Skype was among the pioneers of VoIP calling, gaining popularity around 2012 and maintaining its position as a leading communication tool for years. However, with its recent discontinuation, many users are now searching for a dependable replacement. While several alternatives are available, not all provide the reliability and performance people expect. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of top Skype alternatives that offer smooth VoIP calling, video chats, and video conferencing features.
Top Skype Alternatives for All Users
Having relied on Skype for both work-related tasks and personal communication, I understand how challenging it can be to find a single app that does both well. After testing several options some of which I still use I’ve compiled a list of reliable Skype alternatives. While a few are better suited for casual conversations, many also offer the functionality small teams need for professional use.
1. Google Meet – The Best All-Round Skype Replacement
Google Meet is the best overall Skype replacement. It’s completely free with a Google account something most people already have so there’s no need for additional sign-ups. Its seamless integration with other Google services like Gmail, Calendar, and Drive makes it especially convenient for everyday use.
Setting up a meeting is quick and simple: just generate a meeting link and share it. Participants can join directly from a web browser without needing to download an app or create an account. The free plan supports up to 100 participants for meetings lasting up to 60 minutes. For larger teams or extended features, the paid version expands support to 500 participants and includes advanced tools like the Gemini AI assistant for productivity and collaboration.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Can join meetings with a link, no sign in required |
Doesn’t have a dedicated desktop app |
Can have meetings with 100 participants in the free version |
Requires a paid plan for longer sessions |
Easy to use and hassle-free |
|
Integrates Google’s suite of apps and services |
- Supported Platforms: iPhone, Android, Web
- Pricing: Free, starts at $6/month/user (part of G Suite)
2. Zoom – Most Feature-Rich Free Skype Alternative
If there was one app that truly gained momentum during the pandemic, it was Zoom. It quickly became the preferred video conferencing tool for businesses and professional teams across the globe. Since then, Zoom has continued to evolve, offering improved performance and a robust set of features. The platform delivers excellent video and audio quality, and like Google Meet, its free version allows meetings with up to 100 participants. However, the main limitation is a 40-minute time cap per session on the free plan.
What makes Zoom a standout Skype alternative for me is its simplicity and accessibility. It’s incredibly easy to set up and works seamlessly across mobile devices, web browsers, and desktop apps. The free plan offers more than enough for most small businesses, making it a practical choice for day-to-day communication. On top of that, Zoom continues to expand its functionality with features like Zoom Mail, which integrates with third-party email services like Gmail, and a built-in Calendar, helping users stay organized without switching platforms.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Reliable and stable option |
Does has some privacy-related issues |
Features useful additions in free version |
End-to-end encryption not enabled by default |
Easy to set up and invite others |
Limited session duration in free version |
Available on all major platforms |
- Supported Platforms: iPhone, Android, macOS, Windows, Web
- Pricing: Free, Pro starts at $14.99/month
3.WhatsApp – Best Skype Alternative for Personal Use
When it comes to personal communication, especially outside the U.S., WhatsApp is an obvious choice. With billions of active users worldwide, it’s already a go-to platform for voice and video calls among friends and family. It seamlessly fills the personal-use gap left by Skype, supporting up to 32 participants in a group video call perfect for casual catch-ups or small team discussions.
Unlike many other platforms, WhatsApp doesn’t impose a time limit on calls. It has also started incorporating more professional features, such as speaker identification, screen sharing with audio, and more. The call quality is consistently reliable, even on weaker networks, making it a dependable option with official apps for both Windows and macOS, you can now enjoy the full experience on your desktop just as easily as on your phone.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Completely free to use service |
Not effective for large workspaces |
Can host up to 32 participants on a video call |
Does not offer many professional tools |
Allows for screen sharing with audio |
|
Available on all major platforms |
- Supported Platforms: Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS
- Pricing: Free
4. Slack – Best Skype Alternative for Office Communication
Slack has become a daily staple in my workplace, and for good reason. It’s one of the most intuitive and engaging professional communication tools available, especially suited for startups or teams of up to 50 people. What sets Slack apart is its blend of casual interaction with powerful collaboration features, making it ideal for modern office environments.
Slack offers its own version of video calling called Huddles, which you can start directly from any chat. The free version allows one-on-one Huddles, while the paid plan expands that to up to 50 participants. While this limit is lower than what free versions of Google Meet or Zoom provide, Slack’s real strength lies in its collaborative environment. You can create dedicated channels for different teams or projects, share files, and integrate with countless third-party services turning Slack into a central hub for your team’s communication and productivity.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Customizable and easy-to-use interface |
Might not be sufficient for large organisations |
Advanced search feature |
Only allows 50 participants in paid plan |
Great collaboration tool |
|
Features thousands of third-party integrations |
- Supported Platforms: iPhone, Android, macOS, Windows, Web
- Pricing: Free, starts at $10/month/user
5. Microsoft Teams – Best if you use Office 365
Microsoft Teams has superseded Skype, and Microsoft encourages users to migrate to Teams. For those who want to keep their Skype chats and contacts, Teams is the logical next step. The platform offers a full range of features, including video calls, online conferences, access to the Office 365 suite of apps, real-time collaboration, and seamless file sharing through OneDrive.
What I love most about Teams is its ability to quickly transform a group chat into a full conference call. Depending on your plan, you can host up to 10,000 participants in a single conference, ensuring bandwidth is never an issue. One of its standout benefits is that you don’t need to create a new account just log in with your existing Skype credentials and you’re good to go.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Allows using Skype credentials |
UI is not beginner-friendly |
Seamlessly transfer Skype chats and contacts |
Microsoft Teams Phone plan costs extra |
Integrates the Microsoft Office 365 suite of services |
Minor bugs and issues in the UI |
Lots of productivity tools and features |
- Supported Platforms: iPhone, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, Web
- Pricing: Free, starts at $10/month/user
6. Webex – Best Web-Based Solution
For those seeking a more customizable and robust solution post-Skype, Webex by Cisco stands out. This platform is perfect for organizations looking for detailed administrative control. Webex allows users to fine-tune various features, such as setting password character limits or restricting access to ongoing sessions, ensuring a secure and personalized experience.
The free version of Webex supports up to 100 participants for video calls, but it does come with a 40-minute time limit per session. For longer meetings, the upgraded plan extends the duration to 24 hours. Webex also offers a full suite of collaborative tools, including virtual whiteboards, screen sharing, recording options, and video pinning. However, the platform does have its drawbacks, such as the lack of international phone numbers and the need to send an email with a link to invite participants, which can be a bit cumbersome.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Offers several collaborative tools and features |
Add-ons are expensive |
Customizable onboarding environment |
Plan gets quite costly with more advanced features |
Integration with other platforms |
Not beginner friendly |
Can add up to 100 members in free version |
- Supported Platforms: iPhone, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, Web
- Pricing: Free, starts at $13.50/month
7. Discord – Best for Close Communities
Though Discord is widely known as a go-to platform for gamers, it’s also one of the best Skype alternatives for building close-knit communities. What I love most about Discord is its fun and flexible environment. You can create multiple channels, each designed for different topics or groups, whether it’s for friends, family, or a small team. These channels allow for easy text, voice, and video calls, with up to 25 participants in a single call.
Discord also offers screen sharing, which is particularly useful for presentations or collaborative work. Video chat and screen sharing switch seamlessly. For those who are familiar with Discord, the experience can be further enhanced with Discord bots that add functionalities like playing music through Spotify, browsing Wikipedia, or integrating with YouTube and other services. Overall, Discord stands out as a fun, engaging, and powerful alternative that provides an experience you may find even more enjoyable than Skype.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Great for a community experience |
Limited productivity options |
Can add up to 25 participants in a video call |
User interface has a high learning curve |
You can share screen and switch to video chat instantly |
Can be difficult to learn and use bots |
Can add bots for further customization |
- Supported Platforms: iPhone, Android, macOS, Windows, Web
- Pricing: Free, $9.99/month
8. FaceTime – Best for Apple Users
For those of you within the exclusive Apple ecosystem, FaceTime is a fantastic Skype alternative. It works seamlessly across iPhones, iPads, and Macs, offering high-quality voice and video calls. One of the biggest improvements to FaceTime came with the introduction of group calling in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, which resolved the service’s main limitation its inability to host multiple participants.
FaceTime now supports up to 32 people on a single call, and a cool feature is that the speaker’s video window automatically comes to the front during conversations, making it feel more interactive. The SharePlay feature also allows you to share your screen or enjoy movies and TV shows with others during the call. Additionally, you can now share a FaceTime link with Android users, letting them join the conversation, expanding its reach beyond just Apple devices. While not designed for professional use, FaceTime remains an excellent, free option for personal calls.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Native feature of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS |
Not intended for professional purposes |
Offers features like call transcribe, SharePlay, and Live captions |
Availability mostly limited to Apple devices |
Can add up to 32 participants at a time |
|
Completely free to use |
- Supported Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac
- Pricing: Free
Comes Pre-installed
9. Telegram – Best Free Alternative
If you’re after something more versatile than WhatsApp, Telegram is an excellent choice. It combines the best of both WhatsApp and Discord, offering personal chats, channels, and even bots to automate tasks for business accounts. One of the standout features of Telegram is its ability to host group calls with up to 200 participants in the free version, which surpasses what platforms like Google Meet and Microsoft Teams offer.
Telegram also stands out because there are no time limits on calls, making it an ideal free solution for long conversations. The text chat experience is highly customizable, and for most users, there’s little need to upgrade to the premium version. While it may lack some of the more advanced collaboration features of other platforms, Telegram is a solid choice for personal use, large communities, or group communication.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Can add up to 200 members in a call in the free version |
Doesn’t feature collaborative or productivity tools |
Highly customizable user experience |
Not built for professional use case |
Can share files, media, and voice message easily |
|
Business accounts can use bots to automate tasks |
- Supported Platforms: Android, iPhone, Windows, Linux, macOS
- Pricing: Free, $4.99/month
10. Signal – Best for Privacy
For superior security and privacy, Signal is the best Skype alternative. While it shares similarities with other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, it stands apart by offering superior privacy features. Signal allows you to invite participants to calls via a link, just like Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, and can accommodate up to 50 participants in a call more than most messaging apps.
What sets Signal apart is its end-to-end encryption, ensuring that all your calls and messages are completely private. Your phone number isn’t visible to others, and there’s no data collection, making it a go-to choice for those who value confidentiality. It’s entirely free to use, and you can send private texts, media, documents, and even voice messages, all while keeping your communications secure.
Reasons to Use |
Reasons Not to Use |
|---|---|
Can add up to 50 members in a group call |
Limited customization options |
Completely free to use messaging service |
Doesn’t feature collaborative or productivity tools |
Doesn’t collect data and all calls and texts are encrypted |
|
Lets you invite users via link |
- Supported Platforms: Android, iPhone, Windows, Linux, Mac
- Pricing: Free, accepts optional donations
I hope this article has helped you find the perfect replacement for Skype. Whether you need a solution for personal chats with friends or video conferencing for work, there’s an app here for everyone. We’ve included both free and paid options to ensure there’s something for those on a budget as well. Take a look at the recommendations, and let us know which one worked best for your needs during these times.
