How to Make Free Calls Using the Internet

Well, my friend, that is where free Internet phone calls come in, In just a few simple clicks, you can connect a call to someone without having to leave that good ol’ computer screen.

There are now several free Internet phone programs which allow you to make/receive free phone calls by using special software. The only thing is that most only let you connect to a line stationed either in the US or Canada.

Known as PC-to-phone programs, you can make a call from your computer to a real telephone number without actually requiring a telephone yourself. A few of the other free internet phone programs will connect your actual phone to another real phone for free.

 

Making a free call using the Internet

So how do you go about making a free call using the Internet? Easy- to do this, you may need to download a free phone call software program or use a soft phone from a valid Internet phone provider website. I have taken the liberty of reviewing a few of these sites to check out the validity of making a free call using the Internet.

Let’s review some of these programs below. Nonetheless, please note: a free Internet phone cannot be used to place any type of emergency call, such as that of 911. If an emergency situation arises, you MUST use a conventional land-line or portable phone, or choose a program such as VoIP telephone service that is 911-approved (Vonage is a great choice).

 

1) Google Voice

The first is Google Voice. GV is a web application viewable from any browser, including mobile (shown left). You can search your available app market for this if you are a smartphone user. Google Voice seems to be one of the best options to use in making free Internet phone calls.

You can make a variety of calls with GV- free phone calls, free PC-to-phone calls (this is done via the Google Talk browser plugin), or free PC-to-PC calls (also thru Google Talk).

In addition, GV is more than just a way to make free phone calls on the Internet. Google Voice is mainly a great way to manage all of your phone numbers and to provide you with an alternate voicemail for incoming calls.

GV can also route incoming calls from your free phone number to any actual phone you have. Amazing right? You can also receive free SMS, and free conference call services.

Remember, any calls you make with Google Voice must be to numbers only listed in the United States or Canada. Free phone calls are restricted to three hours. In spite of this, you can repeat making a free phone call on the Internet to the same number as many times as you like.

 

2) iCall

iCall, is another popular means to make free internet phone calls.

PC-to-phone calling is a breeze using this free software. You can access any computer in the world but the calls are only free to the United States or Canada.

Unfortunately, you can't use this service to call to any other countries.

This is a free desktop application for Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. It is also available as an iPhone app. Calls are disconnected after a mere five minutes but like Google Voice, you can re-connect as many times as you want.

Cons: Since it’s free, you must listen to a 10-second advertisement before each call is connected. There is a flash-based version of iCall available on the website as well, but the cutoff is lowered to three minutes.

 

3) Freebuzzer

Besides admiring the cute little bug, I discovered that this site boasts access to making free phone calls using the Internet as well.

Freebuzzer is similar to Google Voice because it connects the phone numbers you dial with your physical phone. Here, your free call is limited to a brief two minutes.

Con #2: you are only allowed to make three (yes 3) free calls per day. The great thing is that calls thru Freebuzzer can be placed to over 40 countries!

Seeing as most Internet phone services confine free calls to only the US and Canada, this may be your only bet for making free calls to certain countries.

 

4) EvaPhone

Then there’s EvaPhone, While you can make free calls, don’t be surprised at how relatively short they will be. PC-to-phone calls are made right from a Flash-based interface embedded on the website.

What does make EvaPhone exclusive is the fact that you can call virtually any phone in the entire world freely. Before you get excited and call Aunt Sally in Bolivia though, I must tell you that calls are roughly only ten seconds to one minute in length, depending on the destination.

Free calls are also limited to just two calls per day. In order to connect on EvaPhone, you will need to watch a short video advertisement. Yes, every single time. When your call begins, a timer starts to keep you informed of when you'll be disconnected.

Obviously, in my opinion EvaPhone is not the best way to make a free call on the Internet, but if you have something really short to say, without having an actual phone or needing to download any software, EvaPhone may be the perfect pick for you.

 

5) Tuitalk

Much like EvaPhone, except that you have to download the free Internet phone software in order to use it. Tuitalk lets you make free phone calls to almost 40 different countries.

Depending on where you choose to call, each country is limited to a set number of minutes per call and per day.

On average, your free Internet phone call can be about six minutes in length. Before your free call with Tuitalk is placed, you must watch several seconds’ worth of a video advertisement.

 

Free PC-to-PC Phone Calls

So, that about sums it up. As I mentioned above, these are just a few ways to make free phone calls using the Internet, by calling actual telephones. Let’s assume though, that you're more drawn to free PC-to-PC calls? Well, there are many programs which can do that too. A few programs offering free PC-to-PC calls that I haven’t mentioned previously include Skype, and Windows Live Messenger. Easy-peasy, right? Now let’s get to calling!