After more than 20 years, Skype is officially shutting down, with Microsoft announcing it will shut down the venerable long-standing service on May 5, 2025. So if you're one of the millions of users of the app, it's time to look at the best Skype alternatives.
5. Google Voice
Google Voice is probably the closest competitor to Skype's international VoIP calling service. If you're already invested in the Google Workspace ecosystem for business or personal use, the service integrates seamlessly with other popular services, including Gmail , Google Calendar , and Google Meet .
For international calls, Google Voice offers similarly cheap rates to Skype, starting at $0.01 per minute, with business plans starting at $10 per month. These plans can be paid for with a credit or debit card or directly from a bank account. Like Skype, the service also has an auto-recharge feature that charges the desired amount whenever your balance drops below $2.
4. Zoom Phone
Zoom has become a household name during the global pandemic, and its cloud phone service, Zoom Phone, has been around since 2019. If you're already using Zoom's services for video calling, Zoom Phone is a great option for making international calls, although it seems more geared toward commercial use than Skype, which is aimed equally at personal and business use.
Zoom Phone offers built-in instant messaging with Zoom Chat, encrypted call recording, voicemail transcription, spam detection, call queues, and online meetings with Zoom Meetings, making it a complete solution for businesses large and small, with an affordable starting price of $10/month.
3. Viber
Despite some genuinely useful features, Viber was overtaken by WhatsApp and never gained much traction in the competitive instant messaging space. However, it does have one notable benefit: Unlimited international calls to mobiles and landlines for an affordable flat monthly fee.
If you primarily make personal calls abroad and aren't particularly invested in the Google ecosystem, Viber is a solid cross-platform standalone solution with a user-friendly interface and built-in contacts. Its Viber Out Call World international calling feature is available in 55 countries for just $5.99, with prepaid plans that vary by location.
2. OpenPhone
If you or your team regularly make calls and text messages for work, OpenPhone could revolutionize your productivity and simplify your life. Unlike Zoom, there are no video chat or online meeting features on the platform, but what it does do is remarkable.
When you sign up with OpenPhone, you get a virtual phone number with unlimited calling in the US and Canada. The platform supports group calling for streamlined collaboration and, importantly, supports MMS, SMS, and group messaging for improved customer service. One particularly useful feature is integration with Slack and HubSpot, making OpenPhone a viable alternative to Zoom Phone and Microsoft Teams .
1. Sonetel
Sonetel is positioning itself as an alternative to Skype for international calling via its mobile app. It’s not cheap for occasional use, at $9.95 a month for the Premium service, but it does allow for free international calls to more than 40 countries.
Other features of Sonetel Premium include dedicated phone numbers, call transcription, email tracking, and call recording, among others. This may be overkill for most regular users, but for digital nomads and others who work on the go, it can prove invaluable. As you can see, having a solution that fits most international calling needs outweighs the benefits of the outdated and often beaten Skype.
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