Skype vs Teams
Microsoft Teams is the official successor to Skype — it's where Microsoft moves your account, chats and contacts. That makes it the path of least resistance. Whether it's the right choice depends on whether you want a work platform or just a way to call your family.
The short version
Pick Teams if you want your Skype history to carry over automatically, you're already in the Microsoft 365 world, or you need meetings, chat and file collaboration in one place. Pick something lighter — Signal, Zoom or Google Meet — if you just want to call people without a work-app on top of it. Teams is more capable than Skype ever was, and also heavier.
How migration works
Sign in to Teams Free with your existing Skype credentials and your contacts and chat history transfer automatically — this is the one thing Teams does that no other alternative can. If you'd rather not use Teams at all, export your Skype data instead, but do it before the export window closes in January 2026, after which the data is deleted.
How they compare
| Skype | Microsoft Teams (free) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Retired May 2025 | Active, official successor |
| Imports your Skype history | — | ✓ automatic |
| Cost | Was free + paid calling | Free tier · paid via M365 |
| Meeting length (free) | — | 60 min · up to 100 people |
| Chat & files | Basic chat | Chat, files, collaboration |
| Calls real phone numbers | Was ✓ (Skype Out) | Add-on (Teams Phone) |
| Feel | Simple call app | Work platform (heavier) |
When Teams wins
- You want your history — it's the only option that migrates your Skype chats and contacts for you.
- You already use Microsoft 365 — Teams is included and ties into Outlook, Office and OneDrive.
- You need more than calls — persistent team chat, shared files and scheduled meetings in one app.
When to pick something lighter
- You just want to talk to people — Zoom or Google Meet are simpler for a plain video call.
- Privacy matters — Signal is free, cross-platform and end-to-end encrypted by default; Teams free is not E2E by default.
- The other person won't install a work app — WhatsApp or a Google Meet browser link have far less friction.
- You need to dial real phone numbers cheaply — that's a separate job; see calling phones after Skype.