qlingen.

Qlingen vs FreePBX

Open-source PBX with commercial add-ons · Sangoma, United States

FreePBX is the best known Asterisk front end: free to install, extended through paid commercial modules and Sangoma hardware and services. Qlingen is a FreePBX 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 FreePBX
Feature Qlingen FreePBX
Where it runs Your own cloud account (Vultr, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode, AWS, Google Cloud), deployed in one click Self-hosted or Sangoma hosting
How you pay No per-user software fee: add seats without a new licence Free core, paid commercial modules and support
Several companies on one system Yes, built in: each tenant has its own numbers, users and settings No, one company per installation
Call queues Yes, with agent login, strategies and hold music Yes
Queue callbacks (press 0, keep your place) Yes, included Paid commercial module
Position and estimated wait announcements Yes, included Yes
Browser softphone Yes, WebRTC in any browser Via paid Sangoma clients
Mobile app Yes, with push wake-up and colleague chat Via paid Sangoma clients
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 GraphQL and REST, partly module dependent
Custom call logic Yes, your own FreeSWITCH XML with a safety allowlist Yes, Asterisk dialplan files
Who holds your call data You do, on your server You do, on your server

Why businesses choose Qlingen over FreePBX

  • ✓Multi-tenant from day one. FreePBX is one company per install; Qlingen hosts many tenants on one server.
  • ✓Queue callbacks, position and wait-time announcements are included rather than sold as commercial modules.
  • ✓A single modern interface instead of a mix of free and paid modules with different generations of UI.
  • ✓An AI assistant and a complete REST API are part of the product.

Where FreePBX is strong

  • •Huge installed base and community, with answers to most problems a search away.
  • •Very broad module catalogue and hardware ecosystem from Sangoma.
  • •Mature and battle-tested on Asterisk for well over a decade.

Frequently asked questions

Is Qlingen a good alternative to FreePBX?
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. FreePBX is the best known Asterisk front end: free to install, extended through paid commercial modules and Sangoma hardware and services.
What does FreePBX do better than Qlingen?
Huge installed base and community, with answers to most problems a search away. Very broad module catalogue and hardware ecosystem from Sangoma. Mature and battle-tested on Asterisk for well over a decade.
Where is Qlingen stronger than FreePBX?
Multi-tenant from day one. FreePBX is one company per install; Qlingen hosts many tenants on one server. Queue callbacks, position and wait-time announcements are included rather than sold as commercial modules. A single modern interface instead of a mix of free and paid modules with different generations of UI. An AI assistant and a complete REST API are part of the product.
Can I move from FreePBX 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 FreePBX on your own calls. Every account starts with a 7-day free trial, no card required.

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