Compare · Google Voice
A Google Voice alternative for the codes that refuse VoIP
You use Google Voice, or wanted to, as a second number for sign-ups and verification codes. Some services won't text it, or you're outside the US and can't get it. Here's how it compares with Cleat, in each product's own terms, starting with what Google Voice does better.
By the Cleat team · Updated September 11, 2026
Who this comparison is for
People who need verification codes to arrive on a US number. If you want a free number for calling and texting friends, keep Google Voice. It's good at that.
The one-line difference
Google Voice is an internet phone service: Twilio's lookup documentation uses it as its example of a non-fixed VoIP number (Twilio). Cleat is a real US mobile line that receives texts. Services that check line type treat the two differently. How line-type checks work.
What Google Voice does better
- It's free. Google describes its basic plan as available “at no cost” (Google Workspace).
- It makes calls and sends texts. Cleat Line does neither today: it only receives, and an incoming call reaches you as a transcript rather than a ringing phone.
- It has voicemail, with transcription.
- It fits into Google: your Google account, Gmail and the Voice app.
If any of those is the point, Cleat isn't the answer today.
Side by side
| Google Voice (personal) | Cleat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (“at no cost”); business plans are $10, $20 or $30 per user a month | $24.99 a month per line, cancel anytime |
| Number type | Internet phone service; Twilio's nonFixedVoip example | Real US mobile line, not VoIP |
| Where you can sign up | “Available in the US”; sign-up verifies a phone that “can get texts” | Anywhere with internet, with a government ID |
| Calls and outbound texts | Yes | No. Receive-only, though incoming calls arrive as transcripts; Cleat Full, with calls and texts, is coming soon |
| When you stop using it | Inactive numbers can be removed, with 45 days to recover them | Yours while you subscribe; held for 30 days after billing ends |
| Owner | A Google account | A person verified with a government ID and a selfie through Stripe, or ID-only reviewed by a person |
| Team access | A personal account; business plans are per user | A shared inbox, free for your whole team |
| Where texts show up | The Voice app and Gmail | Live inbox, email, Telegram, webhooks and the REST API |
| Emergency calls | See Google's terms | No 911 or emergency calls |
What Cleat does that Google Voice doesn't
- A mobile line type, which is what services that filter VoIP look for.
- A verified owner behind every line. Nobody gets a Cleat number without verifying, which is what keeps the numbers clean. Why we verify.
- A shared inbox for your whole team, free. Shared 2FA for teams.
- Codes where you already are: Telegram, email, or your own tools by webhook.
And the honest scope: most services that turn away VoIP accept a real mobile line. No provider can promise that every service accepts every number.
Switching in practice
- Sign up, verify your identity (about two minutes) and subscribe. Your number is live right away.
- Change the phone number on the accounts that refused Google Voice, one at a time, and test each with a login.
- Invite teammates if the accounts are shared.
- Keep Google Voice for calls if you like it, and use it now and then so it isn't reclaimed.
Outside the US? See Cleat for expats and non-residents. Want the full story on Google Voice and codes? Read our guide. Waiting for calls? Join the Cleat Full waitlist.
Questions
Is Cleat free like Google Voice?
No. It's $24.99 a month per line. The price pays for a real mobile line and an identity check on every owner.
Can I port my Google Voice number to Cleat?
Not today. Cleat assigns a new US number from available inventory, and you can't choose the area code.
Can I make calls on Cleat?
Not on Cleat Line, and you can't answer one either. An incoming call arrives transcribed, like a text, so a code read out over an automated call still reaches you. Calls and outbound texts are coming with Cleat Full; join the waitlist to hear first.
Will my bank accept a Cleat number?
Most services that refuse VoIP accept a real mobile line. No provider can promise that every one does, so try it in your first month and cancel if it doesn't fit.
Do I need to be in the US?
No. You need internet access and a government ID.
Sources
Facts about other companies come from their own pages, checked in September 2026.
- Twilio, Lookup Line Type Intelligence https://www.twilio.com/docs/lookup/v2-api/line-type-intelligence
- Google Workspace, Google Voice https://workspace.google.com/products/voice/
- Google Voice Help, getting started https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115061
- Google Voice Help, inactive numbers https://support.google.com/voice/answer/159519