How to Choose the Best Non-VoIP Number Provider for Testing

If you’re looking for an easy, affordable, and efficient way to test your website’s SMS verification processes, buying non-VoIP numbers is usually the better alternative to using your own. But with dozens of providers out there, which one should you choose?

Assuming that you’ve never bought temporary non-VoIP numbers before, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’re breaking down all the criteria you should look for when you’re choosing between providers, so you can make the best decision for your budget and testing goals.

Check the Country Coverage

First, consider which regions you need to conduct your SMS testing in, and make sure you find a provider that offers numbers from these countries if this applies to you. Click here to see the 50+ countries offered by SMSPool.

For instance, if you provide products or services to customers based in multiple regions or even all over the world, you’ll need to test that your SMS messages are successfully reaching numbers in all regions. Check that a provider has numbers in the applicable countries before you get started. 

Look For Providers Offering Temporary and Long-Term Rental Numbers (If Necessary)

If you want some flexibility when it comes to how long you can use your non-VoIP testing numbers, look for providers that offer both temporary numbers (usually purchased for a single fee and available for around 20-60 minutes) and rental numbers (which you’ll get to use for as long as you continue to pay the monthly rental fee).

You might only need temporary numbers, and this may be the most cost-effective solution, if you’re just running short-term testing. But if you need to test SMS delivery services over a longer period, such as if you’re an agency that offers SMS communication flows for your customers, you might actually be better off renting numbers instead. 

Read Real Customer Feedback

When it comes to the quality of any service, there’s nothing more telling than customer reviews. Before you spend your money on a non-VoIP number provider, take some time to check impartial reviews for the provider on sites like Trustpilot and developer forums. 

One or two bad reviews is pretty normal (it’d actually be suspicious if the provider had nothing but 5-star reviews), but looking at all the reviews on a whole will give you a good gauge of how well the provider performs for other people using the numbers or similar reasons. If the reviews are primarily bad, especially when it comes to things like service speed and usability of the numbers, look elsewhere.

Takeaway

The good news is that you have plenty of options when it comes to finding a reputable provider of non-VoIP numbers for temporary or longer-term use. 

There’s no need to buy your own SIMs or burner phones to access the numbers you need for SMS testing—companies like SMSPool make it quick and easy to access all the numbers you need online, whenever and for however long you need them.