The Best Skype Alternatives in 2026, by What You Used It For

The best Skype alternative depends on what you used Skype for. For free video and voice calls between apps, use WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams Free or Zoom. For calling real landlines and mobiles abroad, use a pay-as-you-go calling service such as callmins, Viber Out or Rebtel. To replace a Skype Number, rent a virtual number: callmins sells UK (+44) and US (+1) numbers from $2.00 a month. For a business phone system, look at Teams Phone, Dialpad or RingCentral.

Skype did three jobs in one app, and no single product has replaced all of them. Below we split the options by job, say honestly where each one wins, and point out where callmins fits and where it doesn't.

What happened to Skype?

Microsoft retired Skype in May 2025. Users were pointed to Microsoft Teams Free, which can sign in with a Skype account and carries over contacts and chat history. Teams Free covers chats, meetings and app-to-app calls. What didn't carry over like-for-like for consumers was the paid side of Skype: Skype Credit, calling subscriptions to phone numbers, and Skype Numbers. If you used Skype mainly to ring a landline in another country, or kept a Skype Number so people could reach you, you need something else.

Skype alternatives compared

Check each provider's own site for current prices: they change, and subscription offers vary by country.

Best Skype alternative for free app-to-app calls

WhatsApp

If everyone you talk to already has WhatsApp, it is the simplest replacement: free voice and video calls over data, group calls, end-to-end encryption, and it uses the phone number you already have. The catch is that both sides need the app and a decent connection, and it can't call a landline, a bank or a hotel front desk.

Microsoft Teams Free

The official successor. If your contacts were all on Skype, Teams Free is the least disruptive move because your history comes with you. It is better for group chats and scheduled meetings than for quick calls to Grandma, and the interface is busier than Skype's was.

Zoom

Zoom is the default for video meetings, and the free tier is fine for short calls. It is a meeting tool rather than a phone: calling regular numbers is part of its business telephony product, not the free app.

Best app for international calling to landlines and mobiles

This is the gap Skype Credit left. You need a service that connects to the regular phone network, so the person you call doesn't need an app, internet or a smartphone.

callmins

callmins runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install on a work laptop or a borrowed computer, and there is an Android app too. You top up a wallet (from $5) and pay per minute, with no subscription and no connection fee. Current rates include:

• United States: $0.017/min to landlines, $0.017/min to mobiles
• United Kingdom: $0.016/min to landlines, $0.038/min to mobiles
• India: $0.052/min to landlines, $0.059/min to mobiles

A 30-minute call to a UK mobile costs $1.14. Every country we call is listed on the international call rates page. Where callmins doesn't fit: it is not a chat or video app, and if you make many hours of calls to a single country every month, a flat subscription elsewhere may work out cheaper.

Viber Out

Viber Out adds paid calls to phones on top of the free Viber messenger. It suits people who already use Viber with family. It sells both credit and country subscriptions, so compare the two against how much you actually call.

Rebtel

Rebtel is a long-standing international calling app with a strong diaspora following. Its model leans towards subscriptions for specific countries, which can suit heavy callers to one place.

Google Voice

Google Voice gives you a free US number with free calls to the US and Canada and cheap international rates. It is US-centric: you generally need to live in the US to sign up, so it isn't an option for most people in the UK or elsewhere.

How to replace a Skype Number

A Skype Number let people call you on a normal phone number and reach you wherever you were signed in. The direct replacement is a virtual phone number: a real number that rings in an app instead of on a SIM card.

callmins sells two kinds:

• US (+1) numbers: $2.00/month + $1.00 setup. Available instantly, no paperwork.
• UK (+44) numbers: $3.00/month + $2.00 setup. UK rules require a one-time ID check (an ID document and proof of address) before your first number; once approved you can buy straight away.

Both receive calls and SMS in your browser or the app, and you can use them as caller ID when you ring out, so the people you call see a familiar number. Rent is taken monthly from your wallet. See how UK virtual numbers work, or read our guide to getting a virtual number without a SIM card.

If you still hold a Skype Number that you can port out, check with the new provider whether they accept ports before you let it lapse. callmins sells new numbers; email info@callmins.com if you want to ask about a specific case.

Best alternative to Skype for Business

Skype for Business was retired earlier, and Microsoft's own answer is Teams. Which alternative is right depends on the size of the team.

Teams Phone

If your company already pays for Microsoft 365, Teams Phone adds real phone numbers and calling plans inside Teams. It is the natural path for organisations that already live in Microsoft's tools, priced per user per month on top of the base licence.

Dialpad and RingCentral

Full cloud phone systems: call queues, IVR menus, CRM integrations, analytics and admin controls, on per-seat monthly subscriptions. They are built for support desks and sales teams that need a proper phone system.

callmins company accounts

For a small team that mostly makes outbound international calls, a full phone system can be more than you need. A callmins company account has one admin and separate caller accounts sharing a single wallet. The admin tops up once, every caller's spend comes out of that wallet, and the admin sees the total bill and call transcripts. There are no per-seat fees: you pay the same per-minute rates as everyone else. The company is verified once with its incorporation certificate and proof of business address. What you don't get is call-centre machinery like queues and IVR menus; if you need those, choose Dialpad, RingCentral or Teams Phone.

Which Skype alternative should you pick?

• You only call people who have smartphones: WhatsApp, or Teams Free if your contacts came from Skype.
• You call landlines or mobiles abroad a few times a month: a pay-as-you-go service such as callmins. You pay only for the minutes you use.
• You call one country for hours every week: compare a country subscription (Rebtel, Viber Out) with pay-as-you-go.
• You live in the US: Google Voice is worth a look.
• You had a Skype Number: a UK or US virtual number on callmins.
• You run a business: Teams Phone, Dialpad or RingCentral for a full phone system; a callmins company account for a small team that just needs to make calls on one bill.

Questions people ask

Is there a free Skype alternative?

Yes, for app-to-app calls: WhatsApp, Teams Free, Zoom's free tier, Signal and Viber are all free. Calling a regular phone number costs money on every service, because the call has to be handed to a phone carrier who charges for it.

Can I still use my Skype Credit?

Microsoft published its own guidance on remaining credit and subscriptions when Skype closed. Check your Microsoft account for what applies to you; we can't transfer Skype balances.

Do I need to install anything to use callmins?

No. callmins runs in a modern browser with a microphone. There is also a Android app if you prefer calling from your phone.

Create a free callmins account, top up $5, and make a test call to a landline or mobile. If you want a number people can reach you on, add a UK or US number from the Numbers page.