Line2 vs Sideline (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Line2 grades higher than Sideline: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Line2 grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Line2
A second US or Canada phone number on your phone, for one flat fee
Sideline
A second phone number app that runs on your carrier's network
Which one is for you
Pick Line2 if
- Fits if you want a second number on your phone for work or privacy, without carrying a second handset
- Works for people who need to pick an area code or move a number they already have
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need a team phone system, as the site sends business users to eVoice
- Skip it if you call outside the US and Canada, as service covers those two countries only
- Watch out: business texting in the US needs carrier registration
- Tight if you want to try it free, since there's only a 30-day money-back guarantee
Pick Sideline if
- Fits if you want a second number for selling things or dating without giving out your own
- Works for one person who wants calls to run over the carrier, not wifi
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need a team phone system, since no multi-user plan is shown
- Skip it if you want a stated price from the vendor, as the site shows none
- Pricey if you pay monthly: $14.49 against $129.99 for the year
- Watch out: the App Store lists plans with no billing period, and a Google Play review mentions $9.99
- Watch out: there is no free plan or trial
How we grade them
| 2.2GPALine2Fair | 1.8GPASidelineWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$7.99 a month on yearly billing ($9.99 monthly) is under this category's $14.49 cheapest-quarter line. It's one number with no team plan, so it isn't the same job as the team phone systems. | B$14.49 a month in the App Store, the bottom of the category's cheapest quarter, and $129.99 a year, about $10.83 a month. Billing periods are not shown on the listing. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. A 30-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial. | FNo free plan and no trial on record, only paid in-app purchases. |
| Features | CA second number, area code choice, unlimited calls and texts in the US and Canada, voicemail transcription and call blocking. It does that one job fully, but it's a smaller job: no team features, queues or routing. | DOne narrow function: a second number with messaging and voicemail. No team or multi-user plan is shown on the pages read. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install an app and the number works beside your main line. | BNo store rating on record. It is an app you install and start using, with no ID needed to sign up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, Android, Windows and web, with calls and texts kept in sync. No API or integrations are listed. | CiPhone and Android apps only, plus a web messaging page. Nothing else is connected. |
| Best for | a second number on your own phone | a second phone number on your own phone |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Line2 and Sideline. How we grade
Price against what you get
Line2 starts at $7.99 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sideline starts at $14.49 a month and scores 2.0.
Line2 scores higher and starts $6.50 a month lower. Of the other business phone systems on the chart, none scores higher than Line2 for less, and 8 score higher than Sideline for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Line2 also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Line2 | Sideline | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $7.99 per month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly) | $14.49 per month as labeled in the App Store (billing period not shown) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | J2 Web Services, Inc. | Pinger, Inc. |
| Price read from | line2.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Line2
- Line2 now presents itself as a privacy second line; the site sends business users to eVoice, so team features such as queues and call routing are not listed.
- Service covers the US and Canada only.
- Business texting in the US needs carrier registration, and the site links 10DLC and toll-free SMS registration pages.
- The pricing page lists a single plan and no team or multi-user tier.
Sideline
- Only iOS and Android apps are listed; the site pages read for this entry show no team or multi-user plan.
- The App Store shows several in-app purchases without a billing period, so the plan names are the only guide to monthly or yearly.
- The vendor's own site states no price; amounts come from the App Store listing for the US.
- A user review on Google Play mentions $9.99 a month, which differs from the App Store figures.
Key features
Line2
- Second number on your own phone
- Calls and texts run over Wi-Fi or mobile data in an app, so the number sits beside your main line without a second handset.
- Choose your area code
- Pick a US or Canada number in the area code you want, or move a number you already have over to Line2.
- Unlimited calls and texts
- Calls and SMS/MMS inside the US and Canada are unlimited, subject to overages described in the terms of service.
- Voicemail transcription
- Voicemails arrive as text, and the number has its own caller ID display and its own contact list separate from your main one.
- Call blocking
- Block telemarketers, spam callers and other numbers you do not want reaching the Line2 number.
- Phone, tablet and desktop apps
- Apps for iOS, Android and desktop, with the account also reachable from a desktop browser, so texts and calls stay in sync.
Sideline
- Second number
- Pick a number in the area code you want, or port in a number you already have, and use it beside your main line.
- Carrier network calls
- Calls use the carrier's cellular network instead of VoIP, so the line works without Wi-Fi, according to the site.
- Unlimited messaging
- SMS, MMS and group messages are unlimited, with an auto-reply that can send a text back after a missed call or message.
- Separate voicemail
- Record a greeting for the Sideline number so callers reach its own voicemail instead of your personal one.
- Spam labeling
- The app suggests names for unknown callers and texters and labels suspected spam, telemarketers and fraud.
- No ID to sign up
- The Google Play listing says an account does not need a government-issued ID and is verified in another way.
Plans
Line2
Line2 Unlimited$7.99
per month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly)
Unlimited talk and text in the US and Canada, a number in the area code you choose, voicemail transcription and call blocking. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Sideline
Monthly plan$14.49
as labeled in the App Store; billing period not shown
In-app purchase listed as Sideline - Monthly plan. The listing also shows Sideline Pro - Monthly at $14.99 and Voicemail to Text at $2.99.
Yearly plan$129.99
as labeled in the App Store; billing period not shown
In-app purchase listed as Sideline - Yearly Plan. The same listing shows older or smaller purchases, from $0.99 to $99.00.
Ways to pay less
Line2
- Annual discount
Save 20% with yearly billing
Line2 shows $7.99 a month billed yearly against $9.99 a month billed monthly, which it labels as a 20% saving.
Sideline
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Line2 or Sideline?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Line2 is cheaper to start with: $7.99 a month, against $14.49 a month for Sideline. Line2 starts at $7.99 per month, billed yearly ($9.99 billed monthly), and Sideline starts at $14.49 per month as labeled in the App Store (billing period not shown).
Which has a free plan, Line2 or Sideline?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Line2 nor Sideline has a free plan.
Which platforms do Line2 and Sideline run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Line2 lists a web app and a Windows app. Both list iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.