Cheap Calls
Where and how you can save some bucks on calls and messages?
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
2023-05-31
- toolani - Cheap international (3.8@5,548) Ǥ 21
4
- Tariffic (3.6@655) 8
- Foocall: call & sms abroad (2.7@3,825) Ǥ 20
4
LastUpdate: 2021-07-21
Save via VoIP
2023-06-01
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
- satellite (4.7@7,029) Ǥ 22
3
Vorstellung 5/2019
- VoipCheap Cheap travel calls (4.7@660) Ǥ 17
4
- Orbitcall (4.6@73) 21
LastUpdate: 2021-11-24
- Threema (4.5@71,311; ~EUR 5.00) Ǥ 26
2
/ Threema Work (3.6@1,675) Ǥ 34
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
- Google Meet (4.4@10,160,425) Ǥ 37
1
Vorstellung 8/2016
- MobileVOIP international calls (4.4@82,336) Ǥ 19
4
- Viber - Safe Chats And Calls (4.3@16,427,359) Ǥ 60
8
Security Check 3/2017
; Ausführlicher Test 4/2017 mit Privacy-Check
; Wikipedia DE | EN incl. SMS; Privacy- & Datenschutz? Totale Fehlanzeige!
- VoipStunt - cheap voip (4.3@1,821) Ǥ 17
4
- Tango-Live Stream & Video Chat (4.2@4,261,216) Ǥ 42
4
Wikipedia; incl. SMS
- Skype (4.1@11,477,622) Ǥ 43
2
- ICQ Video Calls & Chat Rooms (4.1@823,812) Ǥ 33
5
- Unlimited Texting, Calling App (4@655,323) Ǥ 53
26
pay with your privacy (beware the tracksers!)
- TiKL - Touch To Talk (3.9@162,976) 12
7
LastUpdate: 2018-05-22 incl. SMS & Chat
- menetalk (3.9@107) Ǥ 12
- LINE: Calls & Messages (3.8@13,760,699) Ǥ 43
6
Wikipedia DE | EN
- Libon: Calls and Recharge (3.8@207,160) Ǥ 20
4
Wikipedia EN
- Cellbry (3.8@309) Ǥ 26
4
LastUpdate: 2020-04-22
- Jitsi Meet (3.7@51,282) Ǥ 18
2
Github; Anleitung 3/2020; Video Kurzanleitung 3/2020; Vorstellung 4/2020
- KakaoTalk : Messenger (3.6@3,169,169) Ǥ 51
3
Wikipedia DE | EN
- ooVoo Video Calls, Messaging & (3.6@1,149,786) Ǥ 16
16
LastUpdate: 2017-10-31 Wikipedia; clients available for Mac, Win, iOS as well
- Vaani: Calling & Mobile Topup (3.5@225) Ǥ 26
3
- Talkatone: Texting & Calling (3.4@185,413) Ǥ 31
18
- Nextcloud Talk (3.4@1,325) Ǥ 34
Github
- Wire - Secure Messenger (2.4@35,489) Ǥ 23
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
Github; redirect outgoing calls to Signal/Telegram/Threema
- WebCall (0@0) 18
Github
Open SIP clients
2023-05-20
- Telesis SIP VoIP Softphone (5@230) Ǥ 25
LastUpdate: 2020-09-24
- Simlar - secure calls (4.3@156) Ǥ 21
Github; encrypted calls, FOSS
- Voip By Antisip (+Video) (4.2@473) Ǥ 15
- Zoiper IAX SIP VOIP Softphone (4.1@72,118) Ǥ 35
1
- MizuDroid SIP VOIP Softphone (4.1@4,249) Ǥ 27
- Linphone (3.8@5,441) Ǥ 30
1
Wikipedia DE | EN; Anleitung für Sipgate; Clients also available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, WP8
- Jami (3.6@1,598) Ǥ 20
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
LastUpdate: 2020-06-24
- baresip (3.5@29) 23
/ baresip+ (5@6) 22
Github
- Sipnetic (3.3@1,450) Ǥ 21
Testbericht 2/2020; Anleitung für Sipgate
- Lumicall (3.1@62) 24
LastUpdate: 2021-10-13 Github
- Sipdroid (3@10,945) 25
Github; Wikipedia EN
- ASTPP Dialer - VoIP Softphone (1.7@122) Ǥ 28
2
- Antonia SIP Softphone - VoIP M (1@118) 24
LastUpdate: 2020-02-24
- Sipco SoftPhone (1@62) Ǥ 23 1
- SIP Caller (0@0) 1
LastUpdate: 2016-09-13 Github
Roaming Control
2023-05-31
- EU Roaming Data Watcher (3.6@37) 0
LastUpdate: 2020-05-31
- Roaming Guard (2.9@134) 7
2
- Roaming Control (0@0) LastUpdate: 2017-10-13 enable roaming for only the networks/countries of your choice
Various savings
2023-05-31
- Serval Mesh (4.2@1,928) 30
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 - 1/2023)
- 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)
2023-06-01