Quick answer
KeKu is no longer a working option for international calling: its app was unpublished from Google Play in 2022, the US App Store listing now returns nothing, and the company itself describes pivoting from international calling to an AI call-management product. Users publicly report prepaid credit they cannot use and support that does not respond. The practical alternative is a pay-as-you-go service with the rate shown before each call and a written refund policy — BoraPhone does exactly that from the browser, from $0.02/min, with the first call free.
What actually happened to KeKu
KeKu (originally StanaCard, founded 2010) built its name on cheap international calls and local-access numbers for expats. That business has wound down: the Android app was unpublished from Google Play in July 2022, the US App Store listing is gone, and KeKu’s own site now describes a transition "from international calling pioneer to AI assistant" — a phone-number product for call screening and spam protection, not a calling card.
The painful part is how the wind-down landed on customers. Review sites carry a consistent pattern into 2026: top-ups that stopped connecting calls, password resets that never arrive, support that has gone quiet, and prepaid balances that were never refunded. Whatever the company’s intentions, waiting for a stranded balance to fix itself has not worked for the people reporting it.
If you still have money in a KeKu account: document your balance with screenshots, send one clear email to support requesting a refund, and if you topped up recently by card or PayPal, ask your bank about a chargeback for services not delivered — that is the recovery path that most often actually works.
What KeKu gets right — and where it falls short
- Local access numbers let you call without mobile data — genuinely useful before data got cheap.
- Competitive rates and US numbers for expats during its active years.
- It pioneered features (call recording, callthrough) that mainstream apps added later.
- App removed: unpublished from Google Play in 2022; the US App Store listing no longer exists.
- Users report topped-up credit that cannot be used and accounts they cannot access.
- Support unresponsive — recent reviews describe recorded messages and unanswered emails.
- The company has publicly pivoted to an AI call-assistant product; consumer calling is not coming back.
Pricing model: BoraPhone vs KeKu
The per-minute rate is only part of the price. How a service bills — minimums, renewals, expiry, fees — usually matters more.
| BoraPhone | KeKu | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Pay-as-you-go, from $0.02/min | Prepaid credit — service no longer reliably delivered |
| Minimum top-up | $5 | Top-ups reported as unusable by current reviewers |
| Rate transparency | Exact rate shown before every call | No published rates remain |
| Refunds | 100% refund if a call fails, in writing | Users report no refunds on stranded balances |
| Support | Human support | Reported unresponsive |
Feature comparison
| Feature | BoraPhone | KeKu |
|---|---|---|
| Currently accepting and completing calls | ||
| Calls from the browser, no app | ||
| App available in US app stores | No app needed | |
| Landlines and mobiles in 180+ countries | ||
| Written refund policy for failed calls | ||
| Email-only signup, no phone verification |
Which one fits you?
- You have calls to make today and your KeKu credit is stuck — you need a line that works now.
- You never want to park money with an opaque provider again: top up $5, see every rate before dialing, refunds in writing.
- You liked calling without installing anything — BoraPhone runs entirely in the browser.
- Honestly: nobody, for international calling. If you want KeKu’s new AI call-screening product for a US number, that is a different tool for a different job.
Switching takes about a minute
No download, no app store. The dialer runs in the browser you already have — laptop or phone.
No phone verification. Your first call is free, so you can test the exact number you need to reach before paying anything.
Rates from $0.02/min, shown before every call. No subscription to manage and nothing from KeKu to cancel first — just stop using it.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to try the KeKu alternative that runs in your browser?
Email signup, rate shown before you dial, first call free. No subscription, no app, nothing to cancel later.