As the clock is ticking and the calendar is marking May 2025, the popular video calling service Skype is approaching its retirement date. Soon, the video-calling platform that connected more than 36 million users will vanish into digital history. As an alternative, Microsoft, the parent company of Skype, provided a lifeline to Skype free and paid users in the form of Teams, which has similar core features. In a blog post, the tech giant announced 

“With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.”

Switching to Teams in a Few Simple Steps 

Considering the user-centric services and policies, Microsoft made switching from Skype to Teams a few-step procedure. 

  • Skype Users can sign into Teams on any supporting device, including Android, iOS, and desktop
  • After signing into Teams, users can enter their Skype credentials 
  • The user’s previous chats, contacts, and Skype history will automatically be transferred to Teams 
  • A notification is also sent on the Skype app to ensure that this transfer is consensual and legitimate  

Teams is a user-friendly platform, offering smart and similar features to Skype. It gained more popularity within the last two years. To substantiate, the number of minutes spent in meetings by Teams users has grown fourfold, reflecting its efficiency and quality. Transitioning from Skype to Teams is also an easy task. However, there are also other platforms offering video-calling features that users may also look for. 

Gather 

Gather is a video-calling platform that is best for those who love speed and don’t want to schedule a calendar. It’s just a click and start meeting platform, making coordination simple. It works five times faster than other video-calling platforms. It is also being trusted by more than 10,000 innovative remote teams, highlighting its efficiency and customer-friendly services. 

This platform offers multiple screen features, making task sharing and presentations feasible. The best part is the interactive whiteboard, which makes virtual meetings less virtual. 

Webex

The integration of AI in Webex signifies its innovative and forward-looking approach. In addition to video meetings and calls, the platform provides exclusive features like polling, video messaging, and webinars. It is best for those who want their meetings and data secured, as the platform offers a data residency option. Through this feature, users can decide in which region they want their files and messages to be stored. 

Zoom 

Zoom is a traditional video calling platform, best known for its legacy and user numbers. It has a large community of big tech, commerce, and academic users. It is best for those who want reliability and feasibility. Being widely used by people globally, this platform is for those who require connecting with new people now and then. 

As Skype is retiring, and Microsoft is offering Teams with similar features, users can either switch to this sister platform or explore new video calling platforms like Gather, Webex, and Zoom.