Skype closes activities; Meet 5 apps to replace it

THE Skype was discontinued on May 5, 2025 after more than 20 years offering voice and chat calls to millions of people around the world. Despite marking a generation, many users may not feel so much loss as there are several alternatives to replace the application.

A few years ago, users needed to pay to use Skype’s voice calls. Today, most alternatives offer this service for free, along with video calls and chat conversations.

Some of these options even offer paid versions, but these basic features are free. Check out five apps to replace Skype below :

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is the most obvious option on the list, as it is a similar app created by the same company that managed Skype. In addition to being called voice and text messages, Teams offers paid plans for companies that want to create official communication channels with their employees.

The free version offers video calls, text messages, file sharing and group creation . Although not so used in everyday life, it is usually a good option to manage team activities.

Pros:

• Transcript of audio or video calls;
• Unlimited chat messages;
• The paid version does not generate any costs for Microsoft 365 subscribers;

Cons:

• If you are not a paid plan user, it does not offer integration with the other Microsoft 365 apps;
• In the free option, group calls of up to 100 participants last only 60 minutes, maximum – and for up to 1,000 people in the paid version;

Google Meet

In addition to Skype and Microsoft Teams, one of the most commonly used programs for voice and video calls Google Meet . The paid version is part of Google Workspace’s plans and offers additional features, mainly aimed at companies.

Pros:

• Simple integration with other Google services, such as Youtube;
• Real -time subtitle feature can be translated into 65 languages;
• Noise cancellation resources to improve meetings audio;
• Simple invitations that can be easily accessed by participants.

Cons:

• Free version for groups of up to 100 is also limited to 60 -minute calls;
• This 60 -minute limitation applies to any call with more than three people;
• Conversations can only be recorded and saved on Google Drive with Google Workspace.

Zoom

Although it was founded in 2011, Zoom stood out during the pandemic as one of the most commonly used video conference applications by companies that sought solutions for online meetings.

In addition to having a simple interface, its free version offers several features that make it easier to communicate between teams.

Pros:

• Calls with great video quality and few crashes and bugs;
• Free plan that provides various features, such as annotation, zoom email, calendars to schedule meetings and more;
• In the paid version, users can use artificial intelligence to assist in various tasks.

Cons:

• The free version allows up to 100 participants, as in previous options, but with a 40 -minute limit per meeting;
• Security encryption must be activated manually.

Slack

Slack is widely used by companies and organizations that seek to offer multiple forms of communication with their employees. Although chat and task management system are the most used features, the platform also allows audio and video calls.

For smaller teams, the free version is often sufficient, but has storage and access to messaging.

Pros:

• Users can create channels for different topics and easily switch between text messages, voice and video;
• Dedicated storage for shared files on slack;
• Possibility to invite people from outside your organization to chat.

Cons:

• Video meetings can only be held on two people on the free plan and 50 in the paid version;
• Video conversations are not the focus of the application.

WhatsApp

Despite being the most popular messaging application in Brazil, the WhatsApp From the goal, it also offers great video call resources – both for personal and business use.

Even, whatsapp one of the options that most resemble the classic skype, Focusing on text, audio and video messages . The app is available for Android and iOS smartphones, and has versions for Windows and Mac computers.

Pros:

• Safety with end -to -end encryption;
• One of the most popular applications in Brazil, widely used by most people;
• Unlimited video calls for up to 32 participants;
• Messaging groups with up to 1,024 members.

Cons:

• The WhatsApp Web version does not allow video calls;
• Limited interface and absence of advanced features such as screen recording and file sharing during calls.

This content was originally published in Skype encloses activities; Get to know 5 apps to replace it on the CNN Brazil website.

Source: CNN Brasil