qlingen.

Qlingen vs Asterisk

Open-source telephony engine · Sangoma, United States

Asterisk is the open-source engine under FreePBX and many others. On its own it has no web interface and is configured in text files. Qlingen is a Asterisk alternative you run on your own cloud: a multi-tenant phone system on FreeSWITCH with call queues, callbacks, a browser softphone, a mobile app, an AI assistant and a full REST API — deployed and managed on a server in your own cloud account from one panel.

Feature comparison between Qlingen and Asterisk
Feature Qlingen Asterisk
Where it runs Your own cloud account (Vultr, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode, AWS, Google Cloud), deployed in one click Self-hosted
How you pay No per-user software fee: add seats without a new licence Free
Several companies on one system Yes, built in: each tenant has its own numbers, users and settings Do it yourself
Call queues Yes, with agent login, strategies and hold music Yes, configured by hand
Queue callbacks (press 0, keep your place) Yes, included Do it yourself
Position and estimated wait announcements Yes, included Yes, configured by hand
Browser softphone Yes, WebRTC in any browser No
Mobile app Yes, with push wake-up and colleague chat No
AI assistant that changes the setup for you Yes: ask in plain language, approve the plan, it runs No
REST API Yes, everything in the panel, per-tenant tokens ARI and AMI
Custom call logic Yes, your own FreeSWITCH XML with a safety allowlist Yes, everything is dialplan
Who holds your call data You do, on your server You do, on your server

Why businesses choose Qlingen over Asterisk

  • ✓A complete, guided web interface so office staff can manage phones without editing configuration files.
  • ✓Built on FreeSWITCH, designed from the start for multi-tenant and high concurrency.
  • ✓Queues, callbacks, IVR, provisioning, softphone and mobile app ready on day one.
  • ✓AI assistant and REST API for automation.

Where Asterisk is strong

  • •Free, open source and infinitely flexible for developers.
  • •Enormous community and documentation.
  • •Runs almost anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Is Qlingen a good alternative to Asterisk?
Yes for most businesses. Qlingen covers extensions, ring groups, call queues, IVR menus, voicemail, conferences, time conditions, inbound and outbound routing, a browser softphone and a mobile app. Asterisk is the open-source engine under FreePBX and many others. On its own it has no web interface and is configured in text files.
What does Asterisk do better than Qlingen?
Free, open source and infinitely flexible for developers. Enormous community and documentation. Runs almost anywhere.
Where is Qlingen stronger than Asterisk?
A complete, guided web interface so office staff can manage phones without editing configuration files. Built on FreeSWITCH, designed from the start for multi-tenant and high concurrency. Queues, callbacks, IVR, provisioning, softphone and mobile app ready on day one. AI assistant and REST API for automation.
Can I move from Asterisk to Qlingen without losing my numbers?
Yes. Your numbers stay with your carrier, or you port them to any SIP trunk provider, and point the trunk at Qlingen. Extensions, ring groups and menus are recreated in the web interface or in bulk through the REST API.

Ready to see Qlingen on your own cloud?

Create an account, connect your cloud provider, and your first PBX server is about fifteen minutes away — then compare it with Asterisk on your own calls. Every account starts with a 7-day free trial, no card required.

Start your free trial

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