Skype, the pioneering VoIP and messaging service founded in 2003 and acquired by Microsoft for $8.5 billion in 2011, officially shut down on May 5, 2025, with users migrated to Microsoft Teams. At its peak (2009-2010), Skype had approximately 300 million users globally. Microsoft Teams now serves 320M+ MAU worldwide but is not available in China. In China, Skype was replaced years ago by domestic enterprise communication platforms that offer far more capabilities. DingTalk (钉钉), Alibaba's enterprise platform, dominates with DAU exceeding 100 million, 120,000 paying enterprises, and 28 million paying DAU. WeCom (企业微信), Tencent's enterprise communication tool, uniquely connects to WeChat's 1.418 billion MAU, holding a 23.4% collaboration market share. Feishu (飞书/Lark), ByteDance's enterprise suite, has reached $300M+ ARR in 2024 with modern messaging, video conferencing, and document collaboration.
Chinese Enterprise Communication Tools Compared with Skype
| Feature | Skype (discontinued) | DingTalk (钉钉) | WeCom (企业微信) | Feishu (飞书/Lark) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | ❌ Shut down May 2025 | ✅ Active | ✅ Active | ✅ Active |
| Developer | Microsoft (US) | Alibaba (China) | Tencent (China) | ByteDance (China) |
| Users | 300M peak (2010) | 100M+ DAU | 1.418B WeChat-connected | $300M+ ARR |
| Voice/Video Calls | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ HD |
| Group Chat | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| File Sharing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Screen Sharing | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Enterprise Admin | Limited | ✅ Comprehensive | ✅ Comprehensive | ✅ Comprehensive |
| Workflow/Approvals | ❌ | ✅ Extensive | ✅ | ✅ |
| WeChat Integration | ❌ | Limited | ✅ Native | Limited |
| Availability in China | Replaced long ago | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pricing | Was free + premium | Free + enterprise | Free + enterprise | Free + ¥30-100/mo |
Detailed Breakdown
DingTalk (钉钉) — China's Enterprise Communication Leader
DingTalk (钉钉), Alibaba's enterprise collaboration platform, has effectively replaced Skype in China's enterprise communication landscape with DAU exceeding 100 million, 120,000 paying enterprises, and 28 million paying DAU. DingTalk offers far more than Skype ever did: HD voice and video calls, group messaging, file sharing, screen sharing, comprehensive enterprise administration, workflow automation, attendance tracking, approval systems, and project management tools. With 32.7% of China's collaboration market, DingTalk is the default enterprise communication tool for most Chinese companies. DingTalk's strength lies in its comprehensive enterprise management features — from attendance tracking and leave approvals to expense management and recruitment workflows — all integrated with messaging and video conferencing. For organizations that need more than just communication (which is virtually every enterprise), DingTalk provides a complete enterprise management platform.
Key strength: 100M+ DAU with comprehensive enterprise management features far beyond Skype's communication focus. Key differentiator: All-in-one enterprise suite vs. Skype's communication-only model.
WeCom (企业微信) — WeChat's Enterprise Bridge
WeCom (企业微信), Tencent's enterprise communication platform, offers a unique capability that no other platform — including Skype — ever had: native connection to WeChat's 1.418 billion MAU. This means enterprises can communicate with customers directly through WeChat using WeCom's professional messaging features, while maintaining internal enterprise communication within the same platform. WeCom holds a 23.4% collaboration market share in China, making it the second-largest enterprise communication platform after DingTalk. WeCom provides enterprise messaging, voice/video calls, file sharing, customer relationship management (CRM), and workflow automation. Its killer feature is the ability to add WeChat users as enterprise contacts, enabling professional customer communication at scale — a critical capability for sales, customer service, and business development in China's WeChat-dominated communication landscape.
Key strength: Native WeChat integration gives unmatched reach to 1.418 billion users for enterprise communication. Key differentiator: Only platform that bridges enterprise and consumer communication through WeChat.
Feishu (飞书) / Lark — Modern Enterprise Communication
Feishu (飞书, known internationally as Lark), ByteDance's enterprise suite, represents the most modern enterprise communication experience in China. With $300M+ ARR in 2024 (up from $200M in 2023 and $100M in 2022), Feishu is the fastest-growing enterprise platform in China. Feishu offers HD video conferencing, instant messaging, document collaboration, spreadsheets, OKR tracking, and AI-powered features — all in a polished, user-friendly interface. Feishu's video conferencing is particularly praised for its quality, supporting large meetings with real-time translation, recording, and transcription. Its messaging features include threaded conversations, pinned messages, and rich media sharing. Feishu's AI assistant, powered by ByteDance's large language models, can summarize meetings, draft documents, and automate routine tasks. Internationally, Lark provides the same features with English-language support, making it a viable global enterprise communication tool.
Key strength: Fastest-growing enterprise platform ($300M+ ARR) with the most polished communication experience. Key differentiator: ByteDance's AI integration and modern UX design set it apart.
China's Enterprise Communication Evolution
Skype's shutdown on May 5, 2025, was largely irrelevant in China, where the platform had been replaced years ago by domestic alternatives that offer far more capabilities. China's enterprise communication market, valued at over 30 billion yuan ($4B+) in 2025, is dominated by three super-app platforms that go well beyond what Skype ever offered. DingTalk (32.7% market share, 100M+ DAU), WeCom (23.4%, connected to WeChat's 1.418B users), and Feishu (18.9%, $300M+ ARR) each provide comprehensive enterprise management — not just messaging and calls, but also document collaboration, project management, workflow automation, AI assistance, and customer relationship management. Microsoft Teams, Skype's successor with 320M+ global MAU, is not available in China, further cementing the dominance of domestic platforms. For international companies operating in China, choosing the right enterprise communication platform depends on the use case: DingTalk for comprehensive enterprise management, WeCom for customer-facing communication through WeChat, and Feishu for tech companies seeking a modern, AI-powered experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Skype officially shut down on May 5, 2025. Users were migrated to Microsoft Teams.
China replaced Skype years ago with DingTalk (100M+ DAU), WeCom (connected to WeChat's 1.418B users), and Feishu ($300M+ ARR).
No. Microsoft Teams is not available in China, making domestic platforms the only option for enterprise communication.
DingTalk leads with 100M+ DAU and 32.7% market share, followed by WeCom (23.4%) and Feishu (18.9%).
Yes. WeCom's unique advantage is native connection to WeChat's 1.418 billion users for enterprise-customer communication.
Feishu (飞书) is ByteDance's enterprise suite, known as Lark internationally. It offers messaging, video, docs, and AI with $300M+ ARR.
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