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When it comes to audio or video communication through the Internet, Skype is the one that most people have heard of and are using. However, other than Skype, there are other similar services that also provide audio/video communication features. In this article, we will look into some free apps which offer better audio/video communication than Skype.
VSee
VSee is a video conferencing and screen sharing service which works very similar to Skype. VSee uses less bandwidth and offers higher quality video and audio as compared to Skype. The greatest advantage of VSee over any other video communication service is that the users can share their screen with other users and use annotation tools for meetings and discussions.
The free version of VSee supports only one screen share per day with unlimited group video calls.
ooVoo
ooVoo tries to give the user a lot more options mainly for video communication. ooVoo provides high quality video and audio experience for the user. The user can see videos in full screen mode making good use of the screen real estate. Probably the biggest features of ooVoo, which also differentiate it with other competitors, are video call recording and video messaging.
With ooVoo, users are able to send video messages to each other while recording live conversations. Another exciting feature of ooVoo is the watch together feature. With watch together, the users are able to watch movies together while remotely connected to each other.
The free version of ooVoo allows up to 12 people to connect to each other in a group call.
Viber
Viber first started as a free mobile voice call service, and has recently venture into the desktop market as well. It is now available for Windows and Mac alongside the various mobile platforms that it supports. The biggest advantage of Viber is that once you are connected to it from your mobile, all your contacts in the phone are added to your Viber account and you can access them right from the desktop too.
Other similar apps
If none of the above three interest you, here are more alternatives to Skype that you can use.
Google Hangouts – Especially useful for group video calls. Each member needs to have Google ID in order to log into Google Hangouts.
UberConference – A specialized conferencing service with social integration.
Tokbox – A highly configurable tool for website owners who want to integrate video communication right inside their own websites.
Jitsi – A good alternative to Skype as well as various instant messaging apps.
Voxox – An all in one communications app that comes with integrated faxing service.
Facetime – Facetime can be termed as the Skype for Mac. Apple offers Facetime service which is compatible and free only for Mac/iPhone users.
Tinychat – A very simple service with no registration required. Provides video conferencing up to 12 people at a time.
Conclusion
While there are tons of alternatives to Skype, you may not have heard of them. Hopefully this list of apps and services can give you a better insight of the various voice/video call apps that you can use and not limiting yourself to only one choice.
Which is your favorite app or service for audio/video communication?