Skype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.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
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Score6.5 out of 10
N/A
Skype for Business was an online messaging and conferencing tool, now superseded by Microsoft Teams.
N/A
Pricing
Skype (discontinued)
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
United States Subscription
$2.99
per month
North America Subscription
$6.99
per month
India Subscription
$7.99
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Skype (discontinued)
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Free Trial
No
No
Free/Freemium Version
No
No
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No
No
Entry-level Setup Fee
No setup fee
No setup fee
Additional Details
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More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Skype (discontinued)
Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
Discontinued Products
Verified User
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Compared to Slack, Skype for Business and MS Teams - I would choose any of them over Skype. Main strength of the other solutions is that they are usually made to be connected to your work e-mail.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Verified User
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is good for:
Internal video calls and screen sharing.
Easy and affordable tool for foreign calls (you can purchase a small credit for every user, so he can make foreign calls from everywhere in affordable prices).
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Verified User
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype overall is easier to use than a lot of comparable collaboration tools on the market. It really doesn't require formal training to use, and most users get used to all the features of the platform pretty quick overall. Some other collaboration tools may offer more …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Payroll Administrator in Corporate at LEE HECHT HARRISON LLC (Human Resources, 1001-5000 employees)
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype stacks up against them as it is far more user-friendly and it is helpful for smaller companies who need a more affordable system. However, it does lack some functionalities that other tools have which can change this communication tool to a full-fledged like polls and …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Verified User
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 …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Verified User
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Skype is a great tool for communicating with peers. It's also useful for screen sharing and having meetings through video conferencing. End-to-end testing is possible through Skype, as well. It integrates well with Outlook and setting up meetings is quick and easy. Adding …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Verified User
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Same as before with updates and more features. Nothing much more to say, it's been practical. Zoom is efficient but doesn't allow chat like everyone is already familiar nowadays. (ex; Microsoft, ICQ, MSN, Messenger, Facebook Messenger, etc.) Chatting is now second nature to …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Director - Pride Alliance in Professional Services at University of North Texas (Higher Education, 1001-5000 employees)
Chose Skype (discontinued)
Google Hangouts is a product that can be used for single and conference video calls. I have used this platform in the past and it doesn't provide the same amount of features as Skype. Google Hangouts requires everyone to create a Google account to participate, while all of the …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Senior Database Administrator in Information Technology at Ericsson (Telecommunications, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype (discontinued)
We use Microsoft Windows and products a lot here and Skype is our choice since it is compatible and easy to maintain for the IT Support Team. Everyone is familiar with this product across different countries due to the global reach and support from Microsoft.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Analyst in Finance and Accounting at Airtel International LLP-Airtel Africa (Telecommunications, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Skype for Business existing before all these other softwares were present. So legacy is maintained by Skype. Main feature that stacks up Skype against all of the mentioned apps is security provided by Skype for Business apps. As we all know Zoom was not at all safe to use as lots …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Senior Programmer Analyst in Information Technology at RemaTarlazzi SPA (Retail, 501-1000 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
The previous version of Skype (before the purchase of Microsoft) certainly had fewer features than those implemented after integration with Lync. It was fortunate that Microsoft purchased Skype to improve its Lync.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Administrative Assistant in Engineering at Mazak Corp (Machinery, 51-200 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
I've just used regular Skype which is a lot different and more for the every day use since you can send emoticons and gifs, etc. I prefer Skype for Business because it's concise and to the point.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Senior Firmware Engineer in Engineering at Spirent Communications (Telecommunications, 1001-5000 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Skype for Business is the paid version of Skype and thus provides more features and capabilities. As a business with employees worldwide, we require video conferencing software that supports more than 25 members in a call, which is why Skype for Business is preferred over Skype.…
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
CRM Manager - Analyst/Programmer in Marketing at Concordia University, Irvine (Higher Education, 501-1000 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
It's very well suited to compete against the "big players" in the video conferencing world. Even as it relates to "normal" Skype, it does a lot more, and a lot better. It might cost a bit more, but it seems to really work well when we get it going with a larger group for bigger …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Senior Software Development Manager in Information Technology at eSilicon (Semiconductors, 501-1000 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Before Skype for Business, we were using Skype and we needed more. At that time, Skype didn't have screen sharing capabilities and had some quality issues with audio and video conferencing. When we started using Lync, the difference in the quality of audio alone was so big that …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Verified User
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
WebEx seems to be more cumbersome than Skype and does not integrate as smoothly into Microsoft Outlook.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
President & Co-Founder in Information Technology at Enovatio (Computer Software, 1-10 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
It is easier to chat on Slack and whatsapp.Skype For Business is much better for video collaboration that ClickMeeting. We have a problem with ClickMeeting because it uses Flash technology and not every browser supports this technology well. I think that long-term we will use Sk…
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Senior Event Strategist in Marketing at Event Strategy Group (Computer Hardware, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
I always have Skype for business running alongside regular Skype because there are people outside of my organization that I need to reach in a timely manner. The conference and screensharing functionality of Skype for Business is great and easy to use - but that's mostly …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Graphic Designer at Miss Mandible Designs (Graphic Design, 1-10 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Skype for Business works, but it's not as user-friendly or stable as normal Skype. One difficulty with Skype for Business is that the features aren't always implementable. Skype for Business is more stable than Google Hangouts. It doesn't have as many features as WebEx, but it …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Technical Associate in Information Technology at SEARS Holding India (Information Technology & Services, 1001-5000 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
I had used "IBM Sametime" [at] my last company. It was also a good tool but as good as Skype for Business is. Skype for Business has many features and very user-friendly but IBM Sametime [did] not [have as] many features. Sharing screen and taking command is one of the best …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Sales Transformation Leader in Sales at Softtek (Information Technology and Services, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
We had a similar situation, when the server was saturated, it was impossible to connect, but you could raise your hand to ask questions, it had polling and Q&A. You could also record the meetings, even when you connected through phone.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Microsoft SQL Server DBA in Information Technology at DBI (Information Technology and Services, 201-500 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Slack has a bit higher sound quality on calls but does not have a very comfortable GUI and not very good notification sounds. On the other hand, you can connect several accounts to Slack client, as for Skype for Business you can connect only one account and run only one …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Digital Marketing Manager in Marketing at Paychex (Human Resources, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
I have to use Skype for Business because its the only "approved" IM client. I also use Slack and there are some better collaboration options with Slack. Plus Slack is more fun to work in. But it doesn't integrate with anything else we have so it can not be fully used by everyone.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
IT Strategic Technical Advisor in Information Technology at FedEx Express (Package/Freight Delivery, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
We use both Skype for Business and Cisco Jabber in Fedex, as Cisco Jabber integrates with our real physical Cisco phone well. They are more like complements with each other.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Senior Data Analyst at Level Interactive (Marketing and Advertising, 51-200 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Most people are familiar with Skype (having personally used it), and Skype for Business has an approachable learning curve. It's also functional across multiple platforms and well-supported for smartphones, which makes it an easy choice when onboarding new clients/vendors. It …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Director of Human Resources in Human Resources at Tender Touch Rehab Services (Hospital & Health Care, 1001-5000 employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Skype for Business allows for a much quicker interaction between employees and simplistic screen sharing within our company and doesn't require downloading any additional software or click on on any additional links. Until we began using Skype for Business we would have to …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Forecasting Analyst in Professional Services at Hilton (Hospitality, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Very useful for one on one conversation. It as a great tool to be used for file sharing and screen sharing. No hassle of scheduling meeting and logging in for small tasks.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Verified User
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Previously with had Lynnc, which had issues in on line meetings ,and wasn't as rich in features, I think.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Platforms Engineer at HCA (Hospital & Health Care, 10,001+ employees)
Chose Skype for Business / Lync (discontinued)
Lync was pretty good and is still used in some locations and although Skype is an addition to Lync it has those functions that we all used to use when Skype was its own. Using Jabber was not a good experience for our company. Not sure how it would have been if we were a smaller …
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
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.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. TR verified that a representative sample of customers was invited. More Info
Skype for Business, now part of Microsoft Teams is a remote/virtual team collaboration tool must have...especially if you already use Microsoft tools. Of course, since it now part of an MS 365 subscription, it really doesn't make sense to use anything else. It is easy to use and just works. I'm not sure how anyone who works with digital files/documents and needs to work with other people doing similar work can be effective without such a tool. Of course, there are a number of alternatives like Zoom or Webex, but why pay or use another separate tool if you don't need to. :-)
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
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.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Instant messaging to anyone who we know only by name/email. Even if they're offline, they get the message in missed convos and a notification automatically goes to them via Outlook mail. All conversations are saved and accessible via Outlook.
Video and voice calls are a norm in the WFH scenario, and an average employee has around 4-5 calls a day. Skype gives notifications for upcoming meetings, allows easy scheduling via outlook calendar, and its audio/video quality [is] reasonably good compared to the amount of data it consumes.
Status availabilities - in the WFH scenario, you could be off for lunch, out of office, busy, sharing screens - and might not want to be disturbed. Skype allows you to do that, and in case you're off, ensures that you know that you have missed messages.
Screen sharing - we have to share screens at least once or twice a day with a coworker when working on some issues/features, and Skype easily lets us do that. One of the best things about Skype is that the screen can be shared without being on a video/voice call - which is of immense advantage because oftentimes, you could prefer sharing the screen, while it [is] too noisy to talk.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Connection issues can be hard to diagnose when they come up(as some knowledge of server information may be needed to reestablish as the connection troubleshooting options on the sky are not as user-friendly as the rest of the platform.
Some issues setting up camera/sound could use more info on troubleshooting options with playback sound, video, etc.
Statuses sometimes are unreliable and do not display correctly .
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
The software is simple to install and configure. It is rather simple to explain for correct use. It is possible to profile users for the different functions offered. It is integrated quite completely with Outlook and with Active Directory security. It performs all communication functions well with one or more interlocutors and the possibility of granting control of your computer is convenient.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
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.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Very easy to use. Even though Microsoft Teams has a lot of features and integrations, as a user I feel completely comfortable on finding what I need, getting information about the app extensions and using them. It's a very comprehensive tool, intuitive design and does not make me feel tired to be using it. I am glad with the current experience.
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.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
I have only had to reach out to the Support team at Skype for Business once with an issue, and I was pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the quickness and thoroughness of their response. The wait time was short and my question was dealt with politely and clearly, so I would say the support team has it together.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Skpe for business is utilized company wide in regards to my company. Everyone not only uses it, but uses it often. It is an effective way of communicating. It also integrates very nicely with outlook and all conversation history is pushed to a folder within the outlook system. We also have it so that if someone misses a message, they are sent an email reminder saying that there is a message that went unread.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
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
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
For the below reason I will always choose this app over its competitors: Better audio and video quality, Little to no disconnections or freezing when on a call/video conference Integrates well with mailbox/ calendar/ one drive, and SharePoint is easy to use
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
Skype for Business has enabled a migration in part away from fixed line telephony and introduced the user to mobile working with a headset which cannot be overstated as being a game changer.
Being able to schedule Skype for Business meetings through Outlook has meant meetings with colleagues without a meeting room has been a great enabler.
A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info
