You don’t have to migrate to Microsoft Teams. Wire helps you to navigate through the difficult decision of finding the best alternative to Skype.
After years of service, Skype is officially shutting down in May 2025.
For many organizations, the first instinct is to switch to Microsoft Teams, but is it truly the best choice?
Before making a decision, let’s answer the most common questions businesses are asking about the Skype for Business shutdown and explore the best Skype alternatives for secure, compliant, and flexible communication.
Why is Skype for Business Closing?
Microsoft is retiring Skype for Business to fully integrate users into Microsoft Teams, positioning it as its primary business collaboration platform. The official end-of-life date for consumer Skype is set for May 2025, leaving businesses with a critical decision:
Which communication tool to choose?
While Microsoft Teams seems like the default replacement, here’s why you should take a moment before jumping in:
- Vendor lock-in: Full reliance on Microsoft’s ecosystem limits flexibility
- Higher costs: Many essential features come with premium pricing
- Security concerns: Teams does not provide end-to-end encryption for all communications
- Data sovereignty risks: Microsoft’s data hosting model raises compliance concerns for regulated industries
What Does This Mean for Skype for Business Customers?
If you or your company are still using Skype for Business, you must transition to another secure business communication platform before May 2025. Holding onto Skype for Business Server too long can have serious business implications:
- Security risks
As soon as extended support ends on October 14, 2025, the Skype for Business environment will no longer receive security patches, making it increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. - Competitive Disadvantage
Competitors are transitioning to a secure enterprise communication platform, your organization may struggle to keep up, relying on less efficient collaboration and communication tools - Last-Minute efforts
Postponing a complex migration can result in increased costs and hurried implementations. Proactive planning enables a smoother transition with fewer unexpected challenges
Is Microsoft Teams a Direct Replacement for Skype for Business?
Not exactly.
While Microsoft Teams is the designated successor, it is not the only Skype alternative that organizations can choose from.
Here is what organizations need to know:
- No full end-to-end encryption: In Microsoft Teams only 1:1 calls are encrypted, but chats, groups calls, and file sharing are not fully secured
- Vendor lock-in: Switching to Teams means staying fully dependent on Microsoft's ecosystem
- Data sovereignty concerns: Businesses in regulated industries or operating in Europe may face compliance challenges due to Microsoft's data storage policies
If your business values security, compliance, or independence, you should evaluate alternative solutions to Microsoft Teams.
What Makes a Good Skype Alternative?
When choosing a secure collaboration tool, organizations need to consider:
- How secure is it? - Does it offer end-to-end encryption and zero-trust security?
- Where is your data hosted? - Is it stored in Europe or managed by US Big Tech?
- Does it support on-premises deployment? - Can it be deployed within your own infrastructure to ensure full control over sensitive data and compliance with internal security policies?
- Will it seamlessly integrate with your existing workflows? - Does it offer APIs, third-party integrations, or compatibility with your current productivity suite to minimize disruption and enhance efficiency?
By asking these questions, businesses can make an informed decision that safeguards sensitive data while supporting seamless collaboration.
Comparison: Microsoft Teams vs. Other Alternatives
Let’s break down how some of the top communication platforms compare:
| MS Teams | Wire | Slack | Element | Signal | |
| E2EE by Default | ❌ No (Only in 1:1 calls) |
✅ Yes | ❌No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Data Sovereignty | ❌ Microsoft hosted |
✅ Full control | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ Consumer focused |
| Zero-Trust Architecture | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| On-Premises Deployment | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Federation Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Crisis-Ready Communication | ❌ Limited | ✅ Yes | ✅Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ Not business focused |
Key Takeaways:
- Microsoft Teams lacks full end-to-end encryption, and on-premise deployments, and doesn’t support zero-trust and data sovereignty requirements
- Slack is widely used but not optimized for secure business communication
- Signal is great for personal use but lacks enterprise-level features
- Element offers security and open-source capabilities, but Wire provides superior usability, scalability, compliance, and deployment flexibility
Why Wire is the Best Alternative to Skype & Teams
Unlike Microsoft Teams, Wire is designed with security, GDPR & NIS2 compliance, and flexibility in mind. Built for enterprise, government, and critical industries, Wire delivers a secure, independent, and adaptable communication platform without sacrificing ease of use.
- Always-on End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)
Conversations remain fully private, ensuring no third parties (even the provider) can access them - Data Sovereignty & Compliance
Hosted in Europe with full control over where and how data is stored, ensuring GDPR, NIS2, and industry-specific compliance - Flexible Deployment
Organizations have the option to choose on-premises, cloud, or hybrid setups to meet business requirements - Zero-Trust, Zero-Knowledge Architecture
Wire strictly adheres to these security principles in its server functionality and admin access. Even if a Wire server is completely compromised, there’s no way to see end-to-end content or metadata - Crisis-Ready Communication
Secure and resilient collaboration, even in high-risk scenarios - Secure Federation
Enables multiple Wire-server backends to seamlessly interact, allowing users on different backends to communicate as if they were on the same system, while preserving strong controls over visibility and access
Trusted by governments, critical industries, and enterprises worldwide, Wire is the most secure business collaboration platform available today.
What’s Your Next Move?
As Skype for Business approaches its sunset, businesses need to make a strategic decision about their next communication platform.
Don’t settle for an alternative that compromises security, compliance, or flexibility. Explore Wire as your next secure collaboration tool.
Looking for a future-proof alternative to Skype for Business?
