International calls
How to make international calls online: dialing, rates and free options
TL;DR
To make an international call online, open a browser dialer that connects to the phone network, sign up, add prepaid credit, then enter + with the country code and the number, minus any domestic leading 0. If the other person uses WhatsApp, a call from WhatsApp Web costs nothing [1]. On the rate cards I read, a UK landline cost $0.01 a minute on Google Voice (US accounts only) [2] and $0.06 on Yolla and TwinPhone [3][4].
Key facts
- From a US phone line the exit code is 011; in a browser dialer you enter the country code or pick the country instead [5][6] (checked ).
- Google Voice personal accounts are available only in the US [7]; its India rate is $0.02 a minute [2] (checked ).
- Yolla lists India $0.0239 a minute [8]; TwinPhone lists $0.08 [4] (checked ).
- WhatsApp Web calls are free across borders, but only to WhatsApp users and call-link guests [9][10] (checked ).
How do you make an international call online?
First decide whether the call can stay app-to-app. If the person abroad uses WhatsApp, a WhatsApp Web call is free. If they only have a landline or a mobile number, you need a browser dialer that connects to the phone network and charges per minute. The steps are the same on a laptop or a desktop: sign up, add credit, allow the microphone and dial in international format.
- Check whether the call can stay app-to-app. WhatsApp Web calls are free, even to another country [1], but cannot ring a landline or a mobile without WhatsApp.
- Pick a service that calls phone numbers. Google Voice, Yolla and TwinPhone all run in a browser tab. Google Voice names Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari [6], Yolla lists the same four [11], and TwinPhone adds Brave [12].
- Sign up and add credit. Google Voice is open only to US users [7] and needs a phone number that receives a text code and, for new numbers, a government-issued ID [13][14]. Yolla's smallest credit pack is $4 [3]; TwinPhone's smallest top-up is $10 [15].
- Allow the microphone when the browser asks. Without that permission no web dialer can carry your voice.
- Enter the number in international format: + or the country picker, the country code, then the number without its domestic leading 0. The next section has the details.
- Read the rate before you press Call. Yolla shows the per-minute rate before each call [11], and TwinPhone shows it before the call connects [4][12].
I did not place test calls for this guide: it rests on rate cards, help pages and the dialer pages I opened on . My full comparison of browser calling services covers domestic calls too.
How do you dial an international number?
From a US phone line you dial 011, then the country code, then the number. The UK, India, Mexico and the Philippines use 00 instead. In a browser dialer you skip the exit code: type + or pick the country, then the number. Either way, drop the leading 0 that many numbers carry for domestic calls.
The ITU, which keeps the list of country codes, calls 011 and 00 the international prefix: the digits dialed before a country code [5]. It recommends 00 to countries that revise their numbering plans [5]. The leading 0 used inside the UK, India or the Philippines is a trunk prefix, which is never dialed from abroad [5]. Google Voice's web dialer simply wants the country code before the number [6].
| Calling | Country code | From a phone line | In a browser dialer |
|---|---|---|---|
| The United Kingdom | 44 [16] | 011 44 from the US, then the number without its first 0 [5] | +44, then the number without its first 0 |
| India | 91 [16] | 011 91 from the US, then the number without its first 0 [5] | +91, then the number without its first 0 |
| Mexico | 52 [16] | 011 52 from the US, then the 10-digit number [5] | +52, then the 10-digit number |
| The Philippines | 63 [16] | 011 63 from the US, then the number without its first 0 [5] | +63, then the number without its first 0 |
| The US, from abroad | 1 (shared with Canada) [16] | 00 1 from the UK, India, Mexico or the Philippines, then the 10-digit number [5] | +1, then the 10-digit number |
Exit codes and trunk prefixes come from the ITU dialling-procedures list, country codes from the ITU list of E.164 country codes. I checked both on .
When I opened TwinPhone's calling page, its dial box was pre-set to +1 [12], so a call abroad starts with changing the country. In any browser dialer, never type 011 or 00 in front of a number that already starts with +.
What international calling rates do browser dialers charge?
On the rate cards I read on , the four consumer dialers in the table charged between $0.01 and $0.06 a minute for a UK landline, and between $0.02 and $0.08 for India [2][4]. Mobiles often cost more than landlines on the same route [3]. The table converts each rate to your currency, with the original price in the tooltip.
| Service | US | UK landline | UK mobile | India | Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | $0[17] | $0.01[2] | $0.01[2] | $0.02[2] | $0.01[2] |
| Yolla | from $0.01[18] | from $0.06[3] | from $0.10[3] | from $0.0239[8] | from $0.011[19] |
| TwinPhone | $0.02[4] | $0.06[4] | $0.12[4] | $0.08[4] | $0.02–$0.04[4] |
| Call2Friends | $0.016[20] | $0.031[21] | $0.581[21] | $0.039[22] | $0.039[23] |
| Zadarma | $0.008[24] | $0.008 | $0.020 | $0.022 | $0.020[25] |
Per minute, lowest published rate on the date checked. Scroll sideways on a phone.
- Google Voice: these rates are for its US-only personal accounts, and credit is sold in US dollars only [7]. The UK mobile rate covers EE, O2, Vodafone and Three; other UK mobiles cost $0.28 [2].
- Yolla: the figures are "from" prices on its rate pages, which also ask where you are calling from, so your price may differ [3]. Yolla says there are no connection fees [26].
- TwinPhone: it bills whole minutes, rounded up, with a one-minute minimum [15]. Its rates are higher than Yolla's on every route in the table except UK landlines, where they match [4].
- Call2Friends: $0.031 a minute to a London landline, but $0.581 to a UK mobile [21].
- Zadarma: a business cloud-PBX service, not a consumer dialer. Its rate pages showed euro prices without VAT when I checked [24], and from 10 November 2026 calls to the US carry a 12-second minimum, then per-second billing [27].
TwinPhone lists each destination with separate landline and mobile prices on its per-minute rate table. The heading there says 165 destinations [4], while its calling page says 145+ countries [12], so check your country in the table rather than the headline.
The per-minute price is only part of the bill: minimum top-ups and rounding change what a short call costs. I work through those in what you actually pay for a call abroad.
What is the cheapest way to call abroad from a computer?
The cheapest call never touches the phone network: if both people use WhatsApp, a WhatsApp Web call is free. To reach a landline or mobile, it depends on where you live. In the US, Google Voice had the lowest rates of the consumer dialers in my price table. Outside the US, Yolla had the lowest published rate on every route in the table except UK landlines, where Call2Friends was cheaper.
- The other person uses WhatsApp: call from WhatsApp Web. The feature is still rolling out, so it may not show on your account yet [1]. I cover the details of calling on WhatsApp Web separately.
- You live in the US and need a landline or mobile: Google Voice's personal plan is free [28], calls from the US to most US and Canadian numbers cost nothing, and calls abroad are charged at listed rates [6] from prepaid credit [29].
- You live outside the US: Google Voice is not open to you [7], so compare Yolla, TwinPhone and Call2Friends on your own route. I list more options if Google Voice isn't available to you.
- You need one very short call: Call2Friends allows one or two free calls a day per IP address [30], with 120 seconds to the US and 180 seconds to the UK [31].
- You call the same countries every week: PopTox sells unlimited calls to 49 countries for $10 a month [32], though its older rates page gives a different country count [33].
TextNow lists calls to Mexico and the UK as free and India $0.01 a minute [34]. It is built for US and Canadian users, its terms exclude EU and EEA residents [35], and I found no page saying whether international credit works in its web client.
Which browser services call phone numbers abroad?
The six services compared below call ordinary phone numbers from a browser tab, and all of them list destinations abroad. They differ less in reach than in who may sign up and what they ask for. Google Voice and TextNow are tied to US or Canadian users, Yolla and TwinPhone state no sign-up country limit on the pages I read, and the free dialers trade price for tight limits.
| Service | Calls phone numbers | Who can sign up | Sign-up needs | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | US, Canadian and international numbers[6] | Personal accounts: US only[7] | Phone number for a text code, plus ID check[14] | Yes, personal plan, calling from the US[28] |
| Yolla | Mobiles and landlines worldwide[11] | No country limit stated (unverified) | Phone number with SMS check (app); web unclear[26] | No; free Yolla-to-Yolla calls only in the app[11] |
| TwinPhone | Landlines and mobiles, 145+ countries[12] | No country limit stated (unverified) | Email or Google; no phone number, no card[12] | No: paid credit only, no trial[36] |
| TextNow | US and Canada free, other countries on credit[34] | US and Canada residents only[35] | Google, Apple, Facebook or email login[37] | Yes, funded by ads[38] |
| Call2Friends | Mobiles and landlines worldwide[30] | No limit published; free calls vary by country[39] | None for free calls; email for paid[30] | Yes: 1 or 2 short calls a day per IP[30] |
| PopTox | Mobiles and landlines; 246 countries claimed[40] | No country limit published (unverified) | None for free calls[41] | Yes: same number up to 5 times a day[33] |
On a phone, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
TwinPhone sponsors this site, so here is where it fits for calls abroad. It suits people who want to sign up with only an email or a Google account, with no phone number [12], and who may want a US or Canadian number that rings in the browser [42]. It has no free calls and no trial credit [36], and Yolla is cheaper on most routes.
Skype used to fill this role, but it retired on 5 May 2025, new Skype Credit can no longer be bought, and Teams (free) supports no paid calling plans; only remaining paid users can still spend old credit through the Skype Dial Pad [43]. I compare where former Skype callers can go in what to use now that Skype is gone.
Dialers I would be careful with
StartACall, HelloAirDial and MySecondLine also sell browser calls abroad, but I do not link them. StartACall's terms still say "[Your Jurisdiction]" where the governing law belongs [44], HelloAirDial's terms name no company or country [45], and MySecondLine's homepage carries "Lorem ipsum" placeholder text [46].
What number does the person abroad see?
It depends on the service, and it decides whether the person abroad recognises you and can ring you back. Google Voice shows your Google Voice number, and Yolla says it shows your own number. TwinPhone shows a shared number unless you rent a number or verify your mobile, and PopTox shows the same shared number on every call.
| Service | What the person abroad sees | Can they call you back? |
|---|---|---|
| Google Voice | Your Google Voice number [6] | Yes: it rings in the browser while you are signed in with the window open [47] |
| Yolla | Your own phone number, per its homepage [48]; the Yolla Web page does not say which number web calls show | On your own phone; Yolla Web takes no incoming calls [11] |
| TwinPhone | A shared number by default; a rented US or Canadian number; or your verified mobile for $1 a month [49] | Not on the shared number [49]; a rented number rings in the browser at $0.02 a minute [50] |
| Call2Friends | On paid calls, your own number after verification [51]; for free calls the site does not say | Only when your own number was shown |
| PopTox | The same US number, 218-414-1141, on every call [52] | No |
Can you make international calls online for free?
Yes, between apps. WhatsApp Web, Microsoft Teams (free) and Google Meet cost nothing across borders when both people use the same service. Free browser calls to phone numbers abroad come mostly from capped web dialers that allow one or a few short calls a day. Yolla and TwinPhone have no free calls to phone numbers [11][36].
- Microsoft Teams (free): 1:1 calls between Teams users for up to 30 hours [53], but the free version supports no paid calling plans, so a new account cannot ring phone numbers [43].
- Google Meet: free one-on-one meetings for up to 24 hours [54]; dialing a phone outside the US and Canada needs a Workspace account with a Meet Global Dialing subscription [55].
- PopTox: no sign-up, but the same number can be called only up to 5 times a day for free [33], always from one shared caller ID [52].
- Globfone: free calling now needs a verified phone number and a payment card [56]; a daily boost covers a short call of a few minutes, or only seconds to costly mobile routes [57].
TextNow lists the UK and Mexico as free, but only for its US and Canadian users [34][35]. If you are abroad and want to reach US numbers without paying, I collect the routes that still work in free ways to call the US from another country.
Are phone apps cheaper than a browser dialer?
Sometimes, but they need a phone. Rebtel and Talk360 ring landlines and mobiles abroad from a phone app, and Rebtel sells flat monthly plans for some countries, yet neither places calls from a browser tab [58][59]. At a laptop without a phone, a browser dialer is the practical choice.
Rebtel lists the US from $0.012 a minute [60] and unlimited calls to Mexico for $3 a month [61]. Talk360 sets your rate by the country code of the phone number you register [62]. Prepaid calling cards are the older route; I weigh them against apps in whether a calling card still makes sense.
In this guide
Countries
How to call Mexico from the US: the dial string, the 10-digit rule and costsHow to call Mexico from the US: dial 011 52 and the 10-digit number. Why 044, 045 and the extra 1 are gone, and the Mexico rates I checked on 1 Nov 2026.
Countries
How to call India from the USA: what to dial, landline codes and the cheapest optionsTo call India from the USA, dial 011 91 and the 10-digit number. Indian landline codes, the 0 to drop, and India rates I checked for browser dialers.
Countries
How to call the Philippines from the US: what to dial and what it costsHow to call the Philippines from the US: dial 011 63 and the number without its 0. Manila's 8-digit landlines and the per-minute rates I checked in Nov 2026.
Countries
How to call the UK from the US: dialing 011 44, mobile vs landline costs and calling backHow to call the UK from the US: dial 011 44 and drop the leading 0. UK landline and mobile rates compared, plus how to call the US from the UK online.
Countries
Free calls to the USA from abroad: what is free, what costs cents, and how to dialWhich calls to US numbers from abroad are free: app-to-app, carrier Wi-Fi Calling, capped web dialers, the Google Voice catch, paid rates and how to dial.
Explainers
How much do international calls cost? Carrier, VoIP and app prices in 2026What international calls cost in 2026: carrier per-minute and roaming fees, VoIP and browser dialer rates, free app calls, and a worked monthly example.
Explainers
International calling cards in 2026: still worth it next to apps and browser dialers?Are international calling cards still worth it? I read card terms and FCC advice on fees, rounding and expiry, and compare cards with apps and browser dialers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to dial 011 when I call abroad from a browser?
No. 011 is the exit code for US phone lines [5]. In a browser dialer you type + or choose the country, then the country code and the number; Google Voice's help just says to enter the country code before the number [6]. Do drop the domestic leading 0 that UK, Indian and Philippine numbers carry, because it is never dialed from abroad [5].
Is +44 a US number?
No. +44 is the country code of the United Kingdom [16]; the US uses +1, which it shares with Canada and Caribbean areas such as the Bahamas and Jamaica [16]. A call to a +44 number is billed at UK rates, and UK mobiles usually cost more than landlines: Yolla lists UK landlines $0.06 and UK mobiles $0.10 a minute [3].
What is the cheapest way to make international calls online?
It depends on who you call. If they use WhatsApp, a WhatsApp Web call is free [1]. To ring a phone, Google Voice had the lowest rates on the cards I read on , such as $0.02 a minute to India, but only for US users [2][7]. Elsewhere, Yolla was lowest on most routes, at $0.0239 to India [8]. Check the billing step too: TwinPhone rounds up to whole minutes [15].
Can I call a landline abroad with WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp Web calls reach only WhatsApp users and guests who open a call link [10], and none of WhatsApp's calling help pages offers calls to ordinary landlines or mobiles [9]. To ring a landline abroad you need a dialer that connects to the phone network and charges per minute, such as Google Voice in the US, Yolla or TwinPhone; I go further in whether WhatsApp can reach a normal phone number.
Can I use Google Voice for international calls if I live outside the US?
Not with a personal account: Google's help says Google Voice is only available in the US and sells credit in US dollars only [7], and new numbers need ID verification [14]. The business version, added to a paid Google Workspace subscription, works in 14 countries [63]; I go through the details in what Google Voice allows outside the US.
Do I need my own phone number to sign up for a browser dialer?
It depends on the service. Google Voice needs a phone number that can receive a verification text [13]. TwinPhone signs you up with an email or Google account and asks for no phone number [12]. Yolla's app asks for your phone number with its country code [26], and its web sign-up asks you to verify your account without listing the fields [11]. Call2Friends allows a short free call with no registration at all [30].
Are international calls free over Wi-Fi?
Only app-to-app calls are. A WhatsApp Web call uses your internet connection and costs nothing [1]. A browser call to a landline or mobile abroad costs the same per-minute rate on Wi-Fi as on any other connection, because the rate card does not change with the network you use. Carrier Wi-Fi Calling on a phone is a different feature, which I explain in how Wi-Fi Calling differs from a browser call.
Which countries can I call from a browser?
Most of them, if the service connects to the phone network. Yolla says 190+ countries [48], TwinPhone says 145+ countries on its calling page and 165 destinations on its rates page [12][4], and Google Voice publishes a per-country rate card [2]. Free dialers are narrower: Call2Friends sets a separate free talk time for each destination [31], and Globfone decides per country whether free calls are available [64].
TwinPhone FAQ
How much does TwinPhone charge for international calls?
Is TwinPhone cheaper than Yolla or Google Voice for calls abroad?
Not on most routes I checked. Yolla's published starting rates are lower for the US, UK mobiles, India and Mexico, and equal for UK landlines [18][3][8][19][4]. Google Voice is cheaper still, but only for US personal accounts [2][7]. TwinPhone's case rests elsewhere: email or Google sign-up with no phone number, Brave support, and an optional US or Canadian number that takes calls in the browser [12].
Can TwinPhone give me a local number in another country?
No. TwinPhone rents numbers only in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, and says EU and UK numbers are intentionally not offered [42]. A rented number costs $3.19 a month and receives texts from US and Canadian senders but cannot send SMS [65]. TwinPhone also cannot dial emergency numbers [36].
Prices are converted to USD at the rate of October 30, 2026 (ExchangeRate-API (open access endpoint)). Hover over a price to see the operator's original price.
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