Asterisk
Easy to use but advanced IP PBX system, VoIP gateway and conference server.
Asterisk vs FreeSWITCH
Two self-hosted Communication - SIP apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Asterisk | FreeSWITCH | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Easy to use but advanced IP PBX system, VoIP gateway and conference server. | Scalable cross-platform telephony platform. |
| GitHub stars | 3,669 | 5,278 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 293 | 145 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-10-28 |
| Latest release | 24.0.0-rc4 (2026-10-29) | v1.11.3 (2026-08-28) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language / platform | C, deb | C |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~512 MB, 1 vCPU | ~512 MB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $3.5/mo | $3.5/mo |
| Categories | Communication - SIP | Communication - SIP |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- FreeSWITCH is more popular on GitHub: 5.3k stars vs 3.7k for Asterisk.
- Asterisk had more commits in the last 12 months (293 vs 145).
- Asterisk published a release more recently (24.0.0-rc4 on 2026-10-29; FreeSWITCH's latest is v1.11.3 on 2026-08-28).
- Asterisk is licensed under GPL-2.0, FreeSWITCH under MPL-2.0.
- Both are written in C.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Asterisk: deb; FreeSWITCH: none listed.
Summary: Asterisk leads on commit activity; FreeSWITCH leads on GitHub popularity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Asterisk or FreeSWITCH more popular?
FreeSWITCH has more GitHub stars (5,278 vs 3,669 for Asterisk, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, Asterisk or FreeSWITCH?
Asterisk had more commits over the last 12 months (293 vs 145). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-04 for Asterisk and 2026-10-28 for FreeSWITCH. Our health labels: Asterisk is “Active”, FreeSWITCH is “Active”.
What licenses do Asterisk and FreeSWITCH use?
Asterisk: GPL-2.0. FreeSWITCH: MPL-2.0.
Can I run Asterisk and FreeSWITCH with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
FreeSWITCH
Scalable cross-platform telephony platform.
Browse all self-hosted Communication - SIP apps.