Which Linux distributions does Meow support?

Every release is tested on Fedora 36+ and Ubuntu 23.04+, with .rpm and .deb packages for them. Any other 64-bit x86 distribution with glibc 2.34 or newer and PipeWire 0.3.50 or newer can run the AppImage, which covers current Debian, Linux Mint and Arch.

Does it need PipeWire?

Yes, PipeWire 0.3.50 or newer with its PulseAudio service (pipewire-pulse). Fedora, Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.10 and later use it by default.

Is there a Linux softphone that works with FreePBX?

Meow registers to FreePBX and Asterisk like any SIP phone, and also uses their busy lamp (BLF) hints, parking lots, voicemail notifications and forwarding feature codes.

Every feature is available in a 14-day trial with no card. After that it needs a paid licence; the pricing page lists the plans.

A SIP softphone built for Linux

Meow is a native desktop SIP client for Linux, written in C++ and Qt 6, not a web page in a window. It registers to FreePBX, Asterisk or any SIP provider and gives a Linux desk the call handling a desk phone has.

Download the 14-day trial See pricing

Runs on the distribution you already use

Every release is tested on Fedora and Ubuntu and ships as .rpm and .deb. Debian, Linux Mint, Arch and other distributions run the AppImage, given glibc 2.34 or newer. Each package bundles its own Qt, so nothing on your system has to be upgraded to run it. 64-bit x86 only.

Download lists every package with its checksum.

Wayland first, X11 supported

Meow is a regular toplevel window with your compositor's own decorations, so it behaves like every other application on GNOME, KDE Plasma or any Wayland desktop. X11 sessions are supported too. Incoming calls bring the window forward and raise a desktop notification with Answer and Decline, and Meow sits in the system tray.

Audio that works with PipeWire

Call audio goes through the PulseAudio client API served by PipeWire (0.3.50 or newer), the default sound server on current Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian. Streams are tagged as phone calls, so the sound server applies its communication policy, and the sound server does the rate matching. Audio runs at 48 kHz with built-in echo cancellation.

Microphone, call audio and ringing can each go to a different device. The microphone is only open during a call and released a few seconds after it ends, so your desktop's microphone indicator means what it says.

A business phone, not a dialler

Two SIP lines at once, several numbers per account, hold, swap, blind and attended transfer, three-way conference, call recording, busy lamps for your colleagues, call parking and a voicemail indicator. Opus, G.722 and G.711, over UDP, TCP or TLS, with SRTP when your PBX offers it. Contacts, history and recordings stay on your computer.

Questions

Which Linux distributions does Meow support?: Every release is tested on Fedora 36+ and Ubuntu 23.04+, with .rpm and .deb packages for them. Any other 64-bit x86 distribution with glibc 2.34 or newer and PipeWire 0.3.50 or newer can run the AppImage, which covers current Debian, Linux Mint and Arch.
Does it need PipeWire?: Yes, PipeWire 0.3.50 or newer with its PulseAudio service (pipewire-pulse). Fedora, Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.10 and later use it by default.
Is there a Linux softphone that works with FreePBX?: Meow registers to FreePBX and Asterisk like any SIP phone, and also uses their busy lamp (BLF) hints, parking lots, voicemail notifications and forwarding feature codes.
Is Meow free?: Every feature is available in a 14-day trial with no card. After that it needs a paid licence; the pricing page lists the plans.

Getting started takes you from install to the first call.
Deployment covers install paths and rolling Meow out across a team.
Technical details explains the audio path and SIP stack.
Meow for Windows is the same app for the Windows desks in the office.