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Skype alternatives: 9 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Skype: retired in May 2025, and paid calling features withdrawn. We ranked 9 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Skype, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Zoom Workplace currently ranks first.

Skype has been discontinued. Retired by Microsoft on 5 May 2025; users were moved to Microsoft Teams Free.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Zoom Workplace logoZoom WorkplaceFree plan + paidNoWeb, macOS, Windows +35 of 562.6
2Google Meet logoGoogle MeetFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 459.6
3Jitsi Meet logoJitsi MeetOpen sourceYesWeb, iOS, Android +14 of 457.2
4Discord logoDiscordFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +33 of 350.0
5Microsoft Teams logoMicrosoft TeamsFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +20 of 344.0
6WhatsApp logoWhatsAppFreeNoWeb, Windows, macOS +26 of 638.6
7Telegram logoTelegramFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +35 of 538.6
  1. Zoom Workplace logo

    1. Zoom WorkplaceTop pick

    Best for: Organisations that want a familiar, reliable meeting tool guests already know

    Free plan + paidWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Skype

    Familiar video calls with a free plan for short group meetings.

    Pros

    • Reliable call quality, even on poor connections
    • Apps for every desktop and mobile platform
    • Breakout rooms, webinars and large meetings in one ecosystem

    Cons

    • Free plan cuts group meetings at 40 minutes
    • Webinars, phone and rooms cost extra
    • The app has grown cluttered with non-meeting features
    Visit Zoom Workplace Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Zoom Workplace a good Skype alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    40 minutes per meeting, 100 participants
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoom.us(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan
    $14.16 per user/month billed annually
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoom.us(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    300 participants
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoom.us(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro meeting length
    Up to 30 hours
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoom.us(opens source in a new tab)
    Desktop apps
    Windows, macOS and Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026zoom.us(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Google Meet logo

    2. Google Meet

    Best for: Teams on Google Workspace who want meetings that launch straight from Calendar

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Skype

    Free browser-based calls for anyone with a Google account.

    Pros

    • Nothing to install for hosts or guests
    • Included with Google Workspace plans
    • Tight Gmail and Calendar integration

    Cons

    • Free group calls end at 60 minutes
    • Fewer webinar and large-event tools than Zoom or Webex
    • Recording and larger meetings need paid plans
    Visit Google Meet Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google Meet a good Skype alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan participants
    Up to 100
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free group call length
    60 minutes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free one-to-one calls
    Up to 24 hours
    Checked Oct 25, 2026support.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Largest meetings
    Up to 1,000 participants on premium plans
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Jitsi Meet logo

    3. Jitsi Meet

    Best for: People who want free calls without accounts, or organisations that want to self-host

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Skype

    Free, open-source calls with no account needed.

    Pros

    • Free and open source
    • Guests join from a browser with no account
    • Can be self-hosted for full control

    Cons

    • Large meetings need well-provisioned servers
    • Less polished than commercial tools
    • Fewer admin and webinar features
    Visit Jitsi Meet Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Jitsi Meet a good Skype alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes, 100%
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jitsi.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Account needed to join
    No
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jitsi.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jitsi.github.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Trademark owner
    8x8
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jitsi.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Discord logo

    4. Discord

    Best for: Communities that want free voice and text chat

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    50.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Skype

    Free voice and video calls for friends and communities.

    Pros

    • Free with unlimited history
    • Excellent voice channels
    • Rich roles, bots and moderation

    Cons

    • Not built for enterprise compliance
    • Consumer-style interface for work
    Visit Discord Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Discord a good Skype alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free; optional Nitro subscription
    Checked Oct 24, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Voice channels
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Web, desktop, mobile
    Checked Oct 24, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Microsoft Teams logo

    5. Microsoft Teams

    Best for: Organizations already using Microsoft 365

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    44.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Skype

    Microsoft's official successor; Skype accounts sign straight into Teams Free.

    Pros

    • Included in many Microsoft 365 plans
    • Strong meetings and calling
    • Office file co-editing

    Cons

    • Interface can feel cluttered
    • Best experience requires Microsoft 365
    Visit Microsoft Teams Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.360
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1515
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Microsoft Teams a good Skype alternative?

    Verified facts

    0 of 3 verified
    Free version
    Yes
    Not checked yetmicrosoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Meetings
    Video meetings and webinars
    Not checked yetmicrosoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Microsoft 365 integration
    Yes
    Not checked yetmicrosoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. WhatsApp logo

    6. WhatsApp

    Best for: Anyone who wants to reach friends, family and businesses on the messenger they already use

    FreeWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Skype

    Free voice and video calls with encryption, on the messenger most former Skype contacts already use.

    Pros

    • Almost everyone in many countries already has it
    • Chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default
    • Reliable group chats, voice notes and group video calls

    Cons

    • Owned by Meta, which collects usage metadata
    • Requires a phone number to sign up
    • Ads and Meta AI are creeping into the app
    Visit WhatsApp Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is WhatsApp a good Skype alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whatsapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    End-to-end encryption
    Yes, by default
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whatsapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Group size
    Up to 1,000 people
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whatsapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Group calls
    Up to 32 people
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whatsapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Users
    More than 3 billion
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whatsapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Meta (joined Facebook in 2014)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026whatsapp.com(opens source in a new tab)
  7. Telegram logo

    7. Telegram

    Best for: Communities, channel followers and power users who want every chat synced on every device

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    38.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Skype

    Free calls and chats synced to desktop and web, much like Skype's multi-device setup.

    Pros

    • Instant sync across phone, desktop and web without the phone online
    • Very large groups and broadcast channels
    • Open bot platform and open-source client apps

    Cons

    • Regular chats are not end-to-end encrypted
    • Secret Chats are one-to-one and tied to a single device
    • Public groups attract spam and scams
    Visit Telegram Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.37
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Telegram a good Skype alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    Free, with optional Premium
    Checked Oct 25, 2026telegram.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Group size
    Up to 200,000 members
    Checked Oct 25, 2026telegram.org(opens source in a new tab)
    End-to-end encryption
    Secret Chats and calls only
    Checked Oct 25, 2026telegram.org(opens source in a new tab)
    File size limit
    2 GB (4 GB with Premium)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026telegram.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Client apps, reproducible builds
    Checked Oct 25, 2026telegram.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Skype alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Zoom Workplace logo

Best Skype alternative for most people

Zoom Workplace

Familiar video calls with a free plan for short group meetings.

Jitsi Meet logo

Best Skype alternative for a free option

Jitsi Meet

Free, open-source calls with no account needed.

Google Meet logo

Best Skype alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Google Meet

Free browser-based calls for anyone with a Google account.

Signal logo

Best Skype alternative for open source

Signal

Encrypted voice and video calls on desktop and mobile without ads or tracking.

Jitsi Meet logo

Best Skype alternative for self-hosting

Jitsi Meet

Free, open-source calls with no account needed.

Discord logo

Best Skype alternative for Mac

Discord

Free voice and video calls for friends and communities.

Microsoft Teams logo

Best Skype alternative for Windows

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft's official successor; Skype accounts sign straight into Teams Free.

Telegram logo

Best Skype alternative for Linux

Telegram

Free calls and chats synced to desktop and web, much like Skype's multi-device setup.

WhatsApp logo

Best Skype alternative for iPhone and Android

WhatsApp

Free voice and video calls with encryption, on the messenger most former Skype contacts already use.

Zoom Workplace logo

Best Skype alternative for working in the browser

Zoom Workplace

Familiar video calls with a free plan for short group meetings.

Skype alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Skype?

Zoom Workplace ranks first right now. Familiar video calls with a free plan for short group meetings. Google Meet and Jitsi Meet follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Skype?

Yes. Zoom Workplace (free plan + paid), Google Meet (free plan + paid), Jitsi Meet (open source) and Discord (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Skype?

Yes: Jitsi Meet and Signal. Jitsi Meet can also be self-hosted.

Which Skype alternatives work on Linux?

Zoom Workplace, Discord, Telegram, Signal and Viber run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Skype?

The complaints we hear most: retired in May 2025; paid calling features withdrawn; Skype Number subscriptions ended in May 2026.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Skype, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.