A MicroSIP alternative for Linux
MicroSIP is a capable, free SIP softphone, but only for Windows. Meow is a native softphone for Linux and Windows with the PBX features an office relies on. Facts about MicroSIP are from its own website, checked on 27 October 2026.
Does MicroSIP run on Linux?
No. MicroSIP is built for Windows 7 and later, and for Linux and macOS its website only links to Wine, the layer that runs Windows programs on other systems. A softphone under Wine depends on Wine's audio translation for every call, and it does not behave like the other applications on a Linux desktop. Meow is written for Linux: a regular Wayland window (X11 is supported too), audio through PipeWire, and packages for Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian, plus an AppImage for other distributions.
MicroSIP and Meow side by side
| MicroSIP | Meow | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows 7 and later; for Linux and macOS its site links to Wine | Linux (.deb, .rpm, AppImage) and Windows 10 and later, both native |
| Price | Free and open source (GPLv2) | Paid licence after a 14-day trial with every feature |
| SIP accounts | Several saved, one active at a time | Two registered at once, each taking calls |
| Busy lamps (BLF) | Yes, through presence | Yes |
| Transfer | Blind and attended | Blind and attended |
| Conference | Yes | Three-way, by merging two calls |
| Call recording | Yes | Yes, saved on your computer |
| Call parking | Not described in its documentation | Yes, FreePBX and Asterisk parking lots |
| Voicemail | A voicemail number to dial; no indicator described | Waiting-message indicator, one click to dial in |
| Video | Yes (H.264, H.263+, VP8, VP9) | No, audio only |
| Encryption | TLS, SRTP, DTLS-SRTP | TLS, SRTP |
| Codecs | Opus, G.722, G.711, G.729, iLBC, Speex and more | Opus, G.722, G.711 |
When MicroSIP is the better choice
- Every desk runs Windows and the budget is zero: MicroSIP is free, very small, and has busy lamps, transfer and recording.
- You need video calls: MicroSIP has them; Meow is audio only.
- You rely on a screen reader: MicroSIP states NVDA support.
What Meow adds
- Linux desks: the same app on Linux and Windows, so a mixed office has one phone to support.
- Two lines at once: two SIP accounts registered together, each able to ring, where MicroSIP keeps one account active at a time.
- The rest of the FreePBX desk phone: call parking, the voicemail indicator and forwarding codes, next to the busy lamps, transfer, conference and recording. See PBX setup for what each needs on the PBX.
- A current interface: contact cards with pictures, history grouped by person, and light and dark themes.
Moving from MicroSIP
Meow registers to the same PBX with the same details: server, extension or username, and password. Nothing changes on the PBX for calls to work. The extensions you watched in MicroSIP go into Meow's Team panel to get their busy lamps back.
Getting started goes from install to the first call, and Meow for Linux covers distributions and audio.
Sources
- MicroSIP: microsip.org and its help page
- Checked on 27 October 2026. Products change; tell us if a row is out of date.
Questions
- Is there a MicroSIP for Linux?
- No. MicroSIP is a Windows program, and its website points Linux users to Wine. Meow and Linphone are native Linux softphones; Meow is built for offices on FreePBX or Asterisk.
- Can I run MicroSIP on Linux with Wine?
- MicroSIP's site links to Wine for Linux, but does not describe it as supported there. Call audio then goes through Wine's audio translation, and the app does not integrate with the Linux desktop. A native softphone avoids both.
- Is Meow free like MicroSIP?
- No. Every feature is free for 14 days with no card, then Meow needs a paid licence. MicroSIP is free and open source.
- Does Meow work with the same PBX as MicroSIP?
- Yes. Both are standard SIP clients and register to FreePBX, Asterisk, 3CX and other SIP servers with the same server, username and password.
Related
- Linux softphones compared sets Meow, Linphone, Zoiper and MicroSIP side by side.
- Zoiper alternative compares Meow with Zoiper's free and PRO editions.
- Download starts the 14-day trial.