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October 3, 2025

Best Free Texting Apps in 2025

Written by Valeria

Our top pick for the best free texting app for October 2025 is TextNow for its ability to provide a real phone number for free with unlimited, nationwide talk & text and other rich features like international calling and texting.

Key Takeaways

  • Free texting apps can be offered as end-to-end apps (WhatsApp, Signal, Viber) or as SMS apps that provide you with a real phone number (TextNow).

  • End-to-end texting apps only allow you to text other users of that same app, whereas an SMS app will let you text any other valid mobile number similar to a phone plan.

  • When looking for a free texting app, consider security or encryption support, cross-platform availability, chat features, and whether you need a phone number for verification.


TextNow CEO Derek Ting once said that having a phone number in today’s world is as valuable as having a Social Security number. He’s not wrong, as having a phone number allows you to access crucial services like banking, your job (or a job search), school, health care, social media accounts, and so much more – not to mention the ability to connect with friends and family. The rub, however, is that despite its value to everyday life, it’s rarely free. If you want to accomplish any of that, including sending pictures of your dog’s latest antics to the group chat, you usually have to pay for a phone plan. But there are free alternatives that still allow you to send texts, start a group chat, make calls in some cases, and even get a free phone number to do it all. Here is a list of the best free texting apps.  

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Summary: Best Free Texting Apps Overall

Category Provider Service Details
Best Overall
TextNow
TextNow
  • Free local phone number.
  • Free unlimited texts & calls to U.S and Canada.
  • Free international texting to select countries.
Best for Group Chats
WhatsApp
WhatsApp
  • Free messaging and calling to anyone around the world.
  • Includes various group chat features like file sharing, voice chats, threaded replies, and more.
  • Encrypted messaging.
Best for Small Businesses
Google Voice
Google Voice
  • Allows you to have a free second phone number.
  • Includes unlimited texts & calls, voicemail transcription, and call forwarding.
Safest
Signal
Signal
  • End-to-end encryption for messaging.
  • Does not feature ads or collect any user data.
Easiest Sign-Up
Messenger
Messenger
  • Doesn't require a phone number to sign up.

Best Free Texting App Overall

Best Free Texting App for Group Chats

Best Free Texting App for a Small Business

If you're looking for a phone plan to help run your small business smoothly, check out our detailed list of the best business cell phone plans in 2025.

Safest Free Texting App

Free Texting App with the Easiest Sign-Up

Methodology: How to Evaluate the Best Free Texting Apps

When evaluating texting apps, you’d be surprised to find how many of them do offer their services for free (though not all “free” is created equally, and many are actually free trials). Finding the right one for your needs, then, requires more than just consideration of price, but also a review of the following:  

  • Cross-platform availability (can be used on different devices). 

  • Privacy and security.

  • Access to different contacts (not limited to contacts available in the same service only).

  • Ease of registration. 

Each of these factors are considered with their own weight, leading to a score that helps us determine the best picks.   

Beginner's Guide to Texting Apps

What is a Free Texting App?

A free texting app is a mobile application that can be used on a smartphone, tablet, or even desktop computer in some cases, to send and receive text messages without incurring any fees or signing up for a monthly plan.  

How Does a Free Texting App Work?

Unlike a traditional talk & text plan that uses a cellular network provided by a phone carrier, a free texting app works off an internet connection instead, be it home or public Wi-Fi, mobile hotspot, or mobile data to send and receive messages. This avoids the typical costs associated with SMS and MMS texting, allowing you to communicate for free.  

Types of Free Texting Apps

Most free texting apps offer similar, if not the same, services. The main difference to look for is whether it’s an end-to-end app, or a SMS app: 

  • End-to-end free texting app: An end-to-end app means that all communication is taking place within the same system, so both parties have to be using the app to chat. Apps like WhatsApp, Viber, Signal, Messenger are examples, where you can only message a contact that also has a number or account in that app.  

  • SMS app: A SMS app acts similarly to the default messaging app that comes with your paid phone service, where you can message any other mobile phone number. To do that, these apps – like TextNow or Google Voice – provide you with a real local phone number you can use to text other numbers. These numbers are usually labelled as VoIP (Voice-over-IP) numbers that can route phone texts and calls over an internet connection rather than a traditional cellular network.  

If you already have a primary phone number, or you’re a teen looking for a free texting app to maintain group chats with friends, an end-to-end app is great for supporting premium chat features. If you don’t have a primary phone number or are in need of a second one (like if you’re running a small business), then an SMS app that offers free texting is your best option.  

Pros and Cons of a Free Texting App: End-to-End vs. SMS

These two different types of free texting apps are made to fulfill specific needs for different purposes, and it’s worth understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each one to pick what works best for you.  

Pros
End-to-End Texting App
  • Usually offers encryption for secure, private messaging.

  • Enables richer messaging features like “read” receipts, “typing” indicators, polls, threads, etc.

  • Messages and conversations can be backed up or restored.

  • Less susceptible to phone-based phishing scams.
SMS Texting App
  • Offers a local phone number to use for identification purposes .

  • open access: can message any other mobile phone number, including international.

  • Affordable alternative for a second line for privacy, a short-term need, or a small business.
Cons
End-to-End Texting App
  • Limited access: can only message contacts who use the same app.

  • Can’t be used as a phone number for verification purposes (such as if a website has to send you a code).

  • Most will only allow you to register with an existing mobile phone number, which may not be feasible for everyone.
SMS Texting App
  • Unable to offer the same level of secure messaging, as it’s not contained within one ecosystem .

  • Since it still relies on an internet connection, texts and calls won’t connect if mobile data or Wi-Fi aren’t enabled.

  • Doesn’t usually offer the same rich chat features as an end-to-end texting app.

How to Pick Out the Best Free Texting App

With a long list of options, it’s easy to get lost in the “sign up for free!” mentions, without considering the best pick for your needs. Sit down, take your time, and note these key factors to find the app that will work for you:  

  1. Do you need a phone number? This question answers two different use cases: whether you need a real phone number, or whether you need to sign up with one. If you’re specifically looking for a phone number to text with, whether it be your primary line or a second one, then look for an app that offers a free phone number. If you don’t have a phone number, are not looking for one (such as if you’re a teen without cellular phone service) and just want an app to text your friends with, look for an app that offers registration with an email or other identifying information that isn’t a phone number.  

  2. Are you concerned about security or privacy? If the privacy and security of your messages is important to you, look for an app that specifically offers “end-to-end encryption,” as that will ensure that the only individuals or entities that can ever read your messages are you and your contacts. Note that this usually refers to your data being safe from third-party sellers or advertisers, but it does not protect your messages from legal subpoenas or warrants.  (RCS messaging, an enhanced way to text, also offers some encryption.)

  3. Do you need cross-platform support? Some may be content with using a messaging app on their phone alone, but the great advantage of most messaging apps is that they can be used on multiple devices at once. This means that if you like to keep up with your chats while at work, for example, you can install the app on your computer and continue your conversations there. Make sure that the app you’re looking at has support across all platforms.  

  4. Are you looking for specific chat features? If you’re looking for the iMessage experience with reactions, threads, file sharing, voice notes, and more – without paying for the iMessage price of an iPhone – then find a texting app that supports rich messaging features.  

Free Texting App Alternatives

There are other ways to stay connected with friends and family that don’t necessarily involve downloading a separate texting app, such as:  

  • Social media apps. If you already have an Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok app installed, you can use it to find your friends and send them “Direct Messages” (DMs), utilizing those apps’ chat features.  

  • Email. Old but reliable – you can set up a free email account and message friends and family, though it won’t be as instantaneous as a chat conversation.  

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