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Comparison · Business IPBX

Xivo vs 3CX — which PBX to choose in 2026?

With the announced end of analogue PSTN by 2030, the choice of your IPBX is structuring. Xivo (sovereign French open-source) and 3CX (commercial, simplicity) are the two serious options for SMEs. Fact-based comparison across 11 criteria.

−90%
Xivo cost vs 3CX (50 extensions)
GPL
Xivo open-source
iOS/Android
Native 3CX apps
2030
End of analogue PSTN
30-second verdict

Sovereignty and cost ⇒ Xivo. Simplicity and mobility ⇒ 3CX.

Xivo is the DYB default choice for organisations that value technical independence, self-hosting and absence of pricing drift. 3CX excels when the priority is mobility (polished iOS/Android apps), integrated video and fast deployment. On a 50-user estate, Xivo costs ~€25/month, 3CX ~€250/month — 90% savings over 5 years.

Choose Xivo if…

…you want a fully controlled PBX

Open-source, hosted at your premises, unlimited custom dialplans, no per-user fees. Ideal for regulated sectors, multi-site, 20–500 extension estates with specific business needs.
Choose 3CX if…

…you prioritise simplicity and mobile

Polished native mobile apps, integrated 3CX Talk video, Docker deployment in 1 hour, turn-key CRM integrations. Ideal for startups, mobile teams, organisations that do not want to administer Asterisk.
Detailed comparison

11 criteria, verifiable values

Criterion3CXXivo
Licensing modelCommercial (StartUP free ≤10 users, then subscription)Open-source GPL — free, optional support
Monthly cost (50-user estate)~€250/month (Standard or cloud)~€25/month (Starter subscription + server)
Hosting3CX Cloud (Germany) or on-premise (Win/Linux/Docker)On-premise or sovereign cloud (OVH, Scaleway)
SovereigntyMedium (HQ Cyprus, R&D Germany)Strong (FR Avencall, audited Asterisk code)
Mobile appsPolished native iOS/Android (reliable push)iOS/Android (UC) + third-party softphones
Integrated video3CX Talk (up to 25 participants, no plugin)Jitsi or BigBlueButton integration
Dialplan customisationCall Flow Designer (graphical, limited)AGI scripts in Python/PHP/Node — unlimited
Native CRM integrationsSalesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Microsoft DynamicsFull REST API + custom scripts
Multi-tenantLimited (one instance per client)Native multi-tenant (Xivo cluster)
Community & support3CX Partner or direct support (Germany)Active forum + 4 Avencall subscription tiers
Ideal use case5–250 extensions, strong mobility, prioritised simplicity20–1000 extensions, regulated sectors, complex dialplans
Choose Xivo if

you want full control.

  • ✓
    You are in a regulated sector (health, legal, defence, critical infrastructure operator) that requires strong sovereignty.
  • ✓
    Your estate has 20+ extensions and you want to stop per-user billing.
  • ✓
    You have complex dialplans (AI routing, ERP integration on pickup, multi-level IVR).
  • ✓
    You operate multi-tenant (accounting firm, IT services firm managing several clients).
  • ✓
    You value the absence of lock-in and self-hosting on your own infrastructure.
Choose 3CX if

simplicity and mobility prevail.

  • ✓
    You have 5–50 users with minimal customisation needs.
  • ✓
    Your team is 80% remote/travelling and mobile app quality matters more than anything.
  • ✓
    You want integrated video conferencing without stacking third-party tools.
  • ✓
    Your sales reps use Salesforce / HubSpot and you want turn-key click-to-call.
  • ✓
    You want to deploy in 1 hour via Docker without Linux system training.
Frequently asked questions

Xivo vs 3CX — concrete answers.

Xivo or 3CX: which is more sovereign?
Xivo has been published in France by Avencall since 2008, based on Asterisk (open-source GPL), 100% auditable and self-hostable on your infrastructure. 3CX is published by 3CX Ltd (HQ Limassol, Cyprus, but R&D in Germany) — proprietary but not US, GDPR compliant. For maximum sovereignty (critical infrastructure operators, regulated sectors, public procurement), Xivo is the default choice. For classic European GDPR compliance, 3CX is sufficient.
Which is cheaper?
Xivo CE (Community Edition) is free. Pro support subscription ranges from €115/server/year (Starter) to ~€300/server/year (Business). 3CX StartUP is free up to 10 users. Beyond that, Standard from €0 to €7/user/month depending on user count (50-user estate ≈ €250/month). On a 50-extension estate: Xivo costs ~€25/month (subscription + server), 3CX costs ~€250/month. 90% savings with Xivo.
Which option for remote working?
Both are perfect for remote working. Xivo provides official iOS/Android softphones + Linphone integration. 3CX has very polished native iOS/Android mobile apps (reliable push notifications, easy to deploy). For large-scale mobile teams that value ease of use, 3CX has a slight UX edge.
Dialplan customisation (IVR, complex queues)?
Xivo wins hands down: based on Asterisk, you can write AGI scripts in Python, Node.js, PHP, etc., to create fully custom behaviours (ERP integration at call time, AI routing, etc.). 3CX has a decent graphical Call Flow Designer but limited when you go beyond the standard.
And video conferencing?
3CX integrates 3CX Talk (video, screen sharing, chat, up to 25 participants) without a plugin. Xivo relies on integrations (Jitsi, BigBlueButton). For an all-in-one video + voice stack on the same PBX, 3CX is faster to deploy.
What happens to my existing IP phone estate?
Both support the same standard IP terminals (Yealink, Snom, Cisco, Polycom, Gigaset, Fanvil). Auto-provisioning works on both. No hardware to replace in 80% of cases — you keep the estate and only change the PBX server.
Next step

Free telephony audit

DYB deploys Xivo and 3CX equally in production. Give us your number of extensions, your current carrier and your constraints — we send back within 5 days a costed comparison of the three scenarios (Xivo, 3CX, keep the hosted Centrex).

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Bâtiment Agricole
CFPH
CSVPN
Digital Sun ENR
Groupe Prieur
L'Hermitage
Jet Systems
Koesio
Ministère de l'Agriculture
Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale
Muze
Prieur
Rostang
Solaire Industriel
Tetra
Vinesio
Vipus
Watch Club Business School
Winedoze
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