Sideline vs Textline (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Textline grades higher than Sideline: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sideline grades higher on value for money and ease of use. Textline grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Sideline
A second phone number app that runs on your carrier's network
From $14.49/mo
Which one is for you
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
Pick Textline if
- Fits if your customers would rather text you than call
- Works for teams that want their existing landline number to take texts
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need to make or take calls, as Textline has no voice calling
- Pricey if your team grows, at $50 a month for each extra agent on Essentials and $70 on Pro
- Not for you if you want a price before a sales call, since none is published
- Tight if you text a lot, as Essentials has 600 credits a month, extras are $0.03 to $0.04, and an MMS uses 3
- Watch out: a 10-digit local number adds a $15 monthly campaign fee, and extra numbers are $15 a month
How we grade them
| 1.8GPASidelineWeak | 2.2GPATextlineFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo published base price: sales quotes it. With no figure it sits at the ordinary grade, and there's no per-head cost for five to give. The add-ons are on record: extra agents are $50 a month on Essentials and $70 on Pro. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record, only paid in-app purchases. | CA 14-day free trial with no credit card needed to sign up. No free plan. |
| Features | DOne narrow function: a second number with messaging and voicemail. No team or multi-user plan is shown on the pages read. | CA shared texting inbox, text-enabled landlines, automations, announcements, surveys, webchat and Facebook and Instagram messages. It does texting fully, but that's a smaller job than this category's: no voice calling, and calls only forward elsewhere. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It is an app you install and start using, with no ID needed to sign up. | CNo App Store rating on record. There's a landline to text-enable or a number to set up, plus registration for local numbers. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone and Android apps only, plus a web messaging page. Nothing else is connected. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Slack, Pipedrive, Zapier and Aircall, plus an API. No desktop app. |
| Best for | a second phone number on your own phone | teams answering customers by text |
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: Sideline and Textline. How we grade
Where they differ
- Sideline also covers business phone line.
- Textline also covers shared inbox, surveys and live chat.
In commoniOSAndroidBusiness texting
At a glance
| Sideline | Textline | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $14.49 per month as labeled in the App Store (billing period not shown) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial, no credit card required to sign up |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Pinger, Inc. | Textline, Inc. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Textline
- Textline publishes no base plan prices; sales quotes them. Extra agents are $50 a month on Essentials and $70 on Pro, and extra numbers $15 a month.
- There is no voice calling: Textline numbers can only forward calls elsewhere.
- Essentials includes 600 message credits a month and Pro 2,000; more cost $0.03 each in advance or $0.04 as automatic backup credits, and an MMS uses 3.
- A 10-digit local number adds a $15 monthly campaign registration fee; toll-free numbers have no monthly registration fee.
Key features
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.
Textline
- Shared texting inbox
- Agents share one inbox for SMS and MMS, with departments for separate numbers, claiming, dispositions, whispers and tags.
- Text-enabled landlines
- Most existing landline numbers can be text-enabled without losing calls; a ported cell number loses voice and native texting.
- Automations and announcements
- Automatic replies, scheduled messages and one-to-many announcements on every plan; routes and timer automations come with Pro.
- Webchat and social messages
- A website chat widget that can move a conversation to SMS, plus Facebook and Instagram messages in the same inbox.
- Surveys
- NPS and CSAT surveys by text on Essentials, and custom surveys on Pro and Enterprise.
- Security and HIPAA
- MFA, consent webforms and sensitive data redaction, with HIPAA-compatible plans offered at a separate base fee.
Plans
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.
Textline
Pricing could not be confirmed. See textline.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Sideline or Textline?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sideline starts at $14.49 per month as labeled in the App Store (billing period not shown), and Textline has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Sideline or Textline?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Sideline nor Textline has a free plan. Textline has a free trial.
Which platforms do Sideline and Textline run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Textline lists a web app and a browser extension. 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.