Line2 alternative
The Line2 alternative when your business outgrows one phone.
Line2 puts a second number on your existing phone for one user. Ody gives a team one shared line, a texting inbox and an AI receptionist that answers when nobody can.
7-day free trial on every plan · No per-minute charges · Line2 facts verified September 2026
THE QUICK ANSWER
Line2 is one of the cheapest second numbers you can buy: $9.99/mo ($7.99 annual) for a local or toll-free number with unlimited US & Canada calls and texts, no contract. It is also strictly single-user, now marketed as a privacy number rather than a business system: no shared numbers, no team inbox, no integrations, no auto-attendant on the current plan, and no AI. Trustpilot sits at 2.7/5 with unreliable texting, poor audio and difficult port-outs as the themes. Ody starts at $19/user/mo and is built for the next stage: a shared team line, a texting inbox everyone can work from, 43 integrations, and a 24/7 AI receptionist on every plan. If you are a freelancer who just needs a private number, Line2 costs half as much; if the phone is how your business gets work, Ody is the upgrade.
PRICING
What you'll actually pay.
Line2 second phone number
Line2 is a Ziff Davis (J2) brand alongside eVoice and Onebox. No contract; monthly 'stop anytime' or prepaid annual; 30-day money-back guarantee. 'Unlimited' is subject to fair-use overages. No MMS on toll-free numbers. Taxes and fees are extra. The product is now marketed as a privacy second number (dating, online selling) rather than a business phone system: one user, no shared numbers, no integrations. Reviewers report unreliable texting, poor audio and difficult port-outs.
Ody
One number per user included; extra local or toll-free numbers $5/mo each. Business texting needs one-time 10DLC registration ($20 setup + $4/mo per texting number, handled during onboarding). International calling is a $5/mo add-on with $5 of usage included. Plans are billed monthly or prepaid annually (annual saves up to 30%). Taxes apply; there are no per-minute charges and no AI credits.
Try for free →THE MATH
A 3-person business that wants one number everyone answers
Line2 is $9.99/mo per line and each line belongs to one user, so three people get three unrelated numbers with no shared inbox and no answering when all three are busy. Ody Starter is $19 x 3 with a shared team inbox, texting from one business number and unlimited AI answering; $45/mo on annual billing. Taxes excluded for both.
SIDE BY SIDE
Ody vs Line2, feature by feature.
Line2 second phone number facts from their published pricing & docs, verified September 2026.
| Feature | Line2 second phone number | Ody |
|---|---|---|
| AI answering | ||
| AI receptionist answers calls | Line2— | OdyIncluded on every plan |
| What the AI costs | Line2n/a | Ody$0 extra. No credits, no minute bundles |
| AI call summaries & transcripts | Line2— | OdyGrowth+ |
| Turn AI on/off per line & hour | Line2— | Ody✓ |
| Phone system | ||
| US & Canada calling | Line2✓ | Ody✓ |
| Business texting (SMS/MMS) | Line2Unlimited US/CA SMS/MMS (no MMS on toll-free) | OdyUS & Canada, 10DLC handled |
| Phone number included | Line21 local or toll-free | Ody1 per user; extras $5/mo |
| Toll-free numbers | Line2✓ | Ody✓ |
| Free number porting | Line2Port-out difficulties reported | Ody✓ |
| Phone menus (IVR) | Line2Not on the current plan | OdyGrowth+ |
| Auto call recording | Line2Not on the current plan | OdyGrowth+ |
| Voicemail transcription | Line2✓ | Ody✓ |
| Video meetings | Line2— | Ody— |
| Hardware required | Line2None | OdyNone. Browser + iOS app |
| Team & integrations | ||
| Shared team inbox | Line2— | Ody✓ |
| CRM integrations | Line2— | Ody43 integrations, every plan |
| ChatGPT / Claude (MCP) | Line2— | Ody✓ |
| Developer API & webhooks | Line2— | OdyEvery plan |
| Analytics & reporting | Line2— | OdyGrowth+ |
| Commercial | ||
| Seat minimum | Line2Single user only | OdyNone |
| Contract | Line2None | OdyBilled monthly or annually. Change plans in-app |
| Fees above list price | Line2Taxes and fees; fair-use overage | OdyTaxes only. No recovery or E911 line items |
| Free trial | Line2Not advertised; 30-day money-back | Ody7 days, every plan, full product |
| Support | Line2Phone weekdays 8:30am-8pm ET | OdyEmail (Starter), live chat (Growth), phone + onboarding (Enterprise) |
| Self-serve setup & plan changes | Line2Signup yes; cancellation process unclear | Ody✓ |
WHY TEAMS SWITCH
Where Ody pulls ahead of Line2.
One line, the whole team
Line2 ties each number to a single user with no shared numbers and no team features. Ody's shared inbox puts every call, text and voicemail from your business number in front of the whole team, so whoever is free picks it up and nobody replies twice.
Answered when everyone is busy
Line2 sends missed calls to voicemail and transcribes them. Ody's AI receptionist picks up 24/7, answers common questions, takes a structured message, books the appointment and texts the caller back, and it is included on the $19 plan with no per-minute charges.
Texting you can run a business on
Line2 reviewers rank unreliable texting as their top complaint, and MMS does not work on toll-free numbers. Ody handles 10DLC carrier registration during onboarding, so your business texts are registered and delivered, and the conversation lives in a shared inbox.
AN HONEST TAKE
Which one is right for you?
You are a freelancer or side-business owner who needs a private second number on the phone you already carry, texting is a convenience rather than a revenue channel, and $9.99 a month is the whole budget. For that job Line2's unlimited US & Canada calling and toll-free option are hard to beat.
You have or are about to have a team, and you want one business number that reaches the right people, a texting inbox with history, CRM integrations and an AI receptionist for the calls you cannot take. Ody at $19/user/mo replaces the second number with a phone system.
EVERYTHING INCLUDED
The whole phone system,
with the AI built in. One price.
Scroll through what every Ody workspace ships with: a number, calling and texting, a shared inbox, and a receptionist that never clocks out.
ChatGPT
Claude
CursorGo deeper, feature by feature.
All features →SWITCHING IS EASY
Move from Line2 without missing a call.
Start your free trial
Create your workspace in minutes. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial | you get a live number, calling, texting, and your AI agent from day one.
Port your number free
Porting is free on every plan and your existing line keeps working the whole time | no downtime, no lost calls while the port completes.
Turn on the AI (or don't)
Set your hours and decide exactly when the AI answers | per number, per hour, per team. The rest of the time, it's the best softphone you've used.
Line2 has no contract and a 30-day money-back window, but reviewers report difficult port-outs, so start the port to Ody before you cancel and keep the Line2 account active until it completes. Ody plans are billed monthly or annually, and you change plans in the app.
FAQ
Ody vs Line2, answered.
More comparisons
Same research, same honesty, other providers.