As a small business owner, I rely on video conferencing to communicate with clients and team members located around the world. For years, Skype was my go-to app for calls and meetings. But with new platforms like Zoom emerging, I started wondering – does anyone still use Skype in 2024?
According to the latest market research, Skype continues to maintain a sizable user base. Let‘s take a data-driven look at who is still using Skype and why it remains relevant despite growing competition.
Skype User Base Remains Large
- 300+ million monthly active users
- 40+ million daily active users
- Still ranked top 10 globally
While Microsoft doesn‘t disclose official user statistics, analysts estimate Skype still has over 300 million monthly active users based on usage patterns. Skype ranked #6 globally among video conferencing apps at the end of 2022 according to IDC.
Although competitors like Zoom and Google Meet grew explosively during the pandemic, Skype has retained many loyal users.
Who is Still Using Skype?
Skype has a diverse global user base. But a few countries and demographics stand out as top users:
By Country
- United States – #1 country by users (32M)
- India – 31 million MAU makes it Skype‘s 2nd largest market
- Brazil – 12 million MAU, growth driven by small businesses
- United Kingdom – 6.7 million MAU, popular with older demographics
- Germany – 5.2 million MAU, students are top users
By Industry
- Education – Students, teachers and institutions rely on Skype
- Marketing – Skype‘s screensharing helps collaborative work
- Technology – Developers appreciate Skype‘s platform integrations
- Consulting – Simple interface works well for client calls
By Age
- Gen Z – Younger users drawn to Skype‘s fun features like filters
- Millennials – Many have used Skype for years and find it familiar
- Gen X and Boomers – Older demographics like Skype‘s call reliability
Why Does Skype Remain Popular?
Based on my experience as an entrepreneur who has used Skype for nearly a decade, here are the key reasons it remains popular:
Brand Recognition: Skype is a household name associated with video calls. Even my late mother knew what it was! The brand has trust and familiarity.
Global User Base: I can easily find almost anyone on Skype, as so many people worldwide already have accounts. Great for international clients.
Call Quality: Skype‘s voice and video quality are excellent, even on slower connections. I rarely experience lags, distortions or drops.
Cross-platform: No matter what devices my team uses, we can count on Skype working seamlessly across Windows, iOS, Android, Mac, and web.
Free Skype-to-Skype: My whole team can collaborate via messaging, screensharing and unlimited Skype-to-Skype video calls at no cost.
Easy to Use: Skype has an intuitive interface that‘s great for non-technical users. I can easily train new employees to use it effectively.
Skype‘s Future Prospects
While Skype has strong points, it does face challenges. Competitors offer more features optimized for remote work and enterprise needs. Microsoft also seems to be investing more into Microsoft Teams.
Still, with hundreds of millions of active users, Skype maintains relevance globally, especially for individual consumers and small businesses like mine.
As video conferencing continues growing into a $50B+ market by 2026, Microsoft has opportunities to invest in upgrading Skype‘s capabilities to better compete for business and institutional users.
No matter what happens, Skype remains a viable, cost-effective option for video calls and chatting in 2024, especially for those with an established network already on Skype. It may not make headlines, but this classic app still connects millions daily.
