Want to upgrade your business phone system but don’t know which provider is better? In this comparison, we will look at 3CX vs Asterisk. More specifically, we’ll review their features, pricing, deployment, support, and more.
Learn more about what these providers offer and how to choose the best open-source PBX for your business communication needs.
Choosing the Right PBX Phone Solution
When building out your business phone system, you will find multiple on-premise, cloud, and hybrid solutions. However, while these providers offer similar services, they differ in pricing, features, premium add-ons, and more. This is why it’s important to compare PBX and phone service providers before deciding.
So, how to choose the right phone service provider for your business? And what should you look for when comparing 3CX vs Asterisk?
- Research the market
- Review pricing plans
- Compare features and services included
- Consider deployment methods and if they meet your needs
- Take customer reviews and testimonials into account
- Look for support and training
Now, let’s look at the differences between 3CX and Asterisk in detail.
About 3CX
3CX is an open-standards PBX system supporting various IP phones and SIP trunking services. It offers businesses a complete UC solution with voice, video, live chat, and more. You can use 3CX on-premise or in the cloud and even access the solution on multiple devices.
Year Established: 2008
3CX Top Features:
- PBX
- Activity Dashboard
- Alerts & Notifications
- Audio / Video Conferencing
- Voice Calls
- Manual, Predictive & Auto Dialer
- Automated Attendant
- Automatic Call Distribution
- Call Center Management
- Call Routing
- Ring Groups
- Call Monitoring & Reporting
- Call Recording
- Chat / Messaging
- Call Tracking
- Computer Telephony Integration
- Customizable Branding & Reports
- Fax Management
- IVR / Voice Recognition
- Multi-Channel Communication
- Queue Management
- Reporting & Analytics
- SIP Trunking
- SMS Messaging
- Virtual Extensions
About Asterisk
Asterisk is an open-source PBX solution offering voice and video communication. This software is available for free and easily integrates into existing business phone systems (both legacy and VoIP). You can use Asterisk with your on-premise system or set up SIP trunking in the cloud. And it comes packed with common PBX features such as IVR, conferencing, and voicemail.
Year Established: 1999
Asterisk Top Features:
- Auto-Dialer
- Call Center Management
- Call Logging & Monitoring
- IVR / Voice Recognition
- Call Recording
- Call Routing
- Employee Directory
- Call Transfer
- Predictive Dialer
- Reporting & Analytics
- SMS Messaging
- Telemarketing Management
- Video Conferencing
- Voicemail
3CX vs Asterisk
So, which do you choose? This depends on what you and your teams need. Let’s look at the differences between 3CX and Asterisk closely:
| 3CX | Asterisk | |
| Free Version | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Depends on the number of users, concurrent calls, hosted or self-managed, etc. | Open-source PBX (free) The pricing listed is for Asterisk Support Services |
| IP-PBX Cost | The basic plan is free, but others start at $145 per year | Starts from $595 |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | 1-1000+ users | 51-1000+ users |
| Deployment |
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| Support |
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| Training |
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Using 3CX or Asterisk with Global Call Forwarding
Global Call Forwarding is a global telephony provider that offers cloud PBX along with other cloud telephony solutions.
You can use our voice service as it comes — with business calling features and services — or simply connect our SIP trunks to an open-source PBX you already have on-premise.
We have helped many businesses upgrade their phone system by integrating the right voice solution with their existing phone setup. Want to learn more? Speak with our experts today at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with us online!
