Telephone Alternatives

Telephone is described as 'Allows you to make phone calls over the Internet or your company network. If your phone line supports SIP protocol, you can use it on your Mac instead of a physical phone anywhere you have a decent network connection' and is an app in the social & communications category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Telephone for a variety of platforms, including Android, iPhone, Windows, iPad and Mac apps. The best Telephone alternative is Signal, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Telephone are Jami, Wire, Zulip and Linphone.

Telephone iconTelephone
  19
  • Freemium • Open Source
  • ...

Telephone allows you to make phone calls over the Internet or your company network. If your phone line supports SIP...

More about Telephone
More about Telephone
Telephone alternatives page was last updated Jun 23, 2022
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  1. Signal icon

    Signal

     1280 likes
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    An open-source messaging app emphasizing privacy with encrypted communication. Share texts, calls, photos, and videos without ads or trackers, available across major platforms. Developed by Signal Technology Foundation and praised globally for security measures.

    219 Signal alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    Signal screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Security-focused
    3.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Encrypted Chat
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Video Calling
    5.  Self Destructing Messages
    6.  Private messaging
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  Encrypted Connection
    9.  Mobile friendly
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Desktop Application
    12.  Secure Chat

    Signal VS Telephone

     
    Comments about Signal as an Alternative to Telephone
    Seth
    Negative Jan 22, 2018
    0

    Signal is not a SIP client

    Guest
    Negative Sep 2, 2020
    0

    It can't connect to your pbx, the whole point of a softphone.

    Telephone Icon
    Signal icon

    • Signal is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Telephone.

    • Signal is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Telephone.

    • Signal is Free and Open SourceTelephone is Freemium and Open Source
    • Signal is Privacy focused and Security-focusedTelephone is not according to our users
  2. Jami icon

    Jami

     231 likes
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    Jami (formerly GNU Ring, SFLphone) positions itself as a potential free Skype replacement

    159 Jami alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CA flagCanada

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Jami video conference OS X

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Decentralized
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Video Conferencing
    4.  Peer-To-Peer
    5.  Video Calling
    6.  Multi Platform
    7.  Distributed
    8.  Encrypted Chat
    9.  End-to-End Encryption
    10.  SIP client
    11.  Screen Sharing
    12.  No Tracking

    Jami VS Telephone

     

    • Jami is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to Telephone.

    • Jami is Free and Open SourceTelephone is Freemium and Open Source
    • Jami is Decentralized and Privacy focusedTelephone is not according to our users
  4. Wire icon

    Wire

     309 likes
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    Wire is the most secure collaboration platform featuring messenger, voice, video, conference calls, file-sharing, and external collaboration –all protected by the most secure end-to-end-encryption.

    280 Wire alternatives

    License model

    • Free Personal • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CH flagSwitzerland

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Wire screenshot 1
    Wire screenshot 2
    Wire screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Security-focused
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  End-to-End Encryption
    2.  Video Calling
    3.  Encrypted Chat
    4.  VoiP Calls
    5.  Encrypted calls
    6.  Screen Sharing
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Secure File Sharing
    9.  Multiple Account support
    10.  WebRTC
    11.  Private Chat
    12.  File Sending

    Wire VS Telephone

     

    • Wire is the most popular Web-based, SaaS & Self-Hosted alternative to Telephone.

    • Wire is Free Personal and Open SourceTelephone is Freemium and Open Source
    • Wire is Security-focused and Privacy focusedTelephone is not according to our users
  5. Zulip icon

    Zulip

     208 likes
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    Zulip is the only modern team chat app that is designed for both live and asynchronous conversations. Zulip topics create a separate space for each discussion, so different conversations will never get in each other's way.

    226 Zulip alternatives

    License model

    • Free Personal • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Zulip screenshot 1

    Top Zulip Features

    1.  Threaded Conversations
    2.  Team Collaboration
    3.  Support for Hotkeys
    4.  Community-based
    5.  Support for MarkDown
    6.  Syntax Highlighting
    7.  Chat Bot
    8.  Secure Chat
    9.  Third party integrations
    10.  Integrated File Sharing
    11. GitHub icon  GitHub Integration
    12.  Integrated Search

    Zulip VS Telephone

     
  6. Linphone icon

    Linphone

     140 likes
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    Linphone is one of the most famous open source softphones in the world. It is fully SIP-based, for all calling, presence and IM features.

    84 Linphone alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    iOS Assistant

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  SIP client
    2.  SIP
    3.  Softphone
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  VoiP Calls
    6.  Voice Chat
    7.  End-to-End Encryption
    8.  Multiple Account support
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Audio Conferencing
    11.  Live Push Notifications
    12.  Support ZRTP

    Linphone VS Telephone

     
  7. Empathy icon

    Empathy

     157 likes
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    Empathy is a messaging program which supports text, voice, video chat, and file transfers over many different protocols. You can tell it about your accounts on all those services and do all your chatting within one application.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Empathy screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    Empathy is currently unmaintained. Last version, 3.25, released in August 2017, can be still downloaded from the official website.

    Empathy Features

    1.  Unified messaging
    2.  Support for Multiple protocols
    3. XMPP icon  Supports XMPP
    4.  SIP
    5.  Integrated File Sharing
    6.  Voice Chat

    Empathy VS Telephone

     
  9. Whereby icon

    Whereby

     77 likes
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    Video conversations with up to 8 people in your browser - no downloads, no login. Just name your channel and you are on. Works in all modern browsers, even mobile.

    128 Whereby alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • NO flagNorway

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Whereby screenshot 1

    Whereby Features

    1.  Screen Sharing
    2.  No registration required
    3.  No installation
    4.  Progressive Web App
    5. Google Docs (Suite) icon  Google docs integration
    6. Trello icon  Trello integration
    7.  Anonymous Email
    8.  Web-Based
    9.  Anonymous Chat

    Whereby VS Telephone

     
  10. MicroSIP icon

    MicroSIP

     30 likes
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    MicroSIP is a free portable SIP softphone for Windows based on PJSIP stack. It allowing to do high quality VoIP calls (P2P or on regular telephones) via open SIP protocol. From cloud of SIP providers you can choose best for you, register account and use it with MicroSIP. You&#39.

    30 MicroSIP alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    MicroSIP screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  SIP
    2.  SIP client
    3.  Softphone
    4.  VoiP Calls
    5.  Phone calls
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Voice Chat

    MicroSIP VS Telephone

     
  11. 3CX icon

    3CX

     19 likes
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    The 3CX Phone System is the software-based private branch exchange (PBX) Phone system based on the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) standard and enables extensions to make calls via the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services...

    33 3CX alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CY flagCyprus
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft Exchange Server
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Microsoft Office Suite
    3CX screenshot 1

    3CX Features

    1.  Multiple languages
    2.  Remote Work
    3.  Integrated File Sharing
    4.  Integrated Chat
    5.  Live polling
    6.  Video Conferencing
    7.  Voice Chat
    8.  SIP

    3CX VS Telephone

     
  12. YakYak icon

    YakYak

     21 likes
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    Desktop client for Google Hangouts.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Hangouts
    YakYak screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    The last version was released in June 2021.

    YakYak Features

    1.  Portable

    YakYak VS Telephone

     
  13. Zoiper icon

    Zoiper

     26 likes
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    Zoiper IAX & SIP multilanguage and multiplatform (Windows, Linux and Mac OS X) softphone is a VoIP soft client, meant to work with any IP-based communications systems and infrastructure.

    44 Zoiper alternatives

    License model

    • Free Personal • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • BG flagBulgaria
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Zoiper screenshot 1

    Zoiper Features

    1.  SIP
    2.  SIP client
    3.  Softphone
    4.  Automatic call recording
    5.  VoiP Calls
    6.  Change Caller ID
    7.  Voice Chat
    8.  Support ZRTP
    9.  Encrypted calls
    10.  Address book integration

    Zoiper VS Telephone

     
  14. PhonerLite icon

    PhonerLite

     10 likes
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    PhonerLite enables your PC to use it for internet telephony (VoIP , Voice over IP, SIP). You need an internet connection and an account from a provider supporting the SIP protocol.

    12 PhonerLite alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    PhonerLite screenshot 1

    PhonerLite Features

    1.  Softphone
    2.  SIP client
    3.  Address book integration
    4.  SIP
    5.  Multiple languages

    PhonerLite VS Telephone

     
12 of 46 Telephone alternatives