I'll stick with skype, I've 1000+ contacts on it and cannot see why I need to move.
For a very limited amount a month, I can call friends globally. That's OK.
Just added another today.
gvoice doesn't have international SMS anymore, it was free, not anymore, they don't even have a system setup to charge you, just outright banned it, they also don't list rates for international cell phone calls, eventually nobody will have a home phone, only cell phones, so rates to land lines are not helpful information.
Skype has all the rates easily found for international SMS and international cell phone rates and an easier system for business users to assign credit and auto paid subscriptions, but a clunky interface. I'm sticking to paid service with skype, although the free phone number with google is incredible.
I'll be using the google number to receive international SMS, and the international telcel website to send free SMS messages. Personally I don't see why either company charges for international text messages. I'm a computer programmer and easily wrote an interface where you select carrier by country/carrier and it directs the message through their carriers free SMS message interface on their website.
Now days such wizdl interfaces are commonplace on the web. Google uses them all the time, so hopefully it won't be long before one of the 1 of the 2 companies finally catches up with me.
I contacted Google about publishing some of my software programs for free, which also integrated all of your messaging accounts and emails into one software with Google based paid advertising that I had already integrated into the software, but they responding saying Google Ads does not support software programs, even though all my programs are still working fine some 6 years later, a month after my email, they began producing Google apps! What a bunch of crock! They stole my idea and kept the money for themselves. I was pissed! You can steal my money, and my ideas, but you can never steal my soul full of newer better creations everyday.
Rab - 14 years ago
I loved Google Voice integration inside gmail thank skype. I've been using skype since 2 years, I started very recently using Google Voice still I feel google voice is very easy to use because of its integration in gmail. And the call is clarity is outstanding than expected. Their introduction offer allowing free calls to anywhere inside US and Canada is very useful to me. I vote to Google Voice to skype.
Fron - 14 years ago
Google voice is superior for the following reasons:
Free domestic calls,
Free send/receive SMS to any number including international numbers
Very low cost international calls including calls placed from cell phones
One number rings all your phones at once or selectively
Voice mail emaill integration
Voice mail transcription
SIP phone support with Gizmo5
And now, call from Gmail
Google voice extension for Chrome for easy access and click on any number to call
Skype does not even come close
I have been using Google Voice since the Grand Central days and the quality/features is only getting better
Martin - 14 years ago
I've been using Skype since it started, and also Grand Central (the company that became Google Voice). Skype was the king of outbound calling, but was horrid for inbound calling. Google Voice was the opposite - with no rational dialer client, it was clunky and confusing. The gmail based dialer is fantastic, better than Skype - and more importantly, it seems to take much less system resources. But I'm not giving up on Skype because Skype works on almost ANYTHING with a net connection. They have clients for the most devices and you don't need flash installed for it to work.
What's working best for me with the Google solution is dialing into conference calls. Google's been great for that sort of thing - skype can't handle dial, pause, dial strings, which makes automatically dialing into one the dozens of calls I have to make a week a hassle.
All in all, it's a dead heat for me, it's all good.
Keith - 14 years ago
Having used Skype for years and just starting to use Google Voice... opening the "call" button to gmail is fantastic. Google just got a big leg up on Skype!
ed Hughes - 14 years ago
Skype 5 yrs
Google voice 5 days
Google wins!!!
Skype was great 4 or 5 years ago but they haven’t advanced, lowered cost, or made it easier to use. I can see why Google got into the business. It’s a high technogly and it was dying.
bobbrew - 14 years ago
For gmail users (which should eventually be most of the world) the choice is a no brainer. Integration with gmail contacts seems simple and flawless. Call quality is much better than expected and there seems to be less "overhead" to bog down my aging system.
I like Google Voice better, but Skype is OK too. I do prefer Google Voice more.
I'll stick with skype, I've 1000+ contacts on it and cannot see why I need to move.
For a very limited amount a month, I can call friends globally. That's OK.
Just added another today.
gvoice doesn't have international SMS anymore, it was free, not anymore, they don't even have a system setup to charge you, just outright banned it, they also don't list rates for international cell phone calls, eventually nobody will have a home phone, only cell phones, so rates to land lines are not helpful information.
Skype has all the rates easily found for international SMS and international cell phone rates and an easier system for business users to assign credit and auto paid subscriptions, but a clunky interface. I'm sticking to paid service with skype, although the free phone number with google is incredible.
I'll be using the google number to receive international SMS, and the international telcel website to send free SMS messages. Personally I don't see why either company charges for international text messages. I'm a computer programmer and easily wrote an interface where you select carrier by country/carrier and it directs the message through their carriers free SMS message interface on their website.
Now days such wizdl interfaces are commonplace on the web. Google uses them all the time, so hopefully it won't be long before one of the 1 of the 2 companies finally catches up with me.
I contacted Google about publishing some of my software programs for free, which also integrated all of your messaging accounts and emails into one software with Google based paid advertising that I had already integrated into the software, but they responding saying Google Ads does not support software programs, even though all my programs are still working fine some 6 years later, a month after my email, they began producing Google apps! What a bunch of crock! They stole my idea and kept the money for themselves. I was pissed! You can steal my money, and my ideas, but you can never steal my soul full of newer better creations everyday.
I loved Google Voice integration inside gmail thank skype. I've been using skype since 2 years, I started very recently using Google Voice still I feel google voice is very easy to use because of its integration in gmail. And the call is clarity is outstanding than expected. Their introduction offer allowing free calls to anywhere inside US and Canada is very useful to me. I vote to Google Voice to skype.
Google voice is superior for the following reasons:
Free domestic calls,
Free send/receive SMS to any number including international numbers
Very low cost international calls including calls placed from cell phones
One number rings all your phones at once or selectively
Voice mail emaill integration
Voice mail transcription
SIP phone support with Gizmo5
And now, call from Gmail
Google voice extension for Chrome for easy access and click on any number to call
Skype does not even come close
I have been using Google Voice since the Grand Central days and the quality/features is only getting better
I've been using Skype since it started, and also Grand Central (the company that became Google Voice). Skype was the king of outbound calling, but was horrid for inbound calling. Google Voice was the opposite - with no rational dialer client, it was clunky and confusing. The gmail based dialer is fantastic, better than Skype - and more importantly, it seems to take much less system resources. But I'm not giving up on Skype because Skype works on almost ANYTHING with a net connection. They have clients for the most devices and you don't need flash installed for it to work.
What's working best for me with the Google solution is dialing into conference calls. Google's been great for that sort of thing - skype can't handle dial, pause, dial strings, which makes automatically dialing into one the dozens of calls I have to make a week a hassle.
All in all, it's a dead heat for me, it's all good.
Having used Skype for years and just starting to use Google Voice... opening the "call" button to gmail is fantastic. Google just got a big leg up on Skype!
Skype 5 yrs
Google voice 5 days
Google wins!!!
Skype was great 4 or 5 years ago but they haven’t advanced, lowered cost, or made it easier to use. I can see why Google got into the business. It’s a high technogly and it was dying.
For gmail users (which should eventually be most of the world) the choice is a no brainer. Integration with gmail contacts seems simple and flawless. Call quality is much better than expected and there seems to be less "overhead" to bog down my aging system.