Effective communication tools are essential for both personal and professional interactions. In this regard, Skype has been a popular choice for video calls and messaging for a long time. However, many people and companies are now looking for other options to keep in touch with updated technologies. Thus, this guide is here to provide some of the top-level Skype alternatives and competitors you can try in 2024.
Why Do We Need Skype Alternatives?
This famous platform has been a trusted tool for communication for years, supporting messaging, voice, or video calls. Nonetheless, the growing demand for better communication solutions highlights the need for alternative programs to Skype. Skype often suffers from connectivity issues and poor video quality, making it a frustrating experience for users. Also, most people find Skype’s interface outdated and less intuitive than newer platforms.
Therefore, we must look for some Skype alternatives that prioritize these aspects and give users greater peace of mind. By exploring these options, we can expect a more reliable, user-friendly, and feature-rich interface, improving our overall experience.
10 Alternatives to Skype You Will Like
Several Skype competitors are available over the internet, featuring excellent conferencing capabilities and device compatibility options. So, it’s difficult to select the best of them as each has its own specific features for particular scenarios. Thus, this guide will help you by giving a comprehensive overview of the best alternatives to Skype that you can have.
1. Zoom
Zoom has appeared as one of the leading Skype alternatives, offering a vast set of features optimized to fulfill modern communication needs. Interestingly, free one-on-one calls on this platform can last up to 40 minutes, which can be further increased in paid plans. Also, it offers various collaboration features like whiteboarding, breakout sessions, and polling, which are great for interactive meetings.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Web
Pros
- You can add up to 1000 participants with this conferencing platform, making it ideal for large organizations.
- Moreover, Zoom allows you to schedule your meeting beforehand to decide a time that works well for everyone.
Con
- Some users report the inefficient AI customer support of this platform, giving a frustrating experience.
2. FaceTime
For Apple users, FaceTime can be a solid alternative to Skype because it is built-in on Apple devices, making it convenient for them. This platform lets you leave a video or audio message if someone doesn’t attend your FaceTime call. Furthermore, it offers Portrait Mode and Studio Light features, which help achieve more focused results and a brightened face.
Compatibility: Apple Devices
Pros
- FaceTime prioritizes user privacy and doesn’t collect as much data as Skype.
- It also comes with a useful Grid View feature that lets you know who’s talking in a group call.
Con
- This alternative program to Skype is only available for Apple devices, limiting its user accessibility.
3. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is particularly famous for casual calls and staying connected with people you already have in your contacts. Here, you can message anyone privately with end-to-end encryption and a security-maintained environment. In addition, it lets you share your screen with others during a video call, enabling you to deliver presentations or tutorials online.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web, KaiOS
Pros
- The interface of this app is quite user-friendly, focusing on core messaging and calling features.
- Furthermore, it now features a business version to help users grow their business productivity.
Con
- You can arrange a video call on WhatsApp with only 32 participants simultaneously.
4. Viber
Viber started as a mobile app and is now also available for various other platforms, making it a good Skype number alternative. It offers a comprehensive platform where users can send text messages, photos, videos, and more. Moreover, it provides a “Viber Out” feature that allows users to make low-cost international calls to landlines.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Pros
- You can send messages with this app that disappear after a particular time for added privacy.
- Besides, this Skype alternative is known for having fewer ads compared to some other messaging apps.
Con
- The file size limit might be restrictive for some users who want to share larger files.
5. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is an interesting case as an alternative program to Skype working for both personal and professional communication. This online meeting platform integrates with Microsoft 365 apps for real-time co-authoring and offers features like whiteboards and task management tools. Moreover, you can get enterprise-grade security features in this application for data and communication.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web, Linux
Pros
- Collaboration features of this platform help you for a large organization and secure experience.
- Features like task management and channel organization can help teams stay focused and on track with projects.
Con
- The free version of Teams has limited functionality, and some features require a paid Microsoft 365 subscription.
6. Chanty
Chanty prioritizes team communication with features like public and private channels and task creation within conversations. Here, this Skype alternative platform integrates with popular productivity tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Zapier, allowing for a more streamlined workflow. Also, you can enjoy unlimited conversions and video calls for up to 10 participants with its free plan.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux
Pros
- Chanty offers robust security features, including data encryption and two-factor authentication, to keep your communication safe.
- Besides, you can enjoy a clean and organized interface that makes navigating conversations and tasks easy.
Con
- This alternative to Skype doesn’t allow you to join a call using a link.
7. WeChat
This alternative program to Skype goes beyond just communication, as it integrates features like mobile payments, news feeds, and more. Particularly, WeChat offers the option to send disappearing messages that vanish after a set time. Moreover, you can access a vast library of mini-programs within WeChat, that offer various functionalities like food delivery and online shopping.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Pros
- You can add any new contact to your list using the QR facility of this application.
- It allows up to 500 participants in chats and 9 in group video calls for a large organization.
Con
- If you don’t adjust the proper settings, new users can get access to your personal data through the “People Nearby” feature.
8. OpenPhone
This Skype alternative platform is specifically designed to enhance business phone calls and text messaging. Interestingly, OpenPhone allows assigning multiple phone numbers to a single device, making it ideal for managing business and personal calls separately. Furthermore, you can utilize its AI technology and effortlessly summarize calls to extract crucial information.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
Pros
- This platform offers plans that adapt to your team’s size, allowing you to add or remove phone numbers as needed.
- Users have also reported that the excellent customer support here gives a satisfying experience.
Con
- Most of the valuable features are in upgraded plans, making it less accessible in the free version.
9. Workplace
Meta has recently introduced a multi-dimensional business communication platform to help managers communicate effectively with their employees. With a safe and secure platform, this alternative to Skype enhances collaboration through chat, video, and group interaction features. Other than that, managers can broadcast company events through a Live Video feature of this platform.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
Pros
- Moreover, you can integrate Workplace by Meta with all your communication apps, including Google Meet, to boost professional productivity.
- Using this Skype alternative, business owners can add their employees to team chat groups to keep them informed about recent happenings.
Con
- Small businesses will find it challenging to implement this system in their offices due to expensive pricing plans.
10. Slack
Slack proves to be the best alternative program to Skype with its all-in-one communication platform. With the help of its team chat feature, team members can easily share documents, send messages, or call each other for improved collaboration. Moreover, this communication tool lets you record audio or video clips to effectively convey the information to the team.
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Web
Pros
- This Skype competitor has an AI feature allowing you to summarize conversions and search for meeting topics.
- In addition, users can use this platform to carry out video or voice group calls for efficient information sharing.
Con
- You can get annoyed with the continuous notification for each activity in the Slack channel.
How Can ZEGOCLOUD Help with Skype Development?
After going through these top Skype alternatives, you have the knowledge of the features you need to add to a communication platform. Now, you can develop your own Skype-like communication application with the help of ZEGOCLOUD. Using the video call APIs & SDKs and voice call APIs & SDKs provided by this platform, you can add video conferencing features in your apps to facilitate collaboration.
In addition, its SDKs let you integrate 1-on-1 calls and group meetings features into your communication platform. Developers also get the option to add the live-streaming feature to their application to allow businesses to host webinars and events.
Other than these APIs, users can get help from tutorials on this platform to build a perfect Skype competitor. All in all, ZEGOCLOUD is the best solution for building communication apps with its multi-purpose interactive APIs and SDKs.
Conclusion
To sum up, Skype has been a reliable tool for connecting with others for personal or business purposes for a long time. However, we must look for other alternative programs to Skype to stay up-to-date with technological advancements.
Therefore, this guide has enlisted the top alternative software you can adopt to manage efficient communication worldwide. Also, we have shared some insights on how to develop an app like Skype in the most optimum way.
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