Top 10 Most Popular VoIP Services (by searches)

There is no shortage of VoIP services, some obviously more popular than others. In the light of a lack of data on the precise number of users for each VoIP service, we’ve decided to use freely available data on the number of searches per month to rank these providers.

While the top 2 are not surprising in the slightest, there are a number of surprises in the list. For starters, the gap between 2nd and 3rd place is marked - approximately 442,000 searches. Secondly, 3rd place belongs to a relative newcomer to the VoIP bandwagon - Google Talk. Thirdly, the much vaunted Sightspeed has not made the cut into the top 10. It should also be noted how well Jajah is doing; while far from attaining a mass market presence they have clearly made some waves in the VoIP services space.

In the unlikely event that we have some VoIP investors subscribed to our feed, we are not in any way suggesting that this list should be taken as an accurate metric for brand awareness or user numbers. Furthermore, we ranked the most popular VoIP services based on the number of searches carried out in the USA only on Google, Yahoo and MSN.

1. Skype - 890,000 searches pm
   As you would expect, Skype is the most searched-for of all VoIP providers and services. It isn’t too hard to see why either. Free to download, cross platform, free computer to computer calls, cheap calls to landlines and mobiles, no contracts, chat, video, SMS, an ecosystem of compatible phones and more make this a VoIP service to be reckoned with.
2. Vonage - 504,00 searches pm
   Second is just about where I expected Vonage to land in this list of top providers. Fully featured and easy to install, Vonage has everything you already have with your current phone supplier and more. However, judging by the number of searches Vonage still have a way to go before people ditch their softphone and make a full switch to VoIP for all their calls.
3. Google Talk - 62,000 searches pm
   Not what you would call a fully featured softphone, Google Talk doesn’t come close to Skype in terms of functionality just yet. However, you can see the power of the Google brand at work here; Google Talk hasn’t been around as long as Gizmo or iChat but there are significantly more people searching for it.
4. iChat - 15,000 searches pm
   While it may only be available on Mc OS X, iChat clearly has a strong following. While I didn’t have access to historical data, we can say with a fair degree of certainty that this number is increasing in line with the growth in Mac users.
5. Jajah - 12,000 searches pm
   When this service first appeared on the scene it caused quite a stir, and for good reason. Instead of an installed application, Jajah is web-based. When it was released many derided the service, but given the rise of social networking and the Jajah widget, you can appreciate how much of a game changer this could be. At 12,000 monthly searches it has gained traction, but still has some way to go to compete with Skype et al.
6. Packet 8 - 8,000 searches pm
   Packet8 would be deemed as one of the prime competitors to Vonage. With a complete range of solutions for both home and business users, Packet8 offers just about everything you would ever need in a VoIP solution (unless you like hacking Asterisk). They’re a very established brand, so we’re surprised they aren’t getting more people searching for them.
7. VoIP.com - 3,000 searches pm
   With a domain like that, one would assume that VoIP.com aren’t short of traffic. Even though they are competitive with Vonage and Packet8 in terms of functionality, it seems that the brand hasn’t caught on just quite as much. But unlike Vonage, they weren’t throwing cash around on marketing like it was going out of fashion.
8. ViaTalk - 3,000 searches pm
   Very much in the same league as Vonage, Packet8 and VoIP.com, ViaTalk has been around for quite some time and is very established as a provider of services for home and business use. Unlike others, ViaTalk does not offer unlimited free calls within the USA as standard. It is surprising though that (comparatively) so few people are searching for their brand. Perhaps this is a sign that VoIP still has some way to go before being widely accepted by the mainstream or there is very little growth in new entries.
9. Gizmo - 3,000 searches pm
   While arguably a more powerful softphone than market leader Skype, Gizmo still has a niche following as is evidenced to some extent by the number of people searching for it.
10. Truphone - 900 searches pm
    This upstart UK based mobile VoIP service works with Nokia mobile phones. It’s main competitor, Rebtel, doesn’t feature in the top 10.

But there are some more VoIP providers, services and applications that have not made the cut into the top 10.

• ZingoTel - 700 searches pm
• WengoPhone - 500 searches pm
• Sightspeed - 300 searches pm
• Rebtel - no searches recorded

Data used to compare these services courtesy of the most excellent keyword suggestion tool.