SIP softphones for Linux, compared
Four SIP clients people consider for a Linux desk, what each one is, and which one suits which office. Facts about each app are from its own website, checked on 24 October 2026.
At a glance
| App | Linux | Other platforms | Price | Business features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meow | Native: .deb, .rpm, AppImage | Windows 10+ | Paid licence after a 14-day trial with every feature | Two lines, transfer, conference, recording, busy lamps, parking, voicemail indicator, TLS and SRTP |
| Linphone | Native: AppImage | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Free and open source (GPLv3) | Audio and video calls, messaging, video conferencing, SRTP |
| Zoiper 5 | Native: .deb, .rpm, tar.xz | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Free for non-commercial use; paid Pro edition | Pro adds HD calls, conferencing, transfer and encryption |
| MicroSIP | No Linux build; its site points to Wine | Windows 7 and later | Free and open source (GPLv2) | A lightweight Windows dialler |
Which one to choose
- You need video, macOS or a phone app: Linphone or Zoiper. Meow is audio only and runs on Linux and Windows desktops.
- You want free software for personal calls: Linphone, or Zoiper's free edition, which is for non-commercial use.
- Your office runs FreePBX or Asterisk: Meow. Busy lamps for colleagues, call parking, the voicemail indicator, forwarding codes and two lines are in the app, and it is a native Linux application built for Wayland and PipeWire.
- Your desks are Windows only: MicroSIP is a light, free choice for plain calling; Meow adds the PBX features above.
About Meow
Meow is a desktop SIP softphone written in C++ and Qt 6 on the baresip SIP stack, made by qFiber LTD. It has a current interface with light and dark themes, contact cards, call history grouped by person and desktop notifications. Codecs are Opus, G.722 and G.711, over UDP, TCP or TLS.
Meow for Linux and Meow with FreePBX go into detail.
Sources
- Meow: meow.qfiber.co.il
- Linphone: linphone.org
- Zoiper 5: zoiper.com
- MicroSIP: microsip.org
- Checked on 24 October 2026. Products change; tell us if a row is out of date.
Questions
- What is the best SIP softphone for Linux?
- It depends on the job. For a business on FreePBX or Asterisk that wants busy lamps, parking and two lines on a native Linux app, Meow. For free cross-platform calling with video, Linphone. Zoiper suits people who want the same app on desktop and phone.
- Is there a modern alternative to Zoiper on Linux?
- Meow is a native Linux softphone with a current Qt 6 interface, built for Wayland and PipeWire. Unlike Zoiper's free edition, it is licensed for business use, and transfer, conference and encryption are included rather than in a paid upgrade.
- Does MicroSIP run on Linux?
- There is no Linux build of MicroSIP; its website points Linux users to Wine. Meow and Linphone are native Linux alternatives.
- Which Linux softphone works best with FreePBX?
- Any SIP client can register to FreePBX. Meow also uses FreePBX's busy lamp hints, parking lots, voicemail notifications and forwarding feature codes, so it behaves like a desk phone on that PBX.