We take voice calling for granted with the arrival of text messages, but there’s no denying that traditional voice calls are still more reliable compared to texting, hence the need for the best free calling apps. However, conventional calling methods are archaic now, especially since we live in the age of 4G LTE and high speed broadband connections. Keeping this in mind, technology now allows to make calls using a VoIP (voice over IP) connection, which is faster, and more reliable, assuming you have decent internet coverage in your area.
There are a handful of dedicated apps to help you make calls using only your internet connection and not your carrier’s minutes. We’re going to talk about a few of them today to give you an understanding of the options available out there. The best part is that all of these apps are available for free, so you’re not required to make any sort of payment to use them. This puts them well ahead of conventional phone calling as it doesn’t require you to spend money towards minutes every month. So without further ado, let’s talk about the apps that let you make free voice calls in 2018.
Best Free Calling Apps
1) LINE
This app was initially very popular in Japan, although other markets have picked up pace gradually. It has all the features that you would expect from an IM app, including stickers, emoji, voice calls, video calls etc. It’s a comprehensive chat app, and among the top IM offerings available in the world right now. This app is available on a variety of platforms, so it’s not just limited to your smartphones. This means you can have the client on your smartphone and tablet at the same time. Using cloud sync, your messages and media are synced instantaneously with other devices, so you have nothing to worry about.
The developers update the app frequently with new features, so you can be assured of getting the best features as they are available. The user interface is simplistic, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing here. One gripe I have with the app is that although it’s free to download, there are some ads and in-app purchases. This aspect perhaps makes it unattractive compared to some other apps we’re going to talk about in this article. In any case, the app has been downloaded nearly a billion times, making it one of the popular apps out there. Be sure to check the best free calling apps if you haven’t yet.
Download it now: here
2) WhatsApp Messenger
One of the world’s most popular instant messaging app, WhatsApp Messenger is used by a majority of the world’s population that rely on text communication. While other offerings dominate the game in regions like the U.S., WhatsApp is immensely popular in Europe, Asia and Africa, and has proven to be instrumental in bridging the gap between people far away. Given how economical internet connections are these days, getting WhatsApp on one’s phone doesn’t take much time.
I personally feel that the company has been somewhat slow to adapt to the changing conditions of the market. But that hasn’t brought down the company’s ambitions as it now gears up to make a couple of big changes to the platform. In terms of features, WhatsApp has you covered on all bases, especially with regards to keeping in touch with your loved ones. This is one of the few best free calling apps that’s completely free and devoid of annoying ads or in-app purchases. This factor alone makes it the preferred chat client for millions of users around the world.
Download it now: here
3) Messenger Lite
This is a branch of Facebook and its Messenger app. This app was designed to be “Lite” on your phones, so that you don’t have to face unnecessary hangups mid-way through your conversations due to RAM or storage issues. The app functions exactly as the normal version of Messenger, but without any of the unnecessary clutter.
It’s no surprise that this app exists knowing how the majority of the globe doesn’t have speedy internet connections. This app uses Facebook’s custom algorithms to make sure the app doesn’t eat too much into the device’s RAM. Calls are made for free provided you have an internet connection (mobile data or Wi-Fi).
Download it now: here
4) WeChat
It’s very likely that you have heard of this chat app before. It’s popularly used in China where many of the popular instant messaging apps are banned, and as such, WeChat maintains a dominance over the market in the region. That’s not to say that the developers haven’t put in the effort, however. WeChat comes with some of the most advanced features that you will see on any IM app.
The company behind WeChat recently launched an app hub similar to the iTunes App Store, extending beyond the instant messaging space and allowing customers to download additional apps and services. The app has been highly rated by a variety of sources, which means there’s very little to complain about with regards to functionality. The app is available for free, although there are in-app purchases. Be sure to check it out from the Play Store.
Download it now: here
5) Hangouts Dialer
A very popular dialer app for your Android phone, and it comes from Google, which makes it a perfect match for your Android smartphone. You can use Hangouts Dialer on a Wi-Fi only tablet without a SIM card and still be able to make calls like you would on a conventional phone. This versatility however is only offered by some apps, with Hangouts Dialer being one of them. We recently posted a detailed walkthrough on how to make free voice calls over Wi-Fi using Hangouts Dialer, and we strongly suggest you to check it out.
You can now call any phone number in the world using Hangouts Dialer, although you are expected to pay a small fee if you’re calling a phone number. You can make calls to fellow Hangouts users for free, however, which is a good thing. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the Hangouts Dialer app, you can use the standard Hangouts app to make voice calls to phone numbers and other Hangouts users. Google mentions that most calls to the U.S. and Canada are free, so if you have relatives or friends staying there, this option is definitely worth considering.
Hangouts Dialer is free to download, and there are no ads available. You will need an Android smartphone or tablet running Android 4.0.3 or above to use this app.