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

2019-04-12

addCALL - Günstig telefonieren (4.3@123) 10 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Testbericht 6/2012 | 7/2013 (mit Video); Video Review 6/2013
toolani - International Calling App (4.1@4,131) Ǥ 19
International calling (4@6,583) Ǥ 23 LastUpdate: 2016-05-01
Cheap Calls (4@1,896) Ǥ 13 LastUpdate: 2016-02-04 Vorstellung 5/2011 | 11/2012 | 8/2013; Testbericht 7/2012
Tariffic - cheap international phone calls (4@632) 8 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Testbericht 1/2011 | 9/2012 (mit Video); Test 5/2012; Video Review 8/2012
Cheap International Calls - FooCall (3.7@3,351) Ǥ 23
FlatrateBooster (3.7@141) Ǥ 22 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-08-22 Test 8/2008; Vorstellung 10/2012; Testbericht 10/2012 | 12/2012

Save via VoIP

2019-04-12

Some of these apps also offer short-message services.

Google Duo - High Quality Video Calls (4.6@3,690,298) Ǥ 32 Vorstellung 8/2016
UppTalk (4.6@110) Ǥ 36 LastUpdate: 2017-02-24 incl. SMS
Threema (4.5@54,955; ~EUR 3.00) Ǥ 24 / Threema QR Scanner Plugin (4.1@7,801) 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Test 8/2013; Vorstellung 2/2014 | 2/2014 | 2/2014 | 8/2018 | 11/2018; Wikipedia DE|EN; Audit 11/2015; Tipps & Tricks 12/2015; Anrufe 9/2017; Backup Tipps 10/2017; messenger with end-to-end encryption
Viber Messenger - Messages, Group Chats & Calls (4.4@12,747,442) Ǥ 42 Video Review 6/2011; Review 7/2011 | 6/2013; Security Check 3/2017 ; Ausführlicher Test 4/2017 mit Privacy-Check ; Wikipedia DE | EN incl. SMS; Privacy- & Datenschutz? Totale Fehlanzeige!
ICQ: Messages, Group chats & Video Calls (4.4@726,022) Ǥ 33 Review 5/2012; Testbericht 5/2012; Video Review 6/2013; Vorstellung 3/2014
Nextcloud Talk (4.4@309) Ǥ 18 Github
Tango - Live Video Broadcasts (4.3@3,822,438) Ǥ 36 Testbericht 2/2013; Intro 12/2013; Wikipedia; incl. SMS
KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text (4.3@2,755,162) Ǥ 36 Test 3/2013; Vorstellung 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
ooVoo Video Calls, Messaging & Stories (4.3@1,155,665) Ǥ 16 Video Review 6/2013; Vorstellung 10/2013; Review 10/2013; Wikipedia; clients available for Mac, Win, iOS as well
TiKL Touch Talk Walkie Talkie (4.3@163,463) Ǥ 16 incl. SMS & Chat
Orbitcall (4.3@63) 22 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
LINE: Free Calls & Messages (4.2@11,406,949) Ǥ 34 Screencast 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
Talkray - Free Calls & Texts (4.2@244,939) Ǥ 30 Video Demo 11/2012; Intro 4/2013; Test 5/2013 | 5/2013; incl. SMS; Phone & Tablet optimized
Cheap International Call (4.2@343) Ǥ 28 LastUpdate: 2017-08-03
WiCall : VoIP call, Wifi call (4.2@12) 23 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Video Demo 8/2013
Skype - free IM & video calls (4.1@10,753,663) Ǥ 46 / Skype Lite - Free Video Call & Chat (4.2@34,103) Ǥ 40 Video Review 6/2011 | 7/2013; Testbericht 8/2011; Review 8/2011 | 7/2013 / Vorstellung 3/2018
Libon - International calls ???????? (4.1@183,224) Ǥ 16 Video Review 11/2013; Wikipedia EN
Wire • Secure Messenger (4.1@29,607) Ǥ 16 Testberichte 4/2017; Privacy-Warnung 7/2018; Vorstellung 8/2018; free/gratis, encrypted communication: voice, video and group chats; cross platform: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows. Or in the web browser.
Voxeet Conference Call (4.1@1,445) Ǥ 22 Intro 12/2012
VoipCheap Cheap travel calls (4.1@448) Ǥ 20
Hangouts Dialer - Call Phones (4@123,761) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-07-20 Vorstellung 9/2014; Intro 10/2014; requires Hangout
MobileVOIP Cheap international Calls (4@56,577) Ǥ 20
Vippie - free calls & messages (4@8,147) Ǥ 38 Promo Video 7/2012; Testbericht 4/2013; Review 4/2013; incl. SMS
VoipStunt - cheap voip (4@1,080) Ǥ 20 incl. SMS
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
Video Chat by FriendCaller (3.9@18) Ǥ 29 LastUpdate: 2016-11-02 incl. SMS; also per browser
Lifesize ClearSea (3.7@538) 14 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-08-22
Hi (3.7@15) Ǥ 35 LastUpdate: 2015-05-30 Vorstellung 4/2014
Uppertel - Call for free!!! (3.6@288) Ǥ 37 LastUpdate: 2015-05-05 Testbericht 4/2013; Review 4/2013; incl. SMS

Open SIP clients

2019-04-20

Zoiper VoIP SIP IAX Softphone (4.6@1,053) Ǥ 28 LastUpdate: 2016-11-22 / Zoiper IAX SIP VOIP Softphone (4.5@53,181) Ǥ 30
CSipSimple (4.5@11) 24 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ / Codec Pack for CSipSimple (4.1@1,089) 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-12-08 Intro 5/2012; Vorstellung 7/2013; Wikipedia EN
MizuDroid SIP VOIP Softphone (4.1@998) Ǥ 25 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Voip By Antisip (+Video) (4.1@415) Ǥ 15
Simlar - free and secure calls (4.1@123) Ǥ 13 Github; encrypted calls, FOSS
Sipdroid (4@10,896) 27 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Github; Review 3/2011; Wikipedia EN
Siphone (3.9@639) Ǥ 30
Jami (3.9@607) Ǥ 23 FAQ; background 9/2015 (EN) | 9/2015 (DE); desktop clients for Linux, Mac, Windows
Denwa Phone (3.9@83) 12 $Contains no known trackers \o/$
Linphone (3.8@3,855) Ǥ 27 Wikipedia DE | EN; Clients also available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, WP8
Lumicall (3.1@62) 24 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Github
baresip (3@2) 16 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ Github
sTelPhone: Security VoIP (2.7@26) Ǥ 20 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-01-16
SIP Caller (0@0) 1 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-09-13 Github

Roaming Control

2019-04-12

Save Roaming Costs - InstaVoice ReachMe (4.4@116) Ǥ 33
Roaming Control Trial (4@508) 19 LastUpdate: 2014-11-22 / Roaming Control (4.4@368; ~EUR 3.50) 18 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2014-11-22 für "Grenzgänger": gezielt festlegen, was für welches Netz per Roaming erlaubt ist
EU Roaming Data Watcher (3.6@18) 0 $Contains no known trackers \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-08-27
Roaming Guard (3.4@68) Ǥ 8 LastUpdate: 2017-03-04
Roaming Control (0@0) 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 (4.2@5; ~EUR 1.50) 11

Various savings

2019-04-12

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 Vorstellung 3/2013; Testbericht 4/2013. Analysiert das Telefonieverhalten im Hintergrund, schlägt dann passende Tarife vor.

Further Readings:

Category Provider Tools: Contract Management and more
Videotelefonie-Apps im Vergleich (9/2016)
Voice over IP – Telefonieren über das Internet (6/2016)
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)
Kostenlos telefonieren: Die besten Apps für gratis Anrufe (10/2014)
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)
Top 10 Best Video Calling Apps for Android (9/2013)
Viber vs WhatsApp - Battle of the best free phone apps! (2/2013)

2019-04-20

IzzyOnDroid

Cheap Calls

Save on Landline

Save via VoIP

Open SIP clients

Roaming Control

Various savings