Compare · TextNow
Is TextNow VoIP? Yes. Here's what to use when a code won't arrive.
TextNow is an internet phone service, and lookup services classify its numbers as VoIP. Many services check that before sending a code, and some refuse. Here's what that means, what TextNow does well, and when a real mobile line is worth paying for.
By the Cleat team · Updated September 11, 2026
The short answer
Yes. Twilio's Line Type Intelligence documentation names Enflick, the company behind TextNow, as an example of a nonFixedVoip number (Twilio). Services that filter VoIP before sending a code treat TextNow numbers that way. How line-type checks work.
What TextNow is good at
TextNow gives you a number for calling and texting, free to start: its plans page says “Starting at $0/month” (TextNow). Plenty of people like it, with 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 2,022 reviews (Trustpilot). If you want a free everyday second number for talking to people, it's a reasonable choice, and Cleat isn't trying to replace it.
Where it falls short for verification
TextNow says it plainly in its own comparison with Google Voice: “Some companies, especially financial institutions, will not send account verification codes to a VoIP number like Google Voice” (TextNow). The same line-type check applies to any internet number.
Side by side
| TextNow | Cleat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to start: “Starting at $0/month” | $24.99 a month |
| Number type | Internet-based; Twilio's nonFixedVoip example (Enflick) | Real US mobile line, not VoIP |
| Calls and sending texts | Yes | No. Receive-only, though incoming calls arrive as transcripts; Cleat Full is coming soon |
| Owner | An app account | A person verified with a government ID and a selfie through Stripe, or ID-only reviewed by a person |
| Where texts show up | The TextNow app | Live inbox, email, Telegram, webhooks and the REST API, with a free team inbox |
When to switch, and when not to
Move the accounts that refuse your TextNow number to a Cleat line: often banks, brokerages, marketplaces and some cloud providers. Keep TextNow for calls and casual texting if you like it. Don't expect Cleat to make or answer calls: it receives texts, and transcripts of the calls that come in, so a code read out over an automated call still reaches you.
Most services that turn away VoIP accept a real mobile line. No provider can promise that every service accepts every number, so try yours in your first month. Comparing other options too? See Google Voice next to Cleat and Quackr next to Cleat.
Questions
Is TextNow a non-VoIP number?
No. It's an internet phone service, and lookup services classify its numbers as VoIP.
Will a Cleat number be accepted where TextNow was refused?
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.
Can I keep my TextNow number and add Cleat?
Yes. Keep a free app for calls and use a Cleat line for codes.
Does Cleat have an app?
Cleat is a live web inbox that works in the browser on any device, plus email, Telegram and an API. There's nothing to install.
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
- TextNow phone plans https://www.textnow.com/phone-plan
- Trustpilot, TextNow https://www.trustpilot.com/review/textnow.com
- TextNow, TextNow vs Google Voice https://www.textnow.com/review/textnow-vs-google-voice