Skype vs Google Voice
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Skype and Google Voice Features and comparison
| FEATURE | GOOGLE VOICE | SKYPE | COMMENTS |
| VIDEO CHAT | Yes* | Yes | *Available only through integration with Google’s “Voice and Video Chat” (requires plug-in installation), video chat not within Google Voice itself. |
| FREE INTERNATIONAL CALLING | No* | Yes** | *International calls are not free/supported with Google Voice, but you can install Google’s Voice and Video Chat for free international calling (does not extend to landline and mobile phones). **Only Skype-to-Skype international calls are free. |
| UNLIMITED DOMESTIC CALLS (INCLUDING MOBILE AND LANDLINE NUMBERS) | Yes | No* | *Skype-to-Skype domestic calls are free, but calls to mobile and landline phones cost extra using a Skype subscription (pay as you go: 2.3 – 2.6 cents/min, 1.2 – 1.4 cents/min). Subscriptions range from $2.99/month for U.S. and Canada to $13.99/month for unlimited worldwide. Certain subscriptions offer free (but limited) calls to landline/mobile phones. |
| VOICE, IM AND VIDEO INTEGRATION ON SINGLE PLATFORM | No* | Yes | *Video calls are only available through Google’s Voice and Video Chat plug-in. |
| FREE SMS | Yes* | No** | *Only domestic SMS is free **Skype Credit must be bought to SMS; rates vary by country, U.S. (not including Hawaii/Alaska): 11.2 cents/message. |
| FREE VOICEMAIL | Yes* | Yes | *Google Voice also allows you to listen to voicemail in real-time and answer the call at any time. |
| FREE CALL FORWARDING (Public Switched Telephone Network [PSTN] INTEGRATION) | Yes | No* | *Certain paid subscriptions offer free call forwarding and purchasing Skype Credit allows you to pay per minute (Rates vary by country, U.S. [not including Hawaii/Alaska]: 2.3 cents/min). |
| FREE VOICEMAIL TRANSCRIPTION | Yes | No* | *Costs extra (25 cents/message). |
| FREE CALL RECORDING | Yes* | No | *Google Voice has free call recording with incoming calls, not outgoing calls. |
| FREE CALL BLOCKING | Yes | Yes | na |
| FREE INDIVIDUAL PHONE NUMBER | Yes | No* | *You can get your own number for $18 for three months, or $60 for a year (through a Skype Premium subscription, users get a 33% discount for 3 months on their numbers and a 50% discount for a year). |
| NEEDS PHONE PLAN | Yes* | No** | *You need a phone plan to use Google Voice but can use Google Voice and Video Chat for free via WiFi connection. **A phone plan is unnecessary because you can connect through WiFi. |
| FREE GROUP VIDEO CHAT | Yes* | No** | *Free group video chat is available only through Google’s “Google+ Hangouts” application. **This is free/available only with Skype Premium paid a subscription (cost varies by country, U.S.: $4.99/month for a 12-month subscription, $7.49/month for a 3-month subscription). |
| ABILITY TO PLACE 911 EMERGENCY CALLS | No | No | NA |
| “BUSINESS VERSION” OF THE SERVICE AVAILABLE AIMED AT TYPICAL COMPANY NEEDS | No | Yes* | *”Skype for Business” costs more and includes features like cheaper calls, group calling, collaboration functions and contact with non-Skype customers. Cost varies depending on business size and other factors. |
| REQUIRES A CLIENT | No | Yes* | *Download the Skype client. |
| REQUIRES A PLUG-IN | Yes* | No | *Download the Google Voice plug-in. |
