Guide · Video calling
Video calling apps like Skype, compared
You can no longer make Skype video calls: Microsoft retired Skype on May 5, 2025.[1] For the same kind of call, WhatsApp is the best free choice for families, with group video calls of up to 32 people that are always end-to-end encrypted.[2] FaceTime suits households where everyone has an Apple device, also for up to 32 people.[3] For bigger groups, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams (free) both host 100 people for up to 60 minutes.[4][5] Zoom also hosts 100 but ends free meetings at 40 minutes.[6] Signal allows 75 people, and Telegram has the largest free group calls, at up to 200.[7][8] I compared these published limits on October 25, 2026; the full matrix is below.
After Skype is published with support from TwinPhone; rankings reflect my criteria. Methodology and disclosure.
On this page
Which video app replaces Skype, in one minute
- Family on iPhone and Android: WhatsApp, up to 32 people, always end-to-end encrypted.[2]
- Everyone on Apple devices: FaceTime, up to 32 people; Android and Windows guests can join from a link.[3][9]
- Groups over 32: Google Meet or Teams (free), 100 people for 60 minutes; Telegram up to 200.[4][5][8]
- Long one-to-one calls: Teams (free) lists up to 30 hours; Google says Meet one-to-one calls have no time limit.[10][4]
- Guests without an account: Google Meet, Teams and Zoom let people join from a browser.[11][12][13]
Best video calling apps like Skype, by situation
Skype did many jobs; this page covers only video calls. Chat apps, privacy picks and the rest are on the full list of apps like Skype. None of the video apps below can ring a landline or an ordinary mobile number; for that, see the Skype alternatives that call phone numbers.
Family calls across iPhone and Android
WhatsApp is the safest default when a family mixes iPhones and Android phones. Group voice and video calls take up to 32 people, calls are always end-to-end encrypted, and they work from the apps or a web browser.[2] WhatsApp has more than 3 billion monthly users, so most relatives already have it.[14] Each person needs a mobile number to sign up.
Large group calls
Above 32 people, WhatsApp and FaceTime stop. Google Meet's free plan invites up to 100 participants for up to 60 minutes per meeting.[4] Microsoft Teams (free) also allows 100 participants and 60-minute meetings, and Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscribers get 300 people and 30 hours.[5] Telegram goes furthest for free: up to 200 users in a group call, with video and screen sharing.[8]
Long calls with no time limit
Group meetings on Meet and Teams (free) stop at 60 minutes, and Zoom's free plan stops every meeting, even between two people, at 40 minutes.[4][5][6] For one-to-one calls, Google says Meet has no time limit on its product page, while Meet Help gives 24 hours; Microsoft lists Teams (free) one-to-one calls at up to 30 hours.[4][15][10] WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal and Telegram publish no call time limit on the pages I read.
Joining from a browser without an account
When the other person won't install anything, use a meeting link. Google Meet guests can join without a Google Account once someone in the meeting lets them in.[11] Teams meetings can be joined without signing in, in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.[12] Zoom guests need no account, and the Zoom Web App runs in a browser if the host shows that link.[13] Jitsi Meet runs in the browser too.[16]
Video calling limits compared
| App | Free group video | Time limit (group / 1:1) | Platforms | Join from a browser | Account needed to join | End-to-end encrypted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.[2] | None published | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, web.[17] | Yes, WhatsApp Web.[2] | Phone number | Always.[2] | |
| FaceTime | 32.[3] | None published | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Guests only, in Chrome or Edge.[9] | Apple Account to start; guests enter a name.[9] | Yes, including group calls.[18] |
| Google Meet | 100.[4] | 60 min / none¹.[4] | Web, iOS, Android.[4] | Yes | No; the host admits you.[11] | Meetings no; calls optional².[19] |
| Teams (free) | 100.[5] | 60 min / 30 h.[5][10] | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, web.[10] | Yes, Edge or Chrome.[12] | No.[12] | — |
| Zoom | 100.[6] | 40 min / 40 min.[6] | Desktop and mobile apps, web app.[13] | Yes, if the host allows it.[13] | No.[13] | Optional, off by default.[20] |
| Signal | 75.[7] | None published | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux.[21] | No | Phone number | Yes.[22] |
| Telegram | 200.[8] | None published | iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, web.[23] | Yes, Telegram Web.[23] | Phone number | Yes, group calls too.[8] |
| Jitsi Meet | No published cap.[16] | None published | Web, iOS, Android.[16] | Yes.[16] | Guests no; room creators sign in on meet.jit.si.[24] | "Encryption by default".[16] |
| Discord | 25 on camera.[25] | — | — | — | Discord account | Rolling out (DAVE).[26] |
| Viber | 60.[27] | — | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux.[28] | No | Phone number | — |
- ¹ Google's Meet page says one-to-one calls have no time limit; Meet Help gives 24 hours.
- ² Meet meetings are cloud-encrypted. Calls between personal accounts can add end-to-end encryption with Additional Encryption.
- — Not stated on an official page I could read on Oct 25, 2026.
The matrix covers video only. Whether voice calls cost anything, and which free apps work for calls abroad, is covered in free voice calls like Skype.
Video quality, screen sharing and features
No vendor in this guide publishes a comparable maximum video resolution for free calls on the official pages I read on October 25, 2026, so I don't rank these apps on picture quality. Screen sharing and recording are published, and they differ more than most people expect.
| App | Screen sharing | Recording on the free plan |
|---|---|---|
| Yes, during a video call.[2] | — | |
| FaceTime | Yes on iPhone and iPad; not for web guests.[29][9] | — |
| Google Meet | Yes on a computer: a tab, a window or the whole screen.[30] | — |
| Teams (free) | Yes.[5] | No meeting recordings.[5] |
| Zoom | Yes.[6] | Local recording only.[6] |
| Telegram | Yes, alongside or instead of the camera.[8] | — |
- — Not stated on the official page I read. Signal, Discord and Viber are left out because their help pages could not be read on Oct 25, 2026.
Microsoft 365 Personal and Family add meeting recordings to Teams, along with the 300-person, 30-hour limit.[5] Zoom keeps cloud recording for paid plans.[6]
Mixed devices in the family: which video apps work everywhere
Skype ran on almost everything, so the device mix in your family matters more than any single feature.
- iPhone and Android together: WhatsApp, Google Meet, Teams (free), Zoom, Signal and Telegram all have apps for both.[17][4][10][21][23]
- Windows PC: WhatsApp, Teams, Signal and Telegram have Windows apps; Meet runs in the browser.[17][10][21][23][4]
- Mac: FaceTime is built in; WhatsApp, Teams, Signal and Telegram also have Mac apps.[17][10][21][23]
- Linux: Signal and Telegram have Linux apps; WhatsApp has no Linux app but works in the browser.[21][23][2]
- TV: TV apps were outside my check, so I make no claims about them; a laptop connected to the TV works with any app above.
Signal's desktop apps only work after Signal is installed on a phone.[21]
FaceTime for Android users: joining by link
There is no FaceTime app for Android or Windows. An Apple user on iOS 15 or later, or macOS Monterey or later, can create a FaceTime link, and the Android or Windows guest opens it in the latest Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, enters a name, selects Join and waits for the host to let them in.[9] The guest cannot start a FaceTime call, and SharePlay and screen sharing aren't available on the web.[9] If an Android user wants to call an iPhone user on their own, WhatsApp or Google Meet is the closest equivalent to FaceTime.
Group video calls: who allows the most people for free
These are the free group limits each app publishes, largest first:
- Telegram: up to 200 users in a group call.[8]
- Google Meet, Teams (free) and Zoom: 100 participants each, for 60, 60 and 40 minutes.[4][5][6]
- Signal: 75 people.[7]
- Viber: 60 people.[27]
- WhatsApp and FaceTime: 32 people each.[2][3]
- Discord: 25 people on camera in a server voice channel.[25]
Paying changes the order: Microsoft 365 Personal or Family raises Teams to 300 people for up to 30 hours, and paid Google One or Workspace plans raise Meet to 1,000 participants.[5][4]
Private and encrypted video calls
End-to-end encryption means only the people on the call can decrypt it, not the company running the service. For video calls the status differs between one-to-one calls, group calls and meetings created by link.
- WhatsApp: calls are always end-to-end encrypted, group calls included.[2]
- FaceTime: Apple says call audio and video are end-to-end encrypted, and Group FaceTime calls are encrypted among the invited participants' devices.[18]
- Signal: end-to-end encryption with the open-source Signal Protocol.[22]
- Telegram: group calls have been end-to-end encrypted since April 30, 2025; regular chats are not encrypted end to end by default.[8]
- Google Meet: meetings are cloud-encrypted, not end-to-end; calls between personal accounts can add end-to-end encryption with Additional Encryption, which turns off in-call messages, reactions and polls.[19]
- Zoom: end-to-end encryption is off until enabled, and then blocks web and phone participants.[20]
- Teams (free): I found no Microsoft statement on end-to-end encryption for personal Teams calls, so I list it as unconfirmed.
The apps, one by one
Video calling apps compared on this site
-
Best overall
Group video for up to 32 people, always end-to-end encrypted.[2]
Free
-
Browser video calls
100 people for 60 minutes; guests join from a browser.[4][11]
Free; paid plans
-
Microsoft's Skype replacement
100 people for 60 minutes; one-to-one calls up to 30 hours.[5][10]
Free
-
Scheduled group meetings
100 people, but every free meeting ends at 40 minutes.[6]
Free; Pro $16.99/mo
-
Privacy-focused calls
Encrypted group calls for up to 75 people.[7]
Free
-
Free calls plus paid Viber Out
Group calls for up to 60 people.[27]
Free; Viber Out paid
WhatsApp is free, works on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and the web, and handles group video calls of up to 32 people with end-to-end encryption always on.[17][2] Screen sharing works during a video call.[2] The catch is sign-up: everyone needs a mobile number.
FaceTime
FaceTime is built into iPhone, iPad and Mac, takes up to 32 people and is end-to-end encrypted.[3][18] Screen sharing and SharePlay are in the call menu on iPhone and iPad.[29] Android and Windows users can only join from a link, in Chrome or Edge.[9]
Google Meet
Anyone with a Google Account can host a Meet video meeting for up to 100 participants and 60 minutes at no cost, and Google says one-to-one and mobile calls have no time limit.[4] Guests join without an account once admitted, and computers can present a tab, a window or the whole screen.[11][30]
Microsoft Teams Free
Teams (free) is where Microsoft sent Skype users, and eligible users' contacts and chats moved with them.[1] It allows 100 participants, 60-minute meetings and screen sharing, but no meeting recordings.[5] What it kept and dropped from Skype is covered in Teams Free in detail.
Zoom
Zoom's free Basic plan hosts 100 participants with screen sharing and local recording, but every meeting ends at 40 minutes, one-to-one calls included.[6] Guests can join without an account.[13] It is a meeting tool first; see Zoom compared with Skype for plans and prices.
Signal
Signal is a nonprofit messenger with end-to-end encryption on everything, group calls of up to 75 people and desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux that pair with a phone.[22][7][21] It suits small groups that care most about privacy.
Telegram
Telegram has the largest free group calls in this guide: up to 200 users, with video or screen sharing, end-to-end encryption and invites by call link or QR code.[8] It runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and the web.[23]
Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet is free, open source and runs in the browser, and jitsi.org says guests need no account and calls are encrypted by default.[16] Since August 24, 2023, creating a room on the public meet.jit.si service requires signing in.[24]
Discord
Discord is built for communities and gaming. Up to 25 people can be on camera in a server voice channel.[25] Discord announced in September 2024 that voice and video in DMs, group DMs, voice channels and Go Live streams would move to end-to-end encryption.[26]
Video calling FAQ
What is the best free video call app?
Which Skype alternative allows the largest free group calls?
What is the best video call app overall?
Is there a FaceTime app for Android?
No. Android and Windows users can only join a FaceTime call from a link that an Apple user creates, in the latest Chrome or Edge, and they cannot start calls or share their screen.[9]
Which video call apps work without an account?
Can I make a video call from a browser without downloading anything?
Are group video calls end-to-end encrypted on WhatsApp, Signal and FaceTime?
Related guides
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Skype is retiring in May 2025: What you need to know (no visible update date). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- WhatsApp: Calling. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Apple Support: iPhone User Guide: Make a Group FaceTime call. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Google Workspace: Google Meet. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Microsoft Support: Learn more about subscriptions for Microsoft Teams (free). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Zoom: Plans and pricing. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Signal: Signal blog (group call limit update). Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Telegram: Group calls made easy (E2EE group calls) (April 30, 2025). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Apple Support: Join a FaceTime call from an Android or Windows device (May 29, 2026). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Microsoft: Microsoft Teams (free). Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Google Meet Help: Join a meeting. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Microsoft Support: Join a meeting without an account in Microsoft Teams. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Zoom Support: Joining a Zoom meeting. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- TechCrunch: WhatsApp now has more than 3 billion users a month (May 1, 2025). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Google Meet Help: Google Meet Help (article 13396001). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Jitsi: Jitsi Meet. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- WhatsApp: Download. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Apple Platform Security: FaceTime security. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Google Meet Help: Learn about call & meeting encryption in Google Meet. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Zoom Support: Using end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in Zoom meetings. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Signal: Download Signal. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Signal: Signal (homepage). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Telegram: Telegram apps. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Jitsi: Authentication on meet.jit.si (August 22, 2023). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Discord Support: Discord Help Center: video calls in servers (25-person camera limit). Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Discord: Meet DAVE: Discord's new end-to-end encryption for audio & video (September 17, 2024). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Viber Help Center: Viber Help Center. Accessed October 17, 2026.
- Viber: Viber and Viber Out. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Apple Support: Use FaceTime with your iPhone or iPad (September 14, 2026). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Google Meet Help: Present during a video meeting. Accessed October 25, 2026.
Gladstone Walters
Editor, After Skype
I'm Gladstone Walters, and I live in the United Kingdom. I write and maintain the After Skype guides. Every price, limit and date here comes from the vendor's own pricing, help or rate pages; I note the day I read each one and put a dash wherever I can't verify a number. TwinPhone supports this site, so I hold it to the same criteria as every other app and list its weak points next to its strengths.
Gladstone on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab)Reviewed and updated · Next review January 2027 · Author page · Methodology