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Asterisk vs CasparCG Server

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Asterisk and CasparCG Server — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Asterisk vs CasparCG Server: at a glance

FeatureAsteriskCasparCG Server
SectorMeetingsMeetings
Velocity score5.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesmajor release, multi-branch releases, backport discipline, telephony corebroadcast, playout, ffmpeg, decklink
Last editorial update4d ago7d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

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.

Read the full Asterisk trajectory →

What is CasparCG Server?

CasparCG 2.5.1 drops the AVX2 floor it set in 2.5.0 and moves to FFmpeg 8.1.

CasparCG Server is an open-source broadcast playout server shipping one or two stable releases a year. 2.5.1 (September 16) removes the AVX2 requirement except for v210 Decklink output, updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2, and adds multi-device audio output, configurable audio and screen delays and an option to disable Decklink keying. 2.5.0 in December 2025 brought initial HDR, headless Linux and Ubuntu packaging.

Read the full CasparCG Server trajectory →

Asterisk vs CasparCG Server: editorial side-by-side

A
Asterisk
MEETINGS
5.0

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.

C0.0

CasparCG 2.5.1 drops the AVX2 floor it set in 2.5.0 and moves to FFmpeg 8.1.

◆ Current state

CasparCG Server is an open-source broadcast playout server shipping one or two stable releases a year. 2.5.1 (September 16) removes the AVX2 requirement except for v210 Decklink output, updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2, and adds multi-device audio output, configurable audio and screen delays and an option to disable Decklink keying. 2.5.0 in December 2025 brought initial HDR, headless Linux and Ubuntu packaging.

◆ Where it's heading

After 2.5.0 set new baselines, 2.5.1 walks back the hardware one and spends the rest on stability: FFmpeg error handling, an AMCP BATCH race and Decklink av-sync recovery. The pattern is a feature-heavy .0 followed by fix-heavy point releases.

◆ Prediction

Expect further 2.5.x point releases before any 2.6 work appears; the entries show no 2.6 betas yet.

Alternatives to Asterisk and CasparCG Server

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 Asterisk or CasparCG Server.

See all Asterisk alternatives → · See all CasparCG Server alternatives →

Recent activity from Asterisk and CasparCG Server

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 4d agoAsteriskAsterisk 24.0.0 final ships after four release candidates
  2. 4d agoAsteriskAsterisk 23.6.0: 35 fixes from the shared release round
  3. 4d agoAsteriskAsterisk 22.12.0 closes the 22.11 hint regressions
  4. 4d agoAsteriskAsterisk 20.22.0: 37 fixes on the oldest branch
  5. 11d agoAsteriskAsterisk 24.0.0-rc4: park hints and presence-hint crash fixed
  6. 11d agoAsteriskAsterisk 23.6.0-rc4: same two hint fixes
  7. 1mo agoCasparCG Server2.5.1 drops the AVX2 requirement and updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2
  8. 11mo agoCasparCG Server2.5.0 brings initial HDR, headless Linux and an AVX2 baseline ⚡
  9. 1y agoCasparCG Server2.4.3 clears crashes across FFmpeg, Decklink and HTML producers
  10. 1y agoCasparCG Server2.4.2 restores Decklink driver 14.3 compatibility
  11. 2y agoCasparCG Server2.4.1 fixes Decklink subregions, EXIF rotation and NDI source listing
  12. 2y agoCasparCG Server2.4.0 adds 8K and 4K DCI frames plus AMCP command batching

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Asterisk and CasparCG Server?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Asterisk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), 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 Asterisk better than CasparCG Server?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Asterisk is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), 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 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.

What are the best alternatives to CasparCG Server?

Top CasparCG Server alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "CasparCG Server alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/casparcg-server for the full list with editorial commentary on each.