Five Best Video Calling Apps That Will Replace Skype
Microsoft is officially shutting down Skype (RIP) . Even if you haven’t used the app in years, it’s possible that Skype was your first introduction to modern video chat. The app makes it easy to video call friends and family no matter where you are. If you have a stable internet connection, you can use Skype.
Once Microsoft shuts down Skype for good, legacy users will need a new platform to turn to. Microsoft will prompt you to upgrade to Teams, and you can do so. But there are better alternatives.
The goal (and challenge) of choosing a video calling platform is to convince other people to join you. The last thing you want is to choose an app that no one uses and then force everyone in your circle to accept that choice. The less friction the better. That’s why platforms that work with people’s existing accounts and platforms are best here: There are some great options, from Viber to Signal, that offer good video calling features, but you’ll have much better luck calling your friends if you meet them where they are. With that in mind, I’ve compiled this list.
Google Meeting
If your goal is to find the easiest video calling solution for the average person in your contact list, I would go with Google Meet. In 2025, there’s a high chance that the person you’re trying to contact has a Google account, even if they don’t choose that platform.
Since many of us already have Google accounts, it doesn’t really matter what devices or platforms you’re on. Whether one of you has a Mac, the other a PC, or you’re in the iOS vs Android debate, Google Meet works on virtually any device. Of course, it’s free, but if you pay you get some benefits , including higher quality videos .
However, my main problem with Google Meet is that it’s not all that intuitive. The service seems designed more for business and professional use than for everyday communication, so it’s not necessarily as polished as Skype was in its heyday. (Just the fact that Google calls the default option “meetings” in the web app makes me feel like I’m working rather than calling a friend or family member.) Additionally, there’s a 60-minute limit on simultaneous calls for free users: that’s fine for shorter calls, but if you tend to sit on video chats for hours, you’ll have to pick up the phone multiple times.
However, if your friend has a Google account set up correctly, calling them is as easy as calling them on Skype, or about as easy as opening the traditional phone app. However, if their Google account isn’t set up for calls, you’ll need to share the call link with them instead, which is fine, but adds some complexity to what should be a simple experience. Again, you won’t be able to find the perfect video calling solution if the other person isn’t already using the platform.
If you’re on your computer, you can use the Google Meet web app for most purposes. If you prefer to video chat on your mobile phone, there are apps for both iOS and Android , although Meet may already be installed on your Android device.
Google Meet supports video calls with up to 100 participants , the same number as Skype .
Like Google, WhatsApp is insanely popular all over the world. If you don’t use WhatsApp, then it’s someone you know, which makes it second on this list (if not first).
WhatsApp’s standardization gives it the same advantage as Google Meet: there’s a very good chance that the person you want to video call has an account. I don’t use WhatsApp, but I have a WhatsApp account. What’s even better is that the app has no time limit for calls, so you can talk as much as you want.
Like Google Meet, WhatsApp is available almost anywhere you have internet access. You can use it on an iPhone or Android device, or access it through the web app . WhatsApp even has a desktop app, unlike Google Meet, potentially making it a better Skype replacement. I’ve personally used Skype on my Mac before, and the experience of calling someone on WhatsApp using the app is a little more reminiscent of that experience than the Google Meet web app.
WhatsApp doesn’t support as many participants as Skype: the app will allow you to support calls with up to 32 other people , which, although much less than 100, is still a lot of people for video calls.
Facebook Messenger
If not one meta application, then why not another? Messenger has been a favorite option for Facebook users for years simply because it’s built right into Meta’s flagship social network. But in recent years, the company’s efforts to turn the app into a dedicated messaging service have met with success. I don’t use Facebook accounts often these days, but I do check the Messenger app more often.
Again, you have a built-in user base. Facebook may be the largest network of the three mentioned so far. You may have to add your friend before you call them, but since the social networking platform connects over 35% of the world’s population , you shouldn’t be shocked if the person you want to call is a member.
I really enjoy video calling in Messenger, especially on the desktop. The Mac app definitely offers a video chat interface that experienced Skype users will enjoy. What’s a little frustrating, however, is that you can’t start a video call without starting a chat thread first. If the person or group you want to call is already talking, great: just tap the video call icon to start a chat. However, otherwise, you need to message your friend or friends first and then call them. I suppose it would be nice to warn them, but again, friction!
Facebook Messenger used to support video calls with up to 50 people using the Rooms feature, but Meta has since discontinued this option . There is no time limit for calls in Messenger.
FaceTime
If you have an Apple account and the person you’re trying to chat with also has an Apple account, just contact them via FaceTime. The service is easy to use, end-to-end encrypted, and includes a number of features you’d expect from a more business-focused platform than FaceTime —like screen sharing and remote screen control . There’s nothing easier than pressing the FaceTime button in an iMessage thread or tapping a friend’s name in the FaceTime app: within seconds you’ll be chatting.
However, the situation gets more complicated when you consider friends who don’t have an iPhone, especially those who live outside your country. This suddenly isn’t so easy when you’re trying to call a friend whose international number isn’t linked to their Apple account.
However, this doesn’t mean you should ditch FaceTime completely. Apple allows you to create a FaceTime link that anyone can use to join a call, even on Android or PC. This adds an extra hurdle than if you were calling another Apple user, but it still works, making this method perhaps the easiest for those of us with iPhones or Macs: forget about other apps, just create a FaceTime link, send it to your friends, and wait for them to join your call.
FaceTime supports the same number of callers as WhatsApp, 32 , with no time limit. Perhaps its biggest downside is the lack of a built-in text chat feature: Google Meet supports native chat like Skype, while WhatsApp and Messenger are built around chat apps, so you can send messages there as well. FaceTime, however, is a separate entity: if you’re all using Apple devices, you can continue communicating in iMessage, but it’s not quite the same.
Teams
It’s no surprise that Microsoft wants you to switch from Skype to Teams. In some ways, this makes sense: the company owns both platforms, so switching from Skype to Teams should be an easy decision. However, Teams is so clearly built with work conferencing in mind (hence the name) that if you’re looking for a standard app for general video calls, it might be a little overkill. (I wouldn’t recommend switching to Slack for regular video calls either.)
If all your callers are Windows users with appropriate Microsoft accounts, Teams may work. The app supports up to 100 people and you can chat for 60 minutes at a time. (One-on-one chats are available for 30 hours at a time.) You can also access Teams on a variety of devices, not just Windows computers. If your device has a camera, you can probably use Teams for video calls. It’s also useful to add a built-in chat feature.
However, I personally would suggest trying one of the other options instead of Teams.
Zoom (not recommended)
Many of us in the work world (as well as those of us who have tuned into video chats during the pandemic) are very familiar with Zoom. This app is probably one of the first you think of when considering video calling, although it’s not necessarily the app of choice for everyday use.
Zoom does offer large video calls—up to 100 participants—for free, but it has some limitations. While many free video calling platforms end after 60 minutes, free Zoom calls end after 40 minutes. Unless you’re already paying for the service, this is a really inconvenient option for those times when you want to video chat with friends or family.