Burner
Burner is a Los Angeles-based mobile app (by Ad Hoc Labs, Inc.) that provides temporary and secondary US/Canadian phone numbers for calls, texts, and picture messaging via VoIP, serving privacy-conscious consumers, online daters, freelancers, and small business owners through freemium subscriptions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Burner does
Burner, operated by Ad Hoc Labs, Inc., is a Los Angeles-based mobile application company founded in 2012 that provides temporary and persistent second phone numbers for voice, SMS, and picture messaging via VoIP technology. The core product is delivered as iOS and Android apps plus direct web access, allowing users to obtain US or Canadian numbers with chosen area codes, make and receive calls through internet or call-forwarding, organize contacts across multiple lines via color coding, and permanently delete ("burn") numbers along with all associated data. The platform supports standard telephony features (spam blocking, auto-reply, custom voicemail greetings, Do Not Disturb scheduling) plus integrations like iOS Contact Card autofill and Face ID authentication.
The business model is a freemium, direct-to-consumer subscription sold through app stores and direct web. The Standard plan is priced at $7.99 per month or $47.99 annually (~$3.99/month effective), and the Premium tier at $12.99 per month or $69.99 annually adds video messaging, AI voicemail transcription, cross-platform VPN, and reverse number lookup. Multi-line subscriptions (1 Line at $4.99/mo, 3 Lines at $14.99/mo) and prepaid Mini Burner numbers (from $1.99) extend the model to freelancers and SMBs. Acquisition is product-led growth via app store listings, SEO-driven content marketing on a privacy-focused blog, and earned media coverage in major publications.
Target customers are privacy-conscious individual consumers across horizontal use cases: online daters shielding primary numbers, freelancers and small business owners separating work communications, activists protecting identity, online sellers transacting on classified platforms, and general users seeking spam protection. The company has raised approximately $2M in disclosed funding (2013) from Founder Collective, Venrock, 500 Global, and others, with no subsequent rounds disclosed, and employs 51–100 people.
Burner firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Burner
- Legal name
- Ad Hoc Labs, Inc.
- Website
- https://burnerapp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Burner is a Los Angeles-based mobile app (by Ad Hoc Labs, Inc.) that provides temporary and secondary US/Canadian phone numbers for calls, texts, and picture messaging via VoIP, serving privacy-conscious consumers, online daters, freelancers, and small business owners through freemium subscriptions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Burner is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Burner business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue - Standard Plan: Monthly or annual subscription providing one private phone number with unlimited calls and texts, spam blocking, auto-reply, muting/blocking, picture messages, and delete/switch numbers. Standard tier at $7.99/month or $3.99/month (billed annually at $47.99).
- Subscription Revenue - Premium Plan: Enhanced subscription including all Standard features plus video messaging, AI voicemail transcription, VPN for phone/Mac/Windows, and reverse number lookup. Premium tier at $12.99/month or $5.83/month (billed annually at $69.99).
- Multi-Line Subscriptions: Subscription plans supporting multiple lines: 1 Line at $4.99/month or 3 Lines at $14.99/month. Annual options available at $47.99/year (1 line) and $139.99/year (3 lines).
- Prepaid Numbers: One-time prepaid Burner numbers available from $1.99 (Mini Burner). Credits system allows purchasing prepaid numbers instead of subscription.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Plan - Monthly billing |
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Plan - Annual billing |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Plan - Monthly billing |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium Plan - Annual billing |
| Subscription | Monthly | 1-Line Subscription - Monthly |
| Subscription | Monthly | 3-Line Subscription - Monthly |
| Subscription | Annual | 1-Line Subscription - Annual |
| Subscription | Annual | 3-Line Subscription - Annual |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mini Burner - Prepaid |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Burner product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Burner provides a mobile application that gives users temporary, disposable phone numbers for making calls and sending text messages. The service operates on a VoIP platform, allowing users to create multiple secondary numbers that can be 'burned' (deleted) at any time, with calls forwarded to their primary phone.
Product overview
Burner is a privacy-focused second phone number app that provides users with temporary or permanent additional phone numbers for calls, texts, and picture messaging. The product portfolio consists of two subscription tiers: Standard ($7.99/month or $47.99/year) offering a private phone number with unlimited calls/texts, spam blocking, auto-reply, muting/blocking, and number deletion capabilities; and Premium ($12.99/month or $69.99/year) adding video messaging, AI voicemail transcription, VPN protection, and reverse number lookup. The core product is delivered as mobile apps for iOS and Android, with a Burn (delete) feature that permanently removes numbers and associated data. Additional offerings include prepaid one-time numbers and in-app VoIP calling through internet connections.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Burner Standard
Quantifiable outcome
- Cost savings compared to Verizon prepaid plans ($40/month)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Burner
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Burner technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature16 records
Burner partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Burner competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TextNow: TextNow provides free and paid phone numbers with VoIP calling and texting across iOS, Android, and web. It overlaps with Burner's core VoIP second-number product, particularly in the ad-supported and low-cost subscriber segments.
- Line2: Line2 is a VoIP second-line service aimed at professionals and small businesses needing a separate business number. It overlaps with Burner's freelancer/SMB use case, though with more enterprise-leaning positioning.
- Dingtone: Dingtone offers second phone numbers, free calling, and texting via VoIP with a freemium subscription model. It targets similar privacy and small-business use cases as Burner and competes in the same consumer app stores.
- Hushed: Hushed offers temporary and disposable phone numbers for calling and texting with strong privacy positioning. It is the closest direct competitor to Burner, targeting privacy-conscious consumers, online daters, and small business users with a similar subscription-based model.
- Talkatone: Talkatone offers free or low-cost phone numbers with calling and texting over WiFi. It competes with Burner in the ad-supported and freemium segments of the consumer VoIP second-number market.
- Phoner: Phoner provides second phone numbers for iOS and Android with privacy and caller-ID features. It overlaps with Burner's disposable-number use cases and competes for similar privacy-conscious consumer segments.
- Sideline: Sideline, by Pinger, is a second phone number app explicitly designed for business use cases like freelancers and side hustles. It overlaps directly with Burner's freelancer/SMB segment and competes on similar subscription pricing tiers.
- Pinger: Pinger operates multiple second-number apps (Textfree, Sideline, 2ndLine) targeting similar consumer use cases as Burner. Its multi-brand portfolio and long history in the category make it a comparable direct competitor in VoIP second-number apps.
Broad incumbents
- Google Voice: Google Voice is a free second phone number service from Google with call forwarding, voicemail, and texting. As a free incumbent with deep ecosystem integration (Android, Workspace), it competes directly with Burner at the entry tier and pressures Burner's pricing.
Emerging players
- CoverMe: CoverMe provides private phone numbers, encrypted messaging, and vault features focused on privacy and security. It intersects with Burner's privacy use case with a heavier emphasis on encryption and secure communications.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Burner social profiles
Digital presenceBurner financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Burner leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Burner funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Burner M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Burner
What does Burner do?
Burner provides a mobile application that gives users temporary, disposable phone numbers for making calls and sending text messages. The service operates on a VoIP platform, allowing users to create multiple secondary numbers that can be 'burned' (deleted) at any time, with calls forwarded to their primary phone.
Is Burner a public or private company?
Burner is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Burner founded?
Burner was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Burner based?
Burner is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Burner make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue - Standard Plan is the primary driver. The others are subscription Revenue - Premium Plan, multi-Line Subscriptions and prepaid Numbers.
Who are Burner's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TextNow, Line2, Dingtone, Hushed, Talkatone, Phoner, Sideline and Pinger. Google Voice is listed as a broad incumbent. CoverMe is listed as an emerging player.
Does Burner have an API?
No public API is recorded for Burner.