Text messaging is among the most popular ways to communicate in the whole world. It’s quick, easy to do, and it features higher flexibility than phone calls do. Traditionally, SMS texting is done based on a wireless plan, which might cost money — especially when roaming internationally. Now, there is a slew of free texting apps that depend on WiFi, which are beyond the ordinary texting app on a phone. Here are the top 5 free text apps available for both Android and iOS. You shall save a lot on bills with the coming apps below.
WhatsApp is a feature-rich messaging app that is popular among users around the world for its ease of use and strong security measures. It allows you to send and receive text messages, voice and video calls, and share photos and videos with others. It uses end-to-end encryption, which means that only the sender and recipient of a message can see its contents, providing a high level of privacy and security. WhatsApp also offers features such as group chats, the ability to create and send stickers, and the ability to share your location in real-time with friends and family. It is widely used for personal communication as well as for businesses to interact with customers and clients. It is available on iOS, Android, and other devices.
Feature Highlights:
- Create groups with your contacts and have group conversations with up to 256 people.
- Make voice and video calls with individuals or groups using WhatsApp.
- Share photos, videos, and other media with your contacts in real-time.
- WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption to secure your conversations, ensuring that only you and the person you’re communicating with can read your messages.
- You can use WhatsApp on your computer by accessing the WhatsApp Web website.
- Share photos and videos with your contacts as a status update, which disappears after 24 hours.
Price
WhatsApp is free to download and use between WhatsApp users. However, depending on your data plan or internet service, using WhatsApp may consume data, which may result in additional charges from your service provider.
TextNow
TextNow is another popular option for free calls and free texts on mobile. Free texts are limited to only the United States and Canada. In addition to sending text messages, TextNow allows you to send photos, drawings, emoticons, and your location. You can also customize the voicemail greeting, the overall theme, and the message screen background, get email alerts and other different alerts for different contacts, and use a signature with all your messages. You can log in to your TextNow account on a different device, and all your saved messages and phone numbers will remain and can be used immediately. TextNow can also be used on a Windows or Mac computer, but only with support for the texting function.
Feature Highlights:
- Free texts are limited to only the United States and Canada
- Text messages, photos, drawings, emoticons, and your location
- Customized voicemail greeting and the overall theme
- Access to Windows or Mac computer only for texting function
Price
While TextNow is free to use, some features such as ad-free usage, virtual phone numbers, and international calling require in-app purchases. TextNow also offers a premium subscription service called TextNow Premium, which includes features such as voicemail transcription, call filtering, and a customizable voicemail greeting.
| In-app Purchase | Price($) |
| Ad Free+ | 6.99 |
| Ad Free+ & 14-day free trial | 4.99 |
| AdFree Lite (Monthly) | 1.99 |
| Lock Your Number for 1 Week | 1.99 |
| Lock Your Number for 1 Year | 4.99 |
| Lock Your Number for 1 Month | 4.99 |
| Premium Subscription (Monthly) | 2.99 |
| Premium Number 1 Year | 4.99 |
| Premium Subscription + 14-day free trial | 2.99 |
| $4.99 in International Calling Credit | 4.99 |
Dingtone
Dingtone users can send and receive free text messages and make and answer phone calls over WiFi or a 3G/4G data network without using cell minutes. Dingtone provides valid phone numbers with true area codes (over 200 area codes are supported by Dingtone) and enables users to call and text unlimitedly at a low cost via Internet access. In addition, Dingtone is one of the most versatile texting apps with other features including multi-party conference calls, multi-platform compatibility, and group chats. With Dingtone, users can send totally unlimited texts and SMS messages to anyone, even if they don’t have Dingtone App.
Feature Highlights:
- Boundary-free calls to any number, landline, or mobile
- Extra phone number to protect personal privacy
- Unlimited free SMS texts to any number
- Free instant multimedia sharing including photos, videos, and contacts
- Multi-party conference calls, multi-platform compatibility, and group chats.
Price
Dingtone is free to download and use. The app allows you to send and receive free text messages, voice messages, and make free voice and video calls to other Dingtone users. Users can also get a phone number and call or send text messages to non-Dingtone users with Dingtone credits. Dingtone credits can be earned by wacthing ads, playing games and daily check-in or purchased in the app. Dingtone also provide in-app purchase for ad-free usage and paid plan.
| In-app Purchase | Price($) |
| 200 Credits | 3.99 |
| 500 Credits | 9.99 |
| 1000 Credits | 18.99 |
| Remove Ads | 1.99 |
| Dingtone Phone Number (Monthly) | 4.99 |
| Dingtone Phone Number (Annual) | $23.99 |
Textfree
Textfree is a free application that gives you your own phone number to make a free app to app calls and text messages. Every Textfree user begins with a limited number of minutes for free calling to phones not using the app, like landlines. There are ways to get more free minutes like watching video advertisements and completing free offers. Textfree utilizes VoIP technology, allowing you to chat from an actual U.S. phone number and send SMS messages, as well as chat via Facebook and send and receive phone calls for free. Worth noting, if you fail to use your Textfree phone number for 30 days, it may be returned to the “pool” of numbers for new Textfree users, and thus become inactive.
Feature Highlights:
- Real SMS messages online
- Texting available to any number in 35 countries
- Calling and Voice limited to the US and Canada
- Numbers will be expired after 30 days of inactivity
Price
Textfree app is free to download and use. However, there may be some additional features or options that you can access by making in-app purchases or subscribing to a paid plan.
| In-app Purchase | Price($) |
| 100 minutes | 1.99 |
| 400 minutes | 9.99 |
| 1000 minutes | 18.99 |
| Text Free Plan Weekly | 6.99 |
| Text Free Plan Monthly | 9.99 |
| Text Free Plus Half Yearly | 39.99 |
| Text Free Plus Yearly | 69.99 |
| Remove Ads (Monthly) | 2.99 |
| Voicemail to Text (Monthly) | 2.99 |
Google Voice
Google Voice is a free texting app that allows you to send free SMS messages and make free phone calls in the U.S. or Canada. You can set up a Google Voice account on either your computer or mobile device, and immediately begin placing domestic and international calls or sending texts. There are other extra perks, like a decent Google Chrome extension for computer use, a nifty app with Material Design, and some voicemail options for calls. Please note, you do need a Google account for this app.
Feature Highlights:
- Syncs across the device
- Decent Google Chrome extension for computer use
- International credits earned by watching ads
- Free SMS messages and make free phone calls in the U.S. or Canada
Price
Google Voice offers both free and paid services, depending on the features you need. Google Voice offers a free service that includes basic features such as voicemail, call forwarding, and texting. You can make calls to other U.S. and Canadian numbers for free, and international calls are available at low rates. Google Voice also offers a paid service called Google Voice for G Suite. This service is designed for businesses and includes additional features such as 24/7 support, advanced reporting, and integration with other G Suite tools. The pricing for this service starts at $10 per user per month.
Textme
TextMe is an easy-to-use messaging application that allows you to send unlimited text, voice, pics, video messages to any mobile phone number in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and more than 40 countries in the world for free. Just like your email, you can access TextMe from anywhere. You can make a phone call from your laptop, iPad, or tablet! If you lose your phone, you can log in to your account on a computer, tablet, or another phone and communicate like normal.
Feature Highlights:
- Free unlimited texts and calls to any phone in the US, Canada, and 40 countries in the World
- Send your Dropbox photos and videos via SMS directly from TextMe
- Access from your Phone, Tablet, and the Web
Price
TextMe offers both free and paid services. Similar to Dingtone, it is free to use between TextMe users. To call or send text messages to non-TextMe users, you will need to purchase credits or a subscription plan. Additionally, certain features and services may be subject to fees or limitations.
| In-app Purchase | Price($) |
| Premium Features (Weekly) | 6.99 |
| Get this phone number (Weekly) | 3.99 |
| Get this phone number (Monthly) | 4.99 |
| 100 TextMe Credits | 1.99 |
Signal
Signal is a feature-rich messaging app that is popular among users who value privacy and security. Signal is funded by donations and grants from organizations and individuals who support the mission of the Signal Foundation, which is to promote privacy and security in digital communication. This privacy-focused messaging app is available on iOS, Android, and other devices and uses end-to-end encryption to secure your conversations. Signal also includes features such as disappearing messages, which automatically delete after a certain period of time, and the ability to make voice and video calls.
Feature Highlights:
- Private messaging: Signal uses end-to-end encryption to keep your conversations private, ensuring that only you and the person you’re communicating with can read your messages.
- Group chat: You can create groups with your contacts and have group conversations with up to 1000 people.
- Voice and video calls: You can make voice and video calls with individuals or groups using Signal.
- Share photos and videos: You can share photos, videos, and other media with your contacts in real-time.
- Disappearing messages: You can set messages to automatically delete after a certain period of time, such as after they have been read or after a set number of days.
- Customization: You can customize your Signal experience by changing your chat background, setting a custom notification sound, and more.
- Multilingual support: Signal is available in more than 50 languages, making it accessible to users around the world.
- Signal Desktop: You can use Signal on your computer by downloading the Signal Desktop app.
Price
Signal is completely free to use and there are no in-app purchases or advertisements. Depending on your data plan or internet service, using Signal may consume data, which may result in additional charges from your service provider. However, due to its limited user base, you may not be able to use it to communicate with everyone in your social network.
It seems that every application introduced above has its unique characteristics and it’s hard to pick up the best text messaging application. In terms of the usage range, Dingtone, Textfree, and Textme offer free unlimited texts to more than 35 countries, while google voice is limited to US and Canada. As for the convenience of logging in, TextNow has the access to Windows or Mac computer for texting functions and Textme is accessible to Phones, Tablets, and the Web. As for security, Signal has end-to-end encryption and disappearing message feature which make it a good choice for users who want to keep their conversations private and secure. You can also enjoy customized services, like voicemail greetings when choosing Dingtone and TextNow.