{"id":41034,"date":"2020-12-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/skype-alternatives\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T06:21:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:21:49","slug":"skype-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/skype-alternatives\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Skype alternatives that won\u2019t break the bank"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Updated December 2020<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re reading this article, we\u2019re guessing that, for some reason or other, you\u2019re checking out Skype alternatives for your business. There are plenty of reasons why Skype might not be for you, and that\u2019s okay! The video conferencing game isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all, especially when it comes to small businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the hardest parts of choosing the best video conferencing software for your business is the research. With so many <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/video-conferencing-software\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video conferencing tools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> out there, how do you know which one is going to <em>really <\/em>meet your needs and align with your business goals?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t sweat it; we dug in and did the research so you don&#8217;t have to! In this article, we\u2019ve taken a comprehensive approach to examine and rank eight Skype alternatives for your business. And who knows? Your new favorite video meeting app just might be on the list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep reading to learn:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#one\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to choose the best Skype alternative<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#two\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10 essential features to look for in a video conferencing app<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#three\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8 best Skype alternatives<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#four\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Honorable mentions in video conferencing<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#five\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which alternative to Skype is best for your small business?\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\ud83d\uded2\u00a0 <\/span>Shopping for a video conferencing tool? (Or just curious about what to look for?) Grab the <strong>free checklist<\/strong> to help you choose the right one for your team or business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/video_conf_platform_checklist.pdf\" data-id=\"6a09b594d0152\" id=\"6a09b594d0152\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:6a09b594d0152.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\ud83c\udf1f Get it now<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">See what you need to do (and know) as you're deciding on a video conferencing app with this checklist!<\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Asset_ID__c\" value=\"ODAM-01510\" class=\"download-form-input\"><\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:6a09b594d0152.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Happy shopping! <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"one\"><\/a>How to choose the best Skype alternative\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s compare your search to buying a house. You\u2019re not going to commit to the first house you see, just because it looks nice from the outside, right? It\u2019s important to test the waters before introducing a new tool into your company\u2019s tech stack. You don\u2019t want to waste everyone\u2019s time getting them signed up, only to find that it doesn\u2019t do what you need it to!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are countless video conferencing tools on the market and, unfortunately, it\u2019s not a one-size-fits-all situation. In today\u2019s digital world, a high-quality video conferencing platform should do more than facilitate face-to-face contact. Whether you want a tool that facilitates quick one-on-one chats, team meetings, webinars, or business-wide conferences; there\u2019s a solution out there for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s more, the solution you choose should help you to turn face-time into collaboration time. As many businesses turn to remote work, virtual collaboration is crucial to employee satisfaction, team productivity, and business success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/go.ringcentral.com\/free-apps-for-your-small-business-in-2021-webinar-registration.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-46136\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Free-apps-webinar-CTA.png\" alt=\"Free apps webinar CTA\" width=\"695\" height=\"247\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h3 h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"two\"><\/a>10 essential features to look for in a video conferencing app<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To help you in your search for Skype alternatives, let\u2019s take a look at some of the key features a robust video conferencing platform should provide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Affordability:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What\u2019s the overall cost of the service? Is there a free plan available or an affordable enterprise solution, so it will scale with you as your business grows?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Ease of use:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Is the tool easy to use, even for those non-technical people on the team? Will it require endless hours of training to ensure everyone knows how to use it?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Voice and video calling: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does it provide high-definition voice and <a class=\"waffle-rich-text-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video calling<\/a> that can uphold your professionalism and keep teams connected?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Collaboration features: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there collaboration features incorporated to improve team productivity? We\u2019re talking: team messaging, file sharing, call recording, screen sharing, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Scheduling: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve productivity and enhance accountability with your calendar and email for up-to-date scheduling. This way, no one will miss a meeting!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Software integrations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you connect your calendars and other important tools to the app to streamline your day?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Supports multiple devices: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/4-statistics-that-show-the-true-impact-of-video-conferencing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video conferencing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> solution should support multiple operating systems and devices. Anyone you arrange a meeting with should be able to access it on a Mac, Windows laptop, or devices for mobile apps.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Security:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> You want to ensure your meetings aren\u2019t interrupted and your conversations stay between the team members involved.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Moderator tools: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These tools allow the host to mute and unmute participants, put attendees on hold, and control who can access virtual whiteboards and screen sharing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Reliability: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regardless of all the fancy features and extra tools the solution provides, if it isn\u2019t reliable, then it\u2019s just not going to work.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good alternative to Skype should provide the same key features as Skype itself, and then some. We\u2019ve selected a variety of platforms that offer all the important functions, as well as some extra features for improved collaboration and communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some are suited for small and medium businesses (SMBs), while others are more adapted to handle larger business groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, without further ado let\u2019s dive in with number one on our list of Skype alternatives: our very own video conferencing and team collaboration tool: Glip.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"three\"><\/a>8 best Skype alternatives\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Glip (by RingCentral): Best overall features and value<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45841\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Glip-by-RingCentral-Product-UI_FINAL.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"930\" height=\"700\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glip by RingCentral is our top choice among Skype alternatives, and it\u2019s not because we\u2019re biased! Glip offers integrated team chat, high-def voice and video calling, and task management tools for keeping remote teams productive and connected any time, anywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, and did we mention Glip Pro is totally free?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a closer look at why RingCentral takes the cake when it comes to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/voip-technology-primer\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> communications platforms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Powerful video conferencing<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glip\u2019s free video calling features are ideal for keeping remote teams connected and working together efficiently and effectively. Simply tap a button, start the call, and chat face-to-face in real time from any desktop or mobile device. You can also turn off the camera for crystal-clear voice calls from anywhere and switch between devices, mid-meeting, with one click.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At RingCentral, we believe that distance doesn\u2019t have to mean disconnection, which is why we promise high-quality free video conferencing with added features like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screen share with annotations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In-conference text chat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No-download video conferencing for guests: join via any browser<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting recording and storage<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication is often one of the biggest barriers to success among remote teams. Video saves time and prevents unnecessary frustrations by providing space for team members to talk face-to-face. Whether it\u2019s to collaborate on projects, resolve issues, or take part in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/6-best-practices-for-virtual-team-building\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">team-building<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sessions, video chats make remote teamwork happen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Real-time teamwork<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As more and more businesses operate with hybrid or fully remote workforces, adapting to virtual cooperation and communication methods is essential. Glip provides users with a unified, cloud-based workspace where they can share unlimited files, store them, and stay updated with edits from any device. What\u2019s more, Glip team messaging ensures colleagues can communicate instantly with an intuitive text chat app, whether it\u2019s one-on-one or in teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-45791\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/01-Linked-in-1200x628-1-1024x536.png\" alt=\"glip messaging\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Sophisticated task management<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>What sets Glip a step (okay, a few steps) above similar <a class=\"waffle-rich-text-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/what-is-a-voip-number.html\">VoIP<\/a> communications platforms like Skype is its sophisticated task management features.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glip provides project management functionality by allowing users to assign, share, and track tasks across teams. What\u2019s more, you can create project teams, themes, and departments for better organization and accountability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Work smarter, together&#8230; for free\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glip Pro is available for free, with all the essential features provided by Skype and many more. You can host unlimited video calls for conducting team meetings, discussing ideas, or hosting team building activities. Plus, meetings can last up to 24 hours! Say goodbye to those 40-, 50-, or 60-minute meeting caps you find on other free video apps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Need a little more power in your platform? Glip Pro+, the paid plan, comes with lots more video storage capacity, a suite of helpful administrative tools, 24\/7 live support, and more.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Why is Glip a great alternative to Skype?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s robust, reliable, and chock-full of features that\u2019ll enhance your team&#8217;s productivity and take the hassle out of remote cooperation. Along with reliable HD video meetings, Glip provides:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HD-quality voice calls and screen sharing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One-to-one and group chat, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/real-time-video-conferencing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">real-time video conferencing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for up to 100 participants<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">24-hour meeting duration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call recording stored in the cloud<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simple mobile phone and desktop app ideal for remote teams<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Team messaging and collaboration tools<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email and calendar integrations for scheduling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One-click video conferencing for guests, no software download required<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">File sharing, storage, and annotation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"rc-bottom-cta rc-bottom-cta__landscape\" style=\"background-color:#FF8800;flex-direction: row-reverse;\">\n<div class=\"bottom-cta-img\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"830\" height=\"500\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-04-at-3.12.01-PM.png\" class=\"responsive-image\" alt=\"\ud83d\ude80Free unlimited ...\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-cta-copy\">\n<div class=\"rc-bottom-cta__text\" style=\"color:ffffff;\">\n<h3\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"rc-bottom-cta__title headline-copy\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\ud83d\ude80Free unlimited video meetings. Really.<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"rc-bottom-cta__btn-wrapper\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg rc-bottom-cta__link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttitle=\"Get started\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.glip.com\/signup\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-name=\"Get started\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-element=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-dl-additional-info=\"bottom cta banner\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-no-auto-dl=\"true\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tonmouseover=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tonmouseout=\"this.style.backgroundColor='';this.style.borderColor='';this.style.color='';\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>Get started<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Google Meet (formerly Google Hangouts): Best app for Google Workplace (formerly G Suite) users<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-44830\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/google-meet-video-conferencing-1024x640.png\" alt=\"google meet video conferencing\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Meet is another popular alternative to Skype that offers most, if not all, of the same features. Teams can communicate and collaborate via high-definition <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/virtual-meeting-tools\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video meetings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, phone calls, and instant messaging.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the free plan, video meetings and conferences can support up to 100 participants for unlimited meetings of up to 60 minutes per call. Some top features of Meet that make it a great Skype alternative for businesses include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Real-time captioning<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screen share and presentations for better collaboration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">File sharing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chat feature<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scheduling with Google Calendar and Gmail plugin<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recording options (enterprise plan)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ability to dial in to a video conference via phone (enterprise plan)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Meet is a great option for businesses already investing in Google Workplace. However, it does come with some downsides. Unlike RingCentral Glip\u2019s browser-accessible meetings, Meet does require a Google account for access. This might be a pain for external clients who use another email platform (Outlook, for example, is still really popular in the business sphere).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, some customers have complained about the quality of the video feature, most notably the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.softwareadvice.com\/video-conferencing\/google-meet-profile\/reviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video freezing on the desktop app<\/a>,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which could impact the professionalism of your business on important calls.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, and before we forget, Glip by RingCentral integrates with Gmail and Google Workspace, so you can have the powerful HD conferencing experience alongside your favorite Google products.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Microsoft Teams: Best for Microsoft 365 users\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-44294\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/microsoft-teams-1024x656.png\" alt=\"microsoft teams\" width=\"1024\" height=\"656\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Teams is slowly replacing Skype for Business, as it allows users to manage employee accounts with enterprise-grade security, as well as integrations with Office apps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace in Microsoft 365. It lets users chat, host audio calls and video conferences, and share files, all with enterprise-grade security. Teams use channels to organize information, which is a top feature for improving team productivity and focus when cooperating on projects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Teams video calling feature is more robust than Skype\u2019s and can support up to 10,000 users wherever, whenever. What\u2019s more, the <a class=\"waffle-rich-text-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/voip\/overview.html\">VoIP phone service<\/a> is more tolerable than other solutions and only requires a minimum of 1.2 Mbps for a smooth audio\/video experience.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like Glip, Microsoft Teams offers third-party app plugins for a more comprehensive experience. By integrating with familiar productivity, project management, and industry-specific tools, teams can improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and facilitate comprehensive communication across co-located and remote teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So are there any drawbacks to Microsoft Teams? According to Tech Radar, OneDrive, Microsoft\u2019s cloud storage service, might <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techradar.com\/reviews\/microsoft-onedrive-for-office-365\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lack the polish<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of other similar services and doesn\u2019t always feel intuitive or easy to navigate. This can be a real time-waster when getting your team ready to roll. You might find Glip&#8217;s file-organizing features more intuitive find your shared documents more easily. It also seems RingCentral\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/ca\/en\/why-us-enterprise.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seven layers of security<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are the ones to beat, with Microsoft coming in at <a href=\"https:\/\/community.dynamics.com\/365\/b\/dave-burrell---wisdom-of-a-solution-architect\/posts\/dynamics365-cds-five-layers-of-security\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">five layers of protection<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Zoom: For small teams on small budgets<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43382\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/zoom-conference-call-app.png\" alt=\"zoom conference call app\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoom became hugely popular in 2020 in light of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/5-key-takeaways-from-covid-19-about-remote-work\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">global shift to remote work<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as a result of COVID-19. It was so overused that it resulted in the coinage of its own effect: \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/zoom-fatigue\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoom fatigue<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s one of the most widely used group call apps and is a reliable solution for businesses hosting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/the-death-of-audio-meetings-how-video-meetings-won-over-remote-workers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video meetings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/virtual-team-building-activities\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">virtual team-building activities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to bring remote teams together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compared to RingCentral Glip, Zoom is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomsguide.com\/news\/how-to-chat-in-zoom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">limited in terms of chat capabilities<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in that it\u2019s only possible during live calls. It also lacks other team collaboration features Glip offers for free like file sharing and storage, task tracking, and even creation. Like Glip, however, external guests can join Zoom calls from a browser without any download. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/zoom-alternatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Learn more about the differences between Glip and Zoom<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Zoom has lots of great features, it might not be technically robust enough for your business use, especially the free tier. Zoom\u2019s free platform only allows meetings for 40 minutes, which could hinder conversations on important topics. There have also been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomsguide.com\/news\/zoom-security-privacy-woes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">issues with security<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/how-to-avoid-zoombombs\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zoombombing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is when an uninvited guest joins your meeting. Plus, the larger meetings for the free version don\u2019t use HD video (unlike competitors such as Glip by RingCentral), and that can cause issues with screen freezing and time-lag. In a meeting capped at 40 minutes, that sort of thing can waste a lot of valuable time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Viber: Great for mobile compatibility<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.viber.com\/app\/uploads\/desktop-purple.png\" width=\"716\" height=\"359\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Viber is a comprehensive meeting platform that closely resembles Skype and provides VoIP functionality, instant messaging, and file transfer. It\u2019s also possible to make outbound calls to mobiles and landlines for a fee using Viber Out. It works across a variety of platforms and devices including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Viber video calling with screen sharing is a great feature for conducting team meetings and working together on projects with dispersed and remote teams. It also provides the usual selection of gifs, emojis, and stickers (albeit strange-looking ones) and is \u201cad lite,\u201d so the ads are there, but they aren\u2019t too intrusive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The major difference between Viber and Skype? Viber requires your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/office\/features\/local-numbers\/overview.html\">phone number<\/a>, and you need a smartphone to create an account. If you don\u2019t have a working smartphone, you won\u2019t be able to use Viber. It also doesn\u2019t offer comprehensive project management features, unlike RingCentral Glip\u2019s free and paid options.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Whatsapp: Best for small, close-knit teams<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.universalnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/WhatsApp-Web-Learn-HD-video-calling-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"whatsapp UI\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatsapp is a hugely popular communication platform that makes a good alternative to Skype, but does have its limits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatsapp was initially released as a messaging app. However, it has expanded to accommodate free calls, video chats, voice and video messages, and file sharing, which is why some businesses have adopted the platform as a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/whats-up-with-using-whatsapp-for-customer-care\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">customer care <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">channel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatsapp allows you to set up chat groups of up to 250 people. However, video conferencing is limited to four people. There\u2019s also a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/help-your-business-thrive-why-whatsapp-business-solution-is-essential\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatsapp business<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> API solution allowing clients to use a digital customer interactions platform to reach more customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Whatsapp is a great one-to-one chat tool that can work as a business collaboration solution, it\u2019s best suited for personal use or\u2014at most\u2014for smaller teams that can benefit from swift chat, small video call groups, and instant file sharing capabilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Jitsi Meet: Top Skype alternative for privacy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-45604\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/image3.png\" alt=\"jitsi meet UI\" width=\"418\" height=\"615\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jitsi Meet is open-source software that\u2019s geared towards users harboring bigger privacy concerns when it comes to their communications. It offers voice and video calls that are both encrypted for security, as well as a chat feature with optional encryption.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re an SMB or a large enterprise, Jitsi can work for you. With unlimited video chat participants, simple conversation initiation, and no sign up required, it\u2019s a great solution for small businesses seeking a free solution. It still comes with premium functions like screen share, recording features, and tile view, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The downsides to Jitsi Meet? It\u2019s a basic platform that focuses on providing video conferencing solutions alone. If you\u2019re looking for a more robust, all-in-one platform for remote meetings and team collaboration, we recommend another solution with more comprehensive functionality like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/ringcentral-glip-works-the-way-you-want\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glip by RingCentral<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8. Slack: Best selection of integrations<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/hvtW5_w-yfY\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"slack UI \" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slack debuted as a chat tool that facilitated one-to-one and group chats. It was a trendy solution that kept co-located teams connected across the office. Now, it\u2019s evolved to accommodate video chats and file sharing, for more comprehensive and diverse <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/diverse-communication-in-a-remote-world\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">communication in a remote world<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slack is a great option for businesses that need to work together across different channels, as it offers countless integrations with business apps (free plan: up to 10, paid plans: more than 800). What\u2019s more, it\u2019s easy to access on the go, with desktop and mobile versions that allow remote teams to stay in touch anytime, anywhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main downside to Slack, when compared to Skype? Slack only supports one-on-one video and voice chats at the free level, and only up to 15 participants at even the highest paid level. If you have a team larger than this, or you plan to grow, you\u2019ll probably need a more powerful, scalable video conferencing app in addition to Slack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think that toggling between apps isn\u2019t costing you? Think again. According to recent research, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.techrepublic.com\/article\/employees-switch-apps-more-than-1100-times-a-day-decreasing-productivity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">employees jump between different applications over 1,000 times a day<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This kind of inefficiency might seem small at first, but it adds up to time lost, tasks missed, and mistakes made.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your video conferencing and team messaging features are all in one place, it eliminates the constant switching of gears. That could mean more focused employees and more time spent on the real work of growing your business. (Psst: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/glip.com\/downloads\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Glip Pro<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by RingCentral is totally free and combines video calls and team collaboration in one easy-to-use app!)<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"four\"><\/a>Honorable mentions in video conferencing<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are so many platforms out there that are similar to Skype that we simply couldn\u2019t include them all. Some notable options we left out include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><b>FaceTime:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Great for personal use, but due to its limited range of supported devices (Apple iPhone or Macbook) and lack of group text chat, it\u2019s not well suited for business use.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Whereby (formerly appear.in)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Quality video conferencing, but the free version only supports one user and a meeting room.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Wire:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Great collaboration platform, but it doesn\u2019t stand out due to its lack of third-party integrations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>OoVoo:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Offers plenty of free features, but doesn\u2019t compare to other solutions in terms of reliability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"heading h2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"five\"><\/a>Skype alternatives: Which is best for your small business?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s always important to check out all your options before choosing a new tool to introduce to your team. Your small business may need a reliable solution for conducting video <a class=\"waffle-rich-text-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/free-conference-call.html\">conference calls<\/a> during a period of temporary remoteness. Or, you may have realized the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/benefits-remote-work\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">benefits of remote working<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and need a more robust tool to collaborate and communicate at a distance. Either way, there\u2019s a tool out there for you. Take advantage of free trials and demos to \u201ctry before you buy\u201d or in the case of most of these solutions, \u201ctry before you download for free.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We don\u2019t mean to toot our own horn, so we\u2019ll just say that RingCentral is a leading communications provider that guarantees accessibility, reliability, and scalability for your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing Glip by RingCentral as an alternative to Skype will empower your team with exceptional quality voice and video calling, productivity and collaboration tools, powerful integrations, and much more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated December 2020 If you\u2019re reading this article, we\u2019re guessing that, for some reason or other, you\u2019re checking out Skype alternatives for your business. There are plenty of reasons why Skype might not be for you, and that\u2019s okay! The video conferencing game isn\u2019t one-size-fits-all, especially when it comes to small businesses. One of the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":45485,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901],"tags":[17986,29224,28155,8637,8649,1756,17987],"class_list":["post-41034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","tag-alternatives-to-skype","tag-free-skype-alternatives","tag-free-video-conferencing","tag-glip","tag-ringcentral-glip","tag-skype","tag-skype-alternatives"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>8 Skype alternatives that won\u2019t break the bank | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about the 8 best Skype alternatives for video conferencing, chatting &amp; more for businesses on a budget. Free options included!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/skype-alternatives\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 Skype alternatives that won\u2019t break the bank\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about the 8 best Skype alternatives for video conferencing, chatting &amp; more for businesses on a budget. 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