Top Softphones For Windows

This post follows up on from other posts outlining the top softphones for Mac OS X, Linux, Windows Mobile and iPhone. You might ask why I didn’t do the Windows piece first, well it’s just because I am a Mac user most of the time.

The purpose of this is to outline the best softphone available for Windows overall, which means it has to be easy to install, simple to setup and integrate into your system. Obviously there is going to be some synergy between this and the top softphones for Mac OS X, which I hope you can understand considering most of the best applications are available on both Mac and Wndows as well as Linux.

Let’s get going.

1. Skype
Version 3.0 of Skype has just been released and it makes using the application much easier, revealing more functionality that had been hidden from the eye in previous versions. It has all the usual functionality of a typical softphone such as free Skype to Skype calls, but it also has free Skype – PSTN calls within the USA, Canada and France.

You can browse a library of 3rd party applications that bring added value to the Skype experience via call recording, additional voicemail functionality etc. Most interestingly Skype offers true click-to-call capability where a telephone number on a page is automatically converted into a hyperlink, which starts a Skype call upon clicking.

Skype has decent built-in videochat, but when it is compared with that of SightSpeed or even iChat they have a way to go yet. And while there have been issues recently with call quality and even calls not being connected to SkypeIn / SkypeOut customers, I still think that as an all-round product Skype still rules. However, in this fast-paced world they really cannot afford to rest on their laurels as the competition are out t get them.

2. SightSpeed
SightSpeed has been one of the most talk about softphones, especially after their recent hok-up with MTV. It is their video conferencing element that truly excels, built around their own proprietary codec. While it is clearly higher quality than that of Skype, SightSpeed have received rave reviews putting it ahead of even Apple’s iChat. Now that’s saying something.

Apart from exquisite video quality, SightSpeed also holds up to the competition on call quality. Like most other first class softphones you can rent yourself a dedicated number with their Phone Out service. In terms of pricing, SightSpeed is similar to all the others with free calls between SightSpeed users and cheap calls to landlines.

But as with the Mac OS X version, SightSpeed has a few interface issues that I’d like tidied up. However, if you are looking for a great alternative to Skype then you ought to be heading towards SightSpeed.

3. Gizmo
Gizmo is an open source softphone that is built round SIP, which means that you can take your account details from any SIP-compliant VoIP provider, plug it in and start using. But it is also a full-featured softphone where users get free calls to other Gizmo contacts as well as discounted rates to landlines and mobiles anywhere in the world.

It has a nice clean interface that is quite similar to that of Skype, uses the ubiquitous contact list popularized by IM apps. Other interesting features include integration with the Nokia 770, allowing cheap calls when connected to the internet via wifi. However, it is their integration with LiveJournal that has really set Gizmo apart from others, making them the first softphone to integrate with a social network allowing you to easily call your LJ contacts and sync your data between LiveJournal and Gizmo.

The major downside with Gizmo is that it lacks videochat, a feature common to other Windows softphones and IM applications such as AIM and MSN Messenger. However, it’s still worth a look given the fact that it is built on open source technology and it’s innovative integration with LiveJournal.

4. WengoPhone
WengoPhone is a French project with a pseudo open source team of developers. It has the typical contact list style where you can quickly scan for available friends, then select and call. You get the usual free calls to other contacts using WengoPhone and cheap rates when calling PSTN landlines and cell phones.

I really like their Firefox extension, which basically gives you access to WengoPhone’s functionality from within the browser window. This is a great way to go forward and move applications from the desktop and into the browser.

The major problem with WengoPhone is that it is not widely adopted, so chances are those free calls to other users will be few and far between. But if that doesn’t matter to you, WengoPhone is perfectly capable and well worth a download.

5. Yahoo Messenger
Yahoo! announced their VoIP service, integrated with their popular IM client, some time ago. Since then, it has become a popular way to make and receive free calls between existing Yahoo users. However, even though Yahoo do offer the typical Phone Out and Phone In service via a traditional telephone number, the service doesn’t seem to have taken off nearly as much as those from Skype or SightSpeed.

However, Yahoo have been pushing Messenger hard recently with updates to clean up the interface and improve call quality when calling other Yahoo users and landlines / cell phones. It is a viable alternative to the other softphones mentioned here, especially if you already have an established Yahoo account that you rely on for personal and / or business use.

6. AIM Pro
AIM Pro is a beefed up version of AIM, which was recently upgraded to version 6.0. It is marketed squarely at the business marketplace. Chats are more secure, there’s integration with Outlook and the ability to share and discuss documents in real time. (The next version of Apple’s iChat will also have this functionality.)

However, if you are based in the USA the chances are that you are an AIM user, making AIM Pro a very good choice of softphone. The interface is actually not too bad, previous version of AIM have been very cluttered. It has good voice and video functionality when communicating with others on AIM, but AIM Pro lacks the ability to call PSTN landlines and cell phones.

If you have a big list of contacts, all of whom are AIM users, then AIM Pro may be a good upgrade. But if you need a solution to call non-AIM members then you’ll need to use another softphone alongside AIM.