Internet technology is considered to be a landmark in the world of technology. The possibilities of VoIP-telephony are so extensive that it is not possible to compete with it at the moment. The technical base, supported by the flexibility of program codes, provides unprecedented variability. In one technology, the whole doll of possibilities unfolds. Using just one application, the client receives the full set necessary for work, communication and entertainment. His task is to have fun, the service developer is fully responsible for everything else. Another feature that attracts attention is an extensive selection of applications, switching between them is much easier than changing the mobile operator.

Internet communication market
In any field there are undisputed leaders, unshakably located at the top. In Internet communications, Skype and Viber are unconditionally considered as such. The first is, first of all, video communication, the second is a binding to a mobile number and a convenient instant messenger. They became a kind of incentive for the rest. A number of analogs appeared (Tviggo, Signal) seeking to prove that the choice is not limited to two services. Each new application tries to designate its own philosophy and the right to be the best. The main task of the developers is not to reduce the existing reserve of opponents, but to give something radically different, approaching the question from the opposite side. Whether this is so, we will try to find out by comparing applications from Skype, Viber, Tviggo and Signal, is there any chance that the names of less well-known companies will soon sound in full force.
Four sides of the medal
Each of the applications is a kind of individual dimension, in each of which users live their own life. But how will the services be shown if they are used for calls outside? Now this question is very acute. High prices for mobile communications encourage you to look for alternatives that would provide the ability to communicate with mobile subscribers around the world and call landline numbers at a reasonable price. Calls without roaming is the number one requirement, without which the other benefits are almost irrelevant. What can Skype, Viber, Tviggo and Signal offer us?
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Get out of system
So, we have four applications focused on calls both within our own network and beyond. Let us compare them by this key parameter, having considered it in a wider context (interface convenience, tariffing, dependence on Internet coverage, power consumption, operational and physical memory used), because only by putting everything together you can make an objective assessment.
Interface
It is impossible not to note the general feature of services, expressed in sophisticated minimalism, which is now in fashion. The start window includes only the most necessary elements: contacts, chats, calls, the rest is hidden in the side menu. Signal decided to completely do without this, the menu as such is almost absent. Tviggo can also act as an embedded chat bot in addition to the offline mode. Such variability gives additional advantages, allowing, for example, to call without leaving the messenger.
Billing
What about the price? Skype and Viber offer per-minute payment of calls to a mobile or landline number. The cost depends on the region, ranging from 2 to 20 cents per minute. We note that tariffing is the highest in the post-Soviet space, being a very expensive pleasure. A fixed monthly fee is required in Twigo - $ 5 and no more restrictions. Signal is a completely free product.
Internet coverage
All services are based on VoIP. In Tviggo additionally implemented technology that provides independent of the Internet connection channel. The product, in fact, works in a hybrid mode. The client absolutely does not feel signal drops, failures, network congestion. Bandwidth remains stable. This is a significant nuance that makes this service very attractive. The same Skype or Viber cannot boast of something similar. With a poor quality of the connection, the voice drains, distorts, or it is completely impossible to call. This problem is the main drawback of the Internet connection.
power usage
The study showed the following results:
- Skype - 0.6% (in standby mode) / 7% (per minute of the total number of running applications);
- Viber - 0.3% / 5.4%;
- Tviggo - 0.1% / 4.2%;
- Signal - 0% / 3.1%.
Here, Signal became the absolute leader, but this result is more likely to be associated with a simple interface and the absence of a large amount of transmitted service information.
Physical and RAM
- Skype - 110 MB (CPU - 62 MB);
- Viber - 74.25 MB (CPU - 50 MB);
- Tviggo - 52 Mb (CPU - 34 Mb);
- Signal - 41.48 MB (CPU - 23 MB).
What to choose?
If you put everything together, you get a kind of ladder. By all accounts, Skype and Viber did not do well. High compared with competitors, resource consumption, far from ideal call quality with poor Internet connection, high rates for calls to landline and mobile numbers. The question arises - why do millions of people use these applications to a greater degree? The power of habit or the pursuit of the brand? The only thing that can be said with complete certainty is that their time is coming to an end. We need to go further, learn to look at the real facts. According to the rule of natural selection, the strongest survive, not the most fashionable and popular. Moreover, there is an alternative.
If you need a modest, but nimble service for communication - Signal is more than suitable and will give even a little more. For those who need a more versatile and functional application, Tviggo is an excellent choice. It will allow you to make calls abroad and throughout the country at the best possible price, pay a monthly fee and no worries about the minutes, which are almost at the end, no problems with coverage, the most convenient interface and economical power consumption.
And which voice services do you use? Why?