FreeSWITCH
Scalable cross-platform telephony platform.
FreeSWITCH vs Kamailio
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
| FreeSWITCH | Kamailio | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Scalable cross-platform telephony platform. | Modular SIP server (registrar/proxy/router/etc). |
| GitHub stars | 5,278 | 2,992 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 145 | 2k |
| Last activity | 2026-10-28 | 2026-11-05 |
| Latest release | v1.11.3 (2026-08-28) | 6.1.5 (2026-10-15) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language / platform | C | C, deb |
| 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 3k for Kamailio.
- Kamailio had more commits in the last 12 months (1,990 vs 145).
- Kamailio published a release more recently (6.1.5 on 2026-10-15; FreeSWITCH's latest is v1.11.3 on 2026-08-28).
- FreeSWITCH is licensed under MPL-2.0, Kamailio under GPL-2.0.
- Both are written in C.
- Deployment options listed upstream: FreeSWITCH: none listed; Kamailio: deb.
Summary: FreeSWITCH leads on GitHub popularity; Kamailio leads on commit activity. 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 FreeSWITCH or Kamailio more popular?
FreeSWITCH has more GitHub stars (5,278 vs 2,992 for Kamailio, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, FreeSWITCH or Kamailio?
Kamailio had more commits over the last 12 months (1,990 vs 145). The last recorded activity was 2026-10-28 for FreeSWITCH and 2026-11-05 for Kamailio. Our health labels: FreeSWITCH is “Active”, Kamailio is “Active”.
What licenses do FreeSWITCH and Kamailio use?
FreeSWITCH: MPL-2.0. Kamailio: GPL-2.0.
Can I run FreeSWITCH and Kamailio with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Kamailio
Modular SIP server (registrar/proxy/router/etc).
Browse all self-hosted Communication - SIP apps.