Google VoiceとSkypeの比較

サービスの状態

Google Voice：稼働中。Skype：提供終了。提供を終了した個人向けサービスは、以前どれほど優れていても候補にはなりません。アカウントの新規販売は停止し、未使用のクレジットは変換されるか失効し、サポートも終了します。利用していたサービスが終了したためにこのページをご覧になっている場合、比較すべきなのは現在も運営されているサービスです。

接続料

Google Voice：なし。Skype：課金あり。接続料は通話時間にかかわらず毎回加算される固定額です。そのため、分単位の比較では最も安く見える短い通話ほど、割合としての負担が大きくなります。接続料が五セントの場合、1分間の通話を10回すると、表示料金から想定される額より五十セント多くかかります。一方、10分間の通話を1回した場合は五セントです。

クレジットの有効期限

Google Voice：非公開。Skype：有効期限あり。クレジットの有効期限は、料金表には現れないコストです。一度にチャージする金額が大きいほど、また通話の頻度が低いほど影響が大きくなります。緊急時に備えて購入したまま使われていない残高こそ、利用停止ルールの対象になります。

プラットフォーム

Google VoiceはiOS, Android, Webで利用できます。SkypeはiOS, Android, Web, Windows, macOSで利用できます。この点で決まる比較は、実際より多くあります。どれほど優れたサービスでも、手元の端末で利用できなければ候補にはなりません。また、代わりに1時間スマートフォンを耳に当て続けることになるなら、デスクトップ用クライアントの有無は見た目以上に重要です。

Google Voiceの公開情報に基づく内容

• per minute for paid destinations.
• none (Google documentation describes per‑minute rates without separate connection fees).
• Support pages describe a maximum balance of $70.00 and adding credit for international calls, but do not explicitly document a fixed expiry period for unused credit.
• $10 credit or subscription (business plans) depending on use; personal users can buy smaller call credit amounts.

Skypeの公開情報に基づく内容

• per minute
• $0.049 per call to US/UK/India/Mexico landlines; $0.089 per call to many mobile destinations (Skype Credit, USD, VAT not specified).
• Skype Credit becomes inactive after 180 days without usage but could be reactivated via a dedicated link; Microsoft Q&A notes 180‑day inactivity rule, and users reported expiring balances around the migration to Teams.

Google Voiceの公開情報に基づく内容

Requires a personal Google account in the US or a supported Google Workspace account; sign‑up and number provisioning are limited to certain countries.

Skypeの公開情報に基づく内容

Users needed to create or sign in with a Microsoft/Skype account; paid calling required adding Skype Credit or an active subscription.

Google Voiceの公開情報に基づく内容

Business offerings have Starter ($10/user/month), Standard ($20/user/month), and Premier ($30/user/month) plans with unlimited domestic calling; personal users can use a free tier plus paid per‑minute international calling credit.

Skypeの公開情報に基づく内容

Offered Skype Credit as pay‑as‑you‑go, and various monthly subscriptions such as country-specific minute bundles and 'Unlimited World' plans for international calls; existing subscriptions are being converted to credit as Skype is retired.

Google Voice

• United States, landline: Most calls from US Google Voice numbers to US landlines are free; some destinations cost $0.01/min.
• United States, mobile: Most calls from US Google Voice numbers to US mobiles are free; some special destinations cost $0.01/min.

記録された情報源：Google Voice Help: Buy credit to make calls / calling rates lookup; detailed per‑country tables are accessed through an interactive tool.

Skype

• United States, landline: $0.023/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).
• United States, mobile: $0.023/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).
• United Kingdom, landline: $0.023/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).
• United Kingdom, mobile: $0.100/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).
• India, mobile: $0.015/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).
• Mexico, mobile: $0.035/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).
• Nigeria, mobile: $0.224/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).
• Philippines, mobile: $0.168/min (Skype Credit, VAT/tax not specified).

記録された情報源：www.skaip.org/call-rates/us; www.skaip.org/call-rates/gb; www.skaip.org/call-rates/mx; www.skaip.org/call-rates/in; Zippcall Skype calling rates overview 2025.

Google Voice

• Offers a single Google Voice number for calling, SMS, and voicemail across multiple devices.
• Supports domestic and international calling from apps and the web.
• Personal accounts in the US can place free calls to most US and Canada numbers, with per‑minute tariffs for international destinations.
• Business tiers integrate with Google Workspace and provide admin features, call routing, auto‑attendants, and reporting.
• Allows purchasing call credit for long‑distance and international calls without subscribing to a business plan.
• Provides Chrome extension and web interfaces for click‑to‑call from the browser.
• Syncs call history, voicemail, and messages across web and mobile apps.
• US‑only availability for personal sign‑ups is explicitly noted in app descriptions.

Skype

• Offered paid calling from the app to landline and mobile numbers worldwide using Skype Credit or subscriptions.
• Provided free Skype‑to‑Skype voice and video calls over the internet.
• Supported instant messaging, file transfer, and screen sharing alongside calls.
• Available on multiple platforms including mobile apps and desktop clients.
• Offered country‑specific and global flat‑rate subscription plans for frequent international calling.
• Integrated with Microsoft accounts and later migrated paid calling into Microsoft Teams Free with a web dial pad.
• Call rates depended on destination country and number type (mobile vs landline).
• Consumer Skype service is being retired, with end of service set for May 1, 2026, while the dial pad remains via web for paid users.

Google Voice

• Business‑plan analyses highlight that unlimited international calling is only available as an add‑on and that international rates can be higher than some specialist VoIP providers.
• Reviewers note limited availability for personal accounts outside the US and select Workspace markets, which restricts adoption.
• Some small‑business users criticise the lack of certain advanced call‑centre features compared with dedicated cloud‑PBX competitors.

Skype

• User reviews and tech press have long reported dissatisfaction with major UI redesigns of the mobile app, including complaints that the new interface made the app harder to use.
• Criticism over call quality variability, especially on slower or unstable internet connections, appears frequently in third‑party reviews.
• Some users complain about confusion around credit expiry and the 180‑day inactivity rule for Skype Credit.
• Reports of confusion and concern among users about what happens to existing Skype Credit and subscriptions during the announced shutdown and migration to Teams.