FreePBX vs Sangoma (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FreePBX grades higher than Sangoma: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
FreePBX grades higher on the free plan. Sangoma grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 Sangoma if
- Fits if you want a phone system you can run in the cloud, on site or both
- Works for buyers who already deal with a reseller or partner
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price before you talk to anyone, as none is published
- Not for you if you want a simple signup, since every deployment is quoted
- Too light for a quick comparison: the line covers Business Voice, Switchvox, CX and SIP trunking
- Watch out: some features, such as Starbox survivability, belong to higher bundles like Business Voice Plus
- Watch out: no free plan or trial is listed
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAFreePBXFair | 1.8GPASangomaWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNo price is published, so it sits at the category's middle. Every deployment is quoted. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo licence fee and no account, but you pay for the server, carrier lines and phones, and any support. | FNo free plan and no trial appears on the pages read. |
| 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. | CCalling, messaging, video meetings, a contact center, AI features and the TeamHub app. Some items, such as Starbox survivability, only come with higher bundles. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install, host and update it yourself, which is self-hosting. | CNo store rating on record. Choosing between Business Voice, Switchvox, CX and SIP trunking is part of the work. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb interface only, with one integration on record. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus Microsoft Teams, Outlook and Google Calendar links. No API is listed. |
| Best for | running your own Asterisk phone system | organisations that buy phones through a partner |
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 Sangoma. How we grade
Where they differ
- FreePBX is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Sangoma also covers transcription, team chat, video calls and business texting.
In commonWebBusiness phone line
At a glance
| FreePBX | Sangoma | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Paid |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Sangoma | Sangoma US Inc. |
| Price read from | github.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Sangoma
- No prices are published; every deployment is quoted through a sales call or a partner.
- The product line is wide (Business Voice, Switchvox, CX, SIP trunking), so a buyer has to match a product to a need.
- Some items, such as Starbox survivability, belong to higher bundles such as Business Voice Plus.
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.
Sangoma
- Three deployment models
- Cloud UCaaS, a hybrid setup with on-site survivability, and an on-premises system built on Switchvox.
- Calling and messaging
- The cloud platform lists calling with DIDs, SMS, E911, visual voicemail, and group and one-to-one messaging.
- Video meetings
- HD video meetings with up to 120 participants and 12-hour sessions on the cloud platform.
- Contact center
- A departmental contact center with routing, reporting and agent coaching, and Sangoma CX as a separate contact-center product.
- AI features
- AI call and meeting summaries, voicemail summaries, and Sonella, an AI voice agent that answers calls.
- TeamHub app
- A collaboration app for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and the web, included with Sangoma UCaaS subscriptions.
Plans
FreePBX
FreePBX$0
Open-source software that you host yourself; carrier lines, phones and support are separate.
Sangoma
Pricing could not be confirmed. See sangoma.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FreePBX or Sangoma?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FreePBX is free, and Sangoma has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, FreePBX or Sangoma?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FreePBX has a free plan. Sangoma does not.
Which platforms do FreePBX and Sangoma run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Sangoma lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.