· QuikRing team
Best Skype alternatives for calling phones in 2026
Skype shut down on May 5, 2025. Six ways to keep calling real phone numbers abroad, with QuikRing first: Google Voice, Viber Out, Rebtel, WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams follow.
Microsoft shut Skype down on May 5, 2025. Most of what it did lives on somewhere else, video calls moved to Teams, chats moved to WhatsApp or Telegram, but the one thing Skype was uniquely good at, calling an ordinary mobile or landline number abroad from your computer with prepaid credit, doesn't have one obvious replacement. Here are six options, with QuikRing, which publishes this list, listed first and recommended.
The other five are described briefly by what they are.
1. QuikRing (recommended)
Who it's for: anyone who wants to call a real phone number abroad without installing anything or picking a plan.
How you pay: sign up with an email address, add credit, and the per-minute price for the number you typed shows before you call. You pay per started minute, credit never expires, and top-ups include a bonus. New accounts get their first call free for up to one minute to select destinations.
Why it comes first: it does what Skype's calls to phones did, from any browser, with nothing to install and no subscription.
2. Google Voice
What it is: Google's phone-number service, built around a US Google Voice number. It is aimed at people based in the United States.
3. Viber Out
What it is: a separate prepaid credit balance inside the Viber app, spent per minute on calls to mobiles and landlines. It is used from the Viber app.
4. Rebtel
What it is: an app-first calling service with prepaid credit, spent per minute.
5. WhatsApp
What it is: calling between WhatsApp users over an internet connection. It cannot dial a landline, a business line, or anyone who doesn't have the app, which rules it out for the exact case Skype used to cover.
6. Microsoft Teams
What it is: Microsoft's meeting and chat app. Dialing an ordinary phone number from it needs a Calling Plan add-on sold to organizations, not something a consumer can just switch on.
For a longer look at everything that changed when Skype closed, see the Skype alternative guide. To check today's price to a specific country before you commit to any of these, see QuikRing's rates for every country.
Live QuikRing rates
Current per-minute prices from our rate table, in USD. They update automatically whenever a price changes.
| Destination | Mobile | Landline |
|---|---|---|
| India | $0.08/min | $0.07/min |
| Philippines | $0.36/min | $0.30/min |
| United Kingdom | $0.07/min | $0.02/min |
| United States | $0.02/min | $0.02/min |
Prices checked October 30, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What replaced Skype for calling phone numbers?
There's no single direct replacement. Microsoft points Skype users to Teams, but Teams doesn't offer cheap calling to ordinary phone numbers for individuals. Depending on what you need, a pay-as-you-go web calling service, a carrier add-on, or your carrier's own international rates can each fill the gap.
Can I still use my old Skype credit?
Not in Skype, which shut down on May 5, 2025. Microsoft's pages describe a Skype Dial Pad in Teams Free for people who already hold Skype Credit.
Can WhatsApp call a landline?
No. WhatsApp calls only work between two people who both have WhatsApp installed and a data connection. It cannot reach a landline or any number without the app.
How do I see QuikRing's price before I call?
Type the number and the per-minute rate for that destination is shown before the call starts. The live prices above show today's rates for a few popular countries.
Call any phone abroad from your browser.
No app or contract. Charged per started minute; sign up and your first minute is free to select destinations.
Skype, Google Voice, Viber, Rebtel, WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams are trademarks of their respective owners. QuikRing is not affiliated with any of them. Details checked September 14, 2026.