In order to communicate with friends and colleagues at work, it is enough to fulfill two simple conditions: to be online and have one program for making calls over the Internet. And if, as a rule, there are no problems with the first paragraph, the second can make you think deeply.
Messengers choose mainly on the basis of popularity. That is, the more users are registered in the program for calls over the Internet, the higher the chance that your friends and colleagues use it, which means it will be easier to contact them.
Similar services, both paid and free on the web open spaces a dime a dozen, but not every application copes with the tasks, and indeed, is adequate. Therefore, the program for making calls over the Internet to a mobile phone or desktop should be selected taking into account your requirements and wishes. Of course, there are universal options for the sake of everything and everything, but again, software must be carefully selected and analyzed reviews. This is what we will do in our article.
So, let's try to identify the best programs for calls over the Internet, which have distinguished themselves by a large number of positive feedback from users, as well as their popularity, as well as their quality component. All the applications described below can be found on the official resources of the developers, so there should be no problems with testing.
Skype
“Skype” can be called a pioneer in this segment, because it is one of the first mass communication services. This program for free calls over the Internet began to be used long before the advent of smartphones.
The success of the application attracted the venerable Microsoft, which several years ago acquired the project, and at the same time received all the users of the messenger. Despite the fact that Skype has increased advertising, sometimes even very aggressive, the program for making calls over the Internet has become noticeably more functional, plus it has received cross-platform status. Now it is available not only on desktop devices, but also on mobile gadgets.
Application features
The service supports both classic chat rooms with video calls, and conferences with web functionality. Users leave mostly positive feedback about the Skype Internet calling program. She is in many ways good: comfortable, understandable, beautiful, and enjoys enviable popularity all over the world.
The product is distributed completely free of charge, but an abundance of advertising acts here as a fly in the ointment. Blocks appear on the home screen, during a chat, and even sometimes during calls. Blockers like AdGuard or AdBlock act as a solution to problems, but this is not a panacea.
Viber
Initially, Viber was a program for making calls over the Internet to Android, but later it grew into a cross-platform product. Users of Russia and the CIS countries associate free voice communication with this application.
The program for calls over the Internet offers users not only audio, but also video calls. Separately, it is worth noting the chat features. There are a lot of all kinds of emoticons, emoticons, kaomoji and other decorations. Naturally, a good half of these are bought separately, and the basic version has a limited set.
As for the interface, here it is maximally simplified and close to the classic branches of the Android platform menu. The same can be said about the desktop version: simple, convenient and intuitive. It is also worth noting that within the service you can safely call both from a computer to a phone and vice versa.
Application Features
Users respond rather warmly about Viber and consider it one of the best instant messengers. The application does not have any critical flaws (except for advertising), which is why it has been installed by many domestic consumers.
The product is distributed under a free license, but as with Skype, it is full of advertising. You can disable it by paying for the advanced version or using the same ad blockers.
Whatsapp
With the latest updates, where the possibility of full-fledged video communication was realized, Vatsap users who were tired of intrusive advertising began to move to Vatsap. In addition, the messenger from Facebook is less demanding on the system resources of the mobile gadget, in contrast to the same Weiber, as owners of weak and old smartphones often mention in their reviews.
Here we have almost the same chat with an abundance of emoticons, competently implemented video calls with the possibility of conferences and a well-constructed menu. Many users in their reviews note that the local interface is noticeably more convenient than other messengers and Viber, in particular. In Vatsap, you don’t need to scroll through categories, branches, and all the necessary tools fit on the main screen.
Program features
The desktop version of the instant messenger is copied from a mobile as a carbon copy, with the only difference being that the visualization on the PC is, so to speak, more ergonomic, and the interface itself is a little more convenient. But the reason for this, for the most part, is the high resolution of the monitor, and not the merit of the designers.
The application is distributed free of charge and, importantly, is completely devoid of advertising. For some, this is a critical nuance when choosing a messenger. In addition, the system requirements of Vatsap allow you to safely work in it even on ultra-budget smartphones.
ICQ
The famous "ICQ" was previously widely known and also widely in demand as a text messenger. About ten years ago, the application was installed on almost every computer. But, alas, the developers did not manage to get into a rut and adapt their project to modern realities, and "ICQ" was not a lot until recently.
Today the program is owned by the Mailru group of companies, and it is trying with might and main to return the application to its former popularity. And even goes to extreme measures for this company - disables ad units in the messenger. Nevertheless, ICQ has its own circle of users. Someone has remained faithful since those days, and who discovered a “randomly” installed messenger and continues to use it.
The program’s interface is simple, clear, and the menu branches are logical and categorized, so even a beginner will understand “ICQ”. In addition, you can activate the assistant wizard, which will guide you through all the vicious places of the application.
Distinctive features of the program
As in other cases, the developer has provided two versions - for personal computers and mobile gadgets. Both the first and the second are practically no different, and you can communicate in all directions, both from a PC to a smartphone, and from phone to phone.
Users mostly respond positively to the new "ICQ" and its capabilities. She visibly prettier visually and gained new functionality that did not let her lag behind more venerable projects. But, as mentioned above, “ICQ” was simply abandoned for several years, so it was lost in a pile of other more successful marketing applications.
The product is distributed completely free of charge and in this regard, ad units sometimes appear. The latter can be completely disabled using blockers, so this problem cannot be called critical. The extended paid version is characterized by an impressive set of all kinds of decorations, such as emoticons and skins, as well as the lack of widespread advertising.