Open Source Skype Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Skype for Linux and since it's discontinued a lot of people are looking for a replacement. The best open source Linux alternative is Signal. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Skype and many of them are open source and available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source Linux alternatives to Skype are Tox, Element, Wire and Jami.

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Alternatives list

  1. Signal icon

    Signal

     1370 likes

    An open-source messaging app emphasizing privacy with encrypted communication. Share texts, calls, photos, and videos without ads or trackers, available across major platforms. Developed by Signal Technology Foundation and praised globally for security measures.

    217 Signal alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    • Snapcraft
    Signal screenshot 1
     
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    8
    Comments about Signal as an Alternative to Skype
    Top Positive Comment
    patrykmilhouse
    10

    Secure, encrypted, not owned by Microsoft or Facebook, keeps your data safe.

    Top Negative Comment
    bchpls
    0

    Signal is so privacy friendly that requires your phone number to register. A phone number which in many countries has to be registered with providing your ID. Private messenger my arse!

    matmarspace
    Positive
    0

    Great private end to end encrypted messenger!

    3 of 8 comments
    Signal icon
    Signal icon
    • Signal is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Signal is Privacy focused and Security-focusedSkype is not according to our users
  2. Tox icon

    Tox

     558 likes

    With the rise of widespread government monitoring programs, Tox is an easy to use application that allows you to connect with friends and loved ones without anyone else listening in.

    214 Tox alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • F-Droid
    The Universal Tox Client. A Tox client that runs on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, FreeBSD & the web. Written in JS using React & React Native / electron.
     
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    5
    Comments about Tox as an Alternative to Skype
    Top Positive Comment
    beatrupp
    12

    It is completely decentralized, open source, you can freely choose your client (from terminal, over Windows, to iOS)

    Guest
    Positive
    5

    free for most of the feature. But no group chat yet, and difficult to sync between multiple devices.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -21

    You cannot setup your microphone properly on any of the major clients. Useless

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 5 comments
    Tox icon
    Tox icon
    • Tox is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Tox is Privacy focused and Security-focusedSkype is not according to our users
  4. Element icon

    Element

     779 likes

    Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.

    302 Element alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Snapcraft
    Video calls for desktop and mobile
     
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    6
    Comments about Element as an Alternative to Skype
    Top Positive Comment
    TheEmperorArt
    4

    Discord is like Skype but better. Element is like Discord but better.

    Guest
    Positive
    5

    FOSS, free, open source, own nodes etc.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    3

    Cross platform in terms of Apps and equally good using a browser.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 6 comments
    Element icon
    Element icon
    • Element is Free Personal and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Element is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  5. Wire icon

    Wire

     316 likes

    Wire is the most secure collaboration platform featuring messenger, voice, video, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration –all protected by the most secure end-to-end-encryption.

    282 Wire alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Wire screenshot 1
     
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    9
    Comments about Wire as an Alternative to Skype
    Top Positive Comment
    svenjost
    12

    Group audio calls with screen sharing functionality, open source, nice UI.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Wire is free, open source and easy to use and, most importantly, PRIVATE. It transmits data only in an encrypted way that even the creators of Wire cannot see, so you can be sure your content is YOURS, and not something the likes of Microsoft (who own Skype) can read, analyze, hand on to authorities or lose to hackers.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Truly secure and feature reach

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 9 comments
    Wire icon
    Wire icon
    • Wire is Free Personal and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Wire is Security-focused and Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  6. Jami icon

    Jami

     237 likes

    Jami (formerly GNU Ring, SFLphone) positions itself as a potential free Skype replacement

    160 Jami alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Jami video conference OS X
     
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    9
    Comments about Jami as an Alternative to Skype
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    1

    Jami is feature-rich and works peer-to-peer (without a server) and is safe as the code is open-source.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    no server's involved to store our data and no id needed to chat, a complete alternative to something like whatsapp

    only problem is the push notification makes the app non functional, so local DHT is the only option

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Peer-to-peer, end-to-end encrypted, free and open-source, distributed architecture which is better than both centralized and decentralized, works on the widest variety of operating system (macOS, Linux, Windows, Android, Android TV, iPhone, iPad)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 9 comments
    Jami icon
    Jami icon
    • Jami is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Jami is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  7. Mumble icon

    Mumble

     480 likes

    Mumble was the first and is the most successful and wide spread free and open source software for VoIP. It was the first VoIP software to provide low-latency audio suitable for gaming, and at the same time was a pioneer in high audio quality.

    50 Mumble alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    Descriptive wizards guiding users through setup and configuration
     
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    5
    Comments about Mumble as an Alternative to Skype
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    4

    Completely open source, very high quality

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    4

    Mumble requires a server to run

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Lightweight high quality audio chat. Self-hosted and encrypted, so your communications are private.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 5 comments
    Mumble icon
    Mumble icon
    • Mumble is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Mumble is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  9. Matrix icon

    Matrix

     387 likes

    Matrix defines a set of open APIs for decentralised communication, suitable for securely publishing, persisting and subscribing to data over a global open federation of servers with no single point of control.

    166 Matrix alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebRTC
    • Python
    • JavaScript
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    • Java
    • Perl
    Main Page
     
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    1
    Comments about Matrix as an Alternative to Skype
    Alexey Korepov
    Positive
    4

    Feature-full modern free opensource instant messaging server with federation.

    Matrix icon
    Matrix icon
    • Matrix is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Matrix is Privacy focused and Security-focusedSkype is not according to our users
  10. Linphone icon

    Linphone

     143 likes

    Linphone is one of the most famous open source softphones in the world. It is fully SIP-based, for all calling, presence and IM features.

    81 Linphone alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Main page on Windows
     
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    2
    Comments about Linphone as an Alternative to Skype
    vladmihaisima
    Positive
    0

    It is able to do voip calls without headaches. Sound quality seems better than skype.

    Guest
    Positive
    4

    Allows voice, video and text converstaions

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Linphone icon
    Linphone icon
    • Linphone is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Linphone is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  11. Zulip icon

    Zulip

     267 likes

    Zulip is the only modern team chat app that is designed for both live and asynchronous conversations. Zulip topics create a separate space for each discussion, so different conversations will never get in each other's way.

    221 Zulip alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Zulip screenshot 1
     
  12. Rocket.Chat icon

    Rocket.Chat

     160 likes

    Rocket.Chat is a Web Chat Server, developed in JavaScript, using the Meteor fullstack framework.

    142 Rocket.Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    Rocket.Chat screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Rocket.Chat as an Alternative to Skype
    edlee
    Positive
    -2

    Good alternative to Slack because it is free and self-hosted.

    Rocket.Chat icon
    Rocket.Chat icon
    • Rocket.Chat is Freemium and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
  14. Psi XMPP Client icon

    Psi XMPP Client

     92 likes

    Feature-rich XMPP client for advanced users offering strong customization options, secure encrypted messaging (TLS, OpenPGP, OTR, OMEMO), file transfers, audio/video calls, support for animated emoticons, modern themes, group messaging, and multi-platform compatibility.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Psi XMPP Client screenshot 1
     
12 of 33 Skype alternatives