Google Voice costs
Is Google Voice free? What is free and what you pay for
Part of: Google Voice alternatives: what replaces each part of it in 2026
TL;DR
Yes, if you live in the US: the personal plan has no monthly charge, and from the US almost all calls to US and Canadian numbers are free [1][2]. You pay for international calls, for the Voice Starter ($10 a month) and Voice Standard ($20 a month) plans [3], and for moving a number in [4]. Personal accounts are US-only, so elsewhere start with what to use if Google Voice isn't available to you.
Key facts
- Personal plan: no monthly charge, sold to US users only; checked [1].
- Voice Starter costs $10 and Voice Standard $20 a month; checked [3].
- International calls are charged per minute, e.g. India at $0.02 on the rate card on [5].
- Calls made while you are in another country are charged international rates; checked [2].
- Porting a mobile number in costs $20; unlocking a Voice number to leave costs $3; checked [4].
What does the free Google Voice plan include?
The no-charge personal plan gives you one US number, calls from the US to almost all US and Canadian numbers, texts to both countries and voicemail transcription [1][2]. It works in a browser tab at voice.google.com [2] and in the Android and iPhone apps [3].
- A US number picked by city or area code; 1-800 numbers are not offered [6].
- US and Canada calls from the US: almost all free, with a few specific numbers at $0.01 a minute [7].
- Texts to US and Canadian numbers, sent over data or Wi-Fi with no credit needed [7].
- Voicemail transcripts and forwarding to your linked phones [3].
- Incoming calls in the browser, while you are signed in with the tab open [8].
Google supports browser calls in the current and previous major release of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari [9]. I did not sign in, so I have not seen the dialer myself.
Free is not open to everyone: sign-up needs a code texted to a phone you already have [10] and, for a new number, a government-ID check [11]. See my walk-through of getting a Google Voice number.
What costs money on Google Voice?
Calls to other countries, any call made while you are abroad, a few specific US and Canadian numbers, the Starter and Standard plans, and moving a number in or out all cost money. I took the table from Google's help pages and rate card on ; the rate card says rates may change at any time [5].
| Item | Cost | How it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| Calls from the US to most US and Canada numbers | Free [2] | Nothing to pay |
| Calls to a few specific US and Canada numbers | $0.01 a minute [7] | Credit on the free plan, monthly invoice on Starter and Standard |
| Calls to other countries | Rate-card price per minute, e.g. India $0.02 [5] | Credit on the free plan, monthly invoice on Starter and Standard [7] |
| Calls made while you are in another country | International rates [2] | Credit on the free plan, monthly invoice on Starter and Standard |
| Texts to US and Canada numbers | Free [7] | Uses data or Wi-Fi |
| Voice Starter / Voice Standard | $10 / $20 a month [3] | Monthly subscription |
| Porting a mobile number in | $20, refunded if you cancel the port [4] | One-time fee |
| Unlocking your number to port it out | $3, or nothing if the number was ported in [4] | One-time fee |
Voice Starter vs Standard: what do the paid plans add?
Personal Gmail users in the US can buy Voice Starter for $10 a month or Voice Standard for $20, each for one user [3] and with no Workspace plan needed [1]. Both add 911, call recording, 3-way calling and desk phones, and drop the second-phone verification; Standard also adds an auto attendant [3].
| Feature | Free | Starter | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | No charge | $10 | $20 |
| 911 emergency calls | No | Yes | Yes |
| Call recording | No | Yes | Yes |
| 3-way calling | No | Yes | Yes |
| Desk phone and ATA support | No | Yes | Yes |
| Auto attendant (call menu) | No | No | Yes |
| No need to verify with another phone number | No | Yes | Yes |
| Paid calls | Prepaid credit | Monthly invoice | Monthly invoice |
From Google's plan comparison [3], read on .
Not every Gmail account qualifies: users under 18, Google Fiber Voice users, Workspace Individual accounts and anyone with a port in progress are excluded, numbers that can't receive SMS are not eligible, and after cancelling you wait 30 days to buy again [3].
I would pay for Starter only to reach 911 on this line, record calls or skip the second-phone check.
Are international calls on Google Voice free?
No. Calls to numbers outside the US and Canada are charged per minute at rate-card prices, from prepaid credit on the free plan or on the monthly invoice on Starter and Standard [7]. Calls you make while in another country are charged international rates too, because the free US and Canada calls apply when you call from the US [2].
Credit is sold in US dollars only [12], pays only for long-distance and international calls and texts, and the balance can't go above $70 [7]. If you move to Starter or Standard, unused credit is refunded to your payment profile [7].
On the rate card listed UK landlines at $0.01 and India at $0.02 a minute, while UK mobiles outside EE, O2, Vodafone and Three cost $0.28 [5]. Every destination, plus how to buy credit and set auto-recharge, is in my breakdown of Google Voice calling rates.
What are the catches of the free plan?
The free plan costs no money but has conditions. Google may reclaim a number that makes no calls and sends no texts for 3 months [13], the free plan can't call 911 [14], and personal accounts are available only in the US [1].
A reclaim comes with a warning and a date. A call, a text or listening to voicemail before then keeps the number, and afterwards you have 45 days to get it back [15].
For emergencies, keep your phone's own dialer, as Google's calling help page advises [2]. Why internet calls handle 911 differently is covered in my guide to emergency calls from a computer.
Outside the US the issue is access, not price: Google says the service can only be used in the US [16]. What still works abroad is in my notes on Google Voice outside the US.
What if Google Voice is not an option for you?
If you live outside the US or have no second phone for the text code, the free plan is out of reach, and few services match its price. The choice is between free apps with their own limits and pay-per-minute web dialers, which I compare in the free and paid replacements I checked.
For US residents with no second phone, TextNow is the closest free match: an account opened with just an email gets a free local number, paid for by in-app ads [17], and unlimited US and Canada calls [18]. Its terms say it is meant for people living in the US or Canada [19]; more in how TextNow's free plan works.
TwinPhone, which sponsors this site, signs you up with an email or Google account and no phone number, runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave and Safari, and its credit doesn't expire [20]. It has no free calls, no trial credit and no emergency calling [21]. US calls cost $0.02 a minute where Google Voice charges nothing, India costs $0.08 against $0.02 on Google Voice and $0.0239 on Yolla [22][5][23], and the smallest top-up is $10 [24]. Its page comparing itself with Google Voice is the vendor's own view.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Voice still free in 2026?
Yes. On Google's subscription table still listed the personal plan at no cost [1], with free calls from the US to almost all US and Canadian numbers [2]. Two things to know: Google also sells paid Starter and Standard plans to personal Gmail users [3], and a new number can't make or receive calls until you pass a government-ID check [11].
Does a Google Voice number cost anything?
Are calls to Canada free on Google Voice?
From the US, yes for almost all numbers. The rate card lists Canada at zero [5], and the help page says a few specific US and Canadian numbers cost $0.01 a minute; if a call isn't free, Google Voice shows a message first [7]. Calling Canada while you are outside the US is charged international rates [2].
Is Google Voice free on iPhone and Android?
Do Google Voice texts cost money?
Texts to US and Canadian numbers are free: they go over mobile data or Wi-Fi and need no credit, and the help page says texts can only be sent to numbers in those two countries [7]. Your mobile plan may still charge for data or for texts you receive.
Is Google Voice free for business use?
The free plan isn't meant for it: Google describes it as a plan for personal, consumer use [1]. One person can pay for Voice Starter at $10 or Voice Standard at $20 a month with a personal Gmail account [3]. Teams buy Voice as an add-on to a paid Google Workspace plan at $10, $20 or $30 per user a month, with local numbers in 14 countries or regions [1].
Can I lose my free Google Voice number?
Why did Google Voice put a small charge on my card?
After you buy credit, your statement may show an extra $1 transaction from Google. The help page says it is a temporary authorization that checks the card is valid and has funds, not an actual charge, and that it disappears [7].
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Sources
- Identify Google Voice subscription types - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Make a call with Google Voice - Computer - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Learn about Google Voice Starter standalone & Standard standalone plans - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Port your Google Voice number - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
- Google Voice calling rates · checked November 1, 2026
- Set up Google Voice - Computer - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Buy credit to make calls - Computer - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Set up your phone to make & receive Google Voice calls - Computer - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- System and browser requirements for Voice - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Protect your verification code - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Learn about identity verification for Google Voice users - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- The end of legacy Google Voice for personal accounts - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Voice Acceptable Use Policy - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
- Call emergency services - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- Reclaim your Voice number - Google Voice Help · Google · checked November 1, 2026
- Transfer your Google Voice number - Google Voice Help · checked November 1, 2026
- TextNow phone plan guide (textnow.com/phone-plan) · checked November 1, 2026
- Affordable International Calling : No Contract or Credit Check - TextNow · checked November 1, 2026
- Terms of Use – TextNow · checked November 1, 2026
- Call a phone from your browser - TwinPhone · checked November 1, 2026
- Can I call a phone from my browser for free? - TwinPhone Help Center · checked November 1, 2026
- International Calling Rates — Pay As You Go, Per Minute - TwinPhone · checked November 1, 2026
- Cheap Online International Calls to India - Yolla · checked November 1, 2026
- How does TwinPhone billing work? - TwinPhone Help Center · checked November 1, 2026