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Ranked October 2026 · 10 tools compared

These are the 10 best phone validation and HLR lookup APIs of 2026.

1Lookup is our pick for 2026: one credit validates a US or Canada number with its line type, carrier, porting status, Do Not Call flags and a risk level, and the same key runs live HLR checks on mobile numbers in international format.

Start a 7-day free trialTry the free phone number lookup

No payment today.

This is what 1,511,579 phone validations on 1Lookup found in the last 30 days.

About 1 in 19 numbers was inactive or invalid, so a call or text to it would have been wasted.

94.6%
Active
Reachable
4.5%
Inactive
Assigned, not reachable
0.8%
Invalid
Not a working number

Checks run on 1Lookup, 8 September to 7 October 2026. Aggregate counts only.

We ranked these tools on five things a buyer pays for.

  1. 1What one check returns: format only, or carrier, line type, porting and live status
  2. 2Whether a live HLR check is on the same account
  3. 3How you can start for free
  4. 4Whether the same account checks emails and IP addresses
  5. 5What else the same credits buy, such as Do Not Call scrubs

Rival terms were read from each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026. 1Lookup phone validation covers US and Canada numbers; HLR lookups take any mobile number in international format.

Here are the 10 tools, ranked.

Our pick

1Lookup logo1. 1Lookup

Best for US and Canada numbers, with live HLR on the same key

Checks
US and Canada phone validation, live HLR status for mobile numbers in international format, plus emails and IPs
One check returns
Line type, carrier, porting status, active or inactive status, Do Not Call and DNO flags, time zone and a risk level, for 1 credit
Free start
Free single checks with no account, and a 7-day free trial

Why it’s on the list: one validation answers whether you can call or text a number and whether you should, and the same credits run live HLR lookups, litigator scrubs and reverse phone lookups.

Also included: an HLR lookup that comes back as not assigned to a subscriber is not charged, and unused monthly credits roll over for 3 months, and the same account comes with an MCP server for AI agents and Zapier, Make and n8n apps.

Start a 7-day free trial

2. Twilio Lookup

Best for teams already sending SMS on Twilio

Checks
Phone numbers only
One check returns
Free formatting; line type, line status, SIM swap and caller name are each a separate paid package
Free start
Free formatting and basic validation

Why it’s on the list: you pay only for the signals you request, inside the Twilio messaging platform.

Watch for: each signal is a separate fee on the same number, Caller Name is US only, and SIM swap pricing needs a sales call.

1Lookup vs Twilio Lookup: full comparison

3. Telesign

Best for one vendor covering lookups, risk scores and one-time codes

Checks
Phone numbers only
One check returns
Phone ID number data; subscriber name and address, and a risk score, are paid add-ons
Free start
One-time trial test credits

Why it’s on the list: Phone ID is priced the same in all 233 countries on its pricing feed, and one vendor covers lookups and one-time codes.

Watch for: name and address append and risk scoring cost extra per transaction, and there is no recurring free tier.

1Lookup vs Telesign: full comparison

4. Vonage (Nexmo)

Best for apps that also send codes by SMS, voice and WhatsApp

Checks
Phone numbers only
One check returns
Original or current carrier, each a separate request; SIM swap and subscriber match vary by country
Free start
Free developer credit

Why it’s on the list: its Identity Insights API adds SIM swap and subscriber match, and Verify sends one-time codes by SMS, voice and WhatsApp.

Watch for: the older Number Insight API shuts down on February 4, 2027, and each signal is a separate request.

1Lookup vs Vonage (Nexmo): full comparison

5. HLR Lookup

Best for HLR checks and nothing else

Checks
Mobile numbers only, by live HLR query
One check returns
Live network status of a mobile number; landline checks cover the UK and Ireland only
Free start
200 credits after account verification

Why it’s on the list: it advertises coverage of over 1,200 mobile carriers, and invalid, landline and VoIP numbers use no credit.

Watch for: credits expire 18 months after purchase, every valid North American (+1) number uses a credit whatever its type, and it checks no emails or IPs.

1Lookup vs HLR Lookup: full comparison

6. Numverify (APILayer)

Best for basic format checks at low volume

Checks
Phone numbers only
One check returns
Format, carrier, line type and location from numbering-plan data, in 232 countries
Free start
100 requests a month, non-commercial

Why it’s on the list: it covers 232 countries on a free plan that never expires.

Watch for: its pricing page advertises no live check of whether a number is active, the free plan is non-commercial, and calls past the plan cost about $12 per 1,000.

1Lookup vs Numverify (APILayer): full comparison

7. Veriphone

Best for a large free monthly allowance

Checks
Phone numbers only
One check returns
Format, carrier and line type from numbering data; the carrier a number is on today is a 10-credit lookup
Free start
1,000 credits every month

Why it’s on the list: it gives 1,000 free validations a month, and pay-as-you-go credits never expire.

Watch for: the standard check does not resolve the carrier a number is on today, and subscription credits reset every month.

1Lookup vs Veriphone: full comparison

8. Abstract API

Best for small apps that want separate email, phone and IP APIs

Checks
Emails, phone numbers and IPs, each on its own plan
One check returns
Whether a number is valid, its carrier, line type and where it is registered
Free start
100 phone checks a month

Why it’s on the list: every one of its APIs has a free tier, and one vendor covers email, phone and IP lookups.

Watch for: each API is a separate plan with its own quota, unused volume resets every month, and its FAQ bars free-tier use in commercial projects.

1Lookup vs Abstract API: full comparison

9. Melissa

Best for checking an address, name, phone and email in one record

Checks
Addresses, names, phone numbers, emails and IPs
One check returns
A live phone check, or address, name, phone and email together in one record check
Free start
1,000 credits a month after a $4.97 identity check

Why it’s on the list: one credit pool covers US and Canada address, name, phone and email in a single check.

Watch for: a live phone check uses 10 credits, and Melissa says it can change per-service credit costs without notice.

1Lookup vs Melissa: full comparison

10. Loqate

Best for address capture at checkout

Checks
Addresses, emails and phone numbers
One check returns
Phone validation alongside address capture and email checks
Free start
A 45-day free trial

Why it’s on the list: address capture, email checks and phone checks draw on one prepaid balance.

Watch for: a phone check costs 5 cents at the entry pack, and credits expire 12 months after purchase.

1Lookup vs Loqate: full comparison

1Lookup runs phone validation, live HLR, email and IP checks on one credit balance.

  • 1. 1Lookup
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    Free checks, no account
  • 2. Twilio Lookup
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    Formatting free
  • 3. Telesign
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    Trial credits
  • 4. Vonage (Nexmo)
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    Free credit
  • 5. HLR Lookup
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    200 credits
  • 6. Numverify (APILayer)
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    100 a month
  • 7. Veriphone
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    1,000 a month
  • 8. Abstract API
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    100 a month
  • 9. Melissa
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    1,000 a month
  • 10. Loqate
    Phone numbers
    Emails
    IP addresses
    Free start
    45-day trial

Rival terms from each vendor's own pricing page, October 2026.

These are the questions buyers ask most about phone validation and HLR.

What is the best phone validation API in 2026?

1Lookup, for US and Canada numbers: one credit returns the line type, carrier, porting status, Do Not Call and DNO flags, time zone and a risk level, and the same account runs live HLR checks and email and IP lookups.

What is the difference between phone validation and an HLR lookup?

Phone validation checks that a number is real and assigned, and reads its carrier, line type and porting status. An HLR lookup asks the mobile network whether the handset is switched on and reachable right now, and whether it is roaming. HLR works on mobile numbers only.

How much does phone validation cost on 1Lookup?

A validation is 1 credit: $4.95 per 1,000 on the $99 Starter plan, falling to $2.00 on Enterprise. An HLR lookup is 5 credits and is not charged when the number is not assigned to anyone.

Does 1Lookup check international phone numbers?

Phone validation covers US and Canada numbers. For other countries, the number type lookup tells you whether a number is mobile, landline or VoIP for 1 credit, and an HLR lookup checks whether a mobile is switched on for 5 credits.

Is there a free phone number checker?

Yes. 1Lookup's free phone number lookup checks a US or Canada number with no account and shows its line type, carrier, region and time zone. Most APIs on this list give a small monthly allowance or trial credits instead.

Try 1Lookup free for 7 days before you decide.

The 7-day free trial includes credits for all 44 data products: $5 on Starter, $20 on Growth and above. No payment today.

Start your free trialSee 1Lookup pricing

We rank three more kinds of data tools the same way.

Looking for one head-to-head instead? See the full comparison directory or the alternatives guides.