The Best Skype AlternativesTop Video Calling Apps & Instant Messengers like Skype

Skype is described as 'Free global communication through video, voice, and instant messaging, plus competitive rates for mobile and landline calls. Available on multiple devices' and is a leading Video Calling app in the social & communications category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Skype for a variety of platforms, including Android, iPhone, Web-based, Windows and iPad apps. The best Skype alternative is Discord, which is free. Other great apps like Skype are Signal, Tox, Telegram and Element.

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Alternatives list

  1. Discord icon

    Discord

     1105 likes
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    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.

    191 Discord alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • 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
    402
    Comments about Discord as an Alternative to Skype
    Comment summary: Discord is often praised for being more stable, offering better design, voice quality, and fewer bugs than Skype. Users appreciate its lack of ads, better group management, and gaming features. However, some comment on its privacy issues and compare its capabilities to Reddit more than a direct replacement for Skype. Negative remarks about Skype highlight its instability and ad presence. Yet, some users express concerns about Discord's privacy and design.
    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.

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    3 of 32 comments
    Skype Icon
    Discord icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Discord is a great Skype alternative.

    • Discord is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Android & Mac alternative to Skype.

    • Discord is the most popular free alternative to Skype.

    • Discord is Freemium and ProprietarySkype is also Freemium and Proprietary
  2. Signal icon

    Signal

     1353 likes
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    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.

    215 Signal alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    • Snapcraft
    Signal screenshot 1
     
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    117
    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!

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    3 of 8 comments
    Skype Icon
    Signal icon

    • Most users think Signal is a great Skype alternative.

    • Signal is the most popular Open Source alternative to Skype.

    • 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

     558 likes
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    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.

    212 Tox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    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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    152
    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.
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    3 of 5 comments
    Skype Icon
    Tox icon

    • Most users think Tox is a great Skype alternative.

    • 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
    Screenshot
    Virola Messenger icon
    Virola Messenger

    Secure self-hosted platform unites private and group messaging, voice and video meetings, meeting recording, file transfer, issue tracking, screen sharing, remote control, and flexible permissions for on-premises collaboration in...

    https://virola.io
    Learn More
  6. Telegram icon

    Telegram

     2075 likes
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    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.

    285 Telegram alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • 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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    289
    Comments about Telegram as an Alternative to Skype
    Comment summary: Telegram offers many features like file sharing and instant messaging, and is appreciated for its speed and platform availability. However, users express concerns over its lack of default encryption and absence of a consistent video and voice calling capability, which makes it fundamentally different from Skype. Some positive feedback highlights its lightweight nature and freedom, but comparison with Skype often points out missing video call functions.
    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

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    3 of 16 comments
    Skype Icon
    Telegram icon

    • Most users think Telegram is a great Skype alternative.

    • Telegram is Freemium and ProprietarySkype is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Telegram is Privacy focused and Security-focusedSkype is not according to our users
  7. Element icon

    Element

     767 likes
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    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.

    301 Element alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    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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    46
    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.
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    3 of 6 comments
    Skype Icon
    Element icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Element is a great Skype alternative.

    • Element is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Skype.

    • 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

     312 likes
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    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.

    281 Wire alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    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
    Wire screenshot 2
    Wire screenshot 3
     
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    90
    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.
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    3 of 9 comments
    Skype Icon
    Wire icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Wire is a great Skype alternative.

    • Wire is the most popular SaaS alternative to Skype.

    • 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

     858 likes
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    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.

    224 Slack alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Electron
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Slack screenshot 1
     
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    68
    Comments about Slack as an Alternative to Skype
    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

    Skype Icon
    Slack icon

    • Most users think Slack is a great Skype alternative.

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

    Jami

     237 likes
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    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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    66
    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.
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    3 of 9 comments
    Skype Icon
    Jami icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Jami is a great Skype alternative.

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

    Mumble

     480 likes
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    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
    Mumble 1.2.3 Release Candidate – some users in different channels
     
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    64
    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.
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    3 of 5 comments
    Skype Icon
    Mumble icon

    • Most users think Mumble is a great Skype alternative.

    • Mumble is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Mumble is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
  13. Matrix icon

    Matrix

     380 likes
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    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.

    165 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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    16
    Comments about Matrix as an Alternative to Skype
    Alexey Korepov
    Positive
    4

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

    Skype Icon
    Matrix icon

    • Most users think Matrix is a great Skype alternative.

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

    Jitsi Meet

     283 likes
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    Go ahead, video chat with the whole team. In fact, invite everyone you know. Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, 100% open source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free.

    148 Jitsi Meet alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Apple Watch
    • F-Droid
    Jitsi Meet screenshot 1
     
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    24
    Comments about Jitsi Meet as an Alternative to Skype
    Guest
    Positive
    6

    This is an excellent Skype replacement. It's free, open source, encrypted and you don't need to install anything. You simply go to the website, choose a link and email it to the person you want to speak with. Everything happens in your browser. You can password protect your session, have group conversations, share screen, chat and collaborate on text documents. Easier even than Skype and much more private.

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

    Skype for free, with better quality and more secure.

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

    Fast, secure and Open Source.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Skype Icon
    Jitsi Meet icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Jitsi Meet is a great Skype alternative.

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

    Linphone

     143 likes
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    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.

    82 Linphone alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    iOS Assistant
     
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    37
    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.
    Skype Icon
    Linphone icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Linphone is a great Skype alternative.

    • Linphone is Free and Open SourceSkype is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Linphone is Privacy focusedSkype is not according to our users
12 of 294 Skype alternatives