All VoIP

The Bottom Line: The changes to Skype 3 are mostly entertainment-oriented and there are no major upgrades to performance, but we still like Skype for its ease of use, low cost, and sound quality.

The Bottom Line: Though it comes with some questionable hardware and is never absolutely free, the SipTalk VoIP service itself provides near-perfect call quality--making it a good choice for companies with many remote satellite offices.

The Bottom Line: It's neither flashy nor fancy, but NetZero Voice excels in the area that matters most to a VoIP service: call quality.

The Bottom Line: If you're not ready to give up your landline for a VoIP service but want a cheap and easy way to make long-distance calls, Jajah is an excellent option, especially if you're on broadband.

Specs: Free to try, Windows, Linux, Mac, E-mail

The Bottom Line: Though not the cheapest VoIP service, Vonage offers the features and the call quality needed to replace your traditional telephone service.

The Bottom Line: Yak WorldCity VoIP has some compelling features, but the overall offering doesn't yet measure up to the more flexible and full-featured Skype 2.

The Bottom Line: Though Skype 2 suffers from middling voice quality when calling landline phones, it's still one of the best free VoIP services around, and its new Skype Video feature makes it even better.

The Bottom Line: If you're thinking about ditching your landline, SunRocket is a potential contender. A low price and lots of features are attractive, but the voice quality of your calls may vary.

The Bottom Line: AOL Internet Phone Service is a good choice for existing broadband-plus-AOL members seeking to cut their phone costs by making calls over the Net; non-AOL members should consider Vonage instead.

The Bottom Line: If you're an existing Verizon DSL customer, VoiceWing is worth considering. If not, you'll find a better deal and better call quality elsewhere.