In this post we are going to tell you about 5 best alternatives to Skype, most of which are available on multiple platforms including both mobile and desktop. Skype is perhaps the most used VoIP service online and whether you like it or not, it works fine. However many people don’t like the Skype service for a number of reasons including the fact that it is now owned by Microsoft. Although its good, Skype isn’ t the only VoIP service out there.
Like many other things Google also provides services that allow users to audio or video call their friends and family for free or for a lot less than what they would have to pay if the call was made through a cellular network. Google provides the Voice call feature in web interface of Gmail which enables users to call their friends on their cell phones for free in US and Canada. For international calls that costs a little. For video calling Google+ hangout is the ideal solution as it seamlessly allows multiple users to seamlessly video chat. Google also allows users to talk to each other using the Google Talk messenger.
Jitsi
Jitsi is a great alternative to Skype as it provides great VoIP internet services. Users can make both video and audio calls using the service. It even allows them to share desktops and stream their video session over the internet. Some cool features of Jitsi include ability to record calls, encrypt calls, IM, and more. For maximum sound quality Jitsi has features like noise cancellation as well as echo cancellation. Jitsi can be used with a number of chatting protocols including Google Talk, MSN, AIM, Facebook, ICQ, Yahoo!, Bonjour, and more. Jitsi is available on major desktop platforms including Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.
Viber
Facetime
Although Facetime is only available to Apple users, it is an awesome service. The video quality Facetime provides on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac is un-matchable. Facetime was introduced back in 2010 along with the iPhone 4 but now it is available for all Apple devices as Apple added it to Mac with the release of OS X Lion and other iOS devices. Facetime is free and can be used to make video calls anywhere in the world using Wi-Fi. Recently Apple allowed iPhone users to make Facetime calls over cellular, which makes this service even more useful.
Goober
Goober also allows free audio and video calling to its users. Apart from free Goober-to-Goober calls it also enables users to make a call on local landline or mobilephone number at low rates. A great feature of Goober is that it can be used by unlimited number of users to audio call, which means you can have a huge audio conference. Goober is great for video conferencing as well, as it allows up to 6 Goober users to chat with each other on video. Goober also has a built-in IM tool that allows users to chat with Jabber, Yahoo!, AIM, MSN, ICQ, and Google Talk users. Goober is available for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux.