With Skype ending what are the choices for making cheap phone calls, especially saving money on international calls?
The ability to link computers and devices to regular phone numbers is something that Skype excelled at. You could call phone numbers from a device or setup a phone number that people could call for you to answer on a computer or Skype app.
Skype had very cheap call rates, especially for international calls, that made Skype very popular. Microsoft 365 users had 60 minutes of free calls to phones each month.
Low cost international calls is an essential tool for travellers, especially a cheap way to call home to anyone who doesn’t have a computer or messaging app. The calls are cheaper because most of the connection is over the Internet except for the last step to the phone.
As a regular traveller, I often used Skype to bypass expensive foreign call rates.
Note: Some so called ‘calling apps’ are only device-to-device using that app. e.g. WhatsApp, Signal, Facetime etc. Those apps are great if both people have the same app.
Here’s some options for using a computer or smartphone to call a normal phone number (landline or mobile) for low cost.
Cheap calling options
With the end of Skype, people making overseas calls and travellers are looking for alternatives that won’t break the bank. To make cheaper overseas calls to phone numbers, there are various calling apps that have mere cents per minute rates.
Setup one of these apps on a smartphone to make cheaper calls wherever you have Internet access.
Google Voice is primarily US mainland customers and some other countries.
Zoom Phone is another option but it has a monthly flat fee plus call charges. Not suitable for occasional use.
Viber (Rakuten Viber Messenger) has smartphone and desktop apps to call phone numbers (Viber Out). However their per minute call rates aren’t as low as some other services.
Rebtel is another app for device to phone cheap rates. It also offers the option to call using the phone system only with no Internet which, in some cases ,could give better call quality.
If you have a home or business VOIP setup, such as Vonage, check out any matching app which can offer cheap international calls from any device.
Extra tips
Make sure any mobile phone plan you have (especially when travelling) has a generous Internet data allowance because any video/audio messaging calls or calls from special phone apps will eat into that quota.
Better still, use Wifi for a faster and usually more reliable connection.
Always setup calling apps before leaving home. Some countries block installation of cheap call apps but can’t stop the apps working once setup. And you don’t want to waste valuable travel time with tech hassles.
