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

2021-01-12

Cheap International Calls - FooCall (4.4@3,699) Ǥ 20 4
toolani - Cheap international calls since 2008 (4.1@4,952) Ǥ 21 13
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@639) 8 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2019-01-04

Save via VoIP

2021-01-13

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 35 10 LastUpdate: 2019-01-18 incl. SMS; Phone & Tablet optimized
Threema. Secure and private Messenger (4.6@63,847; ~EUR 4.00) Ǥ 26 2 / Threema Work. Secure Enterprise Messaging (4@1,008) Ǥ 29 2 / Threema QR Scanner Plugin (4.5@7,873) 2 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ 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
Google Duo - High Quality Video Calls (4.5@6,974,124) Ǥ 35 1 Vorstellung 8/2016
Viber Messenger - Free Video Calls & Group Chats (4.4@14,432,704) Ǥ 50 13 Security Check 3/2017 ; Ausführlicher Test 4/2017 mit Privacy-Check ; Wikipedia DE | EN incl. SMS; Privacy- & Datenschutz? Totale Fehlanzeige!
Tango - Live Video Broadcasts and Streaming Chats (4.4@3,854,577) Ǥ 36 12 Wikipedia; incl. SMS
ICQ New Messenger App: Video Calls & Chat Rooms (4.4@785,036) Ǥ 36 6
Skype - free IM & video calls (4.3@11,294,533) Ǥ 44 5 / Skype Lite - Free Video Call & Chat (4.3@35,298) Ǥ 40 4 Vorstellung 3/2018
ooVoo Video Calls, Messaging & Stories (4.3@1,152,121) Ǥ 16 16 LastUpdate: 2017-10-31 Wikipedia; clients available for Mac, Win, iOS as well
satellite – mobile calls worldwide (4.3@3,064) Ǥ 17 4 Vorstellung 5/2019
Orbitcall (4.3@71) 21 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Libon - International calls 🌍📞 (4.2@193,411) Ǥ 19 5 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@12,653,305) Ǥ 45 6 Screencast 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text (4.1@2,939,151) Ǥ 47 4 Vorstellung 3/2014; Wikipedia DE | EN
Hangouts Dialer - Call Phones (4.1@129,110) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2017-07-20 requires Hangout
Voxeet Conference Call (4.1@1,445) Ǥ 23 7
MobileVOIP Cheap international Calls (4@59,050) Ǥ 19 4
Vippie - free calls & messages (4@8,147) Ǥ 38 5 LastUpdate: 2017-10-10 incl. SMS
Cellbry (4@292) Ǥ 26 4
TiKL Touch Talk Walkie Talkie (3.9@162,986) Ǥ 16 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 & SMS (3.7@1,376) Ǥ 25 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ LastUpdate: 2016-04-03
menetalk - Best International Calling App (3.9@107) Ǥ 11 2
Video Chat by FriendCaller (3.9@18) Ǥ 30 3 LastUpdate: 2016-11-02 incl. SMS; also per browser
VoipStunt - cheap voip (3.8@1,112) Ǥ 17 4
VoipCheap Cheap travel calls (3.8@467) Ǥ 17 4
Nextcloud Talk (3.7@870) Ǥ 30 1 Github
Hi (3.7@15) Ǥ 35 4 LastUpdate: 2015-05-30
Wire • Secure Messenger (3.6@33,275) Ǥ 16 2 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.
Vaani - International Calling (3.5@225) Ǥ 22 3
Jitsi Meet (3.3@38,290) Ǥ 18 1 Github; Anleitung 3/2020; Video Kurzanleitung 3/2020; Vorstellung 4/2020
iEvaphone: Cheap international calls to mobile (2.4@332) Ǥ 19 5 LastUpdate: 2019-02-07

Open SIP clients

2021-01-07

baresip (4.6@13) 15 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ / baresip+ (0@0) 16 Github
Zoiper IAX SIP VOIP Softphone (4.4@65,016) Ǥ 35 4
Jami (4.1@1,036) 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
Simlar - free and secure calls (4.1@143) Ǥ 14 1 Github; encrypted calls, FOSS
Sipco SoftPhone (4.1@58) 21 1
Sipnetic (4@753) Ǥ 19 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Voip By Antisip (+Video) (4@447) Ǥ 15 1
Antonia SIP Softphone - VoIP Mobile Dialer (4@106) 24 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
ASTPP Dialer - VoIP Softphone (4@105) 19 1
Siphone (3.9@639) Ǥ 29 3
Telesis SIP VoIP Softphone (3.9@204) Ǥ 25 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
MizuDroid SIP VOIP Softphone (3.8@2,951) Ǥ 29 1
Denwa (3.6@98) 15 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
Sipdroid (3.5@10,935) 28 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$ Github; Wikipedia EN
Linphone (3.4@4,427) Ǥ 26 1 Wikipedia DE | EN; Clients also available for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, WP8
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

2021-01-12

Roaming Guard (3.6@87) Ǥ 9 2
EU Roaming Data Watcher (3.5@23) 0 $Contains no trackers known to us \o/$
InstaVoice ReachMe (3.2@238) Ǥ 37 13
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

2021-01-12

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)

2021-01-14

IzzyOnDroid

Cheap Calls

Save on Landline

Save via VoIP

Open SIP clients

Roaming Control

Various savings