If you’re looking to conduct testing for your service’s SMS verification process, you’ll be after a more efficient and flexible approach to using your own phone number. That’s where you’ll benefit from buying temporary numbers online that you can use to test your SMS setup in all locations, without the restrictions of using personal or business numbers.
One of the main decisions you’ll need to make is whether to buy VoIP or non-VoIP numbers. They sound virtually the same, but actually, they can affect how easily and successfully you can complete your testing workflows, so it’s important to know how they differ.
Here, we’re sharing everything you should know about non-VoIP versus VoIP numbers for SMS testing, including their key differences, and which you should choose for your situation.
What’s the Difference Between Non-VoIP and VoIP Numbers?
The key difference between VoIP and non-VoIP numbers is their connection (or lack of) to a physical SIM.
VoIP numbers work over the internet, while non-VoIP numbers are tied to a phone SIM or carrier network, just like your real number. That means non-VoIP numbers tend to be more reliable, and they’re also less likely to get flagged as spam by your SMS service because they’re just as legit as your personal number.
Why Does the Type of Number Matter for SMS Testing?
Many online platforms treat VoIP and non-VoIP numbers differently, which is why it’s important to get the right type of number for your testing. You don’t want to waste your money on numbers that your SMS provider won’t even send verification codes to, after all.
Keep in mind that some services place restrictions on VoIP numbers, so it’s usually always better to use non-VoIP numbers from a site like SMSPool from a reliability standpoint.
Benefits of Using Non-VoIP Numbers for SMS Testing
The key benefits of using non-VoIP numbers for SMS testing include:
- Higher verification success rates
- Better compatibility with mobile networks
- A lower likelihood of being blocked from platforms
Advantages of Using VoIP Numbers for SMS Testing
While they’re usually the less favorable option of the two, VoIP numbers do still have some benefits, including:
- Affordability
- Easy scaling
- The ability to set up numbers without physical SIMs.
Potential Drawbacks of Each Option
Both VoIP and non-VoIP numbers have their drawbacks, too.
For non-VoIP numbers, you will need to spend a bit more upfront. That said, they’re still very affordable, with temporary numbers costing less than $1.
The biggest setback of VoIP numbers is that they might not work at all for your verification testing, which means you may end up wasting money on numbers that fail.
Which Type of Number Should You Choose?
If you’re testing a service that requires SMS verification, such as an account signup on your website, you want to mimic the customer’s process as closely as possible.
That generally means you should use non-VoIP numbers, not only because your legit customers will use numbers tied to real SIMs, but because you want to avoid the potential for your test numbers being rejected.
