Want to upgrade your business phone system but don’t know which provider is better? In this comparison, we will look at FreePBX vs 3CX, specifically at their features, pricing, deployment, support, and more.
Learn more about what these providers offer and how to choose the right provider for your business communication needs.
Choosing the Right PBX Phone Solution
When building out your cloud-based PBX, 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 do you choose the right phone service provider for your business? And what should you look for when comparing FreePBX vs 3CX?
- 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 FreePBX and 3CX in detail.
About FreePBX
FreePBX is a cloud-based open-source platform with a GUI (graphical user interface).
You can use this platform to control and manage a PBX system such as Asterisk. FreePBX works best when integrated with SIP trunking or UC services to provide users with a well-rounded communication system.
Year Established: 2004
FreePBX Top Features:
- Time-Based Call Routing
- Built-In Conference Bridge
- Fax to Email
- Hunt / Ring Groups
- Voicemail Blasting
- Find Me / Follow Me Calling
- Support for Video Calling
- Text to Speech
- Calling Queues (ACD)
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
- Three-Way Calling Support
- Voicemail & Voicemail to Email
- Caller ID Support
- Call Transfer
- Call Recording
- Call Waiting
- Call Detail Records
- Speed Dials
- Caller Blacklisting
- Call Screening
- WebRTC & Softphone Support
- Failover Devices
About 3CX
3CX is an open-standards open-source PBX software 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
- Call 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
FreePBX vs 3CX
So, which do you choose? This depends on what you and your teams need. Let’s look at the differences between FreePBX and 3CX closely:
| FreePBX | 3CX | |
| Free Version | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing Model | FreePBX is free, but PBXact is the commercial version and comes with multiple pricing options. | Depends on the number of users, concurrent calls, hosted or self-managed, etc. |
| Pricing | FreePBX software is free, not including costs for added functionality and features; PBXact starts at $34.99 per feature. |
The basic plan is free, but paid plans start at $145 per year. |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | 1-5000+ users | 1-1000+ users |
| Deployment |
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| Support |
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| Training |
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Related:
Using FreePBX or 3CX with Global Call Forwarding
Global Call Forwarding is a global telephony provider that offers cloud PBX along with other cloud communications solutions.
You can use our voice service as it comes — with business calling features and services — or simply integrate our SIP trunks with the PBX system 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!
