Voice over IP (VoIP) software enables telephone-like voice conversations across IP based networks. A VoIP phone service is often cheaper than a traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) phone service and removes geographic restrictions to telephone numbers.
SIP is the most popular VoIP protocol. This protocol enables two or more people to make phone calls to each other using the Internet to carry the call. SIP to SIP calls on a broadband internet connection are high quality, always free regardless of distance, and offer additional functionality such as free voicemail to email and phone numbers, caller ID, 3-way conference, speed dialing, call forwarding, simultaneous ring, call waiting, call return, caller ID block, and anonymous call rejection.
Softphones are user based clients for making and receiving voice and video communication over the IP network, usually permitting integration with USB and IP Phones instead of a computer’s microphone and speakers (or headset). This article selects the best softphones available for Linux.
For enterprise or business markets, VoIP enables the enterprise to manage a single network (the IP network) instead of separate voice and data networks, while enabling advanced and flexible capabilities to the end user. With the credit crunch still to take full effect, it’s even more important for small businesses to minimize their costs. One way to reduce expenditure is to switch from a normal telephone contract to using VoIP. Calls made using VoIP work and sound like normal telephone calls, but cost significantly less. Public Branch Exchange (PBX) is a private telephone exchange which routes calls internally and provides call queuing, hunt groups, conference calling, voicemail and more. The PBX enables many phones to use a single VoIP connection.
We have excluded Skype, Discord, and TeamSpeak from our recommendations. While these applications are all available for no-charge, they are not released under a freely distributable license. They are therefore not ‘free’ software.
Let’s explore the 12 VoIP software at hand. For each application we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, screenshots (where relevant), together with links to relevant resources. Start making free calls today.
| VoIP Software | |
|---|---|
| Jitsi | Innovative open source voice and video conferencing |
| Mumble | Voice chat application for groups |
| Jami | SIP-compatible softphone and SIP-based instant messenger |
| GNU Gatekeeper | Feature-rich project that implements an H.323 gatekeeper. |
| Linphone | Voice over IP softphone, SIP client and service |
| FreeSWITCH | Telephony platform for voice and chat driven products |
| Asterisk | Complete PBX system |
| Wire | Encrypted instant messaging client |
| Kamailio | Build large platforms for VoIP and realtime communications |
| Ekiga | VoIP and video conferencing application for GNOME |
| qTox | Chat, voice, video, and file transfer IM client |
| Empathy | Instant messaging and voice over IP client |
 Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. Spotted a useful open source Linux program not covered on our site? Please let us know by completing this form. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. |
Article has been revamped, removing proprietary software. Ratings chart added.
… and you forgot for the most secure one? Signal.
https://www.signal.org/
Signal is a great instant messaging chat, and while it has voice and video calling functionality, that’s not where its strengths lie. For a great VoIP client, try Blink.
Actually, Signal is the gold winner of the Instant Messaging Software https://www.linuxlinks.com/linux-means-business-instant-messaging-best-free-software/.
The key is that Signal is excellent at instant messaging, but it’s not a great soft phone. I don’t actually think the author forgot Signal as you contend.
The Signal website states
“To use the Signal desktop app, Signal must first be installed on your phone.”
So not much use unless you have a portable personal electronic tracking device otherwise known as a cellphone.
Also Signal is written mainly in Typescript. TypeScript is a free and open-source high-level programming language developed by Microsoft.
Yet another Microsoft language trojan. No thank you,.
We know that there are lots of software enthusiasts who dislike Microsoft software. That’s one reason why we created
https://www.linuxlinks.com/best-free-open-source-alternatives-microsoft-products-services/
Maybe we should add an article about alternatives to TypeScript. We’ll think on that.
Is it just me but I really loathe Electron based software.
Mate, there are some really great Electron apps out there. A few of my favorites are Atom, Discord, and Light Table.
True. Some of the Electron software is just pathetic. For example, Ubuntu client for OnSIP. Not only it is huge (almost 600 MB), but also works with significant lag! It is a good example of the Wirth’s law: ” software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster”.
I do think ring deserves a look
Ring isn’t bad but it’s better at instant messaging than as a soft phone.
Ring did feature in our Instant Messaging Clients article https://www.linuxlinks.com/instantmessaging/.
I had been using Yate, which could place outgoing phone-calls through the server at gmail.com.
It quite working, though, Can any of these clients connect through the gmail or skype servers to the telephone network?
I’m pretty sure Skype can connect to Skype servers.
I use Google Voice from inside GMail on my Ubuntu 18 laptop and it still works just fine as long as I am logged in from Chromium. Free to US and Canada
I have a Samsung Note 4 I would like to put a Linux smartphone distro on. I would like to use it for phone calls over internet. Recs RE best OS for this and best “phone” app to dial phone calls to regular phones? Many thanks in advance.