A large customer base at DIDForSale, a leading provider of SIP Trunking services, actively uses both Asterisk and FreeSWITCH. Our SIP Trunking solutions integrate seamlessly with both platforms, ensuring reliable, high-quality voice communication for businesses of all sizes. With expertise in both Asterisk and FreeSWITCH, we offer comprehensive support and troubleshooting. Whether you deploy a small PBX system with Asterisk or a large-scale telephony infrastructure with FreeSWITCH, DIDForSale helps you maximize the performance and reliability of your VoIP solutions.

Asterisk-intergretation FreeSwitch-intergretation

On a technical note, Asterisk and FreeSWITCH are both open-source PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems that offer voice over IP (VoIP) services, but they have different architectures, strengths, and use cases. Here’s a comparison to help understand the differences and why you might choose one over the other:

  1. Architecture and Design Philosophy
  • Asterisk:
    • Asterisk functions as a monolithic application, often called a ‘Swiss Army knife’ for telephony because it integrates a comprehensive set of telephony features directly into its core.
    • It is event-driven but tightly integrated; many features are part of the core system, making it easier to set up and manage simpler installations.
    • Asterisk is highly modular, but many of its modules are interdependent, which can make large, complex installations more challenging.
  • FreeSWITCH:
    • FreeSWITCH has a modular architecture from the ground up, allowing more flexibility. It is designed to scale better for larger and more complex telephony deployments.
    • It provides a core telephony switch with a well-defined API and external modules, making it more suitable for use as a core telephony engine in more extensive systems.
    • FreeSWITCH efficiently handles high concurrency and high-volume calls, making it ideal for larger-scale deployments.
  1. Features and Capabilities
  • Asterisk:
    • Asterisk has a wide range of built-in features, including call routing, voicemail, conferencing, call queuing, IVR (Interactive Voice Response), and more.
    • It supports a wide range of telephony protocols, such as SIP, IAX, and others.
    • Asterisk has robust support for telephony hardware (like digital/analog cards) and is commonly used with traditional telephony systems.
  • FreeSWITCH:
    • FreeSWITCH supports a comprehensive set of telephony features, including many similar to Asterisk, but it stands out for its high-performance media handling.
    • It supports a wide range of protocols and codecs, including some high-definition codecs better than Asterisk.
    • FreeSWITCH has excellent support for WebRTC, making it a strong choice for integrating with web-based telephony and conferencing applications.
  1. Performance and Scalability
  • Asterisk:
    • Asterisk performs well in small to medium-sized environments. However, as the number of concurrent calls increases, performance can become a bottleneck due to its more tightly integrated architecture.
    • It is typically used in deployments that require fewer simultaneous calls or less complex call routing logic.
  • FreeSWITCH:
    • FreeSWITCH is known for its scalability and high-performance capabilities. It can handle thousands of concurrent calls on a single server, making it ideal for large-scale, high-volume deployments.
    • It is particularly well-suited for applications that require extensive media processing, such as large conference bridges or complex call routing.
  1. Community and Support
  • Asterisk:
    • Asterisk has a large, active community and enjoys wide adoption, especially among small to medium-sized businesses and call centers. Digium (now part of Sangoma) supports Asterisk by providing commercial support and development services.
    • Due to its long-standing presence in the market, there is a wealth of documentation, tutorials, and third-party support available.
  • FreeSWITCH:
    • FreeSWITCH also has an active community, though it is smaller than Asterisk’s.
    • SignalWire supports FreeSWITCH by providing commercial support and services. The community actively engages in areas like WebRTC, video conferencing, and other advanced communication technologies.
  1. Use Cases and Applications
  • Asterisk:
    • Best suited for small to medium-sized PBX deployments, call centers, IVR systems, and situations that require rapid development and deployment of standard PBX features.
    • Ideal for scenarios that require integration with legacy telephony systems.
  • FreeSWITCH:
    • Best suited for large-scale telephony infrastructures, VoIP carriers, conferencing platforms, and any environment where high concurrency and performance are crucial.
    • Ideal for modern applications that require advanced media handling, WebRTC integration, and video conferencing capabilities.

Choosing Between Asterisk and FreeSWITCH

  • Choose Asterisk if you need a feature-rich PBX system with extensive community support, easier deployment for standard use cases, or if you’re working with smaller-scale installations.
  • Choose FreeSWITCH if you’re building a large-scale, high-performance telephony platform, need advanced media handling (like video or WebRTC), or require a more modular and flexible architecture for complex call routing or conferencing.

Ultimately, the choice between Asterisk and FreeSWITCH depends on the specific needs of your telephony deployment, including the scale, complexity, and specific features required.