A SkypeIn number costs about USD$60 per year, or less if you use a subscription plan.Ī SkypeIn number can benefit both you and your friends. But what about non-geeky friends who aren’t using Skype - how will they call you? With SkypeIn, anyone can call you by dialing a regular number, and you can receive the call with Skype. If you're liking the idea of free Internet calling, you might be tempted to toss your existing phone and cut the phone company out of the loop. Most countries are about two cents (USD) per minute. For calls outside North America, you can use SkypeOut to call and pay low per-minute rates. Skype's Unlimited Calling option gives you unlimited calls to anyone, on any phone, within the US and Canada for $2.95/month.

These 'SkypeOut' calls aren't free, but Skype offers some pretty inexpensive rates. You can also use Skype to call regular landline phones and mobile phones. You can even have free conference calls with up to nine people on Skype. Even though calls travel across the public Internet, they really are free, and the voice quality is quite good. Oh, and of course the person you're 'calling' must also have the Skype software on their computer. Skype's free calls are computer to computer, so you'll be using the microphone and speakers (or headset) attached to your computer, not a regular telephone handset. Skype is a software package that lets you make 100% legal, free calls to almost anyone, almost anywhere in the world.

Is skype phone number free