FreePBX vs FusionPBX (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FreePBX and FusionPBX share a 2.0 GPA, both have a free plan, and FreePBX has no paid plan to buy, against $100 a month for FusionPBX.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FusionPBX
Open-source multi-tenant PBX built on FreeSWITCH
Which one is for you
Pick FreePBX if
- Fits if you're comfortable running your own server and want to avoid per-seat fees
- Works for teams with some telecom know-how that want control of their phone system
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want someone else to host it, as the pages describe no hosted service
- Watch out: phones, carrier lines and paid support are separate from the free software
- Tight if nobody on your team can maintain a server, since you install and update it yourself
- Watch out: the commercial route is PBXact, sold by Sangoma
Pick FusionPBX if
- Fits if you can run a Linux server and want to own your phone system
- Works for hosts who want one multi-tenant PBX for many customers
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want to run a server, as you host and maintain it yourself
- Tight if you need official support, which is sold in monthly hours from $300
- Pricey if you want call center tools or the API: those sit on the $500 and $1,000 memberships
- Watch out: it sells no phone numbers or calling, so you need a separate provider
- Watch out: memberships are per individual, and Gold covers 3 employees
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAFreePBXFair | 2.0GPAFusionPBXFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe code is free under the GPL-3.0 licence, but it's only free if you host it yourself, which needs a server, and carrier lines and phones are extra. That makes it a C. | CSoftware that is only free if you host it yourself is a C. Memberships run $100 to $1,000 a month, per individual, for training and support hours. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo licence fee and no account, but you pay for the server, carrier lines and phones, and any support. | BThe software is free to download with community help only, so one person could live on it, but you need your own server. |
| Features | CA web interface and add-on modules for an Asterisk PBX. The pages read describe no hosted service, and no video or texting is listed. | CMulti-tenant PBX, voicemail, fax, conferencing and a browser phone, with call center reporting, wallboard and the API held back for the $500 and $1,000 memberships. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install, host and update it yourself, which is self-hosting. | DSelf-hosting on your own server with installer scripts. There's no rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb interface only, with one integration on record. | CWeb interface only, with 3 integrations on record. It sells no calling service or phone numbers. |
| Best for | running your own Asterisk phone system | a phone system you host yourself |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FreePBX and FusionPBX. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreePBX has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. FusionPBX starts at $100 a month and scores 1.7.
They score the same, and FreePBX starts $100 a month lower. Of the other business phone systems on the chart, none scores higher than FreePBX for less, and 46 score higher than FusionPBX for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- FusionPBX also covers transcription and online fax.
At a glance
| FreePBX | FusionPBX | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $100 per month (Green membership, optional) |
| Free plan | The FreePBX code is published under the GPL-3.0 license and is run on your own server; no paid plan is listed on the pages read. | The FusionPBX software is free to download and install on your own server, with a free account for bug reports and public documentation. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Sangoma | FusionPBX |
| Price read from | github.com | fusionpbx.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FreePBX
- You install, host and update it yourself; the pages read describe no hosted service.
- Phones, carrier lines and any paid support are separate from the free software.
- The freepbx.org site answered with a bot check, so pricing and download details were read from GitHub and Sangoma's open-source page.
FusionPBX
- You host and maintain the server yourself; the project does not sell calling service or phone numbers.
- Official support is sold in monthly hours through membership levels; the free software comes with community channels only.
- Call center reporting, wallboard and the REST API are member applications at the Purple and Gold levels.
- Memberships are per individual; Gold covers up to three employees.
Key features
FreePBX
- Web GUI for Asterisk
- A browser interface for setting up and managing the Asterisk PBX, aimed at teams with less telecom expertise.
- Modular design
- A framework module sits at the center and every other module depends on it, so features are added as modules.
- Open-source code
- Source is published on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license, with a community forum for help and release news.
- Commercial route
- PBXact is Sangoma's commercial system developed with the FreePBX community and supported by Sangoma's own staff.
FusionPBX
- Multi-tenant PBX
- Runs as a single-domain PBX or a domain-based multi-tenant system, which hosting providers use to serve many customers.
- Built on FreeSWITCH
- Provides unlimited extensions, voicemail-to-email, call parking, call queues, a call center and phone provisioning.
- Browser phone and call transcription
- Version 5.6 release notes list a WebRTC browser-based phone and a feature to transcribe and summarize calls.
- Fax, conferencing and voicemail
- The same server acts as a fax, voicemail and conference server alongside voice.
- Installer scripts
- Install scripts are provided for Debian and Ubuntu, with FreeBSD and Raspberry Pi OS also covered; Debian 12 or 13 is recommended.
Plans
FreePBX
FreePBX$0
Open-source software that you host yourself; carrier lines, phones and support are separate.
FusionPBX
FusionPBX software$0
Open-source PBX you install and host yourself; no support hours included.
Green membership$100
per month, one individual
Training videos, member documentation, rebranding guide and member apps; no support hours.
Blue membership$300
per month, one individual
Green benefits plus up to 1.5 hours of official support a month.
Purple membership$500
per month, one individual
Up to 3 hours of priority support a month, plus the advanced call center applications.
Gold membership$1,000
per month, up to 3 employees
Up to 6 hours of priority support a month, the REST API and the Purple call center applications.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FreePBX or FusionPBX?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FreePBX is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $100 a month for FusionPBX. FreePBX is free, and FusionPBX starts at $100 per month (Green membership, optional).
Which has a free plan, FreePBX or FusionPBX?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both FreePBX and FusionPBX have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.