Spoke vs TextNow
Spoke
withtheranks.comTextNow
textnow.comSide by side
| Figure | Spoke | TextNow |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $35.99/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Peer-to-Peer Texting Software | 6.9 (#23) | 8.8 (#4) |
| Support | The maker says technical support is included without charge and provides email contact for questions and custom feature requests. | TextNow offers support bot and live chat every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time. |
Plans
TextNow
- Free PlanFree
- Free PlanFree
- Unlimited Data Day Pass$2.99, paid once
- Unlimited Data Monthly Pass$35.99 a month
- Unlimited Plan$35.99 a month
In their own words
TextNow
TextNow is a VoIP service for calls and texts to U.S. and Canadian numbers, with international long-distance calling available through purchased credits. Its ad-supported free service provides a phone number and unlimited North American calling and texting over Wi-Fi or a carrier data plan. The Free Plan costs nothing and includes unlimited talk and text plus 5G data for select apps; it requires an active TextNow SIM. With an active SIM, users can also get wireless coverage and free data for listed essential apps away from Wi-Fi. Those apps must first be downloaded over Wi-Fi. The service works on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows, and account details, messages, and call history are accessible across Android, iOS, and web. The Unlimited Plan costs $35.99 a month, with unlimited data and up to 10GB at up to 5G speeds before speeds drop to 2G. Ad-Free+ removes ads and adds features including number locking, call forwarding, voicemail transcription, and unlimited photo and video history.