FreePBX if you want the published Google Voice-shaped GUI (the path). Asterisk if you want the engine without that GUI — /compare is not this pair; both sit on /stacks/freepbx-voip.

No. A video room stays on /best/video-conferencing (LiveKit / Jitsi). This page is a phone system.

No. Programmable voice stays on /replace/twilio (Fonoster). This page is a PBX and a number.

FreePBX is GPLv3. Asterisk is GPL-2.0. You pay hosting and a SIP trunk. Template users never pay c17.

Stacks / Meetings

Medium

FreePBX / Asterisk

A PBX you host. FreePBX is GPLv3; Asterisk is GPL-2.0 — Google Voice without the hosted number seat.

The problem

Google Voice is a hosted number, voicemail, and SMS graph. You wanted rings, extensions, and a trunk on hardware you control. FreePBX is GPLv3 (FreePBX/framework last push 23 Oct 2026; the product is a modular PHP GUI — GitHub is split across modules). Asterisk is GPL-2.0 (asterisk/asterisk; last push 22 Oct 2026) — the engine FreePBX configures. This is not Google Voice's consumer SMS, voicemail transcription, or every Workspace SKU. A video room stays on /best/video-conferencing (LiveKit / Jitsi). Programmable voice stays on /replace/twilio (Fonoster). You still buy a SIP trunk and a number; you stop renting the hosted PBX seat.

Replaces

Google Voice

Replace Google Voice See all best open-source VoIP phone systems

Estimated SaaS saved

$1,200

per year, small team, before lock-in

Start on Railway

Sponsor this stack Tip jar

Placeholder: FreePBX wants Asterisk, a database, and SIP ports — a VPS more than a single Railway web service. Document the VPS path; no one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway.

The stack

FreePBX
GPLv3 Asterisk GUI — the published Google Voice path
Catalog entry →
Asterisk
GPL-2.0 PBX engine FreePBX configures
Catalog entry →

Cost table

You stop paying	Typical / year	Self-host instead
Google Voice / hosted number (small team)	$1,200	FreePBX + Asterisk + a SIP trunk

Agent setup prompt

Replace Google Voice with FreePBX (https://www.freepbx.org/) on Asterisk.

- Official FreePBX install docs. Persist the database and Asterisk config. Register one extension and one inbound route. Do not claim Google Voice SMS, voicemail transcription, or Workspace seats.
- You still buy a SIP trunk and a DID. Programmable voice stays on /replace/twilio.
- Write AGENT_PROMPT.md.

Also as markdown: /stacks/freepbx-voip.md

FAQ

FreePBX or Asterisk?: FreePBX if you want the published Google Voice-shaped GUI (the path). Asterisk if you want the engine without that GUI — /compare is not this pair; both sit on /stacks/freepbx-voip.
Is this Zoom?: No. A video room stays on /best/video-conferencing (LiveKit / Jitsi). This page is a phone system.
Is this Twilio?: No. Programmable voice stays on /replace/twilio (Fonoster). This page is a PBX and a number.
Are these free?: FreePBX is GPLv3. Asterisk is GPL-2.0. You pay hosting and a SIP trunk. Template users never pay c17.