Skype for Business Client Summary

Updates to Skype for Business clients continue to bring clients for other platforms into closer parity with the Windows desktop client, although capabilities still vary substantially. This chart lists the most important client applications and Web interfaces for Skype for Business Server 2015 and the Microsoft-hosted Skype for Business Online service (part of the Office 365 suite of services). “Full” shows the capabilities of the Skype for Business Windows desktop client that ships in some Office suites and stand-alone, while “Basic” shows the free edition of that client.

The chart summarizes the major Skype for Business feature areas covered by each client. Because each client implements a different subset of Skype for Business features, organizations should consult Microsoft’s extensive client comparison tables for exact capabilities. The chart also lists client licenses when required for full feature capability, which will generally be either Client Access Licenses (CALs) for Skype for Business Server 2015 or User Subscription Licenses (User SLs) for Skype for Business Online.