Personal Google Voice costs nothing for calls from the US to the US and Canada, texts and voicemail. You pay when you call other countries, which is billed per minute, and when you need a paid plan for business features, at $10, $20 or $30 a month. Google also charges one-off fees to move a number in or out. Every Google detail below comes from Google's own help and pricing pages, checked 3 October 2026.
Google Voice plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Who can buy it | How paid calls are billed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice (free) | $0 | Personal use | Prepaid credit, balance capped at $70 |
| Voice Starter, standalone | $10/month | One user with a personal Gmail account, US numbers only | Monthly invoice |
| Voice Standard, standalone | $20/month | One user with a personal Gmail account, US numbers only | Monthly invoice |
| Voice Starter, Workspace add-on | $10/user/month | Up to 10 users with a paid Google Workspace subscription | Billed to the organization |
| Voice Standard, Workspace add-on | $20/user/month | Any number of users with a paid Workspace subscription | Billed to the organization |
| Voice Premier, Workspace add-on | $30/user/month | Any number of users with a paid Workspace subscription | Billed to the organization |
Paid plan prices and features come from Google's Compare Voice subscriptions page; the credit cap is on its Buy credit to make calls page.
What the free version includes
When you call from the US, almost all calls to US and Canadian numbers are free. Google lists a few specific numbers in the two countries that cost 1¢ a minute. The free version also includes texting, voicemail transcripts you can read in your inbox and spam call protection, according to Google's setup guide, and it can forward calls to up to six linked phones. Texts can only go to US and Canadian numbers.
To set it up you need an existing phone number: Google's comparison lists "don't need to verify account with another phone number" as a perk of the paid plans only.
Two rules matter once you have a number. Google may reclaim it if you make no calls and send no texts for 3 months, per its acceptable use policy. And an unused credit balance does not sit there forever: Google's refund page says that after a period with no account activity, the balance is escheated to the state, which means it is handed over as unclaimed property.
What the paid plans add
One person doesn't need Google Workspace for a paid plan. Google sells Voice Starter and Voice Standard as standalone plans to a single user with a personal Gmail account. They issue US numbers only, and paid calls go on a monthly invoice instead of prepaid credit. Both include call recording and desk phone support; Standard adds auto attendants ("press 1 for sales") and AI note-taking.
Teams buy Voice as an add-on to a paid Workspace subscription, with local numbers in 14 countries and regions. Starter is capped at 10 users. Standard adds ring groups, call queuing, call delegation and custom hold audio. Premier, at $30 a user, is the only tier that can give staff numbers outside your home country, and it also records calls automatically and exports activity to BigQuery. Google's Voice product page says the business plans include calls to the US from any Voice number, calls to Canada from US and Canadian numbers, and calls to most European countries from within Europe.
Can Google Voice call international numbers?
Yes. From the US, any call outside the US and Canada is charged per minute at Google's listed rates, which vary by country. Google notes that the rate depends on both the country you call from and the country you call. Rates change, so look up the destination on Google's rate page before a long call.
On the free version you pay from prepaid credit. Add it at voice.google.com under Settings, then Payments. Your balance can't go above $70, and auto-recharge can add $10, $25 or $50 whenever the balance falls below $2. On the standalone paid plans you can't buy credit; paid calls appear on the monthly invoice. You can ask Google to refund your balance within 6 months of the original purchase.
On a phone, check that the call really goes through Voice. Google's international calling help page says Voice shows a message with the call's cost, or a note that it is routing the call, when you start an international call. If no message appears, your mobile carrier is placing the call and may bill you its own international rate.
Using Google Voice outside the US
The Voice app keeps working when you travel, over Wi-Fi or mobile data. Google says calls made while visiting another country are charged at its international rates, and if a call goes over your mobile network instead of the internet, your carrier may add roaming charges. Google also warns that Chinese telecom carriers may block outbound calls to China.
One-off fees
Moving your existing number into Google Voice costs $20, and moving a number out of Google Voice costs $3. Google lists both fees as non-refundable on its refund page.
When Google Voice is the wrong fit
Google sells its single-user paid plans with US numbers only. If you live elsewhere and want a number of your own, our Google Voice alternatives guide compares other services.
CallSky is our product, so weigh this accordingly. CallSky sells prepaid credit that never expires and has no monthly fee; it runs in a web browser and on iPhone and Android, and you don't need a US number to use it. Calls to US and Canadian numbers cost $0.03 a minute, so a US resident who mostly calls within North America is better off with free Google Voice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Voice free?
For personal use, yes. Calls from the US to US and Canadian numbers are free apart from a few numbers that cost 1¢ a minute, and calls to other countries are billed per minute from prepaid credit. Paid plans with business features cost $10, $20 or $30 a month.
Can Google Voice call international numbers?
Yes. Calls outside the US and Canada are charged per minute at Google's listed rate for the destination, paid from prepaid credit on the free version or on the monthly invoice on a paid standalone plan. The app also works abroad over Wi-Fi or mobile data, at Google's international rates.
How much does it cost to port a number to Google Voice?
Porting a number into Google Voice costs $20, and porting a number out costs $3. Google does not refund either fee.
Do I need Google Workspace for a paid Google Voice plan?
Not for one person. Voice Starter ($10 a month) and Voice Standard ($20 a month) are sold standalone to a single user with a personal Gmail account, with US numbers only. Teams need a paid Workspace subscription and the Voice add-on at $10, $20 or $30 per user per month.
Does Google Voice credit expire?
Google's refund page says that if an account has no activity for a certain period, its balance is escheated to the state as unclaimed property. You can ask for a refund within 6 months of buying credit. Separately, Google may reclaim the Voice number itself after 3 months without calls or texts.
CallSky is our product. It calls 180+ countries on pay-as-you-go credit that never expires, with no subscription.