What about skype?

NetTalk is even better. More flexible especially if you travel and want to use it away from home!

I’ve been using Google Voice for the past 2.5 years as a substitute for a cellphone. Here’s my experience in a nutshell:

PROS:
• It’s free.
• Did I mention you can make free calls to anywhere in the US and Canada?
• It transcribes your voicemails to text and emails them to you so you can read and then reply from a mobile device (I use my iPod touch).
• 1 number for all your devices. Forever.
• You can record different answering machine messages for different groups of contacts (business, school, etc)
• Integrates with all your other google services.

CONS:
• It’s free. You get what you pay for. Sometimes, the quality is bad, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I’ve had constant problems with call quality for the past few weeks.
• You need to have your web browser open and gmail open if you want to be able to receive calls.
• It’s not a cell phone. You need to be somewhere with wifi to make phone calls.

You really just need to consider your own situation and decide if it’s worth it to you. If you have a cell phone or a landline and you’re just looking to make free phone calls around the US/Canada, go for GV. I have no experience with Magic Jack, so I can’t compare the two.

I’m in the Skype camp with @XOIIO. I use it on a headset when working with websites so I can talk with the site owner or with contractors who are doing work for me on a site. The headphones and mic leave hands free to take notes, navigate the site, etc. I also use Skype for international teleconferences. Free is good for calls anywhere in the world. And generally the sound quality is excellent.

But as @Aqua notes, it’s not a cellphone.

I believe Skype is not free for calling/receiving to/from real phones.

I’ve used Google Voice for years. I made a call to the UK once for 9 cents, otherwise it’s been totally free.

My Google phone number is my main number. I make and receive calls using my computer, using land lines and using cell phones.

I can text for free from any computer.

But my friends and family don’t know I am not using a “real” number.

Calls are totally free using the computer. With a cell or landline, you are using an existing paid-for line (but when you call people they see your Google number in caller ID).

There are LOTS of other options using Google Voice, too many to describe. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

Yes, skype is better than Google Voice, and Google Voice is better than Magic Jack. I’ve got experience.