The 10 Best SIP Softphones, Reviewed
Each app was registered to an IPComms trunk over UDP and, where supported, TLS, and used for inbound and outbound calls on Windows 11, macOS, Ubuntu, iOS and Android. We looked at setup friction, audio on G.711 and Opus, encryption, incoming-call reliability on mobile, and what the free tier leaves out.
1. Zoiper 5 — Best overall, every platform
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Price: Free; Pro license one-time
Encryption: Paid (Pro)
Mobile push: Yes (mobile)
Zoiper is the softphone most SIP providers hand new customers, and for good reason: one interface on every desktop and mobile OS, a setup wizard that gets a trunk registered in under two minutes, and rock-solid audio on G.711. The free edition covers everyday calling on a single account with hold, transfer, contacts and call history.
The catch is encryption. TLS/SRTP, G.729, video and multiple accounts are in the paid Pro license (a one-time purchase per platform). If you only need clear calls on a trusted network, free Zoiper is enough; if you connect from coffee shops or handle anything sensitive, budget for Pro or pick Linphone. Our Zoiper setup guide walks through the exact settings.
Official download for Zoiper 5
2. Linphone — Best free encryption
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Price: Free, open source
Encryption: Free TLS/SRTP/ZRTP
Mobile push: Yes (mobile)
Linphone is the open-source workhorse. It runs everywhere, supports several accounts at once, does HD audio with Opus and G.722, adds video and messaging, and, uniquely among the free options here, includes TLS and SRTP encryption at no cost. Security-conscious teams and anyone on a TLS-only trunk should start here.
The interface is plainer than Zoiper's and the mobile push service is run by the Linphone project rather than your carrier, so test incoming-call reliability on your handset before rolling it out to a team.
Official download for Linphone
3. MicroSIP — Best lightweight Windows client
Platforms: Windows
Price: Free, open source
Encryption: Free TLS/SRTP
Mobile push: n/a (desktop)
MicroSIP is a 10 MB open-source Windows softphone built on PJSIP. It starts instantly, sits in the tray, supports TLS/SRTP and G.729 for nothing, and has a command-line interface and tel: URL handler that make it a favourite for click-to-dial from CRMs and for call-center desktops. A portable build runs from a USB stick with no installer.
It is Windows-only and deliberately spartan: no video, no fancy contact sync. For a headset-and-dial-pad workstation it is hard to beat, which is why it leads our Windows softphone comparison.
Official download for MicroSIP
4. Groundwire (Acrobits) — Best paid mobile softphone
Platforms: iOS, Android
Price: One-time purchase (about $10)
Encryption: TLS/SRTP included
Mobile push: Yes, carrier-grade
Groundwire is the app to buy when a mobile phone has to ring every time. Acrobits runs its own push-notification service, so incoming calls arrive with the app closed and without draining the battery, and it integrates with iOS CallKit so SIP calls look and behave like cellular calls. Encryption, multiple accounts, call transfer and conferencing are all included.
It is a one-time purchase per platform, roughly ten dollars, with no subscription. For field staff, on-call rotations or anyone forwarding a business number to a personal phone, it pays for itself the first time a free app misses a call.
Official download for Groundwire (Acrobits)
5. Sipnetic — Best free Android softphone
Platforms: Android
Price: Free
Encryption: TLS/SRTP
Mobile push: Yes
Sipnetic is the free Android app that solved the problem Groundwire charges for: reliable incoming calls through push notifications without wrecking battery life. It supports multiple SIP accounts, TLS/SRTP, Bluetooth headsets and Android's native call screen.
There is no iOS version and the developer is small, so keep a fallback in mind, but for Android users who will not pay for an app it is our first recommendation. Setup details are in the Sipnetic guide.
Official download for Sipnetic
6. Bria Solo — Best for teams that want support
Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Price: Subscription per user
Encryption: TLS/SRTP included
Mobile push: Yes
Bria (CounterPath, now part of Alianza) is the commercial standard: a polished client on every platform, a web portal that provisions accounts centrally, call recording, presence and busy-lamp fields in the team edition, and a support desk behind it. Everything is encrypted by default.
It is subscription-priced per user, which adds up across a company, and the free tier is deliberately limited. Choose it when you are equipping a team and want one vendor to call when a user's headset stops working.
Official download for Bria Solo
7. PhonerLite — Simplest Windows softphone
Platforms: Windows
Price: Free
Encryption: TLS/SRTP
Mobile push: n/a (desktop)
PhonerLite is a compact free Windows softphone from Germany with a plain, tabbed configuration screen, TLS/SRTP support, and unusually good diagnostics: it shows you registration status and SIP responses in plain language, which makes it a handy troubleshooting tool even if you deploy something else.
Development is slow and the look is dated, so it suits technicians and small offices rather than a modern branded rollout.
Official download for PhonerLite
8. Telephone — Minimal native Mac client
Platforms: macOS
Price: Free, open source
Encryption: Basic
Mobile push: n/a (desktop)
Telephone is a tiny, free, open-source softphone from the Mac App Store that does exactly three things: register, dial, and answer. It uses the native macOS look, integrates with Contacts, and gets out of the way.
It has no video, no push and few knobs, so treat it as the Mac equivalent of MicroSIP for a desk that just needs a dial pad. Mac users who want more should look at Zoiper or Linphone above.
Official download for Telephone
9. Grandstream Wave Lite — Free mobile with QR provisioning
Platforms: iOS, Android
Price: Free
Encryption: TLS/SRTP
Mobile push: Yes
Wave Lite is Grandstream's free mobile softphone and, despite the branding, it registers to any standard SIP provider, not only Grandstream PBXs. It handles up to six accounts, TLS/SRTP, Bluetooth, and QR-code provisioning so you can hand a user a printout and have them registered in seconds.
The interface is utilitarian and push reliability sits between the free and paid tiers above. It is a good pick for organisations that already run Grandstream hardware and want one vendor on every device.
Official download for Grandstream Wave Lite
10. Blink — Standards-heavy desktop client
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux
Price: Free, open source (Pro on Mac)
Encryption: TLS/SRTP/ZRTP
Mobile push: n/a (desktop)
Blink, from AG Projects, is the standards nerd's softphone: full TLS, SRTP and ZRTP, ICE and NAT traversal done properly, presence, chat and file transfer over SIP. Linux users in particular get a mature, actively maintained client here.
It is more than most users need and the Windows build lags the Mac and Linux ones, so it earns a place for engineers and Linux desktops rather than as a company default.
Official download for Blink
Troubleshooting Common Softphone Problems
Registration fails (401, 403, timeout)
Re-check the username, password and domain character by character; the domain is part of the credential. A 403 from IPComms usually means the account is not active or the IP is blocked after repeated bad passwords. A timeout means UDP 5060 or TLS 5061 is filtered by a firewall: switch transport to TCP or TLS, which pass through most networks.
Calls connect but there is no audio, or audio one way
Almost always NAT or a firewall blocking RTP. Turn off the app's own STUN/ICE settings, let the provider relay media, and on office firewalls disable SIP ALG. Our one-way audio guide covers each router family.
Incoming calls do not ring on mobile
Use an app with push notifications and exempt it from battery optimisation on Android. Apps that try to keep a permanent SIP registration alive in the background are killed by the OS within minutes.
Choppy or robotic audio
Move from congested 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi to 5 GHz or Ethernet, check other devices are not saturating the uplink, and prefer G.711 or Opus over G.729 on good connections. On a laptop, close video calls running in parallel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a SIP softphone?
A SIP softphone is an application that makes and receives phone calls over the internet using the Session Initiation Protocol, the same standard business phone systems and SIP trunks use. It replaces a desk phone: you sign in with the SIP username, password and server your provider gives you, and the app rings for calls to your business number and dials out with your caller ID.
What is the best free softphone in 2026?
For most people it is Zoiper on desktop and Sipnetic on Android; Linphone is the best free choice if you need TLS/SRTP encryption without paying. On Windows specifically, MicroSIP is the lightest and includes encryption and G.729 for nothing. iPhone users who need reliable incoming calls should pay about ten dollars for Groundwire.
Do I need a SIP account or provider to use a softphone?
Yes. A softphone is only the handset. It needs a SIP account from a SIP trunking provider or your company PBX to place and receive calls on the public phone network. With IPComms you create the account in the customer portal, add a phone number from $1.50 a month, and pay $0.009 a minute for calls; the softphone then registers to your SIP domain.
Are softphones secure?
They can be. Choose an app that supports TLS for signalling and SRTP for audio (Linphone, MicroSIP, Groundwire, Bria and Blink include both; Zoiper needs the Pro license), enable them, and register only to a provider that offers TLS on port 5061. Always download from the developer's own site or the official app store, never from a download portal that wraps the installer.
Why does my softphone not ring for incoming calls on mobile?
Mobile operating systems suspend background apps, so a softphone that keeps its own SIP registration alive will miss calls and drain the battery. Apps with a push-notification service (Groundwire, Sipnetic, Bria, Linphone, Wave Lite) wake up when a call arrives. If calls still fail, check battery-optimisation exemptions on Android and that your SIP provider supports the app's push server.
Can I use a softphone and a desk phone on the same number?
Yes. Most SIP providers allow several devices to register to one extension and ring them together; IPComms allows up to 15 registrations per extension. Answer on whichever device is closest and the others stop ringing.
Which softphone works best with Asterisk, FreePBX or 3CX?
Any standards-based softphone on this list registers to Asterisk and FreePBX; MicroSIP and Zoiper are the most common desktop pairings and Linphone or Groundwire on mobile. 3CX ships its own apps and expects you to use them. See our guide to softphones for Asterisk and FreePBX for extension-side settings.
How much bandwidth does a softphone call use?
About 85 to 100 kbps in each direction with G.711, the codec every app here supports, and 20 to 40 kbps with Opus or G.729. A normal home or office broadband connection handles many simultaneous calls; what matters more is a stable connection with low jitter, so prefer wired or 5 GHz Wi-Fi over congested 2.4 GHz networks.
