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5 free text apps for Android that send real SMS messages
Published onMarch 31, 2025
Searching online for free texting apps is a pain in the rear end. There are free apps that work with your existing SMS service and messenger apps that send messages but not real SMS. This is a problem we hope to rectify with this article. Every app on this list can send complimentary text messages to people in one way or another.
The list isn’t very long because this is a niche market now. Most cellphone plans now allow unlimited texting, and many people have switched to messaging services like WhatsApp or Telegram. With all that in mind, here are the best free texting apps for Android.
Please note that these apps send texts as a service and are not a replacement for the stock SMS app on your phone. We have a separate list of those types of texting apps.
The best free texting apps for Android
How do free texting apps work?
Free texting apps send texts the way any other service does. You send the text, and the other person receives it. However, these services work separately from your phone plan and number, and these often work over data. That means you can send texts from a website or mobile app, which still appear as regular texts on the recipient’s phone.
Almost none of these services are entirely free. Most free texting apps use two different business models. The first is a monthly allotment of free texts; you must buy more once your allotment runs out. The second lets users watch or view advertising to earn credits, and those credits let you send texts. These apps are still services and have to generate revenue, so it’s unsurprising to see such systems in place.
Google Voice
Price: Free
Google Voice is an excellent free texting app and easily one of the most popular. It lets you send complimentary SMS messages and free phone calls in the US or Canada. Those who are outside of those areas have spotty coverage at best.
In any case, you get some extra perks, like a decent Google Chrome extension for computer use, a nifty app with Material Design, and some lovely voicemail options for calls. The SMS and MMS support is good, but nothing too different from what we’ll see on this list. It’s a rock-solid option and probably the one you should try first. Also, it’s free as long as you only text people in the US and Canada. Please note that you do need a Google account for this app.
Text Free
Price: Free / $9.99 per month
Text Free is one of the most popular free texting apps on Android. It also works on iOS. The app does what it says. Sign up for an account, claim a phone number, and start texting people. This one also features unlimited free calls within the US and Canada.
You can sign up for Text Free Plus for $9.99 monthly. Paying this will reserve your number, remove ads, and add support for verification codes. The service reclaims inactive numbers after a while, so that is why it is a listed feature. In any case, this app does work, and it boasts international support as well.
TextMe Up
Price: Free / $2.99 per month / In-app purchases ($0.99 – $79.99 per item)
TextMe Up isn’t very different from TextFree. The app gives you a phone number. You get unlimited texts and calls within the US and Canada. The app has fewer ads per page, but ads are in more places. It’s just a matter of preference.
One really nice addition is that you can have multiple phone numbers. You’ll also be able to text people in 40 other countries. It’s a really nice app with some advanced features.
TextNow
Price: Free /In-app purchases ($0.99 – $99.99 per item)
TextNow is another popular option for free calls and texts on mobile. It has the cleanest UI of all the apps on the list. It sent texts and made phone calls without any issues during our testing.
As it turns out, TextNow also operates as an MVNO. It has different subscription plans starting from $0.99. You can get access to Wi-Fi calls, texts, international calls and texts, and data plans. More interestingly, the service offers free “essential data.” This includes data for maps, rideshare, and email. If you need more data, you can pay $0.99 for an hour, $4.99 for a day, or $39.99 for a month of unlimited data. Pretty interesting, right?
This is an excellent experience. However, free texts are limited to the United States and Canada.
TextPlus
Price: Free / / $4 per month / In-app purchases ($0.99 – $44.99 per item)
TextPlus is another solid option. It offers free SMS texts to the US and Canada. It also provides free phone calls. However, phone calls work on a credit system. You earn credits by watching ads. Alternatively, you can pay $0.02 per minute for phone calls.
While the app can be used mostly for free, you can upgrade to the Premium Plan for $4 monthly. This locks your number, adds unlimited calls and texts within the US, removes ads, and gets you priority access to customer support. You can also pay $44.99 a year for unlimited USA and Canada calls. If you only need the service every now and then, you can also buy credits.
Bonus: Pulse SMS and others
Price: Free /In-app purchases ($0.99 – $149.99 per item)
Many people look for free texting apps so they can text on non-connected devices like tablets. Pulse SMS, Android Messages, AirDroid, Pushbullet, etc., are all excellent options. These apps don’t provide complimentary text messages. However, they let you use your existing text plan on any other device you own. Our favorite is Pulse SMS. It’s clean and one of the few with a single up-front cost instead of a subscription.
You get the app, install it on all your devices (including your computer), and send and receive actual texts from your regular phone number. These apps don’t send texts for free (you still need a carrier plan), but they let you send your texts on all your devices.
If we missed any great free texting apps, tell us about them in the comments below!