3CX alternatives: where to go, and how to leave your license without losing a number
Eight destinations in two camps (keep a PBX or go hosted), plus a six-step exit plan.
Short answer: Yeastar if you want a real PBX again, with your desk phones, your SIP trunk and an importer that reads a 3CX backup. Teams Phone if the company already lives in Microsoft 365. Dialpad if you want transcripts and call summaries on the entry plan. Zoom Phone or RingCentral for a hosted phone system with unlimited US and Canada calling. FreePBX if you have an in-house admin and want zero license fees. Aircall for sales and support teams who live in a CRM, KrispCall on a tight budget. One honest caveat: on paper, 3CX is still hard to beat on price. A PRO license for 8 simultaneous calls lists at $395 a year for the whole system. People rarely leave over the sticker. They leave over the extension cap, paid support, and the hours spent keeping the box alive. We compared all eight options and read their pricing pages in 2026.
Some links are affiliate links. The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link ever changes a score.
Why teams leave 3CX, even though it works
Credit where it's due: 3CX has a reputation for staying up. Sysadmins describe years without a major outage, and its average score on the big software review sites sits around 4.4 out of 5. The product isn't the issue. The license model, the vendor relationship and the admin overhead are. These six reasons come up again and again in sysadmin threads and public reviews.
An extension cap tied to simultaneous calls
3CX licenses by simultaneous calls (SC), not by user. Since late 2025, every tier has a maximum extension count: 40 on 8SC, 80 on 16SC, 120 on 24SC, 192 on 32SC. The vendor itself estimated about 15% of customers were over. Systems in breach risk losing technical support, and caller ID rewriting accounts count as users too.
Renewal quotes that jump overnight
The cap hits hardest when you have lots of extensions and few concurrent calls. On r/sysadmin, people posted renewals going from $300 to $2,800 a year, and from $1,100 to $9,000. To be fair, list prices dropped 10% from 24SC up. Before you leave, rerun the math on your real extension count.
No phone support, paid tickets
There's no support line. End customers buy tickets one at a time or in packs of five, with a 48 business-hour response target and one issue per ticket. 3CX says this support is meant for IT admins with networking expertise. Everyone else goes through their reseller.
Partner dependency
Licensing, deployment and troubleshooting mostly run through a partner. Several MSPs describe a partner program that keeps changing the rules, and some have moved their whole client base to NetSapiens-style hosted platforms or FreePBX. If your partner drops 3CX, you inherit a system nobody in-house knows.
You still run a system
3CX is self-managed: server or hosting, updates, SIP trunk, numbers, security. The V20 rollout came with regressions (reports, hot-desking, failed Debian updates on hosted instances). And the 2023 supply-chain attack on the desktop app was a reminder that a PBX is a server you have to watch.
AI locked in the top edition
Transcription, call summaries and AI agents need the AI edition: $575 a year at 8SC versus $395 for PRO, about 45% more. Some admins also call the AI features unwanted bloat, and the old free edition lost desk phones and queues.
You're leaving because… go to…
First question: do you still want a PBX you own, or no server at all? Keep a PBX and you usually keep your trunk and desk phones. Go hosted and you pay per user, but you stop administering. Moving off another platform too? See our guides to switching from Teams, from Zoom and from RingCentral, or our Aircall alternatives.
Yeastar imports a 3CX backup; FreePBX if you have an admin and no license budget.
You're all-in on Microsoft 365Teams PhoneCalling inside Teams, with a Calling Plan or your own carrier.
You never want to patch a phone server againDialpadTranscripts and call summaries from the Standard plan.
You want one flat bill for US and Canada callingZoom Phone or RingCentralZoom Phone at $16, RingCentral Core at $20 per user, annual.
Your reps live in HubSpot or SalesforceAircallCRM integrations are the whole point, 3-seat minimum.
You have five users and a tight budgetKrispCall or CallHippoLowest entry prices here, and a free plan to pilot.
3CX alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why move there, who it fits, where it falls short, how to migrate, and what it costs. Yeastar and FreePBX keep you on a PBX; the other six are hosted. The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link ever changes a score.
Yeastar P-Series: a real PBX without 3CX's license rules
Closest replacementWhy move to Yeastar. It's the shortest path for a 3CX admin. Yeastar is still an IP PBX (appliance, software or cloud), and the vendor publishes a migration guide that imports a 3CX backup. You keep your SIP trunk, your numbers and usually your desk phones. In the r/sysadmin threads about the 3CX price hike, it's the first name people suggest, for the easy migration path and the pricing.
Who it's for. Offices with a fleet of desk phones, front desks, and MSPs who still want to sell and manage a PBX. MSPs who'd rather resell a multi-tenant hosted PBX under their own brand tend to look at NetSapiens-based wholesalers such as Viirtue instead, which is where several posters on the Lawrence Systems forum moved their 3CX clients.
Who it isn't for. Teams leaving 3CX to stop administering anything. Yeastar is configured and updated like 3CX.
The catch. Pricing isn't public; it goes through a partner and their calculator. Some MSPs also say the cloud edition still feels younger than the on-prem one.
How to migrate. Take a full 3CX backup, follow Yeastar's import guide and check which 3CX version it supports (V18 or V20). Then rebuild whatever didn't carry over and point your trunk at the new PBX.
- Price
- custom quote via a partner
- You keep
- trunk, numbers, IP phones
- Best for
- desk phone fleets, MSPs
- Catch
- still a PBX to run
Microsoft Teams Phone: the PBX inside the app you already open
If you run Microsoft 365Why move to Teams Phone. If everyone already works in Teams, calling shows up there with no new app: auto attendants, call queues, transfer, cloud voicemail and caller ID. Microsoft describes Teams Phone Standard as an add-on license that gives Teams PBX capabilities. It comes up in r/sysadmin threads about replacing 3CX.
Who it's for. Microsoft 365 shops with an IT team or MSP that already manages licensing in the admin center.
Who it isn't for. Google Workspace companies, and front desks that want to keep their current desk phones without checking Teams certification model by model.
The catch. It's two pieces: a Teams Phone Standard license per user, then PSTN connectivity (a Microsoft Calling Plan, an Operator Connect carrier or Direct Routing through your own SBC). Your price depends on your Microsoft agreement or CSP, so get the per-user quote for both pieces before comparing it with 3CX.
How to migrate. With Direct Routing or Operator Connect you can often keep your carrier and your numbers. With a Calling Plan, you port the numbers to Microsoft. If Teams itself is the pain point, read our guide to switching from Microsoft Teams.
- Price
- per-user license + PSTN
- Requires
- Microsoft 365 or Teams
- Best for
- M365 shops
- Catch
- two licenses to stack
Dialpad: hosted calling with AI on the entry plan
AI includedWhy move to Dialpad. At 3CX, transcription and call summaries mean jumping to the AI edition. Dialpad ships call AI with its base plan. It's fully hosted, with desktop and mobile apps, so there's no server, no Debian update and no trunk to manage.
Who it's for. Teams that want automatic call notes and searchable conversations without an integration project.
Who it isn't for. Shops that want to keep their desk phones and their own SIP provider, or anyone comparing on raw cost at 40 seats.
The catch. It's per user: $15 a month on Standard, $25 on Pro. At 40 users that's $7,200 a year on Standard, ten times a hosted 3CX PRO license. Contact center plans (Support, Sell) go well beyond that.
How to migrate. Port your numbers from your carrier (not from 3CX), create users, then rebuild IVRs and queues from your 3CX inventory.
- Price
- Standard $15/user/mo
- Pro
- $25/user/mo
- Best for
- transcripts and summaries
- Catch
- per-seat cost adds up
Zoom Phone: flat US and Canada calling, bundled with meetings
Flat callingWhy move to Zoom Phone. It's fully hosted and priced in plain per-user terms: the US & CA Unlimited plan is $16 per user per month on annual billing ($18 monthly), with unlimited calling inside the US and Canada. If your team already runs meetings on Zoom, calls land in the same app.
Who it's for. US and Canadian teams of 10 to 200 that want a predictable phone bill and already use Zoom for video.
Who it isn't for. Shops that want to keep their own SIP trunk, or teams that need a sales dialer and deep CRM workflows.
The catch. At 40 seats, US & CA Unlimited comes to $7,680 a year, about eleven times a hosted 3CX PRO license at 8SC. The bundles that add Zoom Workplace Pro or Business run $20.50 and $24.50 per user per month on annual billing.
How to migrate. Port your numbers from your carrier with a signed LOA, rebuild auto receptionists and call queues from your 3CX inventory, then check desk phone compatibility. Leaving Zoom later? Our guide to switching from Zoom covers it.
- Price
- US & CA Unlimited $16/user/mo, annual
- Monthly
- $18/user/mo
- Best for
- Zoom meeting users
- Catch
- no BYO trunk
RingCentral: the established hosted phone system
Hosted at scaleWhy move to RingCentral. It's the hosted option IT teams already know: phone, messaging and video in one app, plenty of integrations, and no server to patch. RingEX Core is $20 per user per month on annual billing ($30 monthly), Advanced $25 ($35) and Ultra $35 ($45).
Who it's for. Multi-site companies that want one vendor for every office and a long list of integrations.
Who it isn't for. Small teams leaving 3CX to save money, and anyone who dislikes long contracts.
The catch. Price and contract. At 40 users, Core costs $9,600 a year before taxes and fees such as E911 and USF. Its terms renew automatically for the same length as the initial term, so diary the end date from day one.
How to migrate. Port from your carrier, not from 3CX, then rebuild call flows. Our guide to switching from RingCentral details that renewal clause.
- Price
- Core $20/user/mo, annual
- Advanced
- $25/user/mo, annual
- Best for
- multi-site companies
- Catch
- auto-renewing contract
FreePBX: open source for people who already run PBXs
No license feeWhy move to FreePBX. The core is free and open source: no extension cap, no annual renewal. You keep your SIP trunk and compatible IP phones. It's one of the main places MSPs went after falling out with the 3CX partner program.
Who it's for. Companies with a network admin on staff, or an MSP comfortable with Asterisk, the engine under FreePBX.
Who it isn't for. Anyone leaving 3CX because they're tired of running a phone server. FreePBX is more work than 3CX, not less.
The catch. Free isn't zero cost: the server, backups, security and updates are on you, and some modules are commercial. There's no 3CX backup import, so everything gets rebuilt by hand.
How to migrate. Stand FreePBX up next to 3CX, rebuild extensions, queues and IVRs, attach a spare trunk for trial calls, then cut over the main trunk on a quiet evening.
- Price
- free core, paid modules
- You keep
- SIP trunk, IP phones
- Best for
- in-house IT
- Catch
- manual rebuild
Aircall: calling built around the CRM
Best CRM fitWhy move to Aircall. For Aircall, CRM integration is the core product: every call, recording and note lands on the contact record. For sales and support teams, that's the most visible upgrade.
Who it's for. Sales and support teams of 3 to 50 people working in HubSpot, Salesforce or Pipedrive.
Who it isn't for. A front desk with physical phones, or a small business that just wants the cheapest PBX.
The catch. $30 per license per month on annual billing, with a 3-license minimum and paid add-ons per seat. Our review scores it 3.2 out of 5, mostly for that real cost and the annual contract.
How to migrate. Port your numbers from your carrier, connect the CRM before go-live, then rebuild queues and hours. Read our full Aircall review and the Aircall pricing breakdown before you sign.
- Price
- $30/license/mo, annual
- Minimum
- 3 licenses ($90/mo)
- Labs score
- 3.2/5
- Catch
- add-ons billed per seat
KrispCall: the small team that wants out of the server room
Lowest priceWhy move to KrispCall. It's the cheapest full hosted option here: calls, SMS, recordings and a shared dashboard for $12 per user per month on annual billing. Our review gives it 3.8 out of 5, the best score among the tools on this page that have a Labs review.
Who it's for. Teams of 2 to 10 sitting on an underused 3CX and paying a partner to keep it running.
Who it isn't for. A reception desk with desk phones, or a team that needs deep call center reporting.
The catch. Calls are billed separately from a prepaid balance, and extra numbers cost $5 to $10 each per month, so the real bill is harder to predict than the sticker.
How to migrate. Port numbers from your carrier, then create users. Our KrispCall review breaks down the calling costs. Want to pilot first? CallHippo has a free Basic plan (paid plans from $18 per user per month, 3.1 in our CallHippo review).
- Price
- $12/user/mo, annual
- Standard
- $32/user/mo, annual
- Labs score
- 3.8/5
- Catch
- prepaid call credit
3CX and its 8 alternatives at a glance
Watch the units. 3CX charges one annual license for the whole system; everyone else bills per user per month. A 40-seat example: 3CX PRO 8SC hosted by 3CX is $395 + $295 = $690 a year, plus your trunk and any support tickets. Dialpad Standard is $7,200 a year, Zoom Phone US & CA Unlimited $7,680, RingCentral Core $9,600, Aircall $14,400, KrispCall $5,760 plus calls. Hosted costs more. What you're buying is the end of PBX admin.
| Pricing model | What you keep from 3CX | |
|---|---|---|
| 3CXStarting point | System license: PRO $395/yr at 8SC, AI $575; 3CX hosting $295/yr | Trunk and numbers at your provider; 40 extensions max at 8SC |
| YeastarIP PBX | Custom quote via a partner | Trunk, numbers, IP phones; 3CX backup import |
| Teams PhoneMicrosoft 365 | Teams Phone Standard per user + Calling Plan, Operator Connect or Direct Routing | Carrier and numbers via Direct Routing or Operator Connect |
| DialpadAI included | Standard $15, Pro $25 per user per month | Numbers ported; no server |
| Zoom PhoneFlat calling | US & CA Unlimited $16 per user per month, annual ($18 monthly) | Numbers ported; no server |
| RingCentralHosted at scale | Core $20, Advanced $25, Ultra $35 per user per month, annual | Numbers ported; no server |
| FreePBXOpen source | Free core; optional commercial modules | Trunk, numbers, compatible IP phones |
| AircallCRM | $30 per license per month, annual; 3 minimum | Numbers ported; CRM integrations |
| KrispCallBudget | $12 per user per month, annual; prepaid calls | Numbers ported |
Entry prices before tax, subject to change without notice. 3CX figures are its public list prices in USD; resellers and MSPs may quote and bill differently. US hosted plans add taxes and regulatory fees on top.
Leaving 3CX in six steps
The order protects three things: your numbers, your call history and uptime. Most botched exits come from doing one step too early, usually canceling something.
Find your license renewal date
First3CX licenses are annual. Find the expiry in the admin console or from your partner, and read the renewal terms. Don't renew for a year "just in case": plan the cutover at least a month before expiry.
Count your real extensions while you're there. If you're over your tier's cap, that number probably drove the price jump, and it should drive your choice.
- Time
- one hour
- If skipped
- a year of license wasted
Figure out where your numbers live
Key step3CX doesn't sell numbers. They sit with your SIP trunk provider. With Yeastar or FreePBX, you keep that provider and just point the trunk at the new PBX. Teams Phone with Direct Routing or Operator Connect can keep it too. With a hosted system (Dialpad, Zoom Phone, RingCentral, Aircall, KrispCall), the new provider files the port for you.
In the US, that means a signed Letter of Authorization (LOA) and a copy of your carrier's Customer Service Record (CSR). The name, service address and account number on the LOA must match the CSR exactly, and most carriers also ask for a port-out PIN. Any mismatch can get the port rejected. Never cancel the trunk before the port completes: a number dropped mid-port can be gone for good.
- Port from
- your carrier, not 3CX
- Golden rule
- keep the trunk live
Back up everything, and copy recordings separately
HistoryRun a full backup from the 3CX console (Backup and Restore). Recordings may not come along, so copy that folder to storage you control. Export call logs through the reports too, since there's no standalone CDR export.
Field tip: on a large history, a backup can take hours (forum users report 4 to 6 hours on very large call logs). Run it the night before, not on cutover day.
- Copy separately
- recordings, call logs
- When
- the night before
Inventory the configuration
One line per ruleList every IVR and its keys, every queue, ring group, business hours, holidays, greetings, forwards and integrations (CRM, Teams Direct Routing). A screenshot of each config screen is enough.
That's your checklist for the rebuild. Even with Yeastar's importer, it's how you spot what didn't make it.
- Time
- half a day
- If rushed
- a forgotten IVR branch
Rebuild and provision phones in parallel
Side by sideSet up the destination while 3CX still runs. Recreate users, IVRs, queues and hours. If you keep desk phones, check compatibility model by model (major IP phone brands are usually supported) and factory-reset each one before reprovisioning.
Put a pilot group on a trial number for a week. Gaps show up fast.
- Pilot
- 3 to 5 people
- Duration
- one week
Cut over off-hours, then power down 3CX
Go-livePick a quiet evening. Move the trunk or wait for the port to complete, then call every number from a mobile: inbound, outbound, IVR, voicemail, after-hours.
Keep the 3CX server powered off but intact until the license expires, so you can check nothing is missing from your backups.
- Check
- inbound, outbound, IVR, voicemail
- Old 3CX
- kept until expiry
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a 3CX exit go wrong
The same mistakes keep showing up in sysadmin threads. None of them are really technical. They're about order and contracts.
Killing the trunk too early
The most expensive mistake: a number released before the port completes is lost. Keep the SIP provider live until the new carrier confirms the transfer.
Comparing prices in different units
An annual system license versus a monthly per-user price isn't a fair fight. Bring everything to a yearly cost for your real seat count, trunk and support included.
Forgetting recordings
If you must keep recordings for compliance or QA, copy them before you shut the server down. Once 3CX hosting ends, they're gone.
Trusting the importer blindly
Even a backup import into Yeastar won't carry everything over perfectly. Budget half a day to verify rule by rule against your inventory.
Switching to fix the wrong problem
If your only issue is the extension cap, clean up first: delete unused extensions and extra accounts. Some systems drop back under the limit with no other change.
Underestimating open source ops
Moving from 3CX to FreePBX to save a license means more ops work, not less. Put a number on your admin's time before deciding.
- 3CX license expiry date written down
- Real extension count checked
- SIP provider and number list identified
- Port requests prepared with the carrier
- Full 3CX backup taken the night before
- Recordings and call logs copied separately
- IVRs, queues, hours and forwards inventoried
- IP phone compatibility checked
- One-week pilot group on the destination
- Inbound, outbound and voicemail checked after cutover
3CX alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to 3CX?
It depends on what you want to keep. To keep a PBX, your desk phones and your trunk, Yeastar is the most direct swap. To stop running anything, a hosted system like Dialpad is the cleaner break. Our virtual phone system ranking covers more options.
Is 3CX still free?
Not the way it used to be. The old free edition lost features such as desk phones and queues, and 3CX announced a free variant limited to 4 simultaneous calls and 10 users. Check the current offer when you install: the terms have changed several times.
How much does 3CX cost per year?
At 8 simultaneous calls, it's $300 a year for Basic, $395 for PRO and $575 for AI, plus $295 if 3CX hosts it (not available on Basic at that tier). At 16SC, it's $600, $795 and $1,095. 3CX states prices can change without notice.
Can I keep my phone numbers when leaving 3CX?
Yes, because they were never at 3CX. They're with your SIP trunk provider. Either keep that provider and point the trunk at another PBX, or port the numbers to a hosted provider. Only cancel the trunk after the port completes.
3CX or Microsoft Teams Phone?
If your whole company already runs on Microsoft 365, Teams Phone avoids one more tool, but you add a Teams Phone license plus a calling plan, Operator Connect or Direct Routing. With Direct Routing or Operator Connect, your current SIP carrier can often stay in place, so you may not need to port at all. If Teams itself is the problem, see our guide to switching from Microsoft Teams.
Is there an open source alternative to 3CX?
Yes: FreePBX, built on Asterisk. The core is free, with no extension cap, and it works with your SIP trunk. In return you own the server, security and updates, and some modules cost money. It can't import a 3CX backup.
Can I reuse my IP phones after 3CX?
With a PBX like Yeastar or FreePBX, often yes: major IP phone brands are supported, but check each model. With a hosted system, most teams move to desktop and mobile apps. Factory-reset each phone before reprovisioning.
Is 3CX support paid?
Yes, for end customers: you buy tickets one at a time or in packs of five, with a 48 business-hour response target, or you go through your partner. There's no phone support line, and it's one of the most cited reasons for leaving.
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