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What Is Skype?

Skype is Voice-over-IP software, developed and sold by Microsoft. The program offers messaging, video and voice messages, the ability to exchange files, as well as chats and video conferencing. Calls via Skype are free, with only calls to landlines or cellular networks attracting charges. The program also has a built-in translator which translates phone calls in real-time. The basic version is free.

Who Uses Skype?

Skype is suitable for private users seeking a chat and video program, and for smaller companies looking to use video conferencing or Internet telephony.

Skype Software - Skype messaging
Skype Software - Skype gallery view
Skype Software - Skype meeting invites
Skype Software - Skype reactions
Skype Software - Skype meeting backgrounds

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Reviews of Skype

Average score

Overall
4.2
Ease of Use
4.4
Customer Service
4.1
Features
4.1
Value for Money
4.3

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001
Ahmad
Ahmad
general practitioner in Jordan
Verified LinkedIn User
Medical Practice, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

I advise everyone to buy it, because anyone who likes it cannot do without it.

5.0 3 months ago

Comments: I love it very much. It was and still is my best friend. It helped me communicate with my family and friends with voice and video without interruption.

Pros:

Nice program, easy to use, and very old, it helped me communicate with my family and friends for more than 15 years. It is also free, the picture is very clear, the sound is clear, and it is compatible with all devices.

Cons:

Expensive when we use it to call mobile, landline and international phones

Douarou
Artist producer in US
Music, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Skype review

5.0 2 months ago New

Comments: Easy to chat also you can added sticker and custom your profil

Pros:

Easy to comunicate with correspondece by many way

Cons:

Fast and best to receive call and talk with friend

Denis
Editor in Estonia
Legal Services, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Business Skype loses the day

1.0 2 months ago New

Comments: I have a not very pleasant experience with Business Skype. The messages are often not getting delivered, the image sending is disabled, the call/video quality is low and so on.

Pros:

It’s a product that exists for long and is still a popular internet telephony solution.

Cons:

It works really badly, especially the business app.

Daria
Daria
Marketing Associate in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Was great, but now stuck in the past

3.0 3 months ago

Comments: It was a great idea back in the days however I have a feeling developers did not made any progress to keep up with a newer apps that have much more to offer.There are many bugs which makes it tough to use the app. It also crashes a lot on Android.

Pros:

Available for Desktop and as an App, easy to deploy, very popular, pretty easy to install.

Cons:

Some features are unnecessary complicated -tough to add a phone number to contacts. Not sure why the usernames of people I am not connected with pop up in the search. It is random and makes me questioning if anyone knowing my username can randomly find me. I purchased a Skype number, there is an error while sending text messages so I can only receive them and never send.No updates, everything is as it was 5 years ago.

Terry
Sr Analyst in Australia
Mining & Metals, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

I would prefer skype to teams any day

4.0 2 months ago

Pros:

able to set how much time before the status turns inactive

Cons:

not completed integrated into outlook calendar

Owen
MD in UK
Consumer Goods, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

powerful VOIP tool with access to real numbers

5.0 last month New

Pros:

Really easy to use interface and ability to link actual phone numbers

Cons:

can be a bit outdated and not work as well as new competitors

Laura
Medical coder in US
Hospital & Health Care, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Skype is Simple

3.0 2 months ago New

Comments: Skype is simple and easy to use, but mostly geared toward the individual consumer and not businesses. It is not able to keep up with the demand of remote multi-person meetings that we experience in the business world today.

Pros:

Skype pioneered the video call experience, and remains a secure connection for internet calls. Both the older and younger generations can benefit from its simplicity.

Cons:

Skype lacks the ability to create quick meetings with multiple people by sending out one link, so it is not as useful for group calls.

Robert
Sports Director in US
Sports, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Skype Review

5.0 last month New

Comments: I used Skype to have coaches meeting with my flag football coaches when I started my organization.

Pros:

Great platform that allows users to connect with one another no matter what device a person is using.

Cons:

The platform was the first of its kind and other platforms have created better systems. Skype is a bit outdated.

Friederike
Educational Therapist in Germany
Education Management, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

User friendly but could use more features

4.0 2 months ago

Comments: As it is, I use it only for personal calls, especially with family. Here the simplicity is an advantage.

Pros:

It's very user friendly. For me it was the first video call app I ever used, and the similarities with a phone call made it very easy for me to learn how to use it.

Cons:

To use Skype professionally (I teach online), I'd need at least a white board function. Great is also the remote control function you find on Zoom, for example.

John
Security Ambassador in US
Hospital & Health Care, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

The OG Video app

5.0 4 weeks ago New

Comments: Was the original Video conferencing app, only had good experiences

Pros:

Super easy to use, was the first video call app that i used and never had any issues

Cons:

No cons really, seems to have been surpassed by zoom in popularity but i was always pleased with SKYPE

tehmeena
Data Analyst in India
Information Technology & Services, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Excellent application with features that need improvement

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Helps in conferencing with family,friends and at work place.a lot can be improved with regards to the quality of audio/video calls.

Pros:

it is user-friendly and works well on mobile as well as desktops or laptops.

Cons:

there are a lot of call drops. The audio and video quality is sometimes very low, experiencing a lot of mute calls.

Jonathan
Photographer in Trinidad and Tobago
Photography, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

J.L. Skype Review

4.0 last year

Comments: Skype has been a great tool that I've used in the past couple of months as a way of communicating with family members and business partners alike across the world via audio-video. However, it's privacy concerns and limited features really drive me away from using it regularly.

Pros:

I can learn almost anything virtually and therefore have the skills to work anywhere in the world. For example, I recently had a financial wellness webinar where I learned a lot about budgeting, taxes, and more.

Cons:

Skype has faced privacy concerns related to data security and encryption so I tend to use other software like Google Meet and Zoom.

Kelvin
Logistics Officer in US
Automotive, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Skype Video Quality

5.0 7 months ago

Comments: Amazing to be able to virtually interact with people and at ease.

Pros:

Skype has the best quality of videos. I like how I can record video for later reference.

Cons:

Skype is wonderful and it has no downfalls.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Automotive, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Skype..... The software that's easy to use for any instant messaging or calling need!

5.0 5 months ago

Comments: It's a good software but could use a little work.

Pros:

That you can use it for to call a landline or cellphone, and sms messaging. You can use it for video calling and even screen sharing. And it's very easy to use.

Cons:

It's great if your just using it for Skype to Skype messaging or calling but it can be a little pricey if you want to use the Skype to landline feature.

Rick
Sys Admin in Canada
Wholesale, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great Product

5.0 9 months ago

Comments: We have 2 branches in different cities so Skype saves us in long distance calling. We all use the Instant Messaging feature. A lot of our work environment just needs a few word answers amongst employees so its way quicker then drafting an email. The notification pop up helps with users busy screens but even if you miss it, the icon turns orange on the taskbar so it wont be missed.

Pros:

Quick, efficient way for our employee's to communicate. Cheap to implement and doesn't bog down the system. Alerts pop-ups perfect since most users have 10-15 windows open and 2-3 monitors at the same time.

Cons:

No cons, Microsoft seems to be be pushing Teams however but we prefer to stay on Skype.

Zarmin
Authorizations in US
Hospital & Health Care, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Great internal communication app

4.0 4 months ago

Comments: Great experience. Great for communication w/my staff while I was busy on the phone or unable to talk

Pros:

This was great for internal communication if we were on the phone

Cons:

I cannot really think of any dislikes. I had a good experience using the platform.

Leila
Research scientist in US
Higher Education Software, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Easy to use for video call

4.0 5 months ago

Comments: Ive been using skype for 10 yrears and I've been satisfied mostly.

Pros:

Using skyp is very easy that even my 70 year old father can use. Its easy and mostly free to video call.

Cons:

It uses a lot of data , so when the internet is not powerful the call freezes and you cant see the other side.

Carlos
Community Builder in Spain
Civic & Social Organization, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Once leader now it's a bit old-schooled and behind other competitors

3.0 10 months ago

Pros:

Its easiness to be used on mobile devices is probably the best thing they have.

Cons:

Nowadays, with the bunch of options we have in hand, it probably got a bit outdated and lacks some of the main things its competitors offer in a easier way.

Robnson
Robnson
desi in Kenya
Verified LinkedIn User
Animation, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Skype

2.0 last year

Comments: My experience of using this apps was good I recommend to use it although is outdated

Pros:

Skype does not have the limit of time like other software

Cons:

They should improve on the Internet consumption, you was alot of data when your using skype

Fara
Housewife in US
Health, Wellness & Fitness, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Skype is old but gold

5.0 11 months ago

Comments: Overall I enjoy using Skype but it's not my go-to since there are newer products out there today.

Pros:

I like the ease of use of Skype and the ringtone is unmistakable.

Cons:

Skype highly depends on internet quality and sometimes the call will drop.

Tiego
Official in South Africa
Broadcast Media, Self Employed
Used the Software for: Free Trial
Reviewer Source

Skype review

3.0 9 months ago

Pros:

Is a great way to do live meetings when you use it

Cons:

I haven't come across any problems but i can complain about the pricing

Haydn
Boss in Australia
Computer Games, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

The original

4.0 last year

Comments: Very good client to keep together with the family in long distance

Pros:

Where it all started, the best video p2p client around, keep up with all the family and don’t miss a moment

Cons:

Sometimes it can be a bit laggy if your internet connection isn’t the greatest but it still does the job

Santhiya
Santhiya
Executive Hub Operations in India
Verified LinkedIn User
Warehousing, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Skype Review

4.0 2 years ago

Pros:

Skype has excellent usability. That can be used on any mobile device. The video call quality is superb. We are able to utilize it wherever.

Cons:

Sky uses a greater amount of bandwidth, and although WIFI works fine, using mobile data is difficult and results in worse quality,

Mark
IT Engineer in United Arab Emirates
Environmental Services, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Very useful tool for office and individual use.

5.0 2 years ago

Pros:

What i like with Skype is it is easy to use, easy to install and easy to learn all features. It is very useful for office and individual use.

Cons:

Nothing to hate about this product, everything is easy and useful.

Francesca
Reviewer in Italy
Telecommunications, Self Employed
Used the Software for: Free Trial
Reviewer Source

Good to use during the pandemic

4.0 last year

Comments: It’s ok to keep in touch with family and friends but also for job meetings.

Pros:

I used Skype for meetings with university professors and classmates during the pandemic. The interface is easy and simple to use. Audio and video quality is good.

Cons:

You can’t share the screen or documents, at least in the free version.