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

2020-09-23

Cheap International Calls - FooCall (4.4@3,664) Ǥ 20 5
toolani - Cheap international calls since 2008 (4.1@4,832) Ǥ 20 12
International calling (4@6,583) Ǥ 23 LastUpdate: 2016-05-01
Cheap Calls (4@1,896) Ǥ 13 1 LastUpdate: 2016-02-04
Tariffic - cheap international phone calls (3.7@640) 8 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-01-04

Save via VoIP

2020-09-23

Some of these apps also offer short-message services.

Foxdial (5@1) 22 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Talkray - Free Calls & Texts (4.9@33) Ǥ 29 10 LastUpdate: 2019-01-18 incl. SMS; Phone & Tablet optimized
Threema. Secure and private Messenger (4.6@62,621; ~EUR 4.00) Ǥ 26 2 / Threema Work. Secure Enterprise Messaging (3.7@935) Ǥ 20 1 / Threema QR Scanner Plugin (4.5@7,873) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ 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 | 11/2018-8/2020; 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@6,373,050) Ǥ 35 1 Vorstellung 8/2016
Tango - Live Video Broadcasts and Streaming Chats (4.4@3,845,883) Ǥ 36 13 Intro 12/2013; Wikipedia; incl. SMS
ICQ Messenger: Video Calling App & Chat Rooms (4.4@776,424) Ǥ 34 9
Viber Messenger - Messages, Group Chats & Calls (4.3@14,023,179) Ǥ 50 11 Security Check 3/2017 ; Ausführlicher Test 4/2017 mit Privacy-Check ; Wikipedia DE | EN incl. SMS; Privacy- & Datenschutz? Totale Fehlanzeige!
Skype - free IM & video calls (4.3@11,221,412) Ǥ 43 7 / Skype Lite - Free Video Call & Chat (4.3@35,298) Ǥ 39 4 Vorstellung 3/2018
ooVoo Video Calls, Messaging & Stories (4.3@1,152,681) Ǥ 16 17 LastUpdate: 2017-10-31 Vorstellung 10/2013; Review 10/2013; Wikipedia; clients available for Mac, Win, iOS as well
satellite – weltweit mobil telefonieren (4.3@2,842) Ǥ 21 4 Vorstellung 5/2019
Orbitcall (4.3@71) 22 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Libon - International calls 🌍📞 (4.2@191,487) Ǥ 18 6 Video Review 11/2013; Wikipedia EN
Cheap International Call (4.2@343) Ǥ 28 1 LastUpdate: 2017-08-03
WiCall : VoIP call, Wifi call (4.2@12) 23 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2018-08-04
LINE: Free Calls & Messages (4.1@12,420,155) Ǥ 37 6 Screencast 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text (4.1@2,912,552) Ǥ 47 4 Vorstellung 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
Hangouts Dialer - Call Phones (4.1@127,866) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-07-20 requires Hangout
Voxeet Conference Call (4.1@1,445) Ǥ 23 7 LastUpdate: 2018-09-13
MobileVOIP Cheap international Calls (4@58,721) Ǥ 18 4
Vippie - free calls & messages (4@8,147) Ǥ 38 5 LastUpdate: 2017-10-10 incl. SMS
Cellbry (4@288) Ǥ 26 4 LastUpdate: 2019-03-15
TiKL Touch Talk Walkie Talkie (3.9@163,036) Ǥ 16 8 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 & SMS (3.7@1,376) Ǥ 25 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-04-03
Video Chat by FriendCaller (3.9@18) Ǥ 30 3 LastUpdate: 2016-11-02 incl. SMS; also per browser
VoipStunt - cheap voip (3.8@1,109) Ǥ 16 4
VoipCheap Cheap travel calls (3.8@466) Ǥ 16 4
menetalk - Best International Calling App (3.8@108) Ǥ 10 2
Hi (3.7@15) Ǥ 34 4 LastUpdate: 2015-05-30 Vorstellung 4/2014
Wire • Secure Messenger (3.5@32,797) 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.
Nextcloud Talk (3.5@758) Ǥ 24 1 Github
Jitsi Meet (3.4@31,925) Ǥ 15 4 Github; Anleitung 3/2020; Vorstellung 4/2020
Vaani - International Calling (3.4@225) Ǥ 21 4
iEvaphone: Cheap international calls to mobile (2.3@278) Ǥ 18 4 LastUpdate: 2019-02-07

Open SIP clients

2020-09-15

baresip (4.8@6) 14 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / baresip+ (0@0) 15 Github
Zoiper IAX SIP VOIP Softphone (4.5@63,417) Ǥ 32 3
Antonia SIP Softphone - VoIP Mobile Dialer (4.2@103) 24 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Sipco SoftPhone (4.1@58) 21 1
Siphone (4@639) Ǥ 33 3 LastUpdate: 2018-12-17
Voip By Antisip (+Video) (4@443) Ǥ 15 1
Telesis SIP VoIP Softphone (4@190) Ǥ 25 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Simlar - free and secure calls (4@138) Ǥ 14 1 Github; encrypted calls, FOSS
ASTPP Dialer - VoIP Softphone (4@102) 17 1
Sipnetic (3.9@629) Ǥ 19 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Jami (3.8@959) Ǥ 19 1 Wikipedia EN; FAQ; background 9/2015 (EN) | 9/2015 (DE); Vorstellung 5/2020; desktop clients for Linux, Mac, Windows
MizuDroid SIP VOIP Softphone (3.7@2,654) Ǥ 29
Denwa (3.6@97) 15
Linphone (3.5@4,337) Ǥ 26 1 Wikipedia DE | EN; Clients also available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, WP8
Sipdroid (3.2@10,932) 28 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Wikipedia EN
Lumicall (3.1@62) 24 LastUpdate: 2018-01-29 Github
SIP Caller (0@0) 1 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-09-13 Github

Roaming Control

2020-09-23

Roaming Guard (3.6@81) Ǥ 9 2
EU Roaming Data Watcher (3.5@23) 0 1
InstaVoice ReachMe (3.2@226) Ǥ 37 11
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 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / Save on your roamingcosts (4@8; ~EUR 1.50) 11

Various savings

2020-09-23

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)
handytarife.de: Tarifvergleich (3.7@157) 12 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ 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
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)

2020-09-23

IzzyOnDroid

Cheap Calls

Save on Landline

Save via VoIP

Open SIP clients

Roaming Control

Various savings