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

2020-03-25

Cheap International Calls - FooCall (4.4@3,589) Ǥ 20
International calling (4@6,583) Ǥ 23 LastUpdate: 2016-05-01
toolani - Cheap international calls since 2008 (4@4,578) Ǥ 27
Cheap Calls (4@1,896) Ǥ 13 LastUpdate: 2016-02-04 Vorstellung 8/2013
Tariffic - cheap international phone calls (3.7@637) 8 $Contains no known trackers \o/$

Save via VoIP

2020-03-26

Some of these apps also offer short-message services.

Foxdial (5@1) 22 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Talkray - Free Calls & Texts (4.9@33) Ǥ 29 Test 5/2013; incl. SMS; Phone & Tablet optimized
Threema (4.6@60,302; ~EUR 4.00) Ǥ 26 / Threema QR Scanner Plugin (4.5@7,873) 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-03-06 Video Review 12/2013 (EN) | 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 2/2014 | 2/2014 | 2/2014 | 8/2018 | 11/2018; Wikipedia DE|EN; Audit 11/2015 | 3/2019; Tipps & Tricks 12/2015; Anrufe 9/2017; Backup Tipps 10/2017; (Datenschutz-) Testbericht 2/2020 ; FAQ; messenger with end-to-end encryption
Google Duo - High Quality Video Calls (4.5@5,023,524) Ǥ 33 Vorstellung 8/2016
ICQ: Messenger for video calls & group chats (4.5@753,192) Ǥ 34 Video Review 6/2013
satellite – weltweit mobil telefonieren (4.5@2,369) Ǥ 21 Vorstellung 5/2019
Viber Messenger - Messages, Group Chats & Calls (4.4@13,604,893) Ǥ 47 Video Review 6/2013; Security Check 3/2017 ; Ausführlicher Test 4/2017 mit Privacy-Check ; Wikipedia DE | EN incl. SMS; Privacy- & Datenschutz? Totale Fehlanzeige!
Tango - Live Video Broadcasts (4.4@3,835,767) Ǥ 36 Intro 12/2013; Wikipedia; incl. SMS
Skype - free IM & video calls (4.3@10,988,298) Ǥ 43 / Skype Lite - Free Video Call & Chat (4.3@35,298) Ǥ 39 Video Review 7/2013; Review 7/2013 / Vorstellung 3/2018
ooVoo Video Calls, Messaging & Stories (4.3@1,154,197) Ǥ 16 LastUpdate: 2017-10-31 Video Review 6/2013; Vorstellung 10/2013; Review 10/2013; Wikipedia; clients available for Mac, Win, iOS as well
Orbitcall (4.3@69) 22 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Libon - International calls 🌍📞 (4.2@188,101) Ǥ 18 Video Review 11/2013; Wikipedia EN
Cheap International Call (4.2@343) Ǥ 28 LastUpdate: 2017-08-03
WiCall : VoIP call, Wifi call (4.2@12) 23 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-08-04 Video Demo 8/2013
LINE: Free Calls & Messages (4.1@12,014,768) Ǥ 35 Screencast 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
Hangouts Dialer - Call Phones (4.1@125,698) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-07-20 requires Hangout
Voxeet Conference Call (4.1@1,445) Ǥ 23 LastUpdate: 2018-09-13
KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text (4@2,855,893) Ǥ 43 Vorstellung 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
MobileVOIP Cheap international Calls (4@57,961) Ǥ 18
Vippie - free calls & messages (4@8,147) Ǥ 38 LastUpdate: 2017-10-10 Testbericht 4/2013; Review 4/2013; incl. SMS
Jitsi Meet (4@2,118) Ǥ 14 Github; Anleitung 3/2020
Cellbry (4@264) Ǥ 31
TiKL Touch Talk Walkie Talkie (3.9@163,087) Ǥ 16 LastUpdate: 2018-05-22 incl. SMS & Chat
Tribair VOIP your phone (3.9@2,453) Ǥ 25 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-06-30 / VOIP tablet: phone call & SMS (3.7@1,376) Ǥ 25 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-04-03
VoipStunt - cheap voip (3.9@1,100) Ǥ 16
Video Chat by FriendCaller (3.9@18) Ǥ 29 LastUpdate: 2016-11-02 incl. SMS; also per browser
Lifesize ClearSea (3.8@537) 14 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-08-22
VoipCheap Cheap travel calls (3.8@460) Ǥ 16
menetalk - Best International Calling App (3.8@109) Ǥ 10
Vaani - Free International Calling (3.7@193) Ǥ 21
Hi (3.7@15) Ǥ 35 LastUpdate: 2015-05-30 Vorstellung 4/2014
Wire • Secure Messenger (3.6@31,677) Ǥ 16 Testberichte 4/2017 | 3/2020; Privacy-Warnung 7/2018; Vorstellung 8/2018 - 11/2019; free/gratis, encrypted communication: voice, video and group chats; cross platform: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows. Or in the web browser.
Nextcloud Talk (3.6@586) Ǥ 23 Github
iEvaphone: Free international calls to mobile (2.3@116) Ǥ 18

Open SIP clients

2020-03-28

baresip (4.8@6) 14 Github
Antonia SIP Softphone - VoIP Mobile Dialer (4.6@76) 24
Zoiper IAX SIP VOIP Softphone (4.5@59,376) Ǥ 31
CSipSimple (4.5@11) 24 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-11-05 Vorstellung 7/2013; Video Setup Tutorial 9/2018; Wikipedia EN
Sipnetic (4.2@389) Ǥ 19
Voip By Antisip (+Video) (4.1@430) Ǥ 15
Telesis SIP VoIP Softphone (4.1@138) 22 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
ASTPP Dialer - VoIP Softphone (4.1@92) 17 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Sipco SoftPhone (4.1@57) 21
MizuDroid SIP VOIP Softphone (4@1,814) Ǥ 26 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Siphone (4@639) Ǥ 33
Simlar - free and secure calls (3.9@132) Ǥ 14 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Github; encrypted calls, FOSS
Denwa Phone (3.9@85) 15 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Jami (3.8@783) Ǥ 18 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Wikipedia EN; FAQ; background 9/2015 (EN) | 9/2015 (DE); desktop clients for Linux, Mac, Windows
Linphone (3.5@4,123) Ǥ 25 Wikipedia DE | EN; Clients also available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, WP8
Sipdroid (3.1@10,914) 28 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Github; Wikipedia EN
Lumicall (3.1@62) 24 LastUpdate: 2018-01-29 Github
SIP Caller (0@0) 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-09-13 Github

Roaming Control

2020-03-26

InstaVoice ReachMe (4@171) Ǥ 33
Roaming Guard (3.5@78) Ǥ 8 LastUpdate: 2017-03-04
EU Roaming Data Watcher (3.5@24) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-08-27
Roaming Control (0@0) LastUpdate: 2017-10-13 enable roaming for only the networks/countries of your choice
Save on your roamingcosts (trial version) (0@0) 11 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ / Save on your roamingcosts (4@8; ~EUR 1.50) 11

Various savings

2020-03-26

Serval Mesh (4.2@1,928) 30 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-06-03 Github; Mesh network of phones (no central server)
handytarife.de: Tarifvergleich (3.7@157) 12 LastUpdate: 2018-08-09 Analysiert das Telefonieverhalten im Hintergrund, schlägt dann passende Tarife vor.

Further Readings:

Category Provider Tools: Contract Management and more
Mit dem Smartphone im EU-Ausland: Wann fallen Kosten an? (6/2017 - 7/2019)
Videotelefonie-Apps im Vergleich (9/2016)
Voice over IP – Telefonieren über das Internet (6/2016 - 4/2017)
Telefonieren über das Internet: So bleibt Ihr weltweit preiswert erreichbar (1/2016)
Wifi-Calling: Mit dem Handy über WLAN telefonieren (7/2015)
Die besten Skype-Alternativen für Android (11/2014 - 4/2015)
Kostenlos telefonieren: Die besten Apps für gratis Anrufe (10/2014 - 4/2016)
Five Best Mobile VoIP Apps (5/2014)
Top 10 Android Apps To Make Unlimited Free Calls (4/2014)
Top 15+ Video Call Apps for Android (2/2014)

2020-03-30

IzzyOnDroid

Cheap Calls

Save on Landline

Save via VoIP

Open SIP clients

Roaming Control

Various savings