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3CX vs. FreePBX vs. PortSIP

3CX, FreePBX and PortSIP are phone system software you run yourself or through a partner, and all three need a separate SIP trunk provider for numbers and calling. 3CX licenses by simultaneous calls with free editions, FreePBX is free open source software with paid modules, and PortSIP licenses per extension with every feature included. The right one depends on your budget, your technical skills and how much you want included out of the box.

Published by Cannon VoIP, which competes with all three. We compare them fairly, call the winner in each category from their own published information, and cite every source at the bottom.

The verdict

Who wins, category by category

Price for 5 users
3CX
Our estimates for a 5-user setup with CRM integration and AI transcription, each including 2 to 4 hours a month of admin time at about $95 to $190, come to about $235 to $350 a month for 3CX, $375 to $560 for FreePBX and $455 to $570 for PortSIP over three years.
Licensing terms
FreePBX
The FreePBX core is free with no contract; 3CX licenses are prepaid yearly with no prorated refund, and PortSIP buyers report a 300-license minimum at about $2,500 per 100, then 20% a year for updates after year one.
Features included vs. gated
PortSIP
PortSIP says every license includes all features; 3CX gates video, wallboards and CRM integrations by edition, and FreePBX sells the wallboard, apps, CRM Link and AI transcription as paid modules.
Contact center tools
PortSIP
PortSIP includes skills-based queues, live wallboards, callbacks, listen, whisper and barge and AI sentiment; 3CX has wallboards and barge on PRO, AI and SMB Free, and FreePBX's wallboard is $395 a year with barge reported to need custom dial plan.
Integrations
PortSIP
PortSIP includes Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, Zoho, HubSpot, Odoo and Salesforce, REST APIs and webhooks; 3CX keeps CRM integrations for PRO and AI, and FreePBX's CRM Link is a paid module.
Meetings and messaging
3CX
3CX includes chat and SMS on all editions, a website live chat widget, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, and video meetings up to 100 on PRO and 250 on AI; PortSIP has meetings, team messaging and WhatsApp but no website chat, and FreePBX sells Sangoma Meet at $299 a year.
Control and customization
FreePBX
FreePBX is open source on Asterisk, runs on your own hardware, any Debian cloud server or a Sangoma appliance, and lets technical teams write their own dial plan.

Choose 3CX if...

Choose 3CX if you want the lowest overall cost for a small office, website chat and social messaging built in, and the option to have 3CX host it. Its free SMB edition covers up to 10 users if your needs are basic.

3CX vs. Cannon VoIP

Choose FreePBX if...

Choose FreePBX if you have the skills to run Linux and Asterisk and want free, open source software with full control. Basic calling can run about $60 a month in hard costs if you skip the paid modules and do not count your time.

FreePBX vs. Cannon VoIP

Choose PortSIP if...

Choose PortSIP if you are a service provider or a large organization that needs hundreds of extensions with every feature included and full control of your own servers.

PortSIP vs. Cannon VoIP

Side by side

3CX
FreePBX
PortSIP
Pricing & contract
Licensed per simultaneous call, not per extension: an 8-call system (up to 40 users) is $300 a year for Basic, $395 for PRO or $575 for AI, plus $295 a year if 3CX hosts it. No per-seat pricing. Free editions exist: 3CX Free (4 simultaneous calls) and 3CX SMB Free, hosted by 3CX for up to 10 users.
The FreePBX software is free to download and use. Paid modules are licensed per system, 1 year or 25 years: bundles run $169 to $1,729 a year, or $349 to $3,449 for 25 years. Some modules are sold one by one, like EndPoint Manager at $99 a year.
Licensed per extension, with one simultaneous call per extension, as a perpetual or annual license. Every license includes all features. Prices are not listed on PortSIP's site; buyer invoices from summer 2026 show a 300-license minimum at about $2,500 per 100. A free edition covers 3 users and 2 simultaneous calls.
Add-ons & hidden fees
This is where the real cost lives. On top of the license: a SIP trunk/carrier account, hosting (Hosted by 3CX is $295 a year for an 8-call system, or you run your own server), and the IT hours to run it all. STIR/SHAKEN caller-ID authentication isn't built in either. It's on you to confirm your carrier signs and verifies calls, or your outbound calls risk being flagged as spam. Stacked together, the true monthly cost can run well past what the license price alone suggests.
No fees from FreePBX itself. Hosting, SIP trunk channels, numbers, E911, texting and taxes on trunk service are billed by whoever provides them. Sangoma's SIPStation channels are $19.99 to $24.99 a month each.
The license does not include hosting, a carrier, phone numbers, E911 or texting. Those come from your server or cloud provider and your SIP trunk provider, each with its own usage charges, taxes and fees. AI transcription runs through an outside AI provider you configure.
Contract lock-in & termination fee
The annual license is prepaid; cancelling mid-term forfeits the remaining license value (no prorated refund), and you're separately bound by whatever contract your SIP trunk/carrier requires.
No contract for the free software. Paid module licenses are prepaid for 1 or 25 years, and 25-year licenses need support bought after year one to keep getting updates. Trunk terms depend on the carrier; SIPStation is cheaper on 1 or 3 year plans.
Perpetual licenses are bought up front; annual licenses are also offered. Buyer invoices show the first year of updates and support included, then 20% of the license price a year, and a reseller lists the same 20% with no late renewal. License refund terms are not listed on PortSIP's site.
Setup & onboarding
Self-managed software: you (or a hired partner/MSP) configure the PBX, source a carrier, and maintain the server yourself unless 3CX hosts it.
You or a hired partner install FreePBX 17 on Debian 12, then connect a carrier, build the call flows and provision phones. Moving from FreePBX 16 to 17 means a fresh install and a backup restore, with no in-place upgrade.
Self-managed software: you or a partner install it on Linux with Docker, set up the SBC, SSL certificates and SIP trunks, provision phones and handle upgrades and backups.
Customer support & reliability
Trustpilot reviewers report that contacting 3CX support costs money and describe price increases and features removed in new versions. You (or a hired partner) keep the system running day to day.
Free community forum. Sangoma's Gold support is $399 a year per system with 60 minutes of help, weekdays 8 to 5 Eastern; Platinum is $900 a year with 120 minutes and 24/7 response for emergencies.
PortSIP lists 24/7 support. A reseller lists one year of updates and technical support with the license, then paid yearly maintenance. Day-to-day running of the system is on you or your partner.
Integrations
CRM integrations exist but require the PRO or AI edition.
CRM Link connects outside CRMs with call history and screen pops as a paid module. A REST and GraphQL API module is available for developers.
Microsoft Teams Direct Routing through its free SBC, Microsoft 365 integration, Google Workspace sign-in, REST APIs, webhooks, and CRM integrations for Zoho, HubSpot, Odoo and Salesforce.
Built-in CRM
No built-in CRM. Connects to outside CRMs on PRO and AI editions.
No built-in CRM. CRM Link, a paid module, connects an outside CRM.
No built-in CRM listed on PortSIP's site. Connects to Zoho, HubSpot, Odoo and Salesforce with click-to-call and call logging.
International calling
No built-in carrier: international rates depend entirely on whichever SIP trunk/carrier you connect to 3CX.
No built-in carrier, so international rates depend on the SIP trunk provider you choose.
No built-in carrier: international rates depend on the SIP trunk provider you connect.
Meetings & messaging
Video meetings not in Basic (PRO up to 100 participants, AI edition up to 250). Chat and SMS in all editions, plus a website live chat widget (including for WordPress).
Sangoma's softphone apps add chat and video calls through Sangoma Meet, sold as a paid module ($299 a year for 20 users). A website chat widget is not listed on FreePBX's site; Web CallMe adds a call-me form.
Video meetings, team messaging and its PortSIP ONE apps are included. SMS needs a supported SIP trunk provider, and WhatsApp is supported. A website chat widget is not listed on PortSIP's site.
Contact center tools
Wallboard and listen, whisper and barge on PRO, AI and the free SMB edition, not on Basic. No native power dialer listed.
Queues are free; Queues Pro (callback, virtual queues), Queue Reports and Queue Wallboard ($395 a year) are paid. Listen, whisper and barge are reported to need Asterisk ChanSpy or custom dial plan. A power dialer is not listed; XactDialer sends broadcast messages.
Call queues with skills-based routing, live wallboards, callbacks, listen, whisper and barge, and AI sentiment analysis. A power dialer is not listed on PortSIP's site.
Call screening & 911
Name-announce call screening is not listed on 3CX's site.
Extensions have a basic call screening option where callers record their name and you accept or reject, as described on FreePBX's forum. Live transcribed screening and AI screening rules are not listed on FreePBX's site.
Can drop inbound calls by the STIR/SHAKEN result your carrier passes, plus selective call rejection. Name-and-reason screening is not listed. PortSIP's license agreement says the software is not designed for emergency calls and does not support 911, so 911 depends on your setup and your carrier's E911 service.
Connect your own AI assistant
A native MCP server was in alpha in mid-2026.
A REST and GraphQL API module lets developers manage FreePBX. An MCP server for AI assistants is not listed on FreePBX's site.
REST APIs, webhooks and Pub/Sub for your own integrations. An MCP connection for AI assistants is not listed on PortSIP's site.
Platform ownership
Writes its own PBX software, which you or a hosting partner run, on-premise or in the cloud. Priced per system by simultaneous calls, and you bring your own carrier.
Open source software built on Asterisk; FreePBX is a trademark of Sangoma Technologies. You run it on your own server, a cloud server or a Sangoma appliance, or buy PBXact Cloud, Sangoma's hosted commercial edition.
Built by PortSIP Solutions, Inc. as its own software (not Asterisk or FreeSWITCH), aimed mainly at service providers. You or a partner run it on-premises or in AWS, Azure or Google Cloud. To sign calls itself, PortSIP requires your own STIR/SHAKEN certificate, which needs a telecom carrier code.
Hardware & BYOD
Broad IP phone compatibility (Yealink, Fanvil, and more), but you source, purchase, and provision hardware yourself.
Works with standard SIP phones; the paid EndPoint Manager provisions over 300 models, and Sangoma phones include it. You buy and set up phones yourself.
Works with Fanvil, Yealink, Snom, Grandstream, Gigaset, Avaya J and other IP phones, but you source, buy and provision them yourself.

Where Cannon VoIP fits

Cannon VoIP is $34 per extension, all-in and month to month, and it is fully hosted: we are the carrier, host and support team, so there is no server, SIP trunk or patching to manage. Every extension includes unlimited domestic calling and texting, a built-in CRM, a power dialer and a wallboard.

See Cannon VoIP pricing · Best business phone systems of 2026

Common questions

Is FreePBX really free?

The FreePBX software is free to download and use. You still pay for a server, a SIP trunk, numbers and E911, and any paid modules such as Queue Wallboard ($395 a year) or EndPoint Manager ($99 a year).

Is 3CX cheaper than PortSIP for a small business?

Usually, yes. An 8-call 3CX system runs $300 to $575 a year depending on edition, while PortSIP buyers report a 300-license minimum purchase at about $2,500 per 100. PortSIP also has a free edition for up to 3 users and 2 simultaneous calls.

Do 3CX, FreePBX and PortSIP include 911?

None of them includes a carrier, so 911 comes from the E911 service of the SIP trunk provider you connect. PortSIP's license agreement says its software is not designed for emergency calls and does not support 911.

Sources (62)

Each claim about 3CX, FreePBX, PortSIP on this page comes from the public sources below, checked October 2026. Where a provider does not publish a price, we use independent pricing guides and say so. If something has changed, tell us at support@cannonvoip.com and we will correct it.

  1. 3CX price list: 8 simultaneous calls (up to 40 users): Basic $300, PRO $395, AI $575 a year; Hosted by 3CX $295 a year; priced per system, not per seat
  2. 3CX Refund and Cancellation Policy: Licenses billed upfront for a fixed term, non-refundable once activated, no partial refunds for unused time
  3. 3CX edition comparison: Free 4SC and SMB editions; CRM integration on PRO and AI only; call summaries and sentiment on AI only; wallboard, listen, whisper, barge, call recording and video conferencing on AI, PRO and SMB but not Basic; meetings up to 100 (PRO) and 250 (AI); live chat, WordPress and SMS on all editions; WhatsApp and Facebook on AI, PRO and SMB; Call Flow Designer on PRO and AI; Teams Direct Routing, data connectors and PMS integrations reserved for 16 simultaneous calls or more; no power dialer listed; SIP trunk choice
  4. 3CX SMB page: SMB Free hosted by 3CX for up to 10 users; 3CX has no built-in numbers, so you need a SIP trunk provider; hosted by 3CX or self-hosted
  5. 3CX AI features page: AI edition sentiment scoring and trends across agents and queues; call summaries
  6. 3CX forum: 3CX Power Dialer thread: No built-in power dialer; Call Flow Designer or third-party dialers suggested
  7. 3CX forum: STIR/SHAKEN with 3CX: 3CX support says STIR/SHAKEN attestation depends on your SIP trunk provider
  8. 3CX supported IP phones: Supported desk phone brands including Yealink, Fanvil and Snom
  9. 3CX forum: V20 Update 10 Alpha announcement: MCP server in alpha, posted July 30, 2026
  10. Trustpilot reviews of 3CX: Reviewers report paying to contact support, price increases and features removed in new versions
  11. SIP.US pricing: Example SIP trunk costs in the 5-user scenario: channels $19.99 yearly or $24.95 monthly, local numbers $1, E911 numbers $2.50
  12. US Bureau of Labor Statistics: network and computer systems administrators pay: Median pay of $47.66 an hour (May 2025), used with our estimate of 2 to 4 admin hours a month
  13. FreePBX commercial modules store: Bundle prices: Starter $169 or $349, Advanced $579 or $1,149, Call Center $1,149 or $2,299, Everything $1,729 or $3,449 (1 year or 25 years); 1-year licenses renew yearly and include support; 25-year licenses need support bought after year one for updates; module list incl. CRM Link, Queue Reports, Queues Pro, XactDialer, Web CallMe, Scribe, hotel PMS modules
  14. FreePBX EndPoint Manager module: EndPoint Manager $99 a year or $199 for 25 years; provisions over 300 endpoints; Sangoma phones include a lifetime license
  15. FreePBX Queue Wallboard module: Queue Wallboard $395 for a 1-year license; real-time queue and agent stats
  16. FreePBX Softphones module: Sangoma softphones $299 a year for 20 users; desktop and mobile; chat and multi-party video via Sangoma Meet
  17. Sangoma KB: Sangoma Talk mobile app: Sangoma Talk mobile app for FreePBX needs a Softphones license
  18. FreePBX blog: Scribe for FreePBX: Scribe AI transcription, summaries and sentiment is a paid commercial module
  19. FreePBX forum: Scribe pricing thread (May 2026): Reported Scribe price $24.99 a month with 1,000 minutes, top-ups per 1,000 minutes
  20. FreePBX Call Center bundle module list: Call Center bundle contents: XactDialer (broadcast), Web CallMe, Queue Reports, Queues Pro (callback, virtual queues), PINSet Pro; page 2 adds CRM Link, Class of Service, CallerID Management, Outbound Call Limit
  21. FreePBX Everything bundle module list: Everything bundle contents over pages 1 to 4, incl. Call Recording Reports, CRM Link, Appointment Reminder; EndPoint Manager, Queue Wallboard, softphones and Scribe not included
  22. FreePBX support packages: Gold $399 a year per system, 60 minutes, weekdays 8 to 5 Eastern; Platinum $900 a year, 120 minutes, 24/7 Level 1 response
  23. SIPStation home page and pricing: Sangoma SIPStation trunks $24.99 per channel month to month, $22.99 on 1 year, $19.99 on 3 year plans; numbers, 911 and SMS offered without listed prices
  24. DigitalOcean Droplet pricing: Example cloud server costs used in the 5-user scenario: 2 GB $12 and 4 GB $24 a month, weekly backups 20% extra
  25. FreePBX home page: Open source IP PBX, free to download and use, FreePBX a trademark of Sangoma Technologies
  26. FreePBX firewall module on GitHub: FreePBX code is open source (AGPLv3+ module license)
  27. Sangoma KB: FreePBX Versions: FreePBX 17 supported on Debian 12 until 2028; FreePBX 16 end of life January 2027; FreePBX 18 planned for 2027
  28. Sangoma KB: FreePBX 17: FreePBX 17 installed by script on Debian 12, can run on any public cloud Debian image
  29. FreePBX blog: FreePBX 17 and Debian: No in-place upgrade from 16 to 17; back up and restore onto a fresh install
  30. FreePBX certified appliances: Sangoma FreePBX appliances for 40 to 1,200 users
  31. FreePBX: PBXact Cloud: PBXact Cloud is Sangoma's hosted commercial edition, quote-based pricing
  32. The Hacker News: FreePBX zero-day (Aug 2025): CVE-2025-57819 in the commercial endpoint module exploited on internet-facing servers; Sangoma advised updating and restricting admin access
  33. Sangoma KB: PBX API module: REST and GraphQL API for managing FreePBX
  34. FreePBX forum: call screening thread: Basic call screening: caller records name, played to the user, accept or reject; custom logic via dial plan hooks
  35. FreePBX forum: call center modules thread: Listening in on calls reported via Asterisk ChanSpy
  36. FreePBX forum: listen and talk thread: Whisper and barge reported to need custom dial plan
  37. Invoices from two PortSIP buyers, summer 2026 (on file with Cannon VoIP): 300-license minimum purchase at about $2,500 per 100 licenses, with the first year of updates and support included and 20% of the license price a year after that
  38. PortSIP pricing page: Licensed per extension with 1:1 simultaneous calls; all features in every license; perpetual and annual licenses; free edition 2 simultaneous calls and 3 extensions; no published prices (Get a quote); 24 x 7 support
  39. PortSIP PBX product page: Multi-tenant PBX for service providers; runs on your infrastructure or on Azure, AWS, GCE; Docker deployment; contact center with skill-based routing, live wallboards, call-back; AI transcription and sentiment analysis; SBC and Teams Direct Routing free; Microsoft 365 integration; REST APIs, webhooks, Pub/Sub
  40. PortSIP download page: Free edition allows up to 2 simultaneous calls and 3 extensions with all features
  41. Interbit PortSIP perpetual license price list (reseller, reported): First year of updates and technical support included; annual maintenance after year one is 20% of the perpetual license cost; late maintenance renewal not available
  42. PortSIP End-User License Agreement: Software not designed for emergency calls and does not support calls to 911; upgrades require a valid license and the applicable upgrade fee
  43. PortSIP hardware specifications: Smallest recommended server: 4 vCPUs (6 with recording), 4 GB memory, 100 GB disk (200 GB with recording)
  44. Twilio Elastic SIP Trunking US pricing: Local numbers $1.15 a month; Emergency Calling $0.75 a month per number; termination from $0.0011 a minute; local origination $0.0034 a minute; used for 5-user carrier cost
  45. Twilio US SMS pricing: $0.0083 per SMS segment sent or received; carrier fees and A2P 10DLC registration fees extra
  46. Twilio A2P 10DLC brand registration: One-time 10DLC brand registration and vetting fees for business texting
  47. PortSIP installation guide: You install the PBX, its services and upgrades yourself on Linux with Docker
  48. PortSIP documentation index: Guides for SBC install, upgrades, backup and restore, SIP trunk setup; no fax, power dialer, website chat widget, call screening or MCP guides listed
  49. PortSIP SMS channel guide: SMS only through supported SIP trunk providers that you enable; requires a full-chain SSL certificate on your PBX
  50. PortSIP STIR/SHAKEN overview: Partners must obtain their own STIR/SHAKEN certificate
  51. PortSIP configuring STIR/SHAKEN: Signing outbound calls needs your own certificate, which requires an OCN telecom carrier code; inbound calls can be dropped by the verification status the trunk passes
  52. PortSIP Emergency Numbers API (v22.8): Emergency numbers are configured in the PBX, so 911 depends on your setup
  53. PortSIP CRM integrations guide: Integrations with Zoho, HubSpot and Odoo with click-to-call and call logging; no built-in CRM described
  54. PortSIP Virtual Receptionist guide: Virtual Receptionist is a keypad menu (press 1, press 2)
  55. PortSIP AI transcription guide: Call and voicemail transcription sent to an outside AI platform you configure; requires call recording
  56. PortSIP meetings guide: Video meetings with PIN and admin PIN
  57. Why Choose PortSIP PBX: Listen In, Whisper and Barge In for supervisors; SMS and WhatsApp Business API
  58. PortSIP PBX v22.5 release notes: Auto-provisioning up to 200 BLF keys on IP phones
  59. PortSIP PBX v22.6 release notes: WhatsApp templates and media, MMS; Selective Call Rejection and Acceptance
  60. PortSIP PBX v22.8 release notes: Salesforce CRM integration; Executive and Assistant call handling; emergency call handling update
  61. PortSIP: not built on Asterisk or FreeSWITCH: PortSIP writes its own PBX software, not based on an open source PBX
  62. PortSIP supported IP phones: Fanvil, Yealink, Snom, Grandstream, Gigaset, Avaya J and other supported phones

Pricing, plan and feature details reflect each provider's published or independently reported information as of October 2026 and are subject to change. Confirm current pricing directly with each provider.