Cheap Calls

Where and how you can save some bucks on calls and messages?

:warn: Though this category is titled „Cheap Calls“, and the apps are intended to save you some bucks – be aware you often pay by other means. This category turns up second place for „average permissions requested per app“ (more than 20), even before remote device management and the so-called anti-virus apps, only topped by the „personal assistants“ (Google Now / Siri competitors) requesting 30 permissions per app on average.

Save on Landline

2022-09-22

toolani - Cheap international (4@5,444) Ǥ 21 12
Tariffic (3.6@649) 8 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2021-03-09
Foocall: call & sms abroad (2.8@3,795) Ǥ 20 4

Save via VoIP

2022-09-23

Some of these apps also offer short-message services.

Talkray - Free Calls and Text (4.9@33) Ǥ 20 10 LastUpdate: 2019-01-18 incl. SMS; Phone & Tablet optimized
VoipCheap Cheap travel calls (4.7@473) Ǥ 17 4
Orbitcall (4.6@73) 21 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Threema (4.5@70,376; ~EUR 5.00) Ǥ 26 2 / Threema Work (3.8@1,517) Ǥ 34 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Video Review 4/2016 (DE) | 3/2019 (DE); Video Backup & Restore (3/2019); Video Threema Webchat Howto 2/2017 (DE); Threema Video Tutorials; Test 4/2016; Vorstellung 8/2018 | 11/2018-1/2021; Wikipedia DE|EN; Audit 11/2015 | 3/2019; (Datenschutz-) Testbericht 2/2020 ; FAQ; Libre (FOSS) version available via Threema’s own F-Droid repo; messenger with end-to-end encryption
MobileVOIP (4.4@68,474) Ǥ 19 4
Viber - Safe Chats And Calls (4.3@16,093,853) Ǥ 56 8 Security Check 3/2017 ; Ausführlicher Test 4/2017 mit Privacy-Check ; Wikipedia DE | EN incl. SMS; Privacy- & Datenschutz? Totale Fehlanzeige!
Google Meet (4.2@9,575,284) Ǥ 37 1 Vorstellung 8/2016
tango-Live Stream & Video Chat (4.2@4,133,241) Ǥ 42 11 Wikipedia; incl. SMS
VoipStunt - cheap voip (4.2@1,374) Ǥ 17 4
Skype (4.1@11,467,965) Ǥ 43 1
ICQ Video Calls & Chat Rooms (4.1@815,769) Ǥ 34 7
Unlimited Texting, Calling App (4@656,981) Ǥ 54 26 pay with your privacy (beware the tracksers!)
LINE: Calls & Messages (3.9@13,599,879) Ǥ 43 4 Wikipedia DE | EN
TiKL - Touch To Talk (3.9@162,976) 12 7 LastUpdate: 2018-05-22 incl. SMS & Chat
satellite (3.9@4,236) Ǥ 22 4 Vorstellung 5/2019
menetalk - Best International (3.9@107) Ǥ 11 4 LastUpdate: 2021-03-17
Libon - International calls (3.8@204,004) Ǥ 19 4 Wikipedia EN
Cellbry (3.8@309) Ǥ 26 4 LastUpdate: 2020-04-22
KakaoTalk : Messenger (3.7@3,154,309) Ǥ 51 3 Wikipedia DE | EN
Jitsi Meet (3.7@50,480) Ǥ 18 4 Github; Anleitung 3/2020; Video Kurzanleitung 3/2020; Vorstellung 4/2020
ooVoo Video Calls, Messaging & (3.6@1,151,800) Ǥ 16 16 LastUpdate: 2017-10-31 Wikipedia; clients available for Mac, Win, iOS as well
Nextcloud Talk (3.6@1,208) Ǥ 34 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Talkatone: Texting & Calling (3.5@179,624) Ǥ 31 18
Vaani - International Calling (3.5@225) Ǥ 26 3
Wire - Secure Messenger (2.7@34,973) Ǥ 20 1 Github; Testberichte 4/2017 | 3/2020; Privacy-Warnung 7/2018; Vorstellung 8/2018 - 4/2020; free/gratis, encrypted communication: voice, video and group chats; cross platform: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows. Or in the web browser.
Red (0@0) 4 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; redirect outgoing calls to Signal/Telegram/Threema
WebCall (0@0) 18 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github

Open SIP clients

2022-09-27

Telesis SIP VoIP Softphone (5@230) Ǥ 25 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-09-24
Simlar - secure calls (4.3@155) Ǥ 20 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; encrypted calls, FOSS
Voip By Antisip (+Video) (4.2@469) Ǥ 15 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Zoiper IAX SIP VOIP Softphone (4@70,810) Ǥ 35 3
MizuDroid SIP VOIP Softphone (4@4,009) Ǥ 28 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Linphone (3.6@5,298) Ǥ 29 1 Wikipedia DE | EN; Anleitung für Sipgate; Clients also available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, WP8
Jami (3.6@1,484) Ǥ 20 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Wikipedia EN; FAQ; Vorstellung 12/2019 | 5/2020; Testbericht 3/2020; Review 1/2021; desktop clients for Linux, Mac, Windows
Denwa (3.5@103) 15 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-06-24
baresip (3.5@28) 21 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / baresip+ (5@6) 20 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
Sipnetic (3.4@1,326) Ǥ 20 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Testbericht 2/2020; Anleitung für Sipgate
Sipdroid (3.1@10,961) 29 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Wikipedia EN
Lumicall (3.1@62) 24 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
ASTPP Dialer - VoIP Softphone (1.7@122) Ǥ 28 2
Antonia SIP Softphone - VoIP M (1@118) 24 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-02-24
Sipco SoftPhone (1@62) Ǥ 23 1
SIP Caller (0@0) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-09-13 Github

Roaming Control

2022-09-23

EU Roaming Data Watcher (3.6@35) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2020-05-31
Roaming Guard (2.6@113) 7 2
Roaming Control (0@0) LastUpdate: 2017-10-13 enable roaming for only the networks/countries of your choice

Various savings

2022-09-23

Serval Mesh (4.2@1,928) 30 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-06-03 Github; Mesh network of phones (no central server)

Further Readings:

Category Provider Tools: Contract Management and more
Category Messenger & Conferences
The 7 Best Free Calling Apps (Unlimited Calls With Wi-Fi) (6/2021 - 5/2022)
The 5 Best Free Calling Apps for Making Free Phone Calls (4/2021 - 4/2022)
Mit dem Smartphone im EU-Ausland: Wann fallen Kosten an? (6/2017 - 7/2019)
Videotelefonie-Apps im Vergleich (8/2016)
Voice over IP – Telefonieren über das Internet (6/2016)
Telefonieren über das Internet: So bleibt Ihr weltweit preiswert erreichbar (1/2016 - 4/2017)
Die besten Skype-Alternativen für Android (11/2014 - 4/2020)
Kostenlos telefonieren: Die besten Apps für gratis Anrufe (10/2014 - 4/2016)

2022-09-27

IzzyOnDroid

Cheap Calls

Save on Landline

Save via VoIP

Open SIP clients

Roaming Control

Various savings