Sideline Review

Sideline is a second phone number app for iPhone and Android made by Pinger, Inc., the company behind TextFree. You pick a number with the area code you want, or port an existing number in, and it rings inside the Sideline app next to your main number. Sideline says calls use your carrier's cellular network rather than VoIP, so the second line works away from Wi-Fi, and texting covers unlimited SMS, MMS and group messages.

The app is aimed at people who want to keep a personal number private: freelancers, people selling on marketplaces, and small business owners who do not want to carry a second phone. Each line has its own voicemail with transcripts, caller ID, call blocking, saved replies, notes on contacts and an auto-reply text for missed calls. Sideline's App Store FAQ says no government ID is needed; accounts are verified with two-factor authentication. Sideline Pro, the old business tier, has been discontinued; Sideline's help center points business users to Pinger's separate app, Index.

Sideline's website does not print prices; the subscription is sold in the app. These are the prices on Sideline's App Store page.

There is no free plan: the app is free to download, but the number needs a subscription. The App Store page also lists older in-app purchases (Sideline Pro monthly at $14.99, Standard early-adopter prices, a $2.99 No Ads purchase and a $2.99 Voicemail to Text add-on); those belong to legacy plans and are not offered on the current plan screen as far as Sideline's own pages show. Trial length is not stated on Sideline's site or App Store page. Older third-party reviews quote $9.99 Standard and $14.99 Pro; both are out of date.

Prices checked on the vendor's pricing page on November 12, 2026. See Sideline on the App Store and sideline.com.

What Sideline lists on its site and App Store page:

Sideline suits a single person in the US who wants a second number that keeps working when there is no Wi-Fi, for example a contractor on job sites or someone selling online who drives a lot. Carrier calling is the main thing that separates it from VoIP apps.

Pick something else if price matters most: Line2 is $7.99/mo billed yearly and Hushed starts at $6.99/mo, both over Wi-Fi or data. If you want a free number and accept ads, TextNow or Google Voice's free personal plan fit. If you want disposable numbers you can delete, look at Burner. A team that shares a business number needs a phone system such as Quo (Stork uses Quo for its own business line). More options with prices: Sideline alternatives.

Sideline has 4.4 out of 5 from about 15K ratings on the App Store (read November 12, 2026). On Capterra reviewers credit call reliability and the simple app; recurring complaints are price increases over the years and the end of the free version and of Sideline Pro. Many comparison articles still list Sideline's old $9.99 and $14.99 prices, so check the App Store price before you buy.