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What Is The Best App For Making Free International Calls? Here’s The Top 5 For 2021
It used to be that if you wanted to call someone on the other side of the world it would have cost an arm and a leg.
Seriously, back in the early 90s, a U.S. to Japan call could have cost up to five dollars a minute.
Thankfully, calling the other side of the world couldn’t be cheaper nowadays. Matter of fact–its free thanks to a number of popular apps like TextNow.
Signal, a new, 100% secure IM app that is now massively popular, will let you make both video calls and normal calls. And all data inside Signal is 100% encrypted too, unlike most other IM apps and calling apps.
Keep in mind, however, that all these apps enable free app-to-app calls. You can’t call a landline phone number from the app without paying a fee. That being said, since these apps work on virtually all smartphones in the world, there’s little reason you’d be calling a landline number nowadays anyway. Best of all, apps that allow you to call people overseas work on both the latest iPhones, like the iPhone 12, and the latest Android handsets too!
With that in mind, here are five of the best app for making free international calls in 2021.
Viber
- Our take: Viber is one of the oldest VOIP apps out there. It also boasts over 1 billion users meaning you could call almost one-seventh of the planet with this app alone.
- The app’s official description: “Viber is the FREE, simple, fast and most secure messaging and calling app. The messenger of choice for over 1 billion users worldwide! Text now for free and make high-quality crystal-clear phone calls. Viber is completely free. All you need is a data plan or Wi-Fi connection and you’re good to go. Make free international calls, send text messages, open a group chat, and so much more! Download Viber today to connect with people, no matter who they are, or where they are from.”
- Download: iOS, Android
Skype
- Our take: Another VOIP classic, Microsoft’s Skype allows you to make free Skype-to-Skype calls anywhere on earth. Keep in mind that if you want to call a landline number, you’ll need to buy Skype credits.
- The app’s official description: “Skype keeps the world talking. Say “hello” with an instant message, voice or video call – all for free*, no matter what device they use Skype on. Skype is available on phones, tablets, PCs, and Macs. Video calls – Don’t just hear the cheers, see them! Get together with 1 or 49 of your friends and family on a HD video call. Watch everyone’s smiles and cries when you tell them “We’re engaged!!!” Chat – Reach people instantly. Send messages to your friends, grab someone’s attention with @ mentions, or create a group chat to plan a family reunion. Share – Send photos and videos with your family and friends. Save shared photos and videos to your camera roll. Share your screen to make travel plans with friends or present designs to your team. Voice calls – Camera shy? Make voice calls to anyone in the world on Skype. You can also call mobile and landlines at low rates.”
- Download: iOS, Android
Signal
- Our take: Without a doubt, Signal is the most secure messaging app on the planet. No wonder everyone from Elon Musk to Edward Snowden swears by it.
- The app’s official description: “Millions of people use Signal every day for free and instantaneous communication anywhere in the world. Send and receive high-fidelity messages, participate in HD voice/video calls, and explore a growing set of new features that help you stay connected. Signal’s advanced privacy-preserving technology is always enabled, so you can focus on sharing the moments that matter with the people who matter to you. Say anything – State-of-the-art end-to-end encryption (powered by the open source Signal Protocol™) keeps your conversations secure. Privacy isn’t an optional mode — it’s just the way that Signal works. Every message, every call, every time.”
- Download: iOS, Android
FaceTime
- Our take: Apple’s voice calling app is one of the best. But keep in mind you need an iPhone or Mac to use it. So if you have an Android phone, you will not be able to use FaceTime.
- The app’s official description: “Connect with family and friends around the world with FaceTime. Make audio and video calls from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to other iOS devices or even a Mac. Reach contacts using their phone number or Apple ID. Make both video and audio calls. Enjoy Group FaceTime with up to 32 people at once. Use effects to become an Animoji, place stickers, and much more right in your FaceTime call. Use the front-facing FaceTime camera to show your face, or switch to the back camera to
show your friends what you see. Create Favorites for quick access to key people in the Phone app. FaceTime calls are integrated into your recent calls list in the Phone app. FaceTime works over Wi-Fi (iPhone 4 or later) and cellular (iPhone 4s or later).” - Download: iOS (Pre-installed on iPhone)
- Our take: WhatsApp is also one of the most popular apps for making calls on smartphones. However, it’s owned by Facebook, which isn’t exactly known for its privacy policies.
- The app’s official description: “WhatsApp Messenger is a FREE messaging app available for iPhone and other smartphones. WhatsApp uses your phone’s Internet connection (4G/3G/2G/EDGE or Wi-Fi, as available) to let you message and call friends and family. Switch from SMS to WhatsApp to send and receive messages, calls, photos, videos, documents, and Voice Messages.”
- Download: iOS, Android
And be sure to check out how to set up voicemail on an iPhone. And be sure to also check out how to transfer contacts from iPhone to iPhone!