After 23 years of connecting people around the world, Skype, the popular video-calling service, is shutting down. Microsoft, the parent company, confirmed that the official sunset date for the service is May 5, 2025.
Skype users can either migrate all their contacts and chat data to Microsoft Teams, or they can choose to download their Skype data and transition to another video-calling service.
To assist users in the switch, we’ve created a guide on how to migrate to Teams or download Skype data. Additionally, we’ve curated a list of alternative video-calling apps that can replace Skype.
How to move from Skype to Microsoft Teams
Before May 5, Skype users can sign in to Teams for free using their Skype credentials. Once logged in, all their chats and contacts will automatically transfer to the app.
Teams offers features similar to Skype, including one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. While Skype was primarily designed for smaller groups (up to 20 participants) and casual use, Teams is more business-focused, accommodating up to 10,000 participants in a single video call. It also comes with advanced security features and various integrations, such as Evernote, OneDrive, Office 365, Salesforce, SharePoint, Trello, and more.
Teams is available on Android, iOS, Mac, PC, and the web.
How to export Skype data
For users who aren’t interested in making the transition to Microsoft Teams, we still recommend exporting account data. This ensures that valuable information — such as messages, files, and contact details — is backed up and can be accessed in the future.
- Open Skype and log in.
- Click on the three horizontal dots under the account name in the top left corner.
- Go to Settings > Account & Profile > Your Account.
- After being redirected to Skype’s web portal, choose from either Export contacts (.csv), Export Caller ID numbers (.csv), or Export files and chat history.
- The “Export files and chat history” option lets users download Conversations and Files.
- Click Submit Request and Continue.
- When the export process is complete, click Download.
Here are the best Skype alternatives
Google Meet
An obvious benefit of using Google Meet is that it’s available for free with a Google account. Since a lot of people are already using Google and have existing accounts, transitioning to this platform would be fairly easy.
Google Meet allows users to hold meetings with up to 100 participants, record meetings, share screens, and more. A drawback with the free plan is that if a meeting has more than three participants, there’s a 60-minute time limit.
Large companies may want to purchase a Google Workspace plan for features like having up to 25 co-hosts, dividing participants into smaller breakout rooms during meetings, creating polls, setting up a Q&A session, livestreaming to YouTube, and more. Workspace — which has plans for $7/month, $14/month, $22/month, and up — also offers AI-powered tools through its Gemini assistant, which helps Meet users take notes and create custom background images.
Zoom
Zoom is another popular web-conferencing tool. It offers several helpful features, including the ability to host up to 100 participants and chat in both private and public groups, and has tools such as notes, a whiteboard, and screen-sharing capabilities. Users can also record meetings and access transcripts.
However, one downside is the 40-minute time limit per meeting for users on the free plan. To avoid having meetings cut off, users will need to purchase a subscription, which ranges from $13/month to $18/month. Paid subscribers have access to Zoom’s AI Companion, which includes the ability to summarize meetings and ask questions about transcribed meetings.
Webex
Webex, the Cisco-owned video conferencing tool, offers a similar plan to its competitors. For instance, it has features such as screen sharing, the ability to record sessions, a whiteboard capability, and more.
The free plan includes up to 100 attendees per meeting, as well as an unfortunate 40-minute time limit. Webex also offers plans from $12/month, $22/month, and up, depending on team size. The paid tiers come with an AI assistant, live polling, Q&A, and the ability to add up to 1,000 attendees.
Discord
Discord was initially designed as a chat platform for gamers, but it can also serve as an alternative to Skype for personal use or for smaller teams. However, it’s not recommended for larger businesses, as it limits calls to 25 participants.
On the positive side, Discord offers unlimited meeting lengths and features such as screen sharing, the ability to record meetings, and breakout rooms. The platform has a free plan in addition to two paid options priced at $5/month and $10/month, making it one of the more affordable choices available, depending on users’ needs.
Slack
While Slack may not be ideal for formally scheduled meetings with large groups, it can be effective for spontaneous meetings within team chats. The Huddle feature in Slack enables users to easily transition from a chat thread to an informal audio or video call with colleagues. On the free plan, Huddles can accommodate only two people, whereas paid plans (priced at $7/month or $12/month) allow for up to 50.
Signal
Signal, the encrypted messaging app, has provided group video-calling features since 2020 and can accommodate up to 50 participants in a single call.
Although it’s not a direct competitor to Skype, it allows users to share links for calls, enabling them to simply send the link to others rather than creating a group, much like Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams do. Notably, Signal is free to use.
Other similar apps for mobile users looking to video call with smaller groups include WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple FaceTime.
