Sometimes I wonder how Skype became so popular. I often find it slow to start, system resource hogging and I’ve lost count of the number of calls it’s dropped. Added to the fact that sound quality is often poor, especially when calling mobiles, I resolved to find something better. Typically, Google came out on top with Google Talk which offers almost everything that Skype does but with much more simplicity and reliability. Maybe Skype has simply become a victim of it’s own success and is ‘overloaded’ with users or maybe I’ve just been unlucky. Anyway, here’s 5 solid alternatives:
- Google Talk – Simple to use, good call quality and reliable IM and VOIP app
- VOIP Stunt – Offers free calling credit for a limited period when you sign-up
- VOIP Buster – Stripped-down version of Skype that also offers limited free credit
- VoipCheap – Offers significantly discounted rates to selected European countries
- Gizmo Project – Very similar to Skype but less resource hogging – read James’s post