When did Skype shut down?

Microsoft retired Skype for consumers on 5 May 2025. New Skype Credit and subscription sales stopped before that, and the remaining paid subscriptions, including Skype Numbers, ended on 1 May 2026.

Can I still use my Skype Credit?

Microsoft says existing Skype Credit can still be used through the Dial Pad in the Skype web portal and in Microsoft Teams Free. You cannot buy new credit.

Can Microsoft Teams Free call landlines and mobiles?

Only with Skype Credit that you already had. Teams Free does not sell calling credit or calling plans. Calling phone numbers in Teams needs a business Teams Phone licence.

What is the best Skype alternative for calling phone numbers?

For calls from a computer, Webbphone is the closest replacement for Skype Credit: pay-as-you-go calls to mobiles and landlines from a browser, with no app. On a phone, Viber Out, Rebtel and Talk360 also sell pay-as-you-go credit.

Are WhatsApp and FaceTime Skype alternatives?

Only for calls between people who use the same app. WhatsApp and FaceTime cannot call landlines or the phone numbers of people who do not use the app, which was the main reason many people paid for Skype Credit.

Best Skype Alternatives for Calling Phone Numbers in 2026

Skype closed on 5 May 2025 and Teams Free cannot buy calling credit. These are the alternatives that still call real mobiles and landlines abroad.

What happened to Skype

5 May 2025: Microsoft retired Skype for consumers and moved users to Microsoft Teams Free.
Before May 2025: sales of new Skype Credit and subscriptions stopped.
1 May 2026: the last paid subscriptions, including Skype Numbers, ended.

Existing Skype Credit still works in the Dial Pad of the Skype web portal and of Teams Free, but you cannot top it up. When it runs out, you need another way to call phone numbers.

Why Teams Free is not a replacement

Teams Free is good for video calls with other Teams users. But it does not sell calling credit or calling plans, so you cannot call a landline, a bank or a relative without a smartphone. Calling phone numbers in Teams needs a business Teams Phone licence.

The best Skype alternatives for calling phone numbers

1. Webbphone: Skype Credit in your browser

Best for: people who called landlines and mobiles from a computer.

Calls from a browser tab, with nothing to install.
Sign up with an email address or a Google account, from any country.
Pay-as-you-go credit from $5 that never expires, like Skype Credit.
Calls to mobiles and landlines in 230+ countries, including US and Canadian toll-free numbers.
Verify your own number as the caller ID.

Check the rate for your country, or read how to make cheap international calls online.

2. Google Voice (US only)

Best for: people who live in the US. Google Voice has a web app and prepaid international credit. Personal accounts are US only and need a US number. See our Google Voice alternatives if you are outside the US.

3. Viber Out

Best for: people who already use Viber on their phone. Pay per minute with World Credit, or buy a plan.

4. Rebtel and Talk360

Best for: calls from a smartphone. Both are apps with pay-as-you-go credit; Rebtel also has subscriptions for one country, and Talk360 has a free 1-minute test call.

5. WhatsApp, FaceTime and Teams Free

Best for: free calls between people who use the same app. They cannot replace Skype Credit, because they do not call landlines or people who do not use the app.

How to switch from Skype Credit to Webbphone

Use up your remaining Skype Credit in the Teams Free Dial Pad.
Create a Webbphone account with your email. New accounts get one free call of up to 1 minute on most destinations.
Add credit from $5 and open the dialer.
Optional: verify your own phone number as the caller ID, so that people recognise your calls.