Cheapest Way to Make International Calls: An Honest Comparison

“Cheapest international calls” is one of the most common telecom searches, but the honest answer is that the cheapest option depends on who you are calling, where they are, whether they have internet, and how long you talk. This guide compares the options that actually exist and shows you how to calculate the real cost yourself instead of trusting ads.

First, understand what you are paying for

Every international call has three legs: the network the call leaves from (your mobile operator or internet provider), the international route between countries, and the network that delivers the call in the destination country. When you call an ordinary mobile or landline number, the receiving network charges for terminating that call. That is why prices vary so much between countries — and between mobiles and landlines within the same country.

When you call from one app to the same app (WhatsApp to WhatsApp, for example), the call never touches the phone network. It travels as data over the internet, so there is no per-minute price — only data usage.

Option 1: Direct international dialing from your SIM

The simplest route: dial 00 or +, the country code, then the number. It always works, needs no internet, and your number shows up as usual. The downside is that pay-as-you-go international per-minute prices from mobile operators are often high unless you have an international bundle.

• Best for: short or urgent calls, or when you have no reliable internet.
• Tip: ask your operator about monthly international bundles for a specific country. If you call the same country regularly they can be far cheaper than standard rates.

Option 2: International roaming while travelling

If you travel and keep using your home SIM, you are roaming. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) warns that roaming rates can be much higher because of foreign network fees, that they may apply to calls, texts, data and even voicemail, and that charges can appear a full billing cycle after you return. Only switch roaming on once you know the prices, or buy a travel pack.

Option 3: A local SIM or eSIM where you live or stay

If you are an expat or staying a long time, a local SIM or eSIM makes your phone “local”, giving you local rates and usually cheaper data. Your phone must be unlocked. The trade-off: your number becomes a new local number that family may not recognise — and may not answer.

Option 4: Free app-to-app calls

WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal and similar apps are genuinely the cheapest when the other person has good internet and the same app. Keep three things in mind:

1. Both sides need to be online. They cannot reach a landline, a company switchboard, or relatives who don’t use apps.
2. Some countries restrict voice calling on certain apps, so check the telecom regulator’s guidance where you are.
3. They use data, and data on roaming can itself be expensive.

Option 5: Internet-to-phone calling with prepaid credit

Here you call from a browser or app, but the call reaches an ordinary mobile or landline number — the person you call needs no internet or app. You top up credit and pay per destination. This is the kind of service Fastidcall provides, with one extra benefit: the person you call sees your own verified number instead of an unknown one, so they are more likely to pick up.

To be clear, this is not always cheaper than a free app call. It is the right choice when what matters is reaching any phone number and showing your number — not that the call is free.

Here are live examples from our current rates for popular destinations:

Destination	Type	Prefix	Rate	Billing (s)
Saudi Arabia	Mobile	+96651	$2.33/min	60/60
United Arab Emirates	Mobile	+9715	$1.22/min	1/1
United States	Landline	+121273	$0.56/min	6/6
Egypt	Mobile	+2010	$1.09/min	1/1
United Kingdom	Mobile	+4477009	$0.23/min	1/1

How to work out the real cost of a call

The per-minute price alone is not enough. Always check four things:

• Billing increment: “1/1” means per-second billing; “60/60” means every started minute is charged in full. A 61-second call costs two minutes on 60/60.
• Connection fee: some services charge a fixed fee when the call is answered. On Fastidcall nothing is charged while it rings; a one-time line-opening fee applies only if the call connects.
• Mobile vs landline: many countries price them differently.
• Taxes and surcharges on your operator bill.

Worked example: at $1.20 per minute billed per second (1/1), a 3-minute-20-second call is 200 seconds × ($1.20 ÷ 60) = $4.00, plus any connection fee.

Quick table: which option fits which situation?

Common mistakes that inflate the bill

• Calling back unknown international numbers that rang once — a well-known scam (see our scam-call guide).
• Leaving roaming on with automatic updates running.
• Ignoring per-minute (60/60) billing when making many short calls.
• Using unsecured public Wi-Fi for sensitive calls.

A 3-step plan to choose

1. List who you call: are they online with apps? Older relatives, businesses or landlines?
2. Estimate monthly minutes per destination: multiply by the per-minute price, taking billing increments and connection fees into account.
3. Mix the options: many people save the most with a combination — apps for those who use them, regular-number calling for those who don’t.

Frequently asked questions

Are WhatsApp international calls really free?

There is no per-minute price, but they consume data from your plan or Wi-Fi. On home broadband or a large data plan they are effectively free; on roaming, the data itself can be expensive.

Why does a mobile cost more than a landline in the same country?

Because the fees for delivering a call differ between mobile and fixed networks, and providers price each type according to that cost. That is why rate tables list different prefixes for each type of number.

What do the country code, 00 and + mean?

The country code is assigned to each country by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under the E.164 numbering plan — for example 962 for Jordan, 966 for Saudi Arabia, 971 for the UAE and 1 for the United States. 00 is the international exit prefix from Jordan and most Arab countries; on a mobile, the + sign replaces it automatically.

Can I see the price before I call?

You always should. On Fastidcall the per-minute price and billing increment appear while you type the number, before you press call, and nothing is charged if the other person doesn’t answer.

Is the cheapest option always the best?

Not necessarily. Voice quality, call stability and showing a number the other person recognises all decide whether the call works at all. A cheap call that nobody answers because it comes from an unknown number is not a good deal.

The bottom line

If the other person is online, a free app call is unbeatable. If you need to reach a regular phone number, compare the per-minute price and the billing increment and connection fee between your operator and internet calling services. And if it matters that the person sees your familiar number, choose a service that shows your verified number transparently and tells you the price before you dial.

Sources & further reading

1. FCC — International Roaming: Mobile Phone Use Abroad
2. U.S. Department of State — Communicating While Abroad
3. ITU-T Recommendation E.164 (international numbering plan)
4. Telecommunications Regulatory Commission — Jordan (TRC)

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