for its ability to provide a second number for privacy, such as for work or online dating, preventing personal numbers from being shared R110. It offers a simple and intuitive layout with the option to pick local area codes R110. However, users frequently report issues with billing after cancellation and difficulties contacting support R107R108R109. The app can also be slow and glitchy, lacking some standard messaging functions .

Better for: Burner is better for users who prioritize privacy and need a temporary or secondary number to avoid sharing their main phone number for specific situations like online dating or professional contacts R110. It suits those who are willing to navigate potential billing and performance issues for the privacy benefits R107R108R109.

Head-to-head: Talkatone vs Burner
Stick with Talkatone if

You should stick with Talkatone if you find it generally works well for your needs, especially for free calls and texts with good Wi-Fi, and you are not heavily reliant on consistent customer support or specific advanced features . Some users report excellent service and find it a great app for privacy .

Evidence note: No alternative had too-thin evidence to judge.

Frequently asked

Why do Talkatone messages fail to send?
Talkatone messages frequently fail to send due to persistent bugs, server errors, or limitations, even for premium users R3R7R10R12. Some users report that message failures occur for extended periods, sometimes for a week or more R12.
Does Talkatone have good customer support?
Talkatone generally has poor customer support, with users reporting unhelpful, automated responses, or no response at all when facing account issues, bugs, or service problems R4R6R7R24. Some users have had their accounts closed without clear reasons or assistance R4.
Is Talkatone truly unlimited for calls and texts?
Talkatone is not truly unlimited, as users report that even with a premium subscription, calls can be cut off after short durations (e.g., 15-16 minutes) or accounts disabled for having too many incoming or outgoing calls R13R18R25. Texting also has limitations, with messages failing to send even for paid subscribers R25R28.
Can Talkatone be used for verification codes?
Talkatone users have reported a bug where free users can receive calls for verification codes without a subscription R5. However, it is not explicitly designed for this purpose, and some alternatives like TextNow and Text Free charge for receiving verification codes R54R56R82.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Talkatone 1/5 · US Doesn’t work: Can’t even register
  2. [R3] Talkatone 3/5 · US Message failure: Im using premium, but all of messages failed to send
  3. [R7] Talkatone 1/5 · US Persistent Server Error: As the title says, there are so many server errors that the app is practically unusable. Customer service, as usual, has been no help at all.
  4. [R9] Talkatone 3/5 · US Bug Fixes: Hello, I’ve been enjoying the app to be sincere but the only issue is that the bug need to be fixed cause it always appears when not needed
  5. [R4] Talkatone 1/5 · US Awful Support: They closed my account for no reason and won’t tell me why. I just get an automated message but not an actual answer. No customer service.
  6. [R6] Talkatone 3/5 · US It worked at first: But after purchasing the pro option and reinstalling the app, I’ve been locked out of my account for over a week with no response from technical support.
  7. [R8] Talkatone 5/5 · US Help me: I love this app making calls and texting ..I uninstalled the app and reinstalled it again. I can’t login keep saying unspecified error occurred try again . Any help please .
  8. [R10] Talkatone 1/5 · US Waste time and money: Im using premium, but all of messages failed to send
  9. [R13] Talkatone 2/5 · US Not unlimited: You can pay for unlimited and they will cut your calls off in four days. They claim you have to many incoming or to many outgoing calls
  10. [R16] Talkatone 1/5 · US Voicemail quality: Voicemail quality is abysmal.
  11. [R18] Talkatone 3/5 · GB why do the calls cut after 15/16 min ?: my calls keep cutting off just before 16min does anyone know how to prevent this? x
  12. [R21] Talkatone 3/5 · GB Why I like this app: This app is good for calling my friends from abroad I’m in the UK it’s a good connection sometimes it cuts off but it’s good one thing they need to add is a Apple Watch version there is parts where it cuts off or even stops working all in all I give it 3 stars!
  13. [R24] Talkatone 3/5 · GB Normally it’s good: Normally it’s a very good app, calls are a bit iffy and voicemails don’t work but for some reason today I can’t even send a message or use my other phone to log into the app. I’ve tried to contact support but it isn’t working
  14. [R15] Talkatone 3/5 · US Account registration error: I couldn’t sign up. I was getting error message that says talkatone couldn’t authorize access. Please download the latest version and try again. Meanwhile I’m using the latest version.
  15. [R22] Talkatone 1/5 · US Account creation errors: Why can’t I create my account after updating to the latest version and doing everything I have to do?
  16. [R30] Talkatone 1/5 · US Gross: Lures you in, then forces you to share all your data with them in order to use the app. No way to opt out.
  17. [R52] TextNow 5/5 · US TextNow: Very good app
  18. [R53] TextNow 3/5 · US Good app: I do love to use TextNow to talk to my brother
  19. [R55] TextNow 5/5 · US Good review: I love TextNow soooo much IVe been using it for a couple of years now and the only issue I've ever had with it is the codes for different app because thats basically thé whole point of a paid number I would, and have, recommended this to countless friends. It works for Android AND Apple cross texting which I find nice.
  20. [R58] TextNow 5/5 · US Very helpful app: So hi am Amir I been using this app for about two weeks and it’s been very help and it’s a good app for calling android uses especially if you don’t have your own phone number i will recommend this to all my firends
  21. [R65] Text Me 1/5 · US Doesn’t work: I’ve been unable to receive or make calls despite paying premium for months now this app is honestly trash
  22. [R66] Text Me 5/5 · US Awesome: Perfect for emergency situations big time.
  23. [R67] Text Me 1/5 · US Awful app: This app has a pay wall. I order to get certain texts you need to upgrade. Not free at all. Dumb horrible app that takes advantage of people who are trying to get messages, and they want you to allow tracking? Scammers.
  24. [R69] Text Me 1/5 · US Does not work: I cannot get calls out. Worked ok first 5 months, suddenly stopped working
  25. [R79] Text Free 1/5 · US Avoid this app: I used this app for about a week. While I understand that I should have canceled my subscription sooner, my main issue is how the billing is handled. The app processes weekly subscription renewals in advance. My next weekly charge was processed on Tuesday, and I canceled my subscription later that same week on Thursday. Despite canceling before the next week of service, I was still
  26. [R81] Text Free 3/5 · US Nice but..: It’s a good texting app and all, but because one of the features that make you pay for is kinda defeats the purpose of making it a texting app. Making you pay to manage subscriptions is kinda making it seem like a money grabber, it’s just so bothering, I can’t even use a different texting app with the same phone number, I do enjoy it and all, but yeah
  27. [R82] Text Free 2/5 · US THE CODESSSS: Literally the only reason I got this app was to verify a code please make this free I realize everything else is free but I feel like a lot of people only need the app to do this
  28. [R83] Text Free 5/5 · US The BEST!!!: The best free text/call app out there!!!
  29. [R93] textPlus 1/5 · US Took my money: I paid for an annual subscription and could not make 1 phone call and I was able to send a text which was supposed to be unlimited calls and texts within the U.S., but it said that I was sending too many text messages after 1 message. After about a week of going around and around with some bot pretending to be live support, and being denied a refund request 3 times by the App Store
  30. [R94] textPlus 5/5 · US Random guy: I like this so much because the verification code process was free unlike other 2nd phone number apps
  31. [R95] textPlus 3/5 · US Great but needs tweaking.: Once i tried to create a phone number. It recalled my region or state wasn’t available or the app version.
  32. [R96] textPlus 1/5 · US Fix bugs: I’m 2.5 seconds from set up and already it’s stuck!
  33. [R107] Burner 1/5 · US App is Broken: There is no way to contact anyone. And the ai generated help page is worthless. I have paid for the service, used it for over a year, renewed even. And the app wont go past the login. Would be super if someone would get back to me.
  34. [R108] Burner 5/5 · US Don’t do free trial: I did like this app quite a lot until it charged me for a subscription to a free trial that i had cancelled right after subscribing to it, almost a week later and now its causing disruptions to my whole phone !!
  35. [R109] Burner 1/5 · US Stole $16.99 from me and lied: Do not use this app they will say you have a trial but as soon as you download the app, they will cancel the trial and charge you automatically. I use this app for like 15 minutes and didn’t like that user interface so I deleted it off my phone the next day I can’t download apps because all of a sudden they charged me $16.99
  36. [R110] Burner 5/5 · US Amazing service: I needed to respond to a text from my builder after closing, but didn’t want him to have my new phone number. This app worked perfectly. Simple, intuitive layout, and they even let you pick from a variety of local area codes. 5/5
  37. [R12] Talkatone 3/5 · US Fix your app.: I'm trying to text my group chat with my friends and it keeps saying "message failed" and it's been 1 week and isn't the limit supposed to reset after 24 hours ??? Stupid tbh but please fix it and make me be able to text
  38. [R25] Talkatone 1/5 · US Talkatone Plus still has text limitations: Is there a fix for this or maybe this isn’t the service for me? Well it looks like I’m not the only one. If this isn’t resolved soon I will stop being a paying customer.
  39. [R28] Talkatone 2/5 · US Text not working: I’m a paid subscriber and I wa only able to send one text today tried to message talktone support in app it didn’t work
  40. [R5] Talkatone 5/5 · US Bug: It’s good but there’s a bug where if your a free user and there’s a call me option on whatever app or website ruling a Talkatone phone number, it actually goes through without needing a subscription. Please fix this bug
  41. [R54] TextNow 1/5 · US Want to love it: The call quality is okay but you have to be on WiFi. I don’t like that they charge you if you want to receive any type of verification code. This app charges weekly to get verification codes
  42. [R56] TextNow 3/5 · US Why not: Why do they not have like a FaceTime and if I get a code sent to my phone I have to get vip like what the hell

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store