Do I need the phone system?
Usually, no. A FlyNumber on its own already handles incoming calls, outgoing calls, softphones and desk phones, voicemail, and SMS — all from My FlyNumbers, with nothing extra to buy.
The phone system is an optional add-on (flat $14.95/month, account-wide) for setups that need call routing logic: menus ("press 1 for sales"), ring groups, queues, business-hours rules, call recording, or several people sharing the same numbers. It has its own control panel and its own guide.
Because the two overlap, most features exist in both places — configured differently. When you're looking for a feature, use this table to land on the right page.
Feature map
| I want to… | Without the phone system (included) | With the phone system ($14.95/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Receive calls on my mobile or landline | Forward to Phone Number | PSTN Forwarding contact method |
| Use a softphone or desk phone | FlyNumber SIP — credentials issued in the panel | Phone System SIP Accounts or the phone system app |
| Make outgoing calls from my FlyNumber | FlyNumber SIP — turn on Enable outbound calls | Phone system app or a phone system SIP account |
| Ring more than one device | FlyNumber SIP — up to 5 devices per number, all at once or in sequence | Ring Group module — any mix of phones, SIP accounts, and apps |
| Get voicemail | FlyNumber SIP voicemail — per-device greeting and email notification; messages in Voicemails | Voicemail module in a call flow |
| Send calls to my own PBX or an AI voice platform | Set to VoIP — SIP address forwarding | SIP Forwarding contact method or a Trunk |
| See my call history | Call Logs in the panel | Call Analytics in the phone system panel |
| Send and receive SMS | SMS in the panel | Same — SMS is handled in the panel either way |
| A menu — "press 1 for sales, 2 for support" | — | Voice Menu module |
| Route by time of day or weekday | — | Time Router module |
| A hold queue | — | Queue module |
| Record calls | — | Call Recorder module |
| Several team members with their own extensions | — | Users — up to 30 per account |
| Block specific callers | — | Blocklist module |
Forwarding to a regular phone and outgoing calls are billed per-minute from your prepaid balance in both columns — see calling rates.
How to tell which one you're using
Open a number in My FlyNumbers and look at its Call Handling card:
| Call Handling shows | You're using |
|---|---|
| Phone Number, SIP Address, or FlyNumber SIP | The number on its own — everything is configured on that page |
| Phone System | The phone system — the number's routing lives in the phone system panel, and this guide applies: Phone System Guide |
You can switch any number between these at any time from the same card. Moving a number off the phone system doesn't cancel the phone system itself — that's managed on the Phone System page.
A simple rule of thumb
- One person, one or a few numbers, a softphone or mobile → stay without the phone system. Start with FlyNumber SIP if you want to call out, or Forward to Phone Number if you just want your mobile to ring.
- A team, a menu, business hours, or recording → add the phone system.
Everything under Phone System Guide assumes the add-on is active. If a page there describes a feature you want but you don't have the phone system, check the table above — there's usually an included equivalent.