Free vs Paid Virtual Numbers: What You Need to Know
When searching for virtual phone numbers, you will find both free and paid options. Understanding the differences is critical for making the right choice for your needs.
Free virtual phone numbers are shared among all users of the service. This means that when you view the SMS messages for a free number, you are seeing every message sent to that number by anyone. There is no privacy whatsoever. Anyone using the same service can see your verification codes at the same time you do. This makes free numbers unsuitable for any account you actually care about.
Free numbers are also unreliable. Because they are shared and heavily used, many online services have flagged them. Platforms like Google, Facebook, and WhatsApp actively block known free virtual number ranges. You may spend considerable time trying different free numbers only to find that none of them work for your target service.
The security implications are severe. If you use a free shared number to verify an important account, anyone else who sees the number can potentially request a password reset and receive the code. Your account is effectively unprotected from the moment you verify it.
Paid virtual phone numbers, by contrast, are private. When you purchase a number through QuickSim, it is assigned exclusively to your session. Only you can see the incoming SMS messages. The number has not been used by thousands of other people, so it is far less likely to be flagged by services.
Paid numbers also come with guarantees. QuickSim offers a full refund if the SMS never arrives, meaning you only pay for successful verifications. The service supports 115+ countries and 1000+ platforms, with a 99.2% delivery rate.
The cost difference is minimal. Most paid virtual numbers cost between ₦2,000 and ₦18,000 per verification, depending on the country and service. For less than the price of a coffee, you can verify multiple accounts with private, reliable numbers. Compare this to the potential cost of a compromised account and the choice becomes obvious.
For casual, non-sensitive use where you just need to read a code once and never care about the account again, free numbers can work. For anything else, paid virtual numbers are the clear choice.