Google Voice vs. Skype (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Google Voice
Score 7.8 out of 10
N/A
Google Voice is a free IP telephony service that provides users with one phone number that can be forwarded to multiple phones or devices. It includes features such as call forwarding, voicemail translation, text messaging, and voice calls. Fees may apply for international calling.
$10
per month
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Skype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.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 VoiceSkype (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
Starter
$10
per user/per month
Standard
$20
per user/per month
Premier
$30
per user/per month
United States Subscription
$2.99
per month
North America Subscription
$6.99
per month
India Subscription
$7.99
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Google VoiceSkype (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 VoiceSkype (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Google Voice
Chose Google Voice
None of the other small-scale VOIP systems I've tried came anywhere close to Google Voice. It is simple and simply works. Skype, on the other hand, is a bloated and convoluted junkpile of software which only barely operates, hogs resources, and puts advertisements in-app like …
Chose Google Voice
I see Skype for Business as a heavier, enterprise solution needing more backend admin support and training than Google Voice. Google Voice is just plain easy to use.
Chose Google Voice
Compared to Skype, GV is better. Not only is it a free alternative, it allows more customization, such as outgoing messages, which Skype ended without any warning (and my family lost ours of our then 3 year old son, which we were told is simply gone forever, although we'd have …
Chose Google Voice
I found Google Voice much easier to set up a dedicated number than it was on Skype and cheaper. I had previously set up a dedicated number on Skype and although relatively cheap, I found setup complicated and it never did work seamlessly unlike Google Voice which took all of …
Chose Google Voice
Google Voice has much better call quality than Skype (and it's easier to use), and it's much less expensive than Zoom, which is a bit bloated for my needs. Also, Skype feels outdated and aged out - Voice is a hip product that seems better designed for the needs of producers …
Chose Google Voice
I haven't really used anything else that gives you a whole local phone number, so I can't speak to that, but there are other solutions like Skype or Zoom that can also do calling. These are nicer in a lot of ways but, again, are different tools designed for different purposes.
Chose Google Voice
Considering that Google Voice integrates well into the other Google services, it has clear benefits when sharing and accessing call information. Skype is always a pain to use for calls b/c, not everyone had it, but Google Voice works with any phone and most people already have …
Chose Google Voice
Google Voice is easier to use, but in Skype you can have local numbers in different countries (not only in the US).
Skype call rates are lower than Google Voice's rates for non-US numbers, check the rates according to your predicted usage.
Chose Google Voice
The integrations of Google Voice with all our devices are flawless, Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and Mac. Also, the call performance is far superior on wifi as well as on mobile data. With Skype, we had several problems with personal accounts, performance issues, and in …
Chose Google Voice
I chose Google Voice for their seamless integration. Calls and text bundle and email alerts. While Skype had great quality calls a long time ago, I noticed their support team is horrible with many bugs and crashes. The call logs on Skype were not registering and sometimes it …
Chose Google Voice
Google Voice performs similar communication activities compared to many other business service tools. However, one often must integrate other Google apps in order to fully experience the benefits that other platforms experience locally. Voice does have the benefit of merging …
Chose Google Voice
We have Cisco tools as a primary option for our VoIP needs due to it's more professional approach. However Google Voice has recently became a business level program as well. I'm happy to use it due to it's unique features and the flexibility as we always expect from Google.
Skype (discontinued)

No answer on this topic

Features
Google VoiceSkype (discontinued)
Cloud PBX
Comparison of Cloud PBX features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
5.2
53 Ratings
43% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Hosted PBX6.025 Ratings00 Ratings
Multi-level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)3.027 Ratings00 Ratings
User templates1.419 Ratings00 Ratings
Call reports6.746 Ratings00 Ratings
Directory of employee names9.027 Ratings00 Ratings
Call Management
Comparison of Call Management features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
8.5
67 Ratings
1% above category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Answering rules8.446 Ratings00 Ratings
Call recording8.552 Ratings00 Ratings
Call park6.422 Ratings00 Ratings
Call screening10.060 Ratings00 Ratings
Message alerts9.065 Ratings00 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
7.5
44 Ratings
6% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
7.1
4 Ratings
6% below category average
Video conferencing6.222 Ratings6.94 Ratings
Audio conferencing7.839 Ratings7.64 Ratings
Video screen sharing8.014 Ratings6.34 Ratings
Instant messaging8.027 Ratings7.64 Ratings
Mobile apps
Comparison of Mobile apps features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
6.8
63 Ratings
17% below category average
Skype (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Mobile app for iOS6.545 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile app for Android7.151 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.0
138 Ratings
12% below category average
High quality audio00 Ratings7.6135 Ratings
High quality video00 Ratings7.7133 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements00 Ratings6.4130 Ratings
Mobile support00 Ratings6.4118 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.5
119 Ratings
19% below category average
Desktop sharing00 Ratings6.5118 Ratings
Whiteboards00 Ratings6.560 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.5
118 Ratings
22% below category average
Calendar integration00 Ratings6.485 Ratings
Meeting initiation00 Ratings7.0106 Ratings
Integrates with social media00 Ratings5.265 Ratings
Record meetings / events00 Ratings7.077 Ratings
Slideshows00 Ratings6.868 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
6.2
111 Ratings
26% below category average
Live chat00 Ratings6.5110 Ratings
Audience polling00 Ratings6.064 Ratings
Q&A00 Ratings6.062 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Google Voice
-
Ratings
Skype (discontinued)
7.6
101 Ratings
5% below category average
User authentication00 Ratings8.888 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings7.283 Ratings
Confidential attendee list00 Ratings6.860 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Google VoiceSkype (discontinued)
Small Businesses
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 7.5 out of 10
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Score 7.2 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
CloudTalk
CloudTalk
Score 7.5 out of 10
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Call Manager)
Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Call Manager)
Score 8.9 out of 10
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Google VoiceSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(71 ratings)
7.8
(140 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.3
(7 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
7.0
(35 ratings)
10.0
(42 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
10.0
(3 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
7.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Professional Services
7.0
(1 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 VoiceSkype (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
Google
I do think Google Voice works well for organizations that do not have a support team meant to provide regular telephone support, and instead do so on an ad hoc basis. I would not recommend it for high-volume call activities, such as SDR motions.
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
  • Google Voice has been great for setting up additional phone lines and numbers.
  • The voicemail inbox is a great feature and you can see when messages come in online and listen to the messages from your computer.
  • Google Voice allows us to have multiple phone numbers and lines for specific business purposes.
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
  • There has not been much innovation since the initial release.
  • It doesn't handle SMS well.
  • It does not natively integrate with CRM without legacy complication
  • It is not supported by Google as it once was
  • Call Recording is non-existent
  • Call-Tree or Virtual Auto-Attendant needs are not available
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Google
Google Voice has been invaluable for us in our effort to provide exceptional customer service. With Google Voice, we have been able to increase our customer interactions while reducing the wait time to reach a live person on our team. We couldn't be more pleased with the way things have worked out since implementing Google Voice.
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
I think it works really well in the arena it operates in, but not so well in areas where an enterprise system would be more appropriate. It's great for quick solutions that just work, but not so much for more complex call management tasks.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Support Rating
Google
They do not offer support unless you have the Business account for Google Voice under G Suite. This is tough, because Google doesn't really have a customer support team for this service, so when it gets shut down for a few hours, we have no choice but to wait it out. But this doesn't happen that often, which is great.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Google
It is a pretty seamless program to transfer to, even for people who either have little experience with these programs or people who were stuck on Skype
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Google
The integrations of Google Voice with all our devices are flawless, Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and Mac. Also, the call performance is far superior on wifi as well as on mobile data. With Skype, we had several problems with personal accounts, performance issues, and in general, it felt awkward to use it.
Read full review
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
Read full review
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Google
Google Voice should be also be use to those who have difficulty in speaking English. So the contract term will need to be a little strict as Google Voice is used in navigations as the part of GPRS navigation is personal. The private data need to be in control much more securely and safely.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
Google
It help to connect with the products that we use as a part. We need to get in touch with our professional world. It is like a tool that helps us to get in touch with everything from A to Z in our professional careers. So we need to be in touch with everything as linearly as the jpb can be done.
Read full review
Discontinued Products
The service provided is up to date, as discussed before buying.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Google
  • Cost for Google Voice is stellar, starting at $10/mo per user.
  • While it doesn't offer a new Audio/Video conferencing solution it does integrate with GSuite so it makes use of Google Calendar and Hangouts/ Google Meet.
  • Gets the employee's to use their company phone numbers more as texting is easy and deployment is simple.
  • The cell phone app is reliable and easy to deploy.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
ScreenShots