Top 5 Calling Apps in Russia

VK

• No limits
• Free
• Web / iOS / Android

VK isn’t just a Russia-made social network; it’s a messenger, a music and video streaming platform, and a calling app. The app is completely free; here, you can audio- and video-call your family and friends or organize video meetings with your peers. There are no limitations on time nor number of participants on a call; among some cool features are built-in meeting transcripts and subtitles, a meeting planner, and the option to watch movies and videos together in real time.

Yandex Messenger

• No time limits and up to 40 participants (for free users)
• Monthly fees starting from ₽299 (includes multiple services)
• Web / iOS / Android

A service from the Yandex universe, Yandex Messenger can be used for both personal and business use – and both individually or as part of Yandex’s system. It’s your typical messaging app, much like Telegram, where you can text, share files, and, most importantly, audio- and video-chat with your friends and colleagues. It can’t boast any outstanding features but it does a decent “calling” job; the only catch – you’ll need to have a Yandex account to use the app (it’s free) and send links to people you want to talk to so that they can join you on the messaging app. 

Zoom

• Up to 40 minutes and 100 participants (for free users)
• Monthly fees starting from €12.5
• Web / iOS / Android

You may be familiar with Zoom from the COVID times, but if not, it’s one of the most popular – if not the most popular – conferencing tools for work and studies. There, you can host and join meetings, use an instant text chat, send real-time reactions, and share your screen. Also worth exploring are breakout rooms (for smaller groups’ activities) and online whiteboards (for increased engagement). Free users are limited to up to 40-minute meetings, but once your session ends, you can start a new one – after a little 10-minute break, though.

ITMO students and staff can book limit-free sessions via ISU for work- and studies-related meetings. To do that, you need to go to ISU – Личный кабинет (Your personal page) – Бронирование помещений (Room booking).

Yandex Telemost

• No time limits and up to 100 participants (for free users)
• Monthly fees starting from ₽299 (includes multiple services)
• Web / iOS / Android

There’s a Yandex app for everything – and group-calling is no exception. With Yandex Telemost, you can have free and unlimited access to video meetings. This means all now-usual features: from instant chats to virtual backgrounds and real-time recordings. Plus, minimalist, user-friendly design, no time limitations, and even no need for an app. All you need is a Yandex account and stable internet access. The service launched quite recently; so, new features may be in line. 

SaluteJazz

• No time limits and up to 100 participants (for free users)
• Corporate plans exclusively
• Web / Android

Part of Sberbank’s ecosystem, SaluteJazz, though more business-oriented, still has something to offer to individual users. These are 1-on-1 and group (up to 100 participants in the free version) meetings with a virtual background changer, a screensharing feature, and locally-stored meeting recordings. Other notable features include noise cancellation and a soft-focus effect.