Google Chat vs. Skype (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Chat
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Google Chat, formerly Hangouts Chat, is a collaboration tool competing with Slack, designed to make it easy for teams to be able to get their work done in one place. From direct messages to group conversations, Chat helps teams collaborate, and with dedicated, virtual rooms to house projects over time — plus threaded conversations — Chat helps users track progress and follow up tasks. Chat currently supports 28 languages and each room can support up to 8,000 members.N/A
Skype (discontinued)
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Skype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.
$2.99
per month
Pricing
Google ChatSkype (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
United States Subscription
$2.99
per month
North America Subscription
$6.99
per month
India Subscription
$7.99
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google ChatSkype (discontinued)
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Google ChatSkype (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Google Chat
Chose Google Chat
You do not need to download anything when using Google Chat yet in Webex sometimes it does only work if you download a file. This is similar to Skype where you need to have the application on your computer. Google Chat has added a lot with the great support they have online.
Chose Google Chat
Google Chat is very user friendly and I think it is using low level memory or ram we can say of system. Means it loads quickly, not taking too much time that other tools
Chose Google Chat
For the above platforms, it is always intended for the larger audience when your business communication has a limited stack you prefer choosing the best and simple communication platform rather than spending on a platform that charges per license. AS we need simple secure and …
Chose Google Chat
I use it because of it is already available into the google gmail so for using this I do not have to install any external software for this which can take the storage of my device for installation. The other software was taking much data in comparison to the Google Chat.
Chose Google Chat
Since Google Hangouts Chat comes integrated with G-suite, it just works without any adjustments to our organization's workflows. Other products fail on that front and therefore are not encouraged to be used.
Chose Google Chat
Schools, in my area at least, are not being allowed to use Zoom because of incidences of security breaches known as "Zoom bombs," so the schools here chose to use Google Hangouts Chat. That means if I want to talk to the kids or the teachers, I need to use Google Hangouts Chat.
Skype (discontinued)
Chose Skype (discontinued)
The advantage of Skype over other programs is the quality of video calls. Another positive point is that Skype concentrates several functionalities in the same program and works in a very intuitive way. If we compare it with other applications, the disadvantage of Skype in …
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is just a robust system that almost everyone I've ever interacted with within a business setting has some experience with. So, for us, it was a decision based on convenience and reliability. Skype is [an] application that has been around for a long time and has many …
Features
Google ChatSkype (discontinued)
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
8.4
26 Ratings
9% above category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Task Management8.014 Ratings00 Ratings
Gantt Charts8.39 Ratings00 Ratings
Scheduling8.716 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow Automation7.512 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Access9.225 Ratings00 Ratings
Search9.123 Ratings00 Ratings
Visual planning tools7.513 Ratings00 Ratings
Communication
Comparison of Communication features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
8.9
26 Ratings
11% above category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Chat9.826 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications9.426 Ratings00 Ratings
Discussions8.724 Ratings00 Ratings
Surveys9.217 Ratings00 Ratings
Internal knowledgebase9.015 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with GoToMeeting8.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts8.215 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Outlook9.06 Ratings00 Ratings
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
8.7
26 Ratings
9% above category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Versioning8.817 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files7.723 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files8.022 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration8.521 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control9.318 Ratings00 Ratings
Advanced security features9.519 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Google Drive8.115 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync9.624 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.2
138 Ratings
9% below category average
High quality audio00 Ratings7.8135 Ratings
High quality video00 Ratings7.8133 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings6.5130 Ratings
Mobile support00 Ratings6.6118 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.6
119 Ratings
18% below category average
Desktop sharing00 Ratings6.8118 Ratings
Whiteboards00 Ratings6.460 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.6
118 Ratings
21% below category average
Calendar integration00 Ratings6.585 Ratings
Meeting initiation00 Ratings7.2106 Ratings
Integrates with social media00 Ratings5.465 Ratings
Record meetings / events00 Ratings7.077 Ratings
Slideshows00 Ratings6.968 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.4
111 Ratings
23% below category average
Live chat00 Ratings6.8110 Ratings
Audience polling00 Ratings6.364 Ratings
Q&A00 Ratings6.262 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.6
101 Ratings
5% below category average
User authentication00 Ratings8.788 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings7.283 Ratings
Confidential attendee list00 Ratings6.960 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Chat
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.2
4 Ratings
5% below category average
Video conferencing00 Ratings7.24 Ratings
Audio conferencing00 Ratings7.84 Ratings
Video screen sharing00 Ratings6.44 Ratings
Instant messaging00 Ratings7.64 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google ChatSkype (discontinued)
Small Businesses
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Score 7.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger
Score 9.8 out of 10
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
HCL Connections
HCL Connections
Score 9.0 out of 10
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google ChatSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(26 ratings)
7.5
(140 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.0
(2 ratings)
10.0
(5 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(9 ratings)
6.0
(4 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.3
(3 ratings)
10.0
(42 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Google ChatSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
Google
It is a easy and quick way to chat and send instant message using the Google account, even send files, emojis, create groups. I have used it to communicate even with external people with a personal gmail account and is great to stay in touch with all around. I recommend it for anyone who wants to stay communicated using a google account.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
Having interacted with a new replacement tool, Microsoft Teams, it is challenging to recommend Skype, as it lacks some essential features, such as being less equipped with the latest updates, and it is not platform-independent, causing issues on PCs and phones, as well as during calls that might hinder work.
Read full review
Pros
Google
  • When discussing about a specific project, I can quickly share google docs or sheets within the chat which helps my team to view the document in real time and they do not have to leave the conversation.
  • Scheduling a meeting with someone is very easy on Google Chat.
  • We have remote team members in different time zones and instead of waiting for emails we use Google Chat to quickly discuss anything.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
  • The instant chat function is great. Very straightforward, easy to use, easy to learn, no technical issues.
  • Video calls are pretty easy also, user friendly and a mostly stable connection with no issues.
  • Voice calls are easy also, eliminates the need for an external landline or the need to use your cell phone. Clear connections, not really any dropped calls.
Read full review
Cons
Google
  • Google Hangouts Chat has a room for improvement in customizing the themes background.The themes are outdated and hard to change if you don't know the right key to change it.
  • It could be more user friendly if there will be no hidden features. Formatting messages is very likely to use and fun.
  • With conversations going on about everything all the time, it's easy to get pulled into far too many discussions but sometimes its hard to mention names because it shows many result even the users are not included on the chat room.
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Discontinued Products
  • Skype is a RESOURCE hog. People who have limited bandwidth will have poor call quality.
  • It is hard to figure out how to use emojis and upload images in the chat.
  • The background images do not fool anybody....it is clearly not your real background.
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Likelihood to Renew
Google
The updates, support, general reviews on Google Chat are great everywhere. The development of the features is ongoing and this adds a great value to Google as a big company in the market. Other applications are limiting communication while Google Chat is allowing communication to grow. It is very easy to use it and teach others how to use Google Chat.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.
Read full review
Usability
Google
As stated from the starting we found this application is well suited for a small audience and a group of people across the organization can be communicated easily with no additional hectic of doing any setup. When you have a Gmail account ready then you can easily access google chat and continue the communication. This tool is simple,secure and robust helping the global leading partner for their internal precise communication and handling the tasks in a great way
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Discontinued Products
Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.
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Support Rating
Google
I have not needed to contact the support folks for Google Hangouts Chat, so I can't speak to this with any accuracy. The online instructions are fairly clearly written, so it is fairly intuitive to start with. I did not feel the need to use the support people anyway.
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Discontinued Products
I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.
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Implementation Rating
Google
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.
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Alternatives Considered
Google
Slack has a few more features than Google Chat. Slack, for a long time, had thread chats that grouped a thread of thoughts together, making the main chat group space a lot less cluttered. A while back, Google Chat implemented a similar thing in a different but similar way, making the group less crowded. They are catching up.
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Discontinued Products
We use Skype in combination with Grasshopper. While Grasshopper acts as a routing toll free number with extensions, if we are making calls directly, we do it through Skype. Skype's desktop and mobile apps are easier to use, and provide unlimited local calls at a flat, affordable rate. Allowing our team to use their existing mobile or desktop devices without additional hardware for business office phone calls is important, and Skype makes that possible
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Professional Services
Google
No answers on this topic
Discontinued Products
The service provided is up to date, as discussed before buying.
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Return on Investment
Google
  • In my work it allows us to report troubles that may cost loss of investment thru Google Hangouts Chat we were able to communicate on how to fix it.
  • I hope we can make it on our own choice of colors to heightened workers vibe
  • It is connected to your email
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Discontinued Products
  • Skype made keeping in touch with an advisor in Mexico very easy. The initiative there resulted in 5 new partnerships.
  • Skype has helped me with account management for at least 3 customers in LATAM--usually it's a fast way to answer a question about a support renewal.
  • For about 9 months Skype helped me stay in touch with a colleague in Prague. We would meet once a week to go over sales activities.
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ScreenShots