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Viber - a program for video calling, sharing instant messages and photos when launched, synchronizes contacts on your computer with your mobile device, i.e. the user always has the most current full version all your correspondence.

The history of Viber began in 2010, when a team of five Israeli developers decided to create a serious alternative to . Lightweight application with excellent connection quality and a pleasant interface, it immediately captivated millions of users. By 2015, the Viber audience exceeded the Skype audience - 400 million versus 300.

Skype is a program for free video calls, voice communication, file and message sharing also allows you to make calls to regular phones, send SMS and today is the most popular instant messenger in the world.

If you need to communicate with relatives, friends or colleagues who are far away, what could be better than a video call. Last Skype version perfect for this - just download Skype program and make sure you have a webcam on your PC. You will also need a headset, although if your computer or laptop has a microphone and speakers or speakers, you can do without it.

Telegram - fast messenger For private correspondence, transferring media files and voice calls, maintains the confidentiality of your data on the network, preventing information leaks.

Telegram uses latest methods encryption and own server equipment with closed source code what the content does transmitted messages inaccessible even to intelligence services and governments different countries. To date this is the most secure messenger in the world.

Fast cross-platform messenger with voice communication support. WhatsApp is one of the world's most popular services for messaging, sharing photos and videos.

“Beautiful, fast and convenient” - these three epithets can be used to characterize the messenger. With it, you can communicate in private and group chats, transfer photos and videos, send documents, spreadsheets and PDF files. The application uses simple system visualization, notifying about the delivery and reading of messages. Fans social networks They will appreciate the ability to set a status and profile photo. If you wish, you can add pleasant emotions to the dialogue thanks to the set original emoticons. Particular emphasis is placed on the security of correspondence - all information is transmitted in encrypted form. The phone number is used as the user ID.

An advanced communication program with high-quality video calling and file sharing various formats. Differs nearby social functions, which made LINE a kind of hybrid of a messenger and a social network.

The desktop version of LINE offers almost all the functionality of the mobile application. You can transfer contacts, make voice and video calls, correspond, exchange photos and documents, and spice up your communication with funny stickers.

An application for online correspondence, file sharing, voice and video communication. Allows you to communicate, including with users of other instant messengers and social networks.

The legendary chat program was created back in 1996 by four high school students from Israel. The guys wrote a program to correspond with each other and distributed it among their friends for free. Two years later, the software became so popular that AOL Corporation bought it, paying schoolchildren $287 million.

Flash mobs, quests, negotiations between drivers of the TNT corporation - Zello played a role in all this. On PC, Android, iOS and Windows Phone this application has been downloaded by millions of users around the world.

It all started with the fact that a simple St. Petersburg guy Lyosha Gavrilov decided to revive in modern smartphones a function that was in his old one Nokia phone 2001 model. Having teamed up with another programmer, Bill Moore, Lyosha began work on a project that would later become powerful tool in the hands of the makers of history.

The TeamSpeak voice communication application works on the principle of a multi-channel walkie-talkie - to connect, just press a key on the keyboard. Ideal for multiplayer online games and business audio conferencing.

TeamSpeak is extremely convenient application, capable of providing high-quality voice communication over the Internet. All you need is a headset or speakers and a microphone.

It would seem that choosing such a program is not a problem. But when it comes to adding a dozen new interlocutors to a conference, sharing the screen, recording a conversation or streaming on YouTube, it becomes clear that one or another function is missing. How not to make a mistake when installing a program for video calls from a computer, read our article.

Questions:

How to make free calls over the Internet?

How to send messages over the Internet?

How to register on Skype for the first time?

Other questions about communicating via the Internet

According to the results of our research by a wide margin Two applications are in the lead. Hangouts has the most universal functionality, but in terms of communication quality and ease of use - which is probably the most important thing - it is somewhat inferior to Skype.
In addition, the prevalence of programs must be taken into account. So, despite all its advancement, Hangouts has not yet been able to become the most used video calling application. In our opinion, main reason This is due to the focus on the web interface and, as a result, inconvenient management. In this regard, Skype definitely wins.

According to the authors, for full-fledged video communication at a distance using Skype, a PC with dual core processor and Internet connections no slower than 512 kbps. We also add that the developers from Microsoft decided to integrate Skype application in Windows 10. And if everything suits you, you won’t have to look for alternatives.

Google Hangouts has replaced Google Talk. Windows users can use the web version of the application, available as an extension for common ones, or simply log in to your GMail account in Google browser Chrome.

If you have a Google account, working with this software is easier. You can start a call directly from Gmail or Google Plus. In Hangouts, you can create a group video conference for ten interlocutors, share the screen, chat, and take notes without minimizing the communication window. Plus, you can stream with Hangouts live broadcast straight to YouTube. In general, there are so many functions that at first you even get a little confused.
Personally, our impression was also spoiled by the fact that establishing a connection from the application to mobile platform with a user working with Hangouts in a browser is very problematic. Simply because the person may have another tab open and will not notice your call.

ooVoo - popular free program for video calls from a computer. When compared with Skype, there are no fundamental differences in the level of communication. At the same time, this client program provides a free group video chat in which up to 12 users can participate.

As for voice calls, a maximum of three people can communicate in this mode for free (you can connect up to six people, but for a fee). Function Video Call Recording allows you to record a telephone or video conversation for free.
ooVoo is also actively expanding to tablets and smartphones. The ability to switch between interlocutors is also provided. The only drawback of the application is that it is not promoted. To be honest, when testing, we personally liked the “picture” quality in ooVoo the most.

The program has become incredibly popular over the past few years. Millions of fans of comfortable online communication have managed to download Viber to their computers, although the majority of the application’s 450 million audience are mobile device users. The desktop version is often installed for video calls to acquaintances and friends who find themselves with a tablet or smartphone somewhere in nature or abroad.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to create a video conference in Viber. But during one-on-one video communication, you will not notice any “slowdowns”. Of course, provided that the Internet connection speed is good.

This messenger with support for video calls has gained great popularity in Asia and the USA. And recently, European users began to actively install it. And there is a reasonable explanation for this.

The application attracts with its minimalist interface and some options typical for social networks. So, you can view friends’ feeds, comment on photos and rate statuses. In addition, the program developers have implemented file sharing different formats. You can do this during a video session, as well as exchange messages.
Once launched, you will be able to import contacts from your mobile device and call anyone who also has LINE installed. It is noteworthy that the video call is available for recording, but there is a limit of no more than ten seconds.

IN latest version ICQ developers have made a number of improvements in the quality of voice and video calls. The new engine it runs on popular messenger, will allow you to communicate full screen mode, while VGA 640x480 resolution will be provided during video calls. And here group video conferences not available on ICQ.

To make a voice call, just one click is enough. But we can only talk for free with a user who also has an ICQ client installed. To make a call to a landline or mobile phone, you need to deposit money into a virtual account. As a rule, regular calls via ICQ occur without delays or interruptions.

Tango was designed primarily for mobile devices as a calling app for tablets, allowing users to call each other for free while connected to the Internet. The company thought about PC users only after releasing versions for Android and iOS.

It's easy to synchronize contacts from your phone with your computer - you just need to enter your phone number or email address. All that Tango for PC requires is Windows OS and a network connection with a speed of at least 4 Mbps. And, of course, a web camera and a headset (or speakers). I can't help but be pleased with the fact that to start Tango you don't need to create an account or log in.
This software fits well on most modern smartphones and communicators with front cameras. But on a PC you may be somewhat disappointed by the image quality during a video call.

How to improve the quality of communication?

During video calls, you may experience stuttering and stuttering. The reason for this is often not the speed of the Internet connection, but the processes running on the computer. Therefore, before making a video call, we recommend that you close all unnecessary applications. The same applies to browser tabs.
It also doesn’t hurt to clean your computer of components that “clog” the system. This can be done using optimizers such as or . To ensure safety and high performance We recommend installing an anti-virus software on your computer, equipped with tools for optimizing the system.

If you found interesting features in two at once or three programs, you can download them together. But be sure to keep in mind that similar applications place a significant load on computer resources, so using them simultaneously is recommended only in exceptional cases.

The most popular instant messenger in the world from former Yahoo! employees, with over 450 million users, and main enemy mobile operators, because of which all reasonable owners of phones and smartphones will soon completely forget about SMS. Since 2009, it has successfully helped its users send text messages, as well as video, pictures and audio. At the same time, WhatsApp developers, unlike their competitors, focused specifically on messages, abandoning support for audio and video calls, which gave them the opportunity to bring their functionality to almost perfection. However, after the recent purchase of WhatsApp by Zuckerberg, it became known that the application may include voice calls.

iPhone owners can talk about iMessage as much as they want, which allows you to send messages and any files no less painlessly on your budget, but everyone has plenty of friends who use Android and other platforms.

Free basic features

Synchronization
With phone book

Stickers

PROS

MINUSES

The application can be used for free only for the first year, after which you will have to pay $0.99. Although those who bought the app a long time ago at the price of $0.99 have now received a lifetime subscription.

iPad is not supported.

You cannot make calls over the Internet via WhatsApp - all calls are made exclusively through your mobile operator.

Facebook Messenger

Facebook recently bought WhatsApp for $19 billion, but Zuckerberg continues to slowly develop his messenger. Having gotten rid of an annoying competitor, which in just a few years had easily captured the Eastern and South American audience, he gained time to further improve his application. But, in our opinion, Facebook Messenger is already quite good, and its only drawback is that it is aimed exclusively at Facebook users. Until Zuckerberg resolves this issue, the road to Big world messenger application is closed.

FREE CORE FEATURES

NO ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS

SYNCHRONIZATION
WITH PHONE BOOK

GREAT PROBABILITY OF FINDING YOUR FRIENDS

OPPORTUNITY TO SEND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILES

STICKERS

PROS

Synced well with Facebook - when you receive a message, you'll be taken to Messenger, but can also be taken back to your Facebook feed. But if all this were combined in one application, it would be much more convenient.

The stickers here are extremely varied. Actually, just exchanging these funny emojis can be done endlessly.

Minimalist functionality - it's just a messenger, nothing extra.

MINUSES

The main disadvantage of the messenger is that it is only available Facebook users. This is actually a plus, but it automatically removes it from the list of universal messengers available to absolutely everyone.

Line

Japanese messenger standard set functions for sending messages and files, which is at the same time a gaming platform and a mini-social network. In addition to, in fact, the basic functionality of a regular messenger, Line allows users to share their statuses and comment on others - in general, do the same thing as in other social networks. Once upon a time, the main difference of this application was funny stickers with funny cartoons, which became one of the founders of the emoji fashion, but now this will not surprise anyone.

FREE CORE FEATURES

NO ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS

SYNCHRONIZATION
WITH PHONE BOOK

GREAT PROBABILITY OF FINDING YOUR FRIENDS

OPPORTUNITY TO SEND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILES

STICKERS

PROS

The main difference of this application is its funny stickers, reminiscent of emoticons from Facebook and, in fact, significantly inferior to them.

A large list of games that you can play with your chat partner. But who actually plays them is not clear.

Line supports official celebrity accounts, although there are not very many of them so far - we were only able to find Katy Perry and Paul McCartney.

MINUSES

Even if you synchronize with your phone book, you will see a pathetic list of three friends in the application.

Most of the stickers and others additional pleasures paid separately - 66 rubles per piece.

Viber

The second most popular instant messenger after WhatsApp, it differs only in the presence of audio calls, a smaller user base and a less sophisticated design. In the end, if you like to communicate via instant messengers and focus your choice primarily on your friends, then Viber should definitely appear on your phone: it is used by that part of your friends who have ignored WhatsApp.

FREE CORE FEATURES

NO ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS

SYNCHRONIZATION
WITH PHONE BOOK

GREAT PROBABILITY OF FINDING YOUR FRIENDS

OPPORTUNITY TO SEND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILES

STICKERS

PROS

With Viber you can call even those users who do not have it installed. This service is called Viber Out and costs money - prices can be found in Viber itself. Considering the Internet fee, this will not cost you much less than regular calls.

MINUSES

Due to its Israeli origins, Viber is suspected by Egyptian and Lebanese authorities of supporting Zionist spies. Therefore, before traveling to Lebanon, it is better to install another messenger for insurance.

Telegram

The youngest, but at the same time one of the most promising representatives of the messenger family, created in 2013 by Pavel Durov’s company Digital Fortress. On the very first day of launch, the entire Internet accused the creators of 100% plagiarism of WhatsApp (they even have similar dialogue backgrounds!) and many other errors, and at the same time once again reminded Durov of the similarities between VKontakte and Facebook. Meanwhile, this messenger has a number of undeniable advantages like high loading speed of everything, good information security and others pleasant little things. According to Durov, Telegram, as we see it now, is just an intermediate product that, after proper testing, can become completely different, and the visual similarity with its older brother is just a starting point. At the same time, the lack of a Russian interface, which all schoolchildren continue to complain about, clearly hints at grandiose plans to capture the world market.

FREE CORE FEATURES

NO ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS

SYNCHRONIZATION
WITH PHONE BOOK

GREAT PROBABILITY OF FINDING YOUR FRIENDS

OPPORTUNITY TO SEND DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILES

STICKERS

PROS

Instead of the usual stickers for competitors, there is a search for images throughout the Internet, that is, instead of a paid image with a dancing walrus from limited set application, you can attach to a message a photo of absolutely any walrus from the Internet, or even a hippopotamus.

Integration with VKontakte is completely absent, and this is a plus, at least because even if VKontakte is closed or Durov himself finally leaves there, the messenger will remain afloat.

To the delight of Android fans, Durov perceives this platform as the main one for this application.

MINUSES

Unfortunately for iOS fans, Durov perceives Android as main platform for this application.

Snapchat

Messenger of the future with self-destructing information and simply perfect application for communication, erasing all your messages after a maximum of ten seconds after being read. The most interesting thing is that each text must be accompanied by a photo or video taken in real time. With these unusual and uncomfortable rules, Snapchat most closely resembles real interaction between people, and not the pre-prepared monologues that we are accustomed to when corresponding on social networks and other instant messengers. After all, everything you say in a normal conversation is not recorded on HDD and after a while it disappears forever. To experience these unprecedented sensations, you just need to register, take a photo, put some simple text on top, set the destruction timer from one to ten seconds and send the resulting message to one of your friends.

FREE CORE FEATURES

Let us separately note that it is not included in the selection proprietary utility for communication on the popular social network - Facebook Messenger. The service is very popular among mobile device users, but its desktop version at the time of review is presented only as an application in Windows store 10, not separate program for all varieties operating system. Moreover, even this client far from ideal. Therefore, we do not include Facebook Messenger in our ratings for now.

Cross-platform programs for communicating via the Internet

At the beginning of the collection, let's look at universal solutions for communication. These programs are used not only for communication between two computers, but also for exchanging messages, transferring files, and even viewing news feeds; however, the desktop versions of some services do not allow establishing a voice and video communication session. All applications in this category are free (with the exception of some paid additional content like stickers), they have clients for Android and iOS devices. Utilities are open to third party developers and allow you to connect electronic assistants - bots. To launch them, you need to enter the bot's name in your address book.

The address book and history of group chats in such utilities are stored on the server by default. Some instant messengers like WhatsApp even store photos in the cloud. The advantage of this solution is that the data is automatically “pulled” to the new device after authorization. The logical disadvantage is security, in this case it will come in handy active function end-to-end encryption (zero data access).

For a long time popular program for video communication was software the company of the same name Skype Limited.

This free application allows you to make voice and video communications, and exchange messages between users via the Internet.

Free programs for communicating on the Internet

If you're looking for a complete alternative to Skype, then Discord might be a great option. Compared to Skype, Discord's software is quite young.

The developers' motto is: "We will never charge for core Discord features."

Discord has almost every feature: chats, calls, video calls, and group conferencing are all quick and easy to use. The design is simple and modern, the most inexperienced users will understand it.

Most The best way using Discord on a PC, through the official software, or on a smartphone through the Discord app for iOS and Android.

Supports 27 languages, including Russian

100% free communication

IP and DDoS protection

Browser support

Mobile app

Friend list

Investment in the game

Minimum CPU usage

Custom hotkeys

Smart Push Notifications

Multiple channels

Modern text chat

Individual volume control

Direct messaging

Automatic refusal

ICQ and Yahoo Messenger have not yet completely lost their influence on the “front” of free managers. These services (ICQ and Yahoo Messenger) were once the most popular alternatives to Skype.

The functions are almost the same as those of Skype. Easily chat with friends, share photos, make phone calls and make video calls. You can make calls to a fixed or mobile network for a fee.

You can integrate your Facebook profile in messenger.

The only drawback of these programs is the very annoying advertising that is present in the manager.

Both of these programs have browser access, so you can use the messenger on someone else's computer without installing it.

ICQ and Yahoo Messenger are complete alternatives to Skype, which are not much inferior well-known service. The only downside is the advertising.

Related topics:

Facetime - perfect solution for video calls to Apple devices.

Facetime messenger is already pre-installed on everyone mobile devices Apple iOS 5+. In Mac OS X this will be true starting from version 10.6.4. Unfortunately, the service cannot be used under Windows.

For example, if you open Facetime app on your iPhone, you can call your contacts who have an Apple ID. You will be connected via front camera device, and at the same time you can see your partner on the display and talk to him.

The service, unfortunately, is intended only for video telephony. You cannot communicate or exchange information.

For Apple users, Facetime- an ideal solution in terms of video telephony, the application is already installed on your device and does not require additional login or registration.

If you have an account Google entry, you can invite all your contacts Google Mail or Google Plus on Hangout.

Hangout is group chats, in which you can invite as many people as you want, or just individual people. In them you can also start a group video chat upon request.

The service runs in the browser through a small, quickly installable plugin. Hangouts allows you to exchange messages and photos with users.

Tox: a competing messenger for Skype

Several months after it was revealed that the NSA had direct access to Skype servers and theoretically reads every conversation left new messenger. Tox should be considered safe alternative to Skype. Messages, phone calls and video chats are encrypted and thus protected from eavesdropping. The data to be transmitted is not sent through the server and is not cached there, but is transmitted directly through a Peer-to-Peer connection with the chat partner.

Tox has all the basic functions of the messenger. Tox is available for Windows, Mac OS, Linux and as an Android application. While other famous instant messengers require you to pay for features, Tox is completely free and comes without ads - forever.

Competitor for Skype

Facebook offers a similar service as does Google. If you and your friends are active on these sites, Facebook Messenger may be a good alternative. WITH right side In the chat panel, you can select any contact who is currently online. If you click on the small camera icon, you will need to install a small browser tool the first time you use it. After this, you can conduct a video meeting with the selected contact.

For quick access to friends' Facebook profiles, this messenger is a suitable solution.

The video function is already also available on smartphones. Just download Facebook Messenger for iOS or Android.

The most functional are mobile options ooVoo - however, on all platforms the program is available only with an English menu - the Russian version is not provided. The service is available for all popular platforms; the application can be installed on Windows 7, 8-10, MacOS, iOS, Android.

Video calling
Creation of video conferences with a total of up to eight participants

Recording conversations
Storing all audio and video calls

Data exchange
Transferring files in different formats

Without payment
After downloading, all functions are available for free

Cross-platform
The program is suitable for Windows 7-10, MacOS, Android, iOS, there is a browser-based Web version

Advantages: You can record video messages directly into the program and send them to your contacts. Another useful tool which many users like: ooVoo allows you to record video calls and save them on your computer.

Miranda IM is an open source, multi-protocol instant messaging client designed to be very easy to use system resources, extremely fast and customizable. Its powerful plug-in architecture makes Miranda IM one of the most flexible clients on the planet.

If you can't choose a messenger and you have several accounts, you can link them all in one program. Through Miranda you can import your contacts from ICQ, MSN, Facebook, Yahoo, AIM, IRC and Jabber.

LINE is a very popular application, especially in Asia, with over 600 million users. Everything in stock standard features messaging app, there is a timeline similar to Facebook where you can post and your friends can comment on your posts.

Calls to landline lines, as well as free video or voice calls available in Line. There's also very huge store stickers filled with symbols beloved in Asia.

Group chat allows you to invite up to 200 participants, and there is support for encrypted chats.

We continue the list" Best apps for messaging for Android and iOS"

Whatsapp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, and it's free. You can chat and share things like your location, photos, documents and contacts.

One of the things that is attractive about this app, besides its huge popularity, is the addition end-to-end encryption to ensure privacy and security. It also supports GIF and Snapchat editing features.

This is a very popular application that will automatically add your contacts. It allows you to send text messages, stickers and emojis, make video and voice calls and, of course, share your favorite photos.

Also available is Viber Out, a feature that allows you to make international and domestic calls at low rates. Calls from Viber to Viber are always free.

Google Allo is a smart messaging app that helps you talk more and do more. Express yourself better with stickers, doodles and GREAT emotions and text. Allo also brings you Google Assistant.

Hello - newest app for chat from Google. The main attraction is new feature Google Assistant.

Allo allows iOS users use Google Assistant. It offers typical features such as sharing photos, emojis and stickers, but main feature is Assistant. You can talk to Google Assistant, and it works similar to Siri or Cortana.

WeChat is the most popular application in China with over 700 million users.

He offers regular applications for messaging such as sharing photos, videos and voice calls. But with WeChat, you also get features like Friend Radar, People Near, and Shake to help you find friends who are nearby.

This application is available for Android Wear and Apple Watch.

Signal

Open Whisper System's Signal is one of the most recommended apps when it comes to chat encryption and security.

This app has military grade encryption for all your messages and voice calls.

It supports texts, voice calls, group messages and sending multimedia attachments. Edward Snowden famously recommended this app that makes it best choice for people who are looking for safety first and foremost.