Difference between Skype and Facetime
Video calling has become the norm these days. That is no overstatement. The number of people switching from conventional calling to video calling is on the rise these days, owing to increasing internet penetration and adoption of smart devices. Skype was the first software to offer video calling but over the past few years, Facetime has emerged as a major player.
One could say that Facetime is apple's answer to Skype. Skype was developed by Microsoft, whereas Facetime was developed by Apple Inc. We bet you all knew that.
The next major difference is the fact that Skype offers its services across a wide range of platforms, devices and operating systems but Facetime caters only to the users who own an Apple device. Hence, the user base of Facetime is much lesser than that of Skype.
If we take features into consideration, Skype is the clear winner here as it provides group calling (up to 25 users) with its paid subscription. Facetime on the other hand is a one-on-one video calling service, though it offers conference calling through voice calls. Skype allows its users to transfer files while Facetime does not. Also, Skype allows to make calls to land-line or mobile phone at a nominal cost, whereas Facetime does not.
| Skype | Facetime | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A video and audio calling, texting and file sharing software. | A video and audio calling software. |
| Developer | Skype is developed by Microsoft. | Facetime is developed by Apple. |
| Operating device | It is operable on almost every operating System. | FaceTime is operable only on iOS. |
| Group Video Calling | Skype allows group video calling up to 25 users. | Fit has only one on one video call feature. |
| Data Transfer | It allows data transfer in the form of files. | FaceTime does not allow the data transfer. |
| Landline Calling | It allows users to call over landline or mobile phone via Skype balance. | Facetime has no such feature. |
