Skype Alternatives for Windows

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

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Alternatives list

  1. Discord icon

    Discord

     1112 likes

    An integrated platform for text and voice communications. Offers tailored channels for different topics, customizable moderation tools, low latency for fluency, and managed user roles for optimal community facilitation.

    188 Discord alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Epic Games Store
    • Flathub
    • Electron
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Desktop UI
     
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    32
    Discord vs Skype Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    17

    At least Discord allows us to choose our username.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    SodBom
    -2

    Worse design, worse quality, unstable, developers are lazy. Despite not being owned by Microsoft, they sure want to be. Discord is a bigger privacy nightmare than Skype.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    TheEmperorArt
    0

    Both functions mediocrely, Discord is better with groups than Skype. Video calls are equivalent imo. Had no issue with either. In the future Discord will be treated and looked at similarly to how we currently view and treat Skype. Would rather use the open-source encrypted Discord and Skype alternative like Element.

    3 of 32 comments
    • Discord is Freemium and ProprietarySkype is also Freemium and Proprietary
  2. Signal icon

    Signal

     1374 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.

    218 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
    Signal vs Skype Comments
    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 is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Signal is Privacy focused and Security-focusedSkype is not according to our users
  4. Tox icon

    Tox

     560 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.

    216 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
    Tox vs Skype Comments
    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 is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Tox is Privacy focused and Security-focusedSkype is not according to our users
  5. Ad
  6. Telegram icon

    Telegram

     2083 likes

    Maximize your messaging experience with efficient communication, speedy delivery, and optional end-to-end encrypted Secret Chats. Engage in unlimited channels and groups up to 200,000 members. Enhance chat management and media sharing with Telegram Premium and its exclusive benefits. All core features remain free.

    288 Telegram alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Auto
    • Linux Mobile
    • Android Wear
    • PortableApps.com
    • FreeBSD
    • Apple Car Play
    Telegram Desktop
     
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    16
    Telegram vs Skype Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    liqube
    4

    Super fast, stable, lightweight. Everything Skype is not.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    18

    Skype needs ID for login while all these need network numbers

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    matmarspace
    Negative
    1

    It's encryption is an unfunny joke

    3 of 16 comments
    • Telegram is Freemium and ProprietarySkype is also Freemium and Proprietary
  7. Element icon

    Element

     785 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.

    313 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
    Element vs Skype Comments
    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 is Free Personal and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Element is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  8. Wire icon

    Wire

     319 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.

    286 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
    Wire vs Skype Comments
    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 is Free Personal and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Wire is Security-focused and Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  10. Slack icon

    Slack

     861 likes

    Offers unified communication for teams with advanced real-time messaging, contextual features, versatile chat tools, and organized conversations in dedicated channels with integrated file sharing on Mac, Windows, Linux, and mobile platforms for enhanced productivity.

    231 Slack alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Electron
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Slack screenshot 1
     
    |
    3
    Slack vs Skype Comments
    Ola Johansson
    Positive
    6

    With the new VOIP it has replaced Skype in our office.

    TNovak
    Positive
    2

    Prefer it to Skype in a Commercial environment

    georgecoem
    Positive
    0

    Both great for separate purposes

    • Slack is Freemium and ProprietarySkype is also Freemium and Proprietary
  11. Jami icon

    Jami

     237 likes

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

    163 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
    Jami vs Skype Comments
    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 is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Jami is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  12. Mumble icon

    Mumble

     482 likes

    Free, open source voice chat featuring low-latency, high quality audio, secure encrypted communication, self-hosting options, in-game overlays, positional audio, scripting support, low resource usage, and robust user permission controls for gaming and collaboration.

    54 Mumble alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    Client (Mumble 1.3.0)
     
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    5
    Mumble vs Skype Comments
    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 is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Mumble is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  13. Matrix icon

    Matrix

     390 likes

    Open standard protocol enabling decentralized, encrypted instant messaging, VoIP signaling, IoT device connectivity, and persistent data management across federated servers without central control or single points of failure, bridging communication platforms.

    171 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
    Matrix vs Skype Comments
    Alexey Korepov
    Positive
    4

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

    • Matrix is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Matrix is Privacy focused and Security-focusedSkype is not according to our users
  14. 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
    Linphone vs Skype Comments
    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 is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Linphone is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  15. Mattermost icon

    Mattermost

     254 likes

    Self-hosted collaboration platform featuring chat, workflow automation, voice and video calling, screen sharing, AI capabilities, broad third-party integration support, cross-platform apps, compatibility with Slack imports, and flexible deployment options for secure team communication.

    136 Mattermost alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • JavaScript
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    Mattermost screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Mattermost vs Skype Comments
    MasteLrugarius
    Negative
    0

    Its oriented on enterprize

    • Mattermost is Paid and ProprietarySkype is Freemium and Proprietary
12 of 124 Skype alternatives