# FreePBX / Asterisk

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

**Replaces:** Google Voice

**Tier:** Medium

## 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.

## Stack

- [FreePBX](https://www.freepbx.org/) — GPLv3 Asterisk GUI — the published Google Voice path
- [Asterisk](https://www.asterisk.org) — GPL-2.0 PBX engine FreePBX configures

## Estimated SaaS cost saved

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

**About $1,200 / year** on a small team, before you count lock-in.

## Deploy on Railway

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.

[Start on Railway](https://c17.io/go/railway/freepbx-voip?from=%2Fstacks%2Ffreepbx-voip.md)

## AGENT_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.
```

## 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.

Source: https://c17.io/stacks/freepbx-voip