Viber and Skype are both great apps, and both of them have made quite a following for themselves in the last few years.
With the release of Viber Out and Viber on PC, Viber has entered the domain that was once ruled by Skype. So which of the two is really the winner? Who do the users prefer and why? Here are some answers.
Registration
Both Viber and Skype are free to download and register. Whether you want to download the app on your PC, laptop, tablet or your Smartphone, you can do so without having to pay anything. However, with Skype offers you a complete no hassle registration process, you have to register your phone number with Viber to receive a code that enables you to active its services. Viber imports contacts from your phone, unlike Skype. Therefore, if you are slightly finicky about giving an app access to your phone number and your contact list, you might be slightly uncomfortable using Viber. Viber Out and Skype to Phone calls are both chargeable, so in that sense, both of them are at par. However, Skype is the clear winner when you talk of ease of registration.
Video Calls
Skype has had a video call feature since as long as anyone can remember, and this feature has been tried and tested across all platforms. In fact, Skype grew in popularity because it allowed users to make video calls to one another free. You can use it on your computers, tablets and your smartphones – free of cost. Viber has recently introduced a video calling feature, which is still in its beta phased. The feature has not been optimized and is only available for PCs and Macs. Therefore, if you are smartphone user, it may take a while before you will be able to use Viber’s video calling function. So again, Skype is a clear winner.
Call Quality
Since you can make voice calls through both Viber and Skype, the comparison of call quality will always be made. Both have good audio calling quality, and if the internet signal is strong enough, you can have a great call. However, things are very different when you make video calls. Video calls demand more of your internet’s bandwidth, so the audio calls which may be great, often deteriorate when you convert them into video calls. Since Viber’s video calling feature is still in its beta phase, problems persist, even when you use a high-speed data connection. When using Viber, call quality on your PC would be much better than call quality on your smartphone app. So once again, Skype wins this round as well.
The Verdict
Both Skype and Viber are great apps, but Viber is a relatively new entrant, as compared to Skype. Skype has already established itself as a leader in communications, and though Viber is a great app, and is generally competent, it faces tough competition from Skype, which clearly wins on many counts. However, Viber has been improving and adding many new features, so it is possible that it would soon catch up with Skype in this race for number one.
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