Best Calling Card or VoIP to call Russia? Skype? Magic Jack?

[Captain Hammer 113]

For phone cards, once you hit under a nickel a minute, the per-minute rate isn't as important as the rest of the conditions on the card, or the quality of the network. Some cards have a minimum charge per call, some have a minimum monthly fee, and I've even seen some that have a surcharge when you fill them. Plus call quality can vary greatly, and sometimes even the most expensive cards have the worst quality. It always pays to look at the fine print when comparing.

[baron555 934]

For phone cards, once you hit under a nickel a minute, the per-minute rate isn't as important as the rest of the conditions on the card, or the quality of the network. Some cards have a minimum charge per call, some have a minimum monthly fee, and I've even seen some that have a surcharge when you fill them. Plus call quality can vary greatly, and sometimes even the most expensive cards have the worst quality. It always pays to look at the fine print when comparing.

My ClonCom card has a 3 minute minimum charge for each call.

Online and auto recharge options with no hidden fees.

Pinless calls if you want them.

Many many local access numbers.

Super quality, in the hundreds of calls Alla and I made, rarely were we dropped or had bad quality. A few times the access into the system via the access number had to be retried, but I can count those on one hand.

Super quality, she now uses it all the time calling to her friends (mainly around the Moscow area) and family (southern Russia).

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

This is becoming less and less true. I have a dedicated high speed LAN that my building was already wired for and it costs 12$ a month.

True. One of the better things to come along. When Alla and I were engaged, she was still in the old system of "pay as you go" for "bytes" and Skype was very expensive. We now have unlimited internet at our flat that is cheap enough to just pay in advance for a whole year and have it to use whenver we are there. So now, if Alla is there and I am here, we use Skype. But also, when she is there now she is not working or going to school and we can schedule skype sessions. It was not possible when she and I were both working before she came.

Her Mom has nothing to do with computers. So we are confined to phone calls. Sergey now has cheap internet in Moscow and we skype with him frequently, but if he needs something (you know, an emergency, college students have lots of emergencies) thern he calls or Alla will call him briefly.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[Brad and Vika 129]

We used Euromama cards before Skype (and after for her grandpa that had no computer). Six cents per minute to Ukraine, and two cents or so to Moscow or St. Petersburg - 7.5 cents to Russian mobile. http://www.ldpost.com/cards/EuroMAMA-Phone-Cards.html

[payxibka 10,047]

I don't know if it is the "best" but we use the "Continental" card which you can get at "PennyBoss.com" It has worked well for us for years, I used it throughout our engagement and even before that and we still use it to call friends, relatives and our son in Moscow. We skype with him when we can but our schedules make it impossible to do that every time we need to talk.

I think it is about 7 cents per minute to call Russia and 13 cents to Ukraine. We spend about $20-30 per month. It has PINless dialing, online refill and full history of phone calls available online

go to uniontelecard.com, better rates than the above with all the same features...

[cardigans5 43]

My fiance and I always use cam 2 cam on Skype because it's free. If you do need a calling card check out www.noblecom.com I used them in the past and the rates always seemed cheap to me.

[slim 1,530]

go to uniontelecard.com, better rates than the above with all the same features...

My wife uses this one as well. Ends up being $9 for something like 600 minutes. I don't think she's found a better deal anywhere else.

[eekee 182]

Google Voice has free calls to the US for the rest of the year, which is something else to consider.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Google Voice has free calls to the US for the rest of the year, which is something else to consider.

I tried Google Voice when it first came out in Beta..and I'm sold on it. It's a great proggy imo.

[slim 1,530]

Does google voice require them to have a computer and good connection on their end or can they call over their phone?

[eekee 182]

Does google voice require them to have a computer and good connection on their end or can they call over their phone?

if they have an android, blackberry, or iphone, they can use an app on their phone. If they have a fancy phone though, they probably have internet anyway.

[ER Team :) 5]

We use rebtel service and call eachother almost 24/7 and pay very little....Rebtel.com you register and then when you call, you pay as for your local calls...

[AZSUN 2]

I have used pretty much all the calling card and services mentioned. I just started using a new one since they offered a trial offer. www.ciaocellular.com You pay a $1 and get $5. They offer the best prices and they are per minute rounding with no other fees. I call Ukraine and I only pay 10 cents per minute(cellular). I was paying 13 cents with the other companies. Calls to Russia are much cheaper. The call quality is pretty good. Close to the best or maybe the best I have used for the 15+ companies I have tried. You will be given a local access number and do not need to dial a pin. Also, you can save speed dial numbers so you don't have to enter the overseas number everytime. No this is not a advertisement! I have been looking for a VOIP service that offeres unlimited to Ukraine but I have not found one yet. So if anyone knows of one, let me know.

[b_fowler 0]

I know I am replying to an old topic, but I have a VOIP home phone, that has a calling card feature, that allows my wife to call Russia (ALL OF RUSSIA not just MOSCOW and St. Petersburg - INCLUDING CELL PHONES) unlimited - it costs around $35 (after taxes and all) a month. I know we were spending close to $50 a month on other services, it is found at iconnecthere.com and we use the World Unlimited plan.

The calling card feature allows you to make calls from other phones, like from your cell to theirs, and from pay phones - like at the airport for re;latives visiting to call you, etc...

Just thought I would share this information, maybe someone else can use it and benefit from it.

Edited February 9, 2012 by b_fowler

[visaveteran1 33]

Vonage calls to Russia land lines are free. Calls to mobile phones are 6¢ a minute I think. So you can use Vonage for all your phone needs except your mobile and I think Vonage offers something for mobiles too.