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

2021-07-21

International calling (4@6,583) Ǥ 23 LastUpdate: 2016-05-01
toolani - Cheap international calls since 2008 (4@5,169) Ǥ 21 12
Cheap Calls (4@1,896) Ǥ 13 1 LastUpdate: 2016-02-04
Tariffic - cheap international phone calls (3.7@644) 8
Cheap International Calls - FooCall (2.7@32) Ǥ 20 6

Save via VoIP

2021-07-22

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
Hangouts Dialer - Call Phones (4.7@19) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-07-20 requires Hangout
Threema. Secure and private Messenger (4.6@67,349; ~EUR 4.00) Ǥ 26 2 / Threema Work. Secure Enterprise Messaging (4@1,211) Ǥ 29 1 / Threema QR Scanner Plugin (4.5@7,873) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-03-06 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; messenger with end-to-end encryption
Viber Messenger - Free Video Calls & Group Chats (4.4@15,109,409) Ǥ 50 12 Security Check 3/2017 ; Ausführlicher Test 4/2017 mit Privacy-Check ; Wikipedia DE | EN incl. SMS; Privacy- & Datenschutz? Totale Fehlanzeige!
Google Duo (4.4@7,875,639) Ǥ 35 2 Vorstellung 8/2016
ICQ New Messenger App: Video Calls & Chat Rooms (4.4@795,084) Ǥ 35 9
satellite – mobile calls worldwide (4.4@3,518) Ǥ 21 4 Vorstellung 5/2019
Skype - free IM & video calls (4.3@11,385,116) Ǥ 43 3 / Skype Lite - Free Video Call & Chat (4.3@35,298) Ǥ 40 6 Vorstellung 3/2018
Tango – Live Streams & Live Video Chats: Go Live (4.3@3,901,164) Ǥ 39 15 Wikipedia; incl. SMS
Libon - International calls �� (4.3@197,650) Ǥ 19 5 Wikipedia EN
Orbitcall (4.3@73) 21 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Cheap International Call (4.2@343) Ǥ 28 1 LastUpdate: 2017-08-03
iEvaphone: Free international calls to mobile (4.2@17) Ǥ 18 5 LastUpdate: 2019-02-07
WiCall : VoIP call, wifi call (4.2@12) 22 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-08-04
LINE: Free Calls & Messages (4.1@13,027,699) Ǥ 45 6 Screencast 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text (4.1@3,003,819) Ǥ 47 4 Vorstellung 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
MobileVOIP Cheap international Calls (4@59,572) Ǥ 19 5
Vippie - free calls & messages (4@8,147) Ǥ 38 5 LastUpdate: 2017-10-10 incl. SMS
TiKL Touch Talk Walkie Talkie (3.9@162,976) Ǥ 14 7 LastUpdate: 2018-05-22 incl. SMS & Chat
Tribair VOIP your phone (3.9@2,453) Ǥ 25 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-06-30 / VOIP tablet & phone, call (3.7@1,376) Ǥ 22 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-04-03
Nextcloud Talk (3.9@993) Ǥ 32 2 Github
VoipCheap Cheap travel calls (3.9@467) Ǥ 17 5
menetalk - Best International Calling App (3.9@108) Ǥ 11 4
Video Chat by FriendCaller (3.9@18) Ǥ 23 3 LastUpdate: 2016-11-02 incl. SMS; also per browser
Cellbry (3.8@309) Ǥ 26 4
VoipStunt - cheap voip (3.7@1,123) Ǥ 17 5
Hi (3.7@15) Ǥ 35 4 LastUpdate: 2015-05-30
Wire • Secure Messenger (3.6@34,076) Ǥ 16 1 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.
ooVoo Video Calls, Messaging & Stories (3.6@5,630) Ǥ 16 16 LastUpdate: 2017-10-31 Wikipedia; clients available for Mac, Win, iOS as well
Jitsi Meet (3.5@45,735) Ǥ 18 2 Github; Anleitung 3/2020; Video Kurzanleitung 3/2020; Vorstellung 4/2020
Vaani - International Calling (3.4@226) Ǥ 22 3

Open SIP clients

2021-07-18

Zoiper IAX SIP VOIP Softphone (4.4@67,376) Ǥ 35 4
Sipnetic (4.2@983) Ǥ 19 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
baresip (4.2@20) 17 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / baresip+ (0@0) 18 Github
Simlar - free and secure calls (4.1@149) Ǥ 17 1 Github; encrypted calls, FOSS
Antonia SIP Softphone - VoIP Mobile Dialer (4.1@120) 24 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Sipco SoftPhone (4.1@60) Ǥ 26 1
Voip By Antisip (+Video) (4@451) Ǥ 15 1
ASTPP Dialer - VoIP Softphone (4@120) 19 1
MizuDroid SIP VOIP Softphone (3.9@3,359) Ǥ 29 1
Jami (3.9@1,189) Ǥ 19 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Wikipedia EN; FAQ; background 9/2015 (EN) | 9/2015 (DE); Vorstellung 5/2020; desktop clients for Linux, Mac, Windows
Siphone (3.9@639) Ǥ 29 3
Telesis SIP VoIP Softphone (3.8@223) Ǥ 25 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Linphone (3.7@4,698) Ǥ 26 1 Wikipedia DE | EN; Clients also available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, WP8
Sipdroid (3.5@10,944) 29 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Wikipedia EN
Denwa (3.5@103) 15 1
Lumicall (3.1@62) 24 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github
SIP Caller (0@0) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-09-13 Github

Roaming Control

2021-07-21

EU Roaming Data Watcher (3.6@25) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Roaming Guard (3.5@94) Ǥ 9 2
InstaVoice ReachMe (3.2@241) Ǥ 37 14
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) 12 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / Save on your roamingcosts (4@8; ~EUR 1.50) 12

Various savings

2021-07-21

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)
handytarife.de Tarifoptimierer (3.7@157) 13 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-08-09 Analysiert das Telefonieverhalten im Hintergrund, schlägt dann passende Tarife vor.

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)
The 5 Best Free Calling Apps for Making Free Phone Calls (4/2021)
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)

2021-07-25

IzzyOnDroid

Cheap Calls

Save on Landline

Save via VoIP

Open SIP clients

Roaming Control

Various savings