# Phone lookups - best/cheapest/most comprehensive?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-lookups-best-cheapest-most-comprehensive/601566>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 2, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-lookups-best-cheapest-most-comprehensive/601566 "2011-11-02T00:12:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-lookups-best-cheapest-most-comprehensive/601566/1 "2011-11-02T00:12:58Z")

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I am looking for a web service that would allow me to input a name and get a phone #. There are a few on the web some more expensive some less - but am looking for people who used them, any recommendations?

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**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-lookups-best-cheapest-most-comprehensive/601566/2 "2011-11-02T00:33:00Z")

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> [@Terr](#):
>
> I am looking for a web service that would allow me to input a name and get a phone #. There are a few on the web some more expensive some less - but am looking for people who used them, any recommendations?

I use:

> **[Free People Search | White Pages | Anywho](http://www.anywho.com/)**
>
> Look up anyone instantly by their name, phone number, email or street address. Get information you may not find anywhere else, including family members, public records, marital status and more.

free. finds most published phone numbers.

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**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-lookups-best-cheapest-most-comprehensive/601566/3 "2011-11-02T00:40:18Z")

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> [@rbroome](#):
>
> I use:  
> [http://www.anywho.com/](http://www.anywho.com/)
> 
> free. finds most published phone numbers.

I checked it. I have a few of “test” names to check. It found one, didn’t find the others. The “pay” services find all.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-lookups-best-cheapest-most-comprehensive/601566/4 "2011-11-02T17:40:59Z")

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[moderating]  
Generally speaking, an OP that ends with “any recommendations?” belongs in IMHO. Also looking for the “best” of something generally gets subjective responses.

Thread moved from GQ to IMHO.  
[/moderating]