Skype (discontinued) vs. Telegram

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Skype (discontinued)
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
Skype (the personal edition or Skype free) was a web meeting, video conferencing, and VoIP software, now superseded by Microsoft Teams' free edition and unsupported from May 2025.
$2.99
per month
Telegram
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
Telegram is an open source and free messaging app with a focus on speed and security. Telegram can be used on all devices at the same time — messages sync across any number of phones, tablets or computers. Telegram boasts over 500 million monthly active users and is one of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world.N/A
Pricing
Skype (discontinued)Telegram
Editions & Modules
United States Subscription
$2.99
per month
North America Subscription
$6.99
per month
India Subscription
$7.99
per month
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Skype (discontinued)Telegram
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Skype (discontinued)Telegram
Features
Skype (discontinued)Telegram
Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software
Comparison of Performance & Compatibility of Online Events Software features of Product A and Product B
Skype (discontinued)
9.4
Ratings
17% above category average
Telegram
-
Ratings
High quality audio9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
High quality video9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Low bandwidth requirements9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile support9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Screen Sharing
Comparison of Screen Sharing features of Product A and Product B
Skype (discontinued)
9.1
Ratings
14% above category average
Telegram
-
Ratings
Desktop sharing9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Whiteboards8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Meetings / Events
Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Product A and Product B
Skype (discontinued)
9.4
Ratings
13% above category average
Telegram
-
Ratings
Calendar integration9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Meeting initiation9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with social media9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Record meetings / events9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Slideshows9.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Collaboration
Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Skype (discontinued)
9.6
Ratings
16% above category average
Telegram
-
Ratings
Live chat9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Audience polling9.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Q&A9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Online Events Security
Comparison of Online Events Security features of Product A and Product B
Skype (discontinued)
9.6
Ratings
17% above category average
Telegram
-
Ratings
User authentication9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Participant roles & permissions9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Confidential attendee list9.80 Ratings00 Ratings
VoIP system collaboration
Comparison of VoIP system collaboration features of Product A and Product B
Skype (discontinued)
9.1
Ratings
15% above category average
Telegram
-
Ratings
Video conferencing9.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio conferencing9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Video screen sharing8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Instant messaging9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Skype (discontinued)Telegram
Small Businesses
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Intermedia AnyMeeting Pro
Score 7.1 out of 10
PanTerra Networks
PanTerra Networks
Score 6.3 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
JioMeet
JioMeet
Score 10.0 out of 10
PanTerra Networks
PanTerra Networks
Score 6.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Webex Meetings
Webex Meetings
Score 8.4 out of 10
WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business
Score 8.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Skype (discontinued)Telegram
Likelihood to Recommend
8.6
(0 ratings)
9.9
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Skype (discontinued)Telegram
Likelihood to Recommend
Skype is an excellent choice for phone calls, both local and international, and is also one of the most affordable solutions for business office line. It is simple to use and get started with and provides a call experience on mobile that is similar to a regular phone call. It is not the ideal tool for team chat. For text-based team communication, a separate dedicated tool is still ideal
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Telegram is well suited for SMEs like, online business, freelancing and personal use. The instant messaging & audio video calling, file sharing enables the people to stay close to their relatives. In addition to this, these features helps the business to reach their customers in terms of promotion of the company as well as product. Proper use of Telegram definitely helps in greater business turn over.
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Pros
  • Perfect for chatting via text. Has emojis, file sharing, audio sharing, and even video sharing capabilities.
  • Good for video chats. You can do 1 on 1 sessions with a good quality video.
  • Privacy is also another important function they have. They allow for private conversations between users.
  • Ability to delete conversations with sensitive information you may not want seen by users not authorized. Can share confidential information via Skype.
  • Customizable profiles to fit your company culture.
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  • Can create a big group for promotion
  • Easy to create account and find members
  • Can send secret massages
  • Cloud storage also available here
  • Cloud-based instant messaging service
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Cons
  • Skype is a RESOURCE hog. People who have limited bandwidth will have poor call quality.
  • It is hard to figure out how to use emojis and upload images in the chat.
  • The background images do not fool anybody....it is clearly not your real background.
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  • Verification through phone is not save better registered with Linkedin & E-mails
  • The ability to separate & categorize groups, channels, and users in different tabs should be added so they don't overlap
  • Security level helps scammers to engage with people.
  • The status will appear in the this application to everyone which i don't like
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Likelihood to Renew
I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.
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No answers on this topic
Usability
Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Selected Skype because it was the only platform that was available for such purposes for video conferencing or audio conferencing. Since Microsoft, the tech giant, backed it, it was assured that it would work great in terms of productivity, with utmost security measures for all data, conversations, work materials, and personal information.
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Telegram is hands down superior when it comes to privacy. They can also just handle more people and make searching for previous conversations a breeze. It's not entertaining as much as whatsapp is, but the privacy is amazing, and the video quality is perfect! I highly recommend this app to everyone I meet!
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Return on Investment
  • Skype has contributed to increased efficiency for remote collaboration, especially now due to the ways things are and having so many remote employees. Without this tool, or any collaboration tool, business could not move forward.
  • I think Skype is the cost effective solution also between it and the other competitors out there. I'm not privy to the exact costs, but it strikes me as the cheaper option.
  • The only negative impact I would say is its lack of functionality and customization for larger organizations or groups that have employees spread out or require inter-departmental collaboration.
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  • It saves our time, and you know time is money.
  • During this pandemic era it somehow benefited us as we worked sometimes from home.
  • It allows us to engage with more people. That is highly beneficial for our business.
  • Saves time, saves money.
  • Allow us to be more precise about decision making and that was important for us.
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ScreenShots