EO Skype and into the world of current VOIP

Community Helpdesk
1

If you have not heard, Skype will be shut down in May with Microshit not even giving the option to port a paid for Skype Number to their Microshit Schemes (rhymes with Teams) platform.

So I have explored the best and reputable alternatives on the market and chose Callcentric (US based) for it’s reputation, pricing, customer service and the ability to port my Skype number (now in process, I will update in another post).

I will be using the Zoiper5 app desktop and mobile.

The main reason for Skype was to have a US number associated with the same city as my US address, SMS codes for banking and etc. and toll free calling to US businesses.

Should be a good choice for those who want a user friendly VOIP service for just the basics like I mentioned above.

2

Ported. Done deal. Kcuf Microshit.

3

Im in same boat…been looking at alternatives. Also have skype number to port

I haven’t gotten very far, but skimmed some different forums and articles and was going to dig into these

Voip.ms
Line2
Keepcalling
Rebtel
Sideline
Sonotel
Hushed

Havent heard of call centric but will check them out.

I liked the ability to just topup with skype credit. Annual costs were really low, but then again maybe thats why they arent keeping it.
Had skype since they started out. Kind of want to save my convo history and contacts, but it is not easy.

Thank for posting about this :grinning:

4

If you do a google: voip.ms vs. callcentric you will get a pretty good AI comparison. voip.ms is supposedly the most reputable, configurable and techie-oriented of them all.

I am on a pay as you go plan for Callcentric and to maintain my number there is cheaper than the yearly charge at Skype. The pay as you go also works on the credit system and I have about $11 loaded at the moment.

Total charges so far to setup account, phone port and SMS: $7.55. Still exploring other features, will update as I proceed.

1 Like
5

Voicemail is free and there is a calling card feature which may come in useful when traveling.

Auto-recharge amounts can be adjusted from $5 onwards and can be turned on or off along with all other settings via their site.

6

All my banks and Schwab seem to work EXCEPT Capital One. They may be the only one I found that doesn’t permit a number using VOIP.

7

Don’t like that calling, SMS and voice message are not within a single app as with Skype.

Desktop: the Callcentric web dashboard is good but you need the Zoiper app to make and receive calls. SMS can only be done via the dashboard. Voice messages can also be accessed via the dashboard and forwarded to email if desired.

Mobile: you need the Zoiper app and the Callcentric SMS app to do the respective voice and SMS functions. For accessing voice mail, you can call in or have your dashboard open in a browser or have your email logged in to receive the voice files.

8

My monthly fee will be $2.95, number and SMS, of course, my loaded credit will take out per usage calls and SMS.