Stop forcing downloads

Browser Phone vs.
Skype for Business

The era of installing heavy software for a simple phone call is over. Discover why agile teams are switching to StartACall's zero-install, browser-based VoIP.

LEGACY

Skype / Apps

  • Requires Installation
  • Heavy CPU Usage
  • Constant Updates
MODERN

Browser Phone

  • No Downloads
  • Instant Access
  • Works on Any Device

The "Download" Friction

In sales and support, every second counts. Asking a client or a new employee to "download Skype" or "install a plugin" creates immediate friction.

StartACall removes this barrier entirely. Your phone lives in the browser tab. You log in, and you are ready to dial many countries instantly.

Preferred by 10,000+ Sales Agents
1
Download Installer (150MB)
2
Install & Update
"Please restart your computer..."
3
StartACall Way
Open URL → Start Talking. Done.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature
StartACall
Browser Phone
Skype for Business
Legacy App
Installation RequiredNO
Pay-As-You-Go Pricing
Instant Virtual Numbers
Hardware Independent
Mass Calling Campaigns
AI Phone Agents
Global PSTN Access

Pricing That Makes Sense

Subscription Model
$15 - $35
per user / month
  • Monthly commitment
  • Pay even if unused
  • Complex licensing
Competitors
StartACall Model
$0.00
monthly fees
  • Pay only for minutes used
  • Unlimited users
  • Credits never expire

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use StartACall on my mobile?

Yes! Because it runs in the browser, you can use Chrome or Safari on your Android or iOS device to make calls without installing an app.

Is the audio quality better than Skype?

We use WebRTC with the Opus codec, which dynamically adjusts to your internet speed. This often results in clearer, lower-latency audio compared to older protocols used by legacy software.

Can I receive calls?

Yes. You can purchase virtual numbers in 50+ countries. Calls to these numbers will ring directly in your browser dashboard.

Ready to ditch the app?

Join thousands of users who have switched to browser-based calling.

After Skype: What Its Retirement Means for Your Calling Setup

In short

Microsoft retired Skype in May 2025 and pointed consumers toward Teams, which does not replicate cheap pay-as-you-go dialing to ordinary phone numbers. If your team relied on Skype credit to call landlines and mobiles, you need a successor for that specific job. This section maps what changed and how to migrate the workflow.

What actually disappeared with Skype

Skype bundled two different products. One was app-to-app messaging and video, which Teams and a dozen other tools cover well. The other was Skype Credit and subscriptions for dialing real phone numbers worldwide at low per-minute rates, and that second product is the one without an obvious Microsoft successor for casual and small business use.

Teams calling plans exist, but they are subscription products aimed at organizations provisioning users through Microsoft 365, a poor fit for someone who occasionally needs to ring a supplier in another country.

The retirement also stranded habits more than data. People had muscle memory for checking rates, topping up a few dollars, and dialing internationally from a laptop, and that entire workflow needed a new home rather than a single exported file.

The niche Skype Credit filled, and what fills it now

The core workflow was simple: load a small balance, dial any number, pay only for what you use. Browser-based calling services now cover this pattern without even the desktop app Skype required. StartACall follows the same prepaid logic, per-minute billing with no subscription, and adds that credits never expire, a sore point for former Skype users whose credit lapsed after inactivity.

The first call is free for new users, which serves the same purpose the old Skype test call did: verifying your microphone and audio path before money is involved.

Migrating a small team off the Skype workflow

Inventory what Skype actually did for you before choosing replacements. App-to-app video with known contacts moves naturally to Teams, Meet, or similar. Dialing customers, landlords, embassies, and landlines abroad moves to a browser dialer. If you received calls on a Skype Number, note that StartACall offers inbound via US or Canada virtual numbers at $2.14 to $5 per month.

The practical migration is an afternoon: export or note your frequent numbers, place test calls to the important ones, and load a small credit balance sized to your last few months of Skype usage.

Check the per-minute rate for each destination you call regularly rather than assuming parity with old Skype pricing. Rates differ by country and between landline and mobile numbers, so your two or three most-dialed destinations are the only prices that actually matter to your budget.

Why the replacement should live in the browser

Skype's decline traces partly to the install-and-update burden of a desktop client that grew heavier every year. A calling tool that runs as a web page cannot rot on your disk. You always load the current version, it works identically on a work machine where you cannot install software, and there is nothing to uninstall when policies change.

For the person you call, nothing changes at all. Their phone rings normally whether you dialed from a desktop app or from a browser tab, so the switching cost is entirely on your side, and it is close to zero.

Frequently asked questions

Is Skype still available in 2026?+

No. Microsoft retired Skype for consumers in May 2025 and directed users to Microsoft Teams Free. The pay-as-you-go calling to phone numbers that Skype Credit provided was not carried over into the free Teams product.

What replaced Skype Credit for calling real phone numbers?+

Prepaid VoIP services fill that role. Browser-based options like StartACall use the same model, load credit and pay per minute with no subscription, with the added differences that no app install is needed and credits never expire.

Can I still make cheap international calls without installing an app?+

Yes. WebRTC lets a normal web page in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge place calls to landlines and mobiles worldwide. You sign in, grant microphone access, and dial, with per-minute rates that vary by destination.

I had a Skype Number for inbound calls. What is the equivalent now?+

A virtual number from a VoIP provider. StartACall offers US and Canada virtual numbers for $2.14 to $5 per month, with incoming calls ringing in your browser wherever you are signed in.

Does Microsoft Teams make phone calls to regular numbers?+

Only with paid calling plans provisioned through Microsoft 365, which are built for organizations rather than individuals. For occasional calls to ordinary numbers, a pay-as-you-go browser service is simpler and has no monthly commitment.

Last reviewed June 2026Reviewed by the StartACall calling teamDialing rules cross checked against ITU international dialing procedures
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