MEETINGS
Restream is building the production desk and the clip factory at the same time
Alternatives · video conferencing tools
Skype alternatives
The best Skype alternatives in video conferencing tools, ranked by Sparkpulse's velocity_score.
Updated Aug 12, 2026
Looking for the best alternatives to Skype? Sparkpulse tracks and ranks 12 alternatives in video conferencing tools by shipping velocity — how frequently each ships meaningful updates, verified from official changelogs. For reference, Skype shipped 0 meaningful updates in the last 30 days and carries a velocity score of 2.5 out of 10 in 2026. The alternatives below are ranked the same way, so you're comparing real release momentum, not marketing claims.
About Skype
Skype is retired — captured feed is Microsoft 365 promos and a data-export window extended to June 2026.
Skype was retired in May 2025. The current feed is a mix of Microsoft 365 marketing CTAs, Microsoft product navigation chrome, and Skype support-page text confirming the retirement and announcing that the data-export window has been extended to June 2026 (originally a shorter window). There is no ongoing product development to commentate on — every captured entry is either a redirect surface promoting Microsoft Teams as the replacement, or a help-center artifact about exporting historical Skype data.
Velocity 2.5 · Last update 3mo ago
Top 12 alternatives to Skype
Ranked by recent ship velocity. Tap any card for the full editorial breakdown, or pivot to a head-to-head.
MEETINGS
3CX is bolting AI onto the PBX and rewriting its licensing to match
MEETINGS
Wowza is turning its media server into an inference layer, and NVIDIA just shipped a model into it.
MEETINGS
Bizzabo's feed is an enterprise event-planning library with no product news in it.
MEETINGS
The feed is a marketing blog; the actual GA announcements arrive between the thought leadership
MEETINGS
HOMER 11's DuckLake rearchitecture is in its hardening phase, shipping near-daily.
MEETINGS
mediasoup's Rust line is shipping subchannel fixes every few days and nothing else
MEETINGS
A daily drip of conference-platform polish, with finance filtering and attendee self-service leading.
MEETINGS
Switcher Studio's tracked feed is search-driven streaming education, not product news.
MEETINGS
Four parallel branches, one fix set — Asterisk's changelog is a backport ledger, not a feature list.
MEETINGS
CallHippo is arguing that compliance, not features, is what sells business calling.
MEETINGS
A UCaaS marketing blog split between buyer education and channel-partner enablement.
Skype vs alternatives — shipping velocity at a glance
Velocity score (0–10) and meaningful releases shipped in the last 30 days, from official changelogs. Higher = shipping faster.
| Product | Velocity | Sparks · 30d | Focus areas | Latest release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skype (baseline) | 2.5 | 0 | video-conferencingend-of-lifemicrosoft-teams | — |
| Restream | 6.3 | 1 | live-productionclips-automationmultistreaming | Host live webinars and Slack townhalls |
| 3CX | 6.3 | 1 | on-prem-aimcppbx | V20 Update 10 Alpha: MCP, AI Server & More Admin Control |
| Wowza | 6.3 | 1 | video-intelligencelive-streamingcomputer-vision | How NVIDIA And Wowza Are Detecting Synthetic Video In Live Streams |
| Bizzabo | 6.3 | 0 | seo-contentevent-managementmobile-event-app | — |
| Webex | 5.0 | 0 | ai-agentscontact-centerenterprise-calling | — |
| HOMER | 5.0 | 0 | voipsip captureducklake | — |
| mediasoup | 5.0 | 0 | webrtcsfurust-bindings | — |
| Fourwaves | 5.0 | 0 | conference platformevent managementpayments | — |
| Switcher Studio | 5.0 | 0 | live streamingcontent marketingcreator education | — |
| Asterisk | 5.0 | 0 | telephonymulti-branch-backportssecurity-releases | — |
| CallHippo | 5.0 | 0 | ai-voice-agentsconsent-compliancetcpa | — |
| Intermedia | 5.0 | 0 | ucaascontact-centerchannel-partners | — |
The 12 best Skype alternatives, in depth
1. Restream · velocity 6.3
Restream is building the production desk and the clip factory at the same time.
Over the last 30 days Restream shipped 1 meaningful update vs Skype's 0, most recently “Host live webinars and Slack townhalls ”. Its velocity score of 6.3/10 blends that with longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Restream focuses on live production, clips automation and multistreaming.
Over the last 30 days Restream has been shipping faster than Skype — a point in its favour if release momentum matters to you.
2. 3CX · velocity 6.3
3CX is bolting AI onto the PBX and rewriting its licensing to match.
Over the last 30 days 3CX shipped 1 meaningful update vs Skype's 0, most recently “V20 Update 10 Alpha: MCP, AI Server & More Admin Control”. Its velocity score of 6.3/10 blends that with longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, 3CX focuses on on prem ai, mcp and pbx.
Over the last 30 days 3CX has been shipping faster than Skype — a point in its favour if release momentum matters to you.
3. Wowza · velocity 6.3
Wowza is turning its media server into an inference layer, and NVIDIA just shipped a model into it.
Over the last 30 days Wowza shipped 1 meaningful update vs Skype's 0, most recently “How NVIDIA And Wowza Are Detecting Synthetic Video In Live Streams”. Its velocity score of 6.3/10 blends that with longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Wowza focuses on video intelligence, live streaming and computer vision.
Over the last 30 days Wowza has been shipping faster than Skype — a point in its favour if release momentum matters to you.
4. Bizzabo · velocity 6.3
Bizzabo's feed is an enterprise event-planning library with no product news in it.
Its velocity score of 6.3/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Bizzabo focuses on seo content, event management and mobile event app.
Bizzabo and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
5. Webex · velocity 5.0
The feed is a marketing blog; the actual GA announcements arrive between the thought leadership.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Webex focuses on ai agents, contact center and enterprise calling.
Webex and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
6. HOMER · velocity 5.0
HOMER 11's DuckLake rearchitecture is in its hardening phase, shipping near-daily.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, HOMER focuses on voip, sip capture and ducklake.
HOMER and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
7. mediasoup · velocity 5.0
Mediasoup's Rust line is shipping subchannel fixes every few days and nothing else.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, mediasoup focuses on webrtc, sfu and rust bindings.
mediasoup and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
8. Fourwaves · velocity 5.0
A daily drip of conference-platform polish, with finance filtering and attendee self-service leading.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Fourwaves focuses on conference platform, event management and payments.
Fourwaves and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
9. Switcher Studio · velocity 5.0
Switcher Studio's tracked feed is search-driven streaming education, not product news.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Switcher Studio focuses on live streaming, content marketing and creator education.
Switcher Studio and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
Full Switcher Studio trajectory → · Compare Skype vs Switcher Studio →
10. Asterisk · velocity 5.0
Four parallel branches, one fix set — Asterisk's changelog is a backport ledger, not a feature list.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Asterisk focuses on telephony, multi branch backports and security releases.
Asterisk and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
11. CallHippo · velocity 5.0
CallHippo is arguing that compliance, not features, is what sells business calling.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, CallHippo focuses on ai voice agents, consent compliance and tcpa.
CallHippo and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
12. Intermedia · velocity 5.0
A UCaaS marketing blog split between buyer education and channel-partner enablement.
Its velocity score of 5.0/10 reflects longer-term release cadence.
Where Skype leans on video conferencing, end of life and microsoft teams, Intermedia focuses on ucaas, contact center and channel partners.
Intermedia and Skype have shipped at a similar pace over the last 30 days, so the decision comes down to fit and feature depth.
Full Intermedia trajectory → · Compare Skype vs Intermedia →
Frequently asked questions
What are the best alternatives to Skype?
The top Skype alternatives we currently track in video conferencing tools are Restream, 3CX, Wowza, Bizzabo, Webex, ranked by recent ship velocity.
How is this list of Skype alternatives ranked?
Alternatives are ranked by Sparkpulse's velocity_score — release cadence + 30-day spark count + sector-relative ship rate.
Can I compare Skype directly with one of these alternatives?
Yes — every card has a "Compare with Skype" link to a side-by-side /compare page.