I've exclusively used Skype for video chat with family (who happened to be in a really infrastructure-poor part of the world) for months - it was by far the only thing that worked, pixelated low-res video notwithstanding. Most of the other clients, e.g. line, gave-up within 30 seconds with errors like "connection is unstable". Getting Skype to connect is a major pain but once it gets going, even though the video sucks, it isn't choppy and the connection doesn't keep dropping.

Also, I never faced any ads with Skype (not sure if that was due to $1.20 balance in my Skype Credit account). The aforementioned calls were over wifi on my side and 2G(?) connections on recipients side, so free.

Your Skype shows ads? I've never seen ads on Skype.

See my sibling. Yes it does.

There seem to be ways to make that go away (null listing hosts either directly in the hosts file or - on Windows - in the Internet Connection Settings). Maybe. Before I'd use that app for anything of value, outside of my Mondays .. I'd try these approaches.

I have never seen a single ad on Skype (Windows, Mac, iOS) when I use my old account, where I have regularly bought SkypeOut credits.

When I created a second account for work with a new client, suddenly ads popped up everywhere.

Not on Mac but it does on Windows.

That's not true at all. I have ads shoved in my face on my Mac continuously. It's bulky & ugly to use (UX-wise), so it's only used for business.

I make myself available on nth number of services because they people I want to talk to are spread across them; Skype is not one of them.

Mine does...