- Burner and Hushed win whenever you need inbound texts, calls, or a number to put on a listing.
- SMSRoute issues no number at all: email signup, browser, outbound SMS only.
- Temp-number apps run on subscriptions from roughly $4 to $13 a month.
- Send-only costs from $0.004 a message with nothing rented between sends.
- A send-only service cannot receive verification codes, so it is not a disposable number.
Two different jobs, one search term
People searching for a burner app alternative usually want one of two things. Either a cheaper or less locked-in way to rent a second number, or a way to send a text without owning a second number in the first place.
Those are separate products. Renting a line and firing off outbound messages share a search box and almost nothing else, so the honest answer depends entirely on which one you are after.
What a temporary number buys you
An inbound line. Someone replies to your listing, a code arrives, a call rings, and you can shut the whole thing down when the project ends. Burner leans on swapping and deleting numbers; Hushed sells US, Canada and UK numbers on monthly, prepaid and pay-as-you-go plans.
The cost is a subscription that runs whether you use it or not, plus an app on your phone. If the inbound side is the point, that trade is worth making and no send-only tool competes.
Burner, Hushed and a send-only route
The table lines up the temp-number apps against the send-only route on the points that decide it. The SMSRoute column is the send-only route.
| Feature | Burner | Hushed | SMSRoute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone number to sign up? | App or web signup; the site does not list a personal phone number as required | App signup; the site does not list a personal phone number as required | No, an email address is enough |
| ID or KYC checks? | Not stated on the public pages; check current terms | Not stated on the public pages; check current terms | None, no documents at any point |
| Do you get a number? | Yes, a private number you can swap or delete | Yes, numbers in the US, Canada and the UK | No, this is send only |
| Works in a browser? | Phone app; the website handles plans and billing | Phone app; plans are managed on the site | Yes, it runs in the browser with nothing to install |
| Cost model | From $3.99 a month billed annually at $47.99, or $7.99 month to month | Unlimited from $6.99 a month, prepaid from $7.99, pay as you go from $8.99 | Per message from $0.004, with no number to rent |
| Countries reachable | Number countries are not listed on the pricing page; check before you subscribe | US, Canada and UK numbers across 300+ area codes | 149 countries for outbound SMS |
| Payment methods | Billed through the App Store, Google Play or the website | App store or website billing | Crypto accepted |
Checked against burnerapp.com pricing, hushed.com pricing on 2026-07-25. Prices and signup rules change, so confirm on their sites before you commit.
Where paying per message beats renting a number
If you send twenty texts a quarter, a monthly plan is mostly dead weight. Per-message pricing from $0.004 with nothing rented in between fits that pattern better, and there is no app to keep updated on a phone you may not want involved.
Reach matters too. Temp-number apps concentrate on US, Canada and UK lines. Outbound coverage on a send-only route runs to 149 countries, which is the usual reason people leave the app model behind.
- Sign up with an emailno phone, no documents
- Top up with cryptoor start on free test credits
- Send from any browsernothing to install
- Pay only for what you sentno monthly line rental
The part nobody should oversell
You cannot use a send-only route as a disposable number for signing up to other apps. Those flows need something that can receive SMS, and there is nothing to receive on.
Anonymous to the recipient is not the same as untraceable by law enforcement. SMSRoute keeps records for lawful process, and the rules on harassment, fraud and unsolicited bulk messaging apply the same way they do everywhere else.
Pick by the job: inbound texts, calls or a number on a listing means a temp-number app. Outbound only, from a browser, with nothing rented, means the send-only route.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a Burner alternative for temporary privacy numbers?
Not really. Burner gives you a number you can hand out and later delete. A send-only service never gives you a number, so you can only text people whose numbers you already have.
When is Burner or Hushed the better choice?
When you need inbound texts or calls, a number to put on a listing or a form, voice features, or the ability to shut a line off after a project. That is the temporary-number job and both apps are built for it.
When is the send-only route the better choice?
When you do not need replies on a dedicated line, want to send from a browser without installing anything, sign up with email only, and pay per message from $0.004 to any of the 149 countries SMSRoute reaches, with crypto accepted.
Can I use it as a disposable number for signing up to other apps?
No. Apps that require SMS verification need a number that can receive. An outbound-only service cannot complete an inbound one-time-code flow at all.
What does texting without a phone number actually mean?
Some people mean without using their own cell number, which temp-number apps solve by issuing another one. Others mean without providing any phone number at signup. Pick based on whether you must receive replies on a dedicated line.
Related guides
No number to rent, no app to install. Email signup and free test credits to prove it works.
Send your first textor see per-text prices