Difference between Skype and Skype for business
The names may suggest that their functionality is limited to two separate domains altogether, which is true, but that is not all. Though there are not a lot of striking differences, there are a few factors, often overlooked, the knowledge of which will help one to make an informed choice based on their needs.
For starters, both Skype and Skype for business work on VoIP technology. Skype allows conference calls and it allows 25 participants. Skype for business however takes this functionality a notch above and allows around 250 users to join a conference call. As an enterprise capability, Skype for business also has a Skype meeting option which allows a meeting to be broadcasted to 10,000 participants.
Skype has all its production controls incorporated within itself while Skype for Business comes loaded with Bing pulse and Yammer which enables users to conduct polls and conversations for their extended audience.
Businesses or employees for whom a phone is imperative, Skype for Business offers PSTN conferencing as an add-on per user. It allows Skype meetings to be joined from a dial-in number. Though the free version of Skype does come with PSTN calling, it is not compatible for large-scale meetings.
So, based on these features, Skype is a good fit for small and medium enterprises while Skype for business suits a large enterprise.
| Skype | Skype for business | |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Skype can be used for IM, Video and audio call for small setups. | Skype for business is used by large enterprises having numerous additional features. |
| Conference call | Skype allows 25 participants in a conference call. | Skype for business allows 250 participants in a conference call. |
| Pricing | Skype is free for all users. | Skype for Business is not free, it has different subscription packages. |
| Broadcast | Skype has no broadcast. | Skype for business has Skype Meeting Broadcast having 10,000 viewers. |
| Apps integration | No apps are integrated. | A number of Microsoft apps including Word, Excel etc. are integrated with Skype for Business. |
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