FreePBX vs Yeastar (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Yeastar grades higher than FreePBX: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
FreePBX grades higher on the free plan. Yeastar grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
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 Yeastar if
- Fits if you want to run a PBX in your own cloud or on site
- Works for businesses that want to keep their existing SIP trunk and IP phones
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want prices up front, because none appear on the pages read
- Not for you if you want cloud or software on the Standard plan, which is appliance only
- Tight if you need hot standby on the cloud edition, which does not offer it
- Watch out: part of the platform, such as NovoOne, is aimed at service providers
- Watch out: the trial covers the Cloud PBX only
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAFreePBXFair | 2.6GPAYeastarGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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; the site shows a feature comparison and a trial instead, so it sits at the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo licence fee and no account, but you pay for the server, carrier lines and phones, and any support. | CA 30-day free trial of the Cloud PBX with no credit card. No free plan. |
| 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. | BQueues, wallboards, outbound dialing, a shared inbox for chat, SMS and WhatsApp, AI transcripts and 500+ IP phone models. Nothing in the listing is missing from the phone job; hot standby is not offered on the cloud edition. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You install, host and update it yourself, which is self-hosting. | CNo store rating on record. A PBX has phones, trunks and extensions to configure. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb interface only, with one integration on record. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android clients and a Chrome extension, plus Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zoho CRM, Oracle Opera and WhatsApp. |
| Best for | running your own Asterisk phone system | IT teams that run their own phone system |
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 Yeastar. How we grade
Where they differ
- FreePBX is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Yeastar also covers transcription, video calls, business texting and whatsApp messaging.
In commonWebBusiness phone line
At a glance
| FreePBX | Yeastar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| 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 | 30-day free trial of the Cloud PBX, with no credit card required. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Sangoma | Xiamen Yeastar Digital Technology Co., Ltd. |
| 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.
Yeastar
- No prices are published on the pages read; the site shows a feature comparison and a free trial instead.
- The Standard plan is appliance-only; the software and cloud editions need the Enterprise or Ultimate plan.
- Hot standby needs an extra redundancy server and does not apply to the cloud edition.
- Part of the platform, such as NovoOne, is aimed at service providers rather than single businesses.
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.
Yeastar
- Three editions
- The P-Series PBX runs as an appliance on the Standard plan, and as an appliance, software or cloud service on the Enterprise and Ultimate plans.
- Linkus UC clients
- Web, iOS and Android, Windows and macOS clients plus a Chrome extension for calls, team chat, meetings and call recordings.
- Call center and outbound dialing
- Queues, wallboards, agent coaching and call recording, with progressive, power and agentless auto-dialing for outbound campaigns.
- Shared customer inbox
- Website live chat, SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook messages arrive in one inbox, with bulk messaging for outreach.
- Built-in AI
- Call transcription and summaries, voicemail-to-text, text-to-speech prompts and an AI receptionist for greetings and routing.
- Phones and SIP trunks
- The cloud edition lists compatibility with 500+ IP phone models and 210+ SIP trunk providers so existing numbers can be kept.
Plans
FreePBX
FreePBX$0
Open-source software that you host yourself; carrier lines, phones and support are separate.
Yeastar
Pricing could not be confirmed. See yeastar.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FreePBX or Yeastar?
As of Nov 12, 2026, FreePBX is free, and Yeastar has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, FreePBX or Yeastar?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only FreePBX has a free plan. Yeastar does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do FreePBX and Yeastar run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Yeastar lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. 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.