Skype vs. Google Voice: Feature-by-feature showdown
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When it comes to free voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, Microsoft’s Skype and Google Voice have received the most hype so far, but which is worthy of being dubbed "king" of this valuable market?
Free UC from Skype and Google Voice for puny business?
Using Google Apps and Google+ for remote collaboration?
Many petite businesses use one or both of these services as free unified communications options. The Skype-vs.-Google-Voice question might not ask which product is better, but instead which can better complement your individual and business needs.
The following chart compares these two free-VoIP giants to suggest you a quick guide to the feature differences inbetween the two and help you make a decision on which one best fits your business.
Skype vs. Google Voice: Feature-by-feature comparison
*International calls are not free/supported with Google Voice, but you can install Google’s Voice and Movie Talk for free international calling (does not extend to landline and mobile phones).
**Only Skype-to-Skype international calls are free.
*Only domestic SMS is free
**Skype Credit must be bought to SMS; rates vary by country, U.S. (not including Hawaii/Alaska): 11.Two cents/message.
*You need a phone plan to use Google Voice, but can use Google Voice and Movie Talk for free via WiFi connection.
**A phone plan is unnecessary because you can connect through WiFi.
*Free group movie talk is available only through Google’s "Google+ Hangouts" application.
**This is free/available only with Skype Premium paid subscription (cost varies by country, U.S.: $Four.99/month for 12-month subscription, $7.49/month for 3-month subscription).
Source: TechTarget 2012
Using Skype and Google Voice together
One significant factor to take into account is that these two VoIP products have the potential to work together, and a combination of the two may be beneficial to certain businesses and individuals. To use both products together, you very first need to buy a Skype phone number. Once you have a individual Skype number, you can then set up Google Voice to forward any calls from your free Google Voice phone number to your Skype number, as well as to any other mobile or landline phone.
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SKYPE VS
SKYPE VS. FACETIME: WHICH IS THE BEST Movie CALLING APP ON IOS?
There are many popular movie talk programs for iOS in the App store but going by the popularity we determined to look at both FaceTime and Skype to see which one is better for movie calling. We measured the results based on different analyses which are obviously not technical hence the results are entirely based on the comparison. You will get the best comparison inbetween facetime vs skype and also you will get the download link of iphone facetime app.
Talking about Skype it is a third party application for iOS that brings you an exceptional movie calling practice just like you get it on your PC or the Mac. When it comes to FaceTime, it is Apple’s own product which is exclusively available for iOS users only. FaceTime and Skype both are open and available for free to suggest excellent movie talk features to its users. To be candid both these apps are also fairly similar in features on documents however, there are several differences inbetween them when it comes to user practice. So now you know what is Facetime app and facetime poor connection is depent on your net connection.
So let’s commence the comparison and find out which app is best for movie calling on iOS
Also Read:- 10 Free Voice Talk Apps For Android
User Interface
Skype
Skype is one of those apps which have more desktop clients than any other similar app and since most of you have already used it on your pc, Skype for iOS may come as a shove to you. The iOS version of Skype is bit limitary when it comes to configuration options which the desktop version offers in stacks.
However, Skype for Apple and iOS devices comes handy in saving bandwidth as it thresholds the outgoing movie of movie calls.
One key feature that gives an extra edge to Skype over FaceTime is its compatibility to permit you to make calls on Wi-Fi as well as on cellular data plan. FaceTime is yet to suggest this feature totally.
FaceTime
FaceTime at no point in this entire discussion can be disregarded under the silver lining of Skype features since this is one app which offers slew of extra features which Skype doesn’t and can never be able to (this is what we think). Tho’ the only flaw we found in FaceTime is that you have to by hand assign the email account and phone numbers you would like to FaceTime with.
This may come as a revelation to many people but we don’t consider it a major flaw in the app since all we need is to be able to make movie calls at our convenience without notching through explosions of settings.
In comparison to Skype, in FaceTime, you don’t need to add a mate or confirm friendship in order to make a movie call. All you have to do is to go to your contact list and choose your contact for FaceTime call. However, FaceTime does not fully support making calls over the cellular network and you need to use it over Wi-Fi, this is a major error in the app which Apple might want to get rid of shortly.
Also Read:- FaceTime Not Working on iPhone/iPad – Troubleshooting Guide
Functioning
Skype
Talking about the movie quality of Skype calls, it is fairly astounding considering the quality of both audio and movie. The talk quality ranges from satisfactory (in iOS) to outstanding when making calls to PC or laptop.
Out of ten we would like to give nine marks to Skype for iOS with just one defect that at times the audio quality of Skype call over lapses and loses the sync with the movie, especially when making calls over cellular network. One more bug that we recently noticed during Skype calls is that most of the movie calls stopped abruptly after few minutes; we tested it on different phones as well as on Mac but the results were same.
FaceTime
FaceTime calls are better than Skype calls when it comes to both picture and audio quality, we tested both the apps over the same network but FaceTime movie and audio quality was better than that of Skype. There is no syncing audio-video problem in FaceTime. At the same time, we also believe that the camera quality also plays a trick here.
Overall it’s a ten out of ten for FaceTime for iOS when it comes to quality of movie call, as FaceTime won’t disappoint you when it comes to making quality movie calls.
Also Read:- FaceTime for Android (Includes FaceTime Alternatives)
Compatibility
Compatibility is one aspect of our test where Skype conveniently wins the bout over FaceTime. Skype is compatible with almost any operating system including Windows, Android, and iOS, it can be installed on PC or laptop running any operating system including Linux whereas FaceTime being an Apple product is only available for iOS users which means you must purchase an Apple iPhone, Mac or iPad if you wish to use FaceTime.
Only Mac which runs on Lion can install this app for free or else if you are running OS X or above then you need to purchase it very first.
Choosing Skype Or FaceTime- The Real Question
Well based on our tests we won’t give a clear judgment on which app is better for iOS but without being discreet we would undoubtedly suggest both the apps on your iOS device since both these apps perform identically well under theirfavorablee state of affairs which we have mentioned above. Rest we leave it on you people to determine which one suits you better. We hope you get what you want from our Skype or Facetime and Skype vs Facetime comparison