Recent 3CX experiences
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Has anyone used the current version of 3CX in the last year-ish?
I was recently talking to someone that likes the system and was curious.
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I'm no voip expert but we're using it since a couple of years back - so I have some experience with it.
You should play with their standard version. Just install the iso. It's debian with 3cx software on top.
https://www.3cx.com/phone-system/download-links/
You can also run it on a raspberry pi if you want it on-prem.The standard version is free for the first year and free forever if you only need 8 simultaneous calls.
Pro version has some additional features and it's the one we have. -
3cx also have their hosted solution which is free for the first year.
There are some limitations with it though, for instance I think you have to use a 3cx certified sip trunk providers (like @Skyetel )
https://www.3cx.com/partners/sip-trunks/usa/ -
Yes, did an install (Linux not Windows) last week - 10x Yealink T54W, 2x Yealink T58 & 1x CP960WM.
Hosted on Vultr with on-prem SBC.
I really like it!
I like the web console - customers tend to like this a lot. Also like the iOS app.
All very easy to install & setup. -
@JaredBusch said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Has anyone used the current version of 3CX in the last year-ish?
I was recently talking to someone that likes the system and was curious.
I have and assisted with managing it. It's... ok. It has a decent GUI and can now run on Linux, which it wasn't when I was working with it.
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@Pete-S said in Recent 3CX experiences:
The standard version is free for the first year and free forever if you only need 8 simultaneous calls.
It has other restrictions also. Or did last time I deep dived the free version.
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@JaredBusch said in Recent 3CX experiences:
@Pete-S said in Recent 3CX experiences:
The standard version is free for the first year and free forever if you only need 8 simultaneous calls.
It has other restrictions also. Or did last time I deep dived the free version.
Not in the last few years.
But the standard version has less features compared to the pro version, which has less features compared to enterprise.
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@Pete-S said in Recent 3CX experiences:
standard version has less features compared to the pro version
That is what I was talking about. Those differences were too much compared to other PBX solutions. But I will look at it again in a week or three.
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Free vs Pro vs Enterprise:
https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/ -
@FATeknollogee said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Free vs Pro vs Enterprise:
https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/I'm aware of that page.
Not having a FQDN and custom SMTP were big killers before, and it appears that it still is.
Also the definition of user is unclear as extensions are "unlimited"
The concurrent call limit has always been asinine, at least it is 8 now. I believe it used to be less.
Finally, there is no longer a pay once approach. You pay yearly or you lose your features.
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@JaredBusch said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Not having a FQDN and custom SMTP were big killers before, and it appears that it still is.
Why? It makes no difference either way.
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@JaredBusch said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Also the definition of user is unclear as extensions are "unlimited"
What's unclear? You can have unlimited extensions and unlimited users.
And users are users and extensions are extensions. Usually one to one but voice mail for instance is an extension you can dial but not a user. Same thing with ring groups and similar stuff.
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@JaredBusch said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Finally, there is no longer a pay once approach. You pay yearly or you lose your features.
That's the real problem with 3CX, not the pbx itself but the company.
They change their offer all the time.
- A while back the free version would support 24 simultaneous calls forever. Now you get the first years free but then it's just 8 sim calls.
- They had perpetual licenses and now it seems like they don't.
- You could also record calls in all versions but now they moved it to pro and enterprise.
You never know what they're going to change in the next few months.
So long term they are unreliable. -
I'm playing around with it right now.
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Mobile app is really nice and using a QR Code makes it very simple to configure phones. The welcome email also includes the QR making it really easy for users to add accounts to there phones.
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Thunk configuration was quick and easy. Must faster then FreePBX (assuming your providers are supported - mine all were)
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Interface is nice both the admin one and the end-user one.
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Incoming and outgoing routes were quick and easy to setup.
I'll leave some notes here as I play around with it.
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@pete-s said in Recent 3CX experiences:
What's unclear? You can have unlimited extensions and unlimited users.
But can they call each other? Does that use a line? Or does only outside calls use a line?
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@voip_n00b said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Thunk configuration was quick and easy. Must faster then FreePBX (assuming your providers are supported - mine all were
Didn't used to be that way. But it's been a hot minute. I'm sure 3CX has come a long way.
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@scottalanmiller said in Recent 3CX experiences:
@voip_n00b said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Thunk configuration was quick and easy. Must faster then FreePBX (assuming your providers are supported - mine all were
Didn't used to be that way. But it's been a hot minute. I'm sure 3CX has come a long way.
They may have come a long way, but I don’t think I would suggest them to anyone
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@gjacobse said in Recent 3CX experiences:
@scottalanmiller said in Recent 3CX experiences:
@voip_n00b said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Thunk configuration was quick and easy. Must faster then FreePBX (assuming your providers are supported - mine all were
Didn't used to be that way. But it's been a hot minute. I'm sure 3CX has come a long way.
They may have come a long way, but I don’t think I would suggest them to anyone
Not likely. They were pretty bad in the past, both as a product and as a company. But not to the point that I wouldn't take a look again. But their licensing costs is high.
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@voip_n00b said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Mobile app is really nice and using a QR Code makes it very simple to configure phones.
This is pretty standardized now because some company has made a generic backend for this that is used by a lot of companies.
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@scottalanmiller said in Recent 3CX experiences:
@gjacobse said in Recent 3CX experiences:
@scottalanmiller said in Recent 3CX experiences:
@voip_n00b said in Recent 3CX experiences:
Thunk configuration was quick and easy. Must faster then FreePBX (assuming your providers are supported - mine all were
Didn't used to be that way. But it's been a hot minute. I'm sure 3CX has come a long way.
They may have come a long way, but I don’t think I would suggest them to anyone
Not likely. They were pretty bad in the past, both as a product and as a company. But not to the point that I wouldn't take a look again. But their licensing costs is high.
And that is one of the few main reasons. IIRC- Isn’t 3cx based off of freePBX?
