Ant Media Server
Ant Media Server 3.2 adds WHEP playback, Prometheus metrics and plugin installs from the dashboard.
Comparison · Meetings
3CX vs Asterisk
A side-by-side editorial comparison of 3CX and Asterisk — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
3CX vs Asterisk: at a glance
What is 3CX?
3CX sets the end of 2026 to switch off its own transcription service.
3CX is closing its bundled AI services and moving customers to AI they run or connect themselves. On November 13 it confirmed its transcription service switches off at the end of 2026, with ENT+ subscriptions moving to AI Edition. V20 Update 10 fills in the replacement: Grok support, MCP, improved AI agents and local transcription on a Mac, plus simpler audio conferencing, a pop-out dialer and delegated call recording review.
What is Asterisk?
Asterisk 24.0.0 is out, with 20, 22 and 23 getting their matching releases the same hour.
Asterisk closed its release round on November 5 with 24.0.0 final plus 23.6.0, 22.12.0 and 20.22.0, each resolving 32 to 37 issues across roughly 45 commits. The final tags followed four release candidates, the last of which repaired park slot hints and a presence-hint segfault left by 22.11.0. No security advisories were part of the round.
3CX vs Asterisk: editorial side-by-side
3CX
6.3MEETINGS
3CX sets the end of 2026 to switch off its own transcription service.
◆ Current state
3CX is closing its bundled AI services and moving customers to AI they run or connect themselves. On November 13 it confirmed its transcription service switches off at the end of 2026, with ENT+ subscriptions moving to AI Edition. V20 Update 10 fills in the replacement: Grok support, MCP, improved AI agents and local transcription on a Mac, plus simpler audio conferencing, a pop-out dialer and delegated call recording review.
◆ Where it's heading
Update 10 widens the choice of AI provider and moves more processing onto hardware customers own, while adding manager controls around recordings. The release is shipping in pieces through how-to posts rather than one changelog.
◆ Prediction
Expect Update 10 to reach general release and more posts on the self-hosted AI Server ahead of the January 2027 licence conversion.
Asterisk
5.0MEETINGS
Asterisk 24.0.0 is out, with 20, 22 and 23 getting their matching releases the same hour.
◆ Current state
Asterisk closed its release round on November 5 with 24.0.0 final plus 23.6.0, 22.12.0 and 20.22.0, each resolving 32 to 37 issues across roughly 45 commits. The final tags followed four release candidates, the last of which repaired park slot hints and a presence-hint segfault left by 22.11.0. No security advisories were part of the round.
◆ Where it's heading
The project ships every supported branch in lockstep, so fixes land everywhere at once and the version number mostly signals which line a deployment is on. With 24 now final, the next round should move 24 into the same maintenance rhythm as the older branches.
◆ Prediction
Expect 24.0.1 or 24.1.0 alongside matching 20, 22 and 23 point releases in the next cycle, likely starting with release candidates again; the entries do not show which branch will drop out of the round next.
Alternatives to 3CX and Asterisk
Other Meetings products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either 3CX or Asterisk.
Eventcombo
Eventcombo adds webinar demo checklists to its 2027 buyer guides.
Fourwaves
Fourwaves doubles Free plan submissions to 50 and reworks reviewer assignment.
JW Player
JW Player's Android SDK 4.28 adds live Chromecast and new background audio controls.
Nextcloud Talk
Nextcloud Talk v23.0.14 fixes Firefox video and keeps v25 waiting at RC3.
Kurento
Kurento's JavaScript client gets a 7.3.1 point release with no notes.
See all 3CX alternatives → · See all Asterisk alternatives →
Recent activity from 3CX and Asterisk
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 20h ago3CX3CX Transcription Service to be Switched Off End of 2026
- 1d ago3CXStop Selling Features. Start Selling Business Outcomes
- 1d ago3CXDelegate Call Recording Review and Protect Sensitive Calls in 3CX V20 Update 10
- 2d ago3CXV20 U10 Extending Our AI Lead: Improved Agents, MCP, and Local Transcription on a Mac
- 4d ago3CXTest Where Calls Go When Your 3CX AI Agent Is Unavailable
- 4d ago3CXSize Your 3CX AI Server for Today, Scale It for Tomorrow
- 8d agoAsteriskAsterisk 24.0.0 final ships after four release candidates
- 8d agoAsteriskAsterisk 23.6.0: 35 fixes from the shared release round
- 8d agoAsteriskAsterisk 22.12.0 closes the 22.11 hint regressions
- 8d agoAsteriskAsterisk 20.22.0: 37 fixes on the oldest branch
- 15d agoAsteriskAsterisk 24.0.0-rc4: park hints and presence-hint crash fixed
- 15d agoAsteriskAsterisk 23.6.0-rc4: same two hint fixes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 3CX and Asterisk?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. 3CX is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is 3CX better than Asterisk?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. 3CX is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to 3CX?
Top 3CX alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "3CX alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/3cx for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Asterisk?
Top Asterisk alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Asterisk alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/asterisk for the full list with editorial commentary on each.