Freepbx vs 3cx

[steveg]

Largely as the title suggests, we need to replace an aging phone system that is no longer supported. We're moving most stuff to the cloud but will have some server infrastructure on site so looking to host in a VM, to allow some communication internally should our internet connection go down.

 

At the moment I'm leaning towards freepbx and Sangoma phones, but could be swayed away.

 

One feature that is important to us is call parking to hotkeys, which seems trickier on 3cx.

[2ilent8cho]

I would say https://www.issabel.org/ , it's a fork of Elastix to keep it open source after 3CX got it. It's what we used and what we migrated our Elastix system over from.

[Guest Guest]

We switched from an NEC system which was externally managed to 3CX several months ago which i installed and manage.

 

I previously had no experience of administering phone systems, however, have found 3CX very easy to deploy and manage. We’ve had no issues with the system whatsoever

 

As far I’m aware call parking is enabled by simply configuring the line key in the BLF tab for each user who requires it.

[MatthewL]

Cannot fault 3CX, a mate of mine used to push FreePBX out but since became a 3CX reseller at his business hes swtiched to that. No reported issues and I cannot fault it, only issue I've had is hardware I was running it on at home, was a little annoyed when you could no longer run it on a Pi due to them increasing the spec needed but its robust and the Android client is good too.

[CrootUK]

3CX and Yealink. Great combo deployed it to nine schools now… steer clear of Fanvil!

[mrbios]

Been using FreePBX since 2016 without any issues at all, using Yealink handsets. Only modules that we've paid for are system admin pro and extension routing.

[FN-GM]

I was using Freepbx from 2011 - 2020. 2020 onwards switching to 3CX. The main reason is for their soft phones, 3CX is miles ahead. Everyone had the desktop software install and mobile apps. It was super easy for the user to setup. Also great features like Office 365 interface. 3CX is also easier to administer.

[Tefters]

3CX and Yealink. Great combo deployed it to nine schools now… steer clear of Fanvil!

This ^^^

 

Been running 3CX for 3 years now and brought a 5 year license after 2 years of single year purchase because we were that happy with it.

 

Initially brought Fanvil phones due to their appealing price and mass purchase as we were migrating from Skype 4 Business and we have had a lot of failures, swapped to Yealink and no failures, definitely worth the extra few quid.

[Davit2005]

Another happy 3cx with Yealink phones user here too. 3 Yealink DECT phones running and super easy to get going. I tried the cloud hosted version and was not too impressed, the cloud free version seriously limits the SIP trunk choices to a small number.

[steveg]

Thanks for all the input, it looks like 3cx is the way to go then. What do people pay for / not pay for with 3cx?

 

Are there any models of Yealink phones that are better than others? We currently run 2 types of phones - some for office staff and more basic ones around the rest of the school.

 

Do their DECT phones work well? Do you have multiple ip base stations around the site and they roam happily between them? Have tried wifi voip phones before with very limited success.

[dgsmith]

Are there any models of Yealink phones that are better than others? We currently run 2 types of phones - some for office staff and more basic ones around the rest of the school.

 

We originally went with 3cx/yealink combo at the start of 2015, so have had not far of a decade with it, and still remain more than happy. While any yealink phone can be "made to work" with 3cx, many of the older phones that can be picked up cheaply (used) can be difficult to provision, but if you're buying new phones this isn't an issue. Many of our older phones bought around this time (T23G, T42G) still work fine.

 

Based on current models, classrooms would probably be the T31G/T33G (or if network points are plenty, the cheaper non-gig passthrough models), offices may be T42U and main office may be T43U/T46U (we use T46s for our core office/SLT). We used to use the wireless phones with base stations but the base station reliability was questionable, however this isn't necessarily going to be the same now, but we have steered clear since they all failed. Sometimes i'll use the 3cx soft phone on my mobile to roam but I find it cuts out between access points (probably not a 3cx specific issue though).

[aac]

I installed a FreePBX system in January last year to replace an ancient Toshiba system along with refurbished Yealink T48S phones and the system has been rock solid since the offset. Absolutely zero issues whatsoever, hosted on a Hyper-V VM and I use VSIP for the trunk which is unbelievably cheap with unlimited channels and £50 month call package which includes all calls including international, DDI numbers are £2 a month each. Edited February 8, 2024 by aac

[PotNoodleTech]

I installed a FreePBX system in January last year along with refurbished Yealink T48S phones and the system has been rock solid since the offset. Absolutely zero issues whatsoever, hosted on a Hyper-V VM and I use VSIP for the trunk which is unbelievably cheap with unlimited channels and £50 month call package which includes all calls including international, DDI numbers are £2 a month each

 

That sounds ideal!

[mrbios]

Being on FreePBX for so long i've never really considered changing, but if i was to change it'd be hosted 3CX to remove the on prem component. What does it actually cost? I don't understand their pricing plans on their website given that it's priced by number of users, but then there's an "Any number of Deskphones" component to the plan. What constitutes a user? We've got 55 named phones, but of those 45 don't even use voicemail let alone anything else beside calling.

[mavhc]

good news about freepbx too, https://nerdvittles.com/introducing-oss-endpoint-manager-for-freepbx-16-incredible-pbx-2027/

[Wave9_Lee]

Hi - my two pence here - we offer a hosted telephony platform to our customers, which is pretty well received. I think the benefits of our hosted system are;

 

Cloud -hosted very resilient (no downtime in the last 5 years)

Patched/updated automatically

Co-managed - we make all changes, or you can do them yourself. This means the school/trust is not left without management/support if the network manager leaves or becomes ill etc.

Simple cost-effective billing model

All-inclusive per-user plan in terms of minutes as well as features

Handset warranty for the duration of the contract

 

I think as the IT footprint in schools and Trusts expands and becomes more complex, it's sensible sometimes to think about what 'non-core' services can be outsourced effectively so as not to become a distraction of have a single point of failure for management etc. Of course it's got to be supported in a way that suits the customer, and be cost-effective, but do think that telephony sits in this space.

[TechMonkey]

Being on FreePBX for so long i've never really considered changing, but if i was to change it'd be hosted 3CX to remove the on prem component. What does it actually cost? I don't understand their pricing plans on their website given that it's priced by number of users, but then there's an "Any number of Deskphones" component to the plan. What constitutes a user? We've got 55 named phones, but of those 45 don't even use voicemail let alone anything else beside calling.

 

If you are talking about the 3CX pricing page, it is using number of users to work out the number of simultaneous connections you are likely to use. 3CX is not using a per user licensing model. SO work out how many incoming and outgoing lines you are likely to use and base your costs on that. For schools 8 or 16 connections (depending on size) are normally enough but considering the cost I would go for 16 as annually that is less than what many hosted systems charge per month. Also, as ever, you can easily increase your connections if you find you are hitting the limit, harder to downgrade.

[midweek]

For those with 3CX - are you hosting onsite, with 3CX and just purchasing SIPs with calling plans or going the full 3rd party hosting service?

 

Looking at switching from Horizon and the costs seem to vary a lot.

[DGardiner]

For those with 3CX - are you hosting onsite, with 3CX and just purchasing SIPs with calling plans or going the full 3rd party hosting service?

 

Looking at switching from Horizon and the costs seem to vary a lot.

 

were 3rd party hosting it, 230 a month.

 

3cx pro, 15 sip trunks, 32sim calls - Just shy of 300 phones on it - it works really well, its probably simple enough to run but the telephony side of things isnt my area of expertice so i like that i can call people to sort that side of things or help when things go sideways, which i can count on one hand in the last 4+ years

[PotNoodleTech]

were 3rd party hosting it, 230 a month.

 

3cx pro, 15 sip trunks, 32sim calls - Just shy of 300 phones on it - it works really well, its probably simple enough to run but the telephony side of things isnt my area of expertice so i like that i can call people to sort that side of things or help when things go sideways, which i can count on one hand in the last 4+ years

 

That sounds good - what 3rd party if you don't mind me asking.

 

I don't mind having a 3rd party on side to get things set up quicker and have a bit of higher support if anything goes pear shaped and 230 a month isn't too bad (compared to current leasing costs!!)

 

Did you buy your phones outright or lease them?

[mavhc]

Always remember: SIP Trunks don't exist. and it costs nothing to get more public phone numbers, so if someone's charging you for either, it's a scam

[PotNoodleTech]

Man i've got some serious research to do on 3cx free sip trunks teams integrations etc etc