Does StartACall call real phones like Skype did?

Yes. It rings any landline or mobile in the world. The person on the other end needs no app and no account, they answer on their normal phone.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Unlike Skype, StartACall runs straight in the browser on Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox, on both computer and phone.

How does payment work?

It is prepaid credit billed by the minute, with no monthly plan and a small $0.004 connection fee. The credit you add never expires.

Can I try it before paying?

Yes. The first call is free and we do not ask for a card so you can test it out.

What technology does the browser use to make calls?

It uses the calling support built into modern browsers, often called WebRTC, to send your voice over the internet to our network, which connects it to the other person's normal phone line.

Will the call quality match Skype?

Yes. Calls connect in clear high definition audio over a steady internet connection. A normal home wifi or mobile data signal is enough for a good line.

Does the other person see my account or details?

No. They simply receive an incoming call on their ordinary phone. There is no profile, no app and no account to set up on their side.

Skype alternative for international calls from Australia | StartACall | StartACall

Why Australians need a Skype replacement

For years Skype was the easy way to call real phone numbers overseas using prepaid credit. Now that it has shut down, a lot of people are left without a direct way to ring an ordinary phone number rather than just another user on the same app.

StartACall fills exactly that gap. It calls any landline or mobile in the world, so the person on the other end does not need to install anything or sign up. If you used Skype to keep up with family, clients or suppliers overseas, the switch is straightforward.

What changes compared with Skype

Like Skype, StartACall runs on prepaid credit and bills by the minute. The difference is that everything happens in the browser, with nothing to download, so there are no installs or updates to wrestle with on your laptop or phone.

A call to a UK landline runs about $0.0514 a minute, an Indian mobile about $0.153, and a Vietnamese number about $0.54. There is a small $0.004 connection fee per call, and the credit you add never expires, unlike older plans that wiped your balance after a stretch of inactivity.

How to start today

Open StartACall in your browser, create an account in under a minute, and make your first call free to test the audio. If you like it, add a small amount of credit and use it whenever you need.

You call from a computer or a phone the same way, and you can receive calls back if you pick up a US or Canada digital number for roughly $2.14 to $5 a month. For most people who just want to ring overseas phones, no number is needed at all.

Moving over from Skype is mostly a matter of habit. The dialling itself is the same, you type the plus sign, the country code and the number, so your old international numbers still work, and there is no app to reinstall on a new laptop or phone.

How browser calling actually works

Skype needed an app on both your device and, for the best experience, the other person's too. StartACall uses the calling technology built into modern browsers, often called WebRTC, to turn a browser tab into a phone. Your voice travels over the internet to our network, which then hands the call onto the ordinary phone line of whoever you are ringing.

Because the hard part lives in the browser, there is nothing to keep updated and nothing to break after an operating system update. Open Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox on a desktop or a phone, allow the microphone when prompted, and you have a working dialler. The person you call hears a normal phone ringing and answers as usual.

Privacy, quality and what to expect

Calls connect in clear high definition audio when your connection is steady, and a typical home wifi or 4G signal is plenty. If the line ever sounds rough, it is almost always the internet connection at one end rather than the service itself, so moving closer to the router usually fixes it.

Your contacts are not exposed to the people you ring. They simply see an incoming call and answer their normal phone, with no account, no profile and no app on their side. That keeps things simple for older relatives or business contacts who never used Skype and would rather not learn a new tool just to take your call.

Device support is broad as well. The dialler works in Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox on Windows, macOS, Android and iPhone, so you are not tied to one operating system. If you switch laptops or upgrade your phone, you sign in on the new device and your credit and history are simply there, with nothing to reinstall.

The Skype alternative for international calls

What you get

How it works

Open StartACall

Type the number

Tap call

Why people use StartACall

Instant setup

Pay as you go

No app, no SIM

Ready to make your first call?

The Skype alternative for international calls from Australia

Why Australians need a Skype replacement

What changes compared with Skype

How to start today

How browser calling actually works

Privacy, quality and what to expect

Frequently asked questions

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