--- title: 'Best 3CX Alternatives in Kenya (2026): Business Phone Systems Compared' description: >- 3CX alternatives for Kenyan businesses in 2026: Sautikit, Yeastar, Grandstream UCM, FreePBX and Helloduty compared on price, numbers and setup. summary: >- Most PBXs, 3CX included, ship no numbers or minutes. This guide compares five alternatives on what you pay, what you still need to buy and who sets it up. date: 2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z type: blog --- ## Summary The best 3CX alternative for most Kenyan businesses is one that includes the phone line, because 3CX and the other PBXs on this list do not. Sautikit gives you a Kenyan number at KES 116 a month including VAT, free inbound calls, outbound calls at KES 3.00 a minute billed per second, and free apps for web, Android and Windows (iOS and macOS in beta), all paid from one prepaid KES wallet with no installer. Yeastar P-Series, Grandstream UCM and FreePBX are PBXs like 3CX: you still add a SIP trunk or phone lines, numbers and usually an installer. If what you need is a staffed call centre with an agent inbox, Helloduty is the option built for that. Facts about other products below come from their own websites, fetched on 23 September 2026. Each one is linked. Prices and plans change, so check the source before you buy. ## The alternatives at a glance | Option | What it is | Numbers and minutes included? | Price published? | Who sets it up | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | | **Sautikit** | Kenyan numbers, calls, apps and API | **Yes**, KES, prepaid | **Yes**: KES 116/month number, KES 3.00/min out | You, in minutes | | 3CX (via a reseller) | PBX software licence | No, "bring your own trunk" | Licence yes (USD); trunk and install by quote | A 3CX partner | | Yeastar P-Series | PBX: cloud, software or appliance | No, "bring your own trunk" | Appliance plans yes (USD); cloud and software on request | A Yeastar distributor | | Grandstream UCM6300 | On-premise IP PBX appliance | No, connects to phone lines | Not on the product page | Installer or your IT | | FreePBX | Open-source PBX software on Asterisk | No | Software free; commercial version sold by Sangoma | Your IT | | Helloduty | Call-centre and customer-engagement platform | Voice runs on Sautikit | See helloduty.com | Book a demo on helloduty.com | ## 1. Sautikit: the number, the minutes and the apps in one [Sautikit](/) is a phone number and a phone system in one account. There is nothing to install and no licence to buy. - **Number:** KES 100 a month ex. VAT, **KES 116 including VAT**, no setup fee, live in seconds from the console or the API. - **Calls:** inbound free; outbound **KES 3.00 a minute, billed per second** from connect. - **Apps:** SautiKit Phone on the [web](https://phone.sautikit.com), [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sautikit.phone) and [Windows](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mxvnklz324k), with iOS and macOS in beta on [TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/sYaGFBDv). One account signs in on every device. More on the [apps page](/phone). - **Desk phones:** any phone or app that registers with a SIP username and password can use your number. Server `sip.sautikit.com`, port `5080`, UDP. - **Features:** call forwarding to one or more phones, business hours per number, call recording (1 GB free, kept 24 hours; longer on paid storage), and managed AI agents that can answer every call or only after hours. - **Payment:** a prepaid KES wallet topped up by M-Pesa STK push or card. A 10-person office that shares one number pays KES 1,392 a year for it, including VAT. Giving all 10 staff their own direct number costs KES 13,920 a year. Every 1,000 outbound minutes costs KES 3,000. Full breakdown: [Sautikit vs 3CX pricing](/compare/3cx#pricing). Already own a PBX? Sautikit can be its line instead of replacing it. See [Use Sautikit as a SIP trunk](/developers/guides/use-sautikit-as-a-sip-trunk). ## 2. 3CX, installed by a Kenyan reseller The option most people are searching away from, included here as the baseline. - **What it is:** PBX software priced as "a flat cost per 3CX system per year based on the number of calls (SC) - internal and external - happening at the same time" ([3cx.com pricing](https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/), September 2026). - **Price:** for 8 simultaneous calls, $300 (Basic), $395 (PRO) or $575 (AI) a year, excluding tax and VAT, as listed on 23 September 2026 while a promotion banner ending 30 September 2026 was showing. 3CX SMB Free is "free for up to 10 users" ([3CX pricing FAQ](https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/faq/), September 2026). - **What you still need:** a SIP trunk and numbers ("Bring your own trunk & numbers" is 3CX's own feature line), plus a server or the "Hosted by 3CX" annual charge. - **How you buy it:** "You can buy 3CX from a 3CX Partner" ([3CX pricing FAQ](https://www.3cx.com/ordering/pricing/faq/), September 2026). In Kenya that means resellers such as Talinda, Red Star Africa, Call Experts, Cloud One, PBX PABX Nairobi and Adcare IT. The full cost breakdown is on [Sautikit vs 3CX](/compare/3cx). ## 3. Yeastar P-Series - **What it is:** "A unified system for voice, video, team chat and messaging", sold as a Cloud, Software or Appliance edition, with Linkus apps for Android and iOS and clients for web, Windows and Mac ([Yeastar P-Series Cloud Edition](https://www.yeastar.com/p-series-cloud-edition/), September 2026). - **Price:** Appliance Edition plans are listed in US dollars per PBX model. Yeastar's FAQ on that page says the listed prices are "for P-Series Appliance Edition only" and, for Cloud and Software Edition, "please contact us" ([Yeastar plans and pricing](https://www.yeastar.com/buy-p-series-plan/), September 2026). The plans attach to an appliance you already own: the order form asks for the PBX serial number. - **Free trial:** 30 days with "10 extensions and 10 concurrent calls" ([Yeastar P-Series Cloud Edition](https://www.yeastar.com/p-series-cloud-edition/), September 2026). - **What you still need:** a trunk and numbers. Yeastar's own site lists "Bring Your Own Trunk & Numbers" under why to choose it ([yeastar.com](https://www.yeastar.com/p-series-cloud-edition/), September 2026). - **How you buy it:** through a certified distributor; Kenya is one of the countries in Yeastar's distributor finder ([Find a Yeastar Distributor](https://www.yeastar.com/find-a-distributor/), September 2026). A Yeastar PBX can use a Sautikit number as its trunk: see [Connect a Yeastar P-Series PBX](/developers/guides/connect-yeastar). ## 4. Grandstream UCM6300 series - **What it is:** an on-premise IP PBX appliance. The series "supports up to 3000 users and up to 450 concurrent calls" at the top of the range, and is "based on Asterisk version 16" ([UCM6300 series page](https://www.grandstream.com/products/ip-pbxs/ucm-series-ip-pbxs/product/ucm6300-series-ip-pbx) and [datasheet](https://www.grandstream.com/hubfs/Product_Documentation/Datasheet_UCM6300_Series_English.pdf), September 2026). - **Apps:** the Wave app for Android and iOS, Chrome and Firefox browsers, and Windows and Mac computers (same product page, September 2026). - **Price:** no price on the UCM6300 product page; for purchasing, the site points you to its Contact Us form ([grandstream.com](https://www.grandstream.com/products/ip-pbxs/ucm-series-ip-pbxs/product/ucm6300-series-ip-pbx), September 2026). - **What you still need:** the phone lines. The UCM6301, UCM6302, UCM6304 and UCM6308 have 1, 2, 4 and 8 PSTN line (FXO) ports respectively ([datasheet](https://www.grandstream.com/hubfs/Product_Documentation/Datasheet_UCM6300_Series_English.pdf), September 2026). Numbers and minutes come from whoever supplies those lines. You also need someone to install and configure the box. Grandstream desk phones can register straight to a Sautikit number, no PBX needed: see [Connect a Grandstream phone](/developers/guides/connect-grandstream-phone). ## 5. FreePBX - **What it is:** "a web-based open-source GUI for controlling and managing Asterisk". Sangoma is "the primary developer and sponsor" of both Asterisk and FreePBX ([Sangoma open source](https://sangoma.com/products/open-source/), September 2026). - **Price:** the FreePBX framework is released under the GPL-3.0 licence ([FreePBX on GitHub](https://github.com/FreePBX/framework), September 2026). Sangoma also sells PBXact, "a commercial UC system officially supported by Sangoma's in-house development and support staff" ([Sangoma open source](https://sangoma.com/products/open-source/), September 2026). - **What you still need:** a server to install it on, a SIP trunk with numbers, and someone to install and run it. ## 6. Helloduty: when you need a call centre, not a phone system [Helloduty](https://helloduty.com) describes itself as "AI Call Center & Customer Engagement for Africa", covering SMS, USSD, WhatsApp, voice and CRM (helloduty.com, September 2026). Its voice runs on Sautikit. Choose it when you are staffing a support or sales desk rather than just giving staff a phone line. ## How to choose - **You want working business phones this week, with no installer:** Sautikit. - **You already own 3CX, Yeastar or another PBX and it works:** keep it, and point it at a Sautikit number as its line. - **You run a support or sales team that needs an agent desk:** Helloduty. - **You have in-house IT and want to run your own PBX server:** FreePBX or a Grandstream UCM, plus a trunk. ## FAQ ### What is the cheapest alternative to 3CX in Kenya? A 3CX licence costs nothing on SMB Free and from $300 a year on Basic, but it includes no numbers or minutes. Sautikit has no licence fee: a Kenyan number is KES 116 a month including VAT, inbound calls are free and outbound calls are KES 3.00 a minute billed per second, with the apps free to download. ### Do I need a SIP trunk with 3CX, Yeastar or FreePBX? Yes. 3CX and Yeastar both list "bring your own trunk and numbers" on their own sites, and FreePBX is software you connect to a trunk yourself. Sautikit can be that trunk: any PBX that registers with a SIP username and password can use a Sautikit number as its line. ### Can I use my desk phones without a PBX? Yes, if the phone registers with a SIP username and password. Add the phone as a device under your Sautikit number's **SIP & Devices** tab, type in the server, port, username and password, and it registers to your number directly, with no PBX in between. ### Is there a free 3CX alternative? FreePBX is released under the GPL-3.0 licence, and 3CX SMB Free is free for up to 10 users. Both still need a server, a trunk and numbers. Sautikit's apps are free to download; you pay only for the number and outbound minutes. ### Does Sautikit have an app like the 3CX app? Yes. SautiKit Phone runs on the web, Android and Windows, with iOS and macOS in beta on TestFlight, and one account signs in on every device. See the [apps page](/phone).