From the world's first webcam, created by students at Cambridge University in 1991 to check the levels of a coffee pot, video calling has developed into a crucial tool for businesses and individual users alike. Video calling services have been around for over a decade now, and only become more accessible as internet connectivity and video stability improves.

With current smartphone ownership at 2.53 billion worldwide and expected to rise to 2.87 billion by 2020, video calling is a touch of a button away for an ever-expanding number of people. With an array of different providers, though, it's easy to get bogged down in choosing what's best for you and your team. Parallels for mac os x 10.7.5. We've looked at four of the biggest players out there - Microsoft's Skype, as well as Apple's Facetime and Google Hangouts, and the Google Duo service available for Android and iOS - to help you decide which should be your video chat app of choice. Platforms and availability Most of the video chat options we're comparing are available on multiple platforms, but Skype and Google hangouts are the most widely-supported, as they're both framed as enterprise collaboration tools. Hangouts is available via a web app or via mobile apps for iOS and Android. Skype is best known for its desktop client - available for Windows, Mac and Linux - but also has a web plugin. Once downloaded, you have access to free calls to landlines, mobile devices and other Skype accounts.

But there’s one question people like to ask: Google Hangouts or Skype? It’s a modern rivalry as great as Ford versus Chevy, as Windows versus Mac or as Fat Slice versus Blondie’s. Aug 13, 2018 - We've Tried Skype vs Google Hangouts (Our Team's Feedback). Currently, we have web, desktop (Windows, MacOS), mobile (Android, iOS).

However, the plugin only works through Chrome and Edge for a Windows browser and Chrome for a Mac, and does not work for Linux and Chromebooks. Facetime, as you might expect, is only available on Apple devices, but it's included with desktop devices as well as iPhones and iPads. Since 2017, Google Duo has been integrated into Google Phone, Contacts and Android Messages on the Pixel, Nexus and Android One phones, and can be downloaded on other Android phones as well. Currently, there is no desktop or web client available, but as of January 2018, Duo users can call other Android phones that do not even have Duo. Recipients will simply be prompted to install Duo at the end of the call. User Interfaces and Features Facetime and Google Duo are both going for barebones simplicity with their apps. They're aiming to make video calling as simple as possible, with no unnecessary features to get in the way.

Both apps simply present a live video feed from your front camera along with a list of contacts. One tap launches a call, with a couple of big buttons for muting the audio, reversing the camera feed or ending the call. Skype and Hangouts, by contrast, have a lot more features. They're pitched as full collaboration solutions, meaning that as well as video calling, they also do group video conferencing, instant messaging and filesharing, whereas Facetime and Duo don't.