Remember when Skype was the only voice and video calling provider on the Internet? And those grainy video chats with friends and clients overseas that didn’t cost a fortune.
But now that the platform has shut down, you might find yourself looking for an alternative.
When it comes to finding a Skype alternative, you’re probably searching for two different features: a business phone and a video conferencing tool. In this guide, we’ll cover both and walk you through seven options you might want to consider.
Discover 7 powerful Skype alternatives for small businesses
| Provider | Quo | Microsoft Teams | Roamless | Mytello | Yadaphone | Google Voice | Viber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Starts at $15 per user per month | Starts with free plan | Contact for quote | Pay-as-you-go pricing model | Pay-as-you-go pricing model | $10 per user per month | Starts with free plan |
| Unlimited calling to US & Canada | ✓ | X | X | X | X | Unlimited calls to Canada from the US only | Requires add-on |
| SMS/MMS to US & Canada | ✓ | MMS not supported | X | X | X | US customers only | X |
| Video conferencing | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X | ✓ |
| Call/meeting recording | ✓ | Requires upgrade | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Dial in | ✓ | Requires add-on | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Screen sharing | X | ✓ | X | X | X | X | ✓ |
| File sharing | ✓ | Requires upgrade | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instant messaging & chat | Internal chats available | ✓ | X | X | X | X | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | Google apps | X |
| Security & privacy controls | ✓ | Limited | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Want to dive deeper into your options? Read on for features, pros and cons, and pricing options for this shortlisted selection.
1. Quo
Quo, formerly OpenPhone, is a business phone system that lets you more easily build relationships with your customers over phone calls and texts. It’s the #1 business phone solution, as voted by thousands of professionals on G2.
Quo also offers a virtual phone number and unlimited calling to the US and Canada. There’s also free texting to either country.
Beyond North America, you can make international calls and send texts to 240+ countries and territories worldwide. If you do call overseas regularly, you’ll be able to set up auto-charge to refill credits automatically when they run low. Plus, you can check rates in advance and monitor your usage in the billing dashboard, so there are no surprises on your bill.
Quo also lets your team split responsibility for incoming audio calls and texts using a shared number. Working together from a shared inbox, multiple teammates can be on separate calls at the same time. Unlike Skype, you can send SMS and MMS messages.
With Quo, your team will also have dozens of ways to save time without losing track of customers. Connect Quo to other apps your team uses, like:
- Slack
- HubSpot
- Zapier and Make, giving you the ability to automate tasks with thousands of other apps
The other benefit of using Quo is that your team can access it on any device. That isn’t limited to mobile phones — Quo teams can call and text on their computers with our desktop and browser apps as well. Whether a team member prefers using their iPhone or a Linux laptop for business communication, Quo has you covered.
One former Skype user shared:
“It has proven to be a seamless replacement for Skype. It is versatile and allows me to easily make and receive calls. It is especially helpful because I can receive calls from landlines, which is important to my personal and professional use.”
Want to see how Quo can work similar magic as your company’s Skype business alternative? Try Quo for free for seven days.
Quo pricing
Quo’s pricing has three affordable options:
- Starter: $15 per user per month for shared phone numbers, internal threads, contact notes, voicemail transcriptions, scheduled messages, auto-replies, manual call recording, call routing, and more
- Business: $23 per user per month for automatic call recording, group calling, AI call summaries and transcripts, phone integrations with HubSpot and Salesforce, and more
- Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, inbound phone support, and priority chat and email support
How to get a virtual number with Quo
Getting a new phone number from almost anywhere in the world is a simple process when you choose Quo as your virtual phone number provider.
Follow these three steps:
- Create an account with Quo. When you sign up, you get a free seven-day trial.
- During signup, choose your city or area code in the US to select your preferred phone number.
- Once the signup process is complete, you’re all set to use your new virtual phone number!
2. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is the official replacement for Skype for businesses. And since Teams has one-on-one and group chat capabilities as a cloud-based voice solution, it’s an obvious alternative for you to consider.
Our recommendation? If your business is already invested in Microsoft 365, evaluating its video conferencing capabilities is a bit of a no-brainer. Teams integrates well with Microsoft 365 and can accommodate 100 meeting participants. Plus, it offers both mobile and desktop apps.
But if you’re not already heavily into Microsoft, you may want to think twice. Teams looks good on paper, but not every review points to a user-friendly experience. One user said:
“I find the channels, video call quality, and group chat setups problematic as they often interrupt. It’s not flexible to integrate with other tools. The initial setup was difficult..”
The good news? Microsoft Teams Phone, which is an add-on to the basic Teams offering, has more features than Skype’s phone option. The bad news? It’s still a general-use phone system. You can set up call groups, record calls and transcribe them with AI, and add call queues, but that’s it. It’s not a full-featured business phone system.
Microsoft Teams pricing
Microsoft Teams free plan
- Free
- Up to 100 participants
- Limited features include 60-minute online meetings for groups and 30 hours of one-on-one meetings
Microsoft Teams Essentials
- $4 per user per month, paid annually
- 30 hours of meeting time for up to 300 participants
- 10 GB of file storage per user
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
- $6 per user per month, paid annually
- Live captions in over 30 languages, breakout rooms, and reporting and analytics
- 1 TB of file storage per user
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- $12.50 per user per month, paid annually
- Up to 300 participants
- Enhanced security and deployment support and desktop versions of Microsoft products
Microsoft Teams Phone Standard
- $10 per user per month, paid annually
- VoIP and PSTN calling, PSTN calls require an additional phone plan
- Separate license for Microsoft Teams is required
Microsoft Teams Phone with pay-as-you-go calling
- $13 per user per month, paid annually
- Metered outbound calling minutes
- Separate license for Microsoft Teams is required
Teams Phone with Calling Plan
- $17 per user per month, paid annually
- 3,000 outbound domestic calling minutes for the US and the UK
- Separate license for Microsoft Teams is required
Teams Phone with domestic and international calling
- $34 per user per month, paid annually
- 600 included outbound international calling minutes for the US, the UK, and Canada
Separate license for Microsoft Teams is required
3. Roamless
Roamless is a mobile app that provides a Global eSIM with coverage in 200+ countries. It’s meant for travelers who want internet access across multiple destinations without having to buy local SIM cards. But keep in mind that you’ll have to pay at least $0.01 per minute for every phone call.
Roamless also doesn’t support traditional SMS or MMS. You can still use three-way calling apps like WhatsApp over your data connection, but if you relied on Skype for both calling and texting, switching between apps can feel like a downgrade.
Another issue to keep in mind is that Roamless doesn’t have a desktop app. Although it does include a browser app, You can’t make calls from it. That means calls still have to happen on your phone, even if you’re managing work from a laptop. Instead of handling everything in one place, you’re forced to switch between devices. For small business owners comparing Skype alternatives, that lack of flexibility can quickly become frustrating.
Some users also say the connection itself isn’t always reliable. For example, one Google Play reviewer noted: “Data is turned off every now and then. Reconnecting is very difficult. Do not recommend to use.”
Roamless pricing
The Roamless eSIM is free to download and install. Calls start at $0.01 per minute, and rates vary by country.
4. Mytello
Mytello is an international calling service founded in 2016. It supports calls to over 200 countries, with rates starting at $0.01 per minute. You can also place calls from landlines if your office is still using desk phones.
If you prefer calling from your phone, Mytello has apps for iPhone and Android. Its mobile apps let you filter and view all your international contacts in one place. This means your team will be able to quickly find the right contact instead of wasting time scrolling through long lists.
That said, Mytello is a fairly basic calling tool. It doesn’t include AI features like call transcriptions, summaries, or call insights. For growing teams that need visibility into calls or want to collaborate, those gaps can be major deal breakers.
Mytello pricing
Mytello uses pay-as-you-go pricing. You only pay for the minutes you use. Rates start at $0.01 per minute, with prices varying by country.
5. Yadaphone
Yadaphone is a browser-based app for international calling. It lets you place overseas calls to landline, mobile, and toll-free numbers directly from your browser.
Yadaphone does include call recording and AI call transcriptions. But it doesn’t offer the features you need to scale your growing business. For example, you won’t have access to an AI voice agent that automatically answers the phone when you’re not available. Instead, you’ll need to either risk missing those calls or invest in hiring more reps.
Yadaphone pricing
Yadaphone only offers pay-as-you-go pricing. There’s no monthly plan, and per-minute rates vary by country.
To give you an idea of its pricing, calls to the United States cost $0.25 per minute on the standard rate. Calls to Singapore are priced at $0.35 per minute.
That means one short 10-minute call to the US can cost you $2.50.
6. Google Voice
Google Voice is a legacy VoIP service that was launched in 2009. It offers basic voice calls and text features, like SMS and MMS support. But keep in mind that Google Voice isn’t the best Skype alternative since it won’t work well if you’re based outside the US.
The biggest catch is texting — it only works in the US.
It does support international calling, but not international team locations. To support users outside the US, you’ll need the Premier plan. There are some other important disadvantages of Google Voice you should know. Limited automated touchpoints over text, minimal collaboration, no readily available desktop app, and zero third-party integrations. This means the app likely doesn’t offer you the ease of use you were hoping for in a Skype for Business alternative.
Google Voice pricing
Here are Google Voice’s four pricing plans:
Starter without Workspace
- $10 per month
- One user
- Mobile and web apps, call recording, three-way calling, and voicemail transcriptions
Starter
- $10 per user per month
- Up to 10 users
- Google app integrations and unlimited domestic calling
Standard
- $20 per user per month
- Unlimited users
- Ring groups and auto-attendant
Premier
- $30 per user per month
- Unlimited users
- Support for international locations and advanced reporting
If you have more than one user, you’ll have to pay at least an extra $7 per user per month for a Google Workspace subscription.
7. Viber
Viber is a Rakuten-owned cross-platform messaging app based on VoIP technology. Really, it’s designed for personal use: sending texts, making phone/video calls, etc.
Does it work? There are a few hiccups. Some Viber users, for example, say they found it difficult to even activate their account. As one user wrote:
“I hoped that I can start using Viber instead of Skype. However, after spending 3 days trying to activate the Viber account, I still could not resolve the issues. Viber’s customer support is useless.”
Other than that, as long as you and your friends are all using Viber, things will run pretty smoothly. And they’ll also be free.
But outbound calls to contacts outside Viber require an upgrade to Viber Out. You can also use Viber for international calls — as long as you’re using WiFi or your own data plan.
The good news is if you’re sending Viber messages, you’ve got plenty of features to work with. Enable a self-destruct timer on messages to enhance confidentiality — and to feel like you’re in a Mission: Impossible movie. Send texts, photos, videos, and files so you can share documents and showcase new products. But a word of warning on the product/business side: the playful GIFs and stickers that are fun to use with your friends might not align with your brand messaging.
Bottom line: If you do have a growing business, Viber might not be the right Skype alternative.
Viber pricing
Viber
- Free
- Phone and video calls and messages to other Viber users, group chats, group calls, file sharing, and voice and video messaging
Viber Out Call World
- $5.99 per user per month
- Includes unlimited landline and mobile calls to 55+ countries
Prepaid plans for Viber Out
- Rates vary by country
- Prepaid monthly plans that include call credits to your selected country
How to choose the right Skype alternative for your business
Whether you used Skype in the past or just heard of it and want something similar, it helps to think about how you communicate with customers day to day.
If international calling is your priority:
- Best choice: A pay-as-you-go international calling provider, like Quo
- Why: If Skype was a way to call overseas clients, reps, or offices, you may not need video meetings. A complete business phone system that focuses on calling and texts may be a better fit.
If your team relies on video meetings:
- Best choice: Microsoft Teams or Roamless
- Why: When video calls are central to how your team works, reliability matters more than anything else. These tools are designed for meetings, with video and other features that work well for presentations and group calls.
If your reps use both calling and video:
- Best choice: Quo and Microsoft Teams
- Why: Skype tried to do everything in one place, but most modern tools don’t work that way. You can use Microsoft Teams for video calls and Quo as your business phone system. That way, you’re not sacrificing quality on either front.
What do calls cost per minute?
If international calling is a big part of your communication, rates will matter when choosing a Skype alternative. Here’s how the costs compare when calling a few countries.
| Provider | USA | Canada | United Kingdom | France | Spain | Australia | India |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quo | Included | Included | $0.03 – $1.15 | $0.03 – $0.65 | $0.03 – $0.8 | $0.05 – $0.33 | $0.07 – $0.09 |
| Google Voice | Included | Included | $0.01 – $2.50 | $0.01 – $1.00 | $0.01 – $0.48 | $0.01 – $1.95 | $0.02 – $1.96 |
| Roamless | Contact for a quote | Contact for a quote | Contact for a quote | Contact for a quote | Contact for a quote | Contact for a quote | Contact for a quote |
| Viber Out | $0.02 | $0.01 | $0.059 – $0.019 – | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.019 – $0.039 | $0.02 |
| Mytello | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.01 – $0.045 | $0.01 – $0.045 | $0.01 – $0.045 | $0.017 – $0.055 | $0.03 |
| Yadaphone | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.06 | $0.32 | $0.36 | $0.16 | $0.08 |
| Microsoft Teams | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.01 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.04 | $0.05 |
Try out the best business phone alternative to Skype for free
In building this list of Skype business alternatives, one thing stands out: there isn’t one app that will do everything you need. Every business is unique. The best solutions will require tool combinations. For example, maybe you need to combine video conferencing with a voice solution to give your business a legitimate phone presence.
The good news? The right combination may just be around the corner. As you check out alternatives to Skype for video conferencing, think about Quo as the solution to your business phone needs.
Ready to make Quo a key part of your Skype alternative strategy? Sign up for a free trial today!
FAQs
Good alternatives are tools made for business communication, not casual chats. That’s why many businesses moved to a business phone system like Quo after Skype’s shutdown. You can get started with a seven-day free trial to see if it fits your business needs.
Microsoft replaced Skype for Business with Microsoft Teams. However, Teams can be complicated and expensive for small businesses that need a simple calling and texting app.
No, Skype stopped working completely after the retirement date. If you haven’t switched yet, your business could be missing calls. The good news is alternatives like Quo are quick to set up, and you can be up and running in under 15 minutes.
Microsoft shut down Skype for Business to push users toward Microsoft Teams. The service officially shut down in May 2025.
You have plenty of options for international calling beyond Skype. For example, Quo lets you call overseas numbers directly from the app, so you don’t need to juggle multiple tools for different types of calls.
When choosing a Skype replacement, look for these features:
– VoIP-based calling. Make calls from anywhere, as long as you have WiFi or a mobile data connection.
– Transparent international rates. Look for providers that show what you’ll pay upfront, so there are no surprise charges when calling different countries.
– Global availability. Sign up from anywhere and call internationally without location restrictions.
– Real business phone numbers. Look for services that let you buy local or toll-free numbers for your business. That way, you can make and receive calls from regular landlines and cell phones, not just other app users.
– Automatic top-up. Look for a Skype alternative that lets you automatically refill international calling credits when they run low. That way, your calls won’t drop mid-conversation because you ran out of credits.
– Cross-platform support. Make sure the service works on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and the web. You should be able to answer calls from your phone, switch to your laptop at home, or use your computer at the office.
