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Zadarma is a hosted phone system with a free plan, international call routing, browser-based calls and CRM support. Developers looking to replace it may want an application API, a real-time platform they can adapt, or a different carrier connection—not another PBX with the same tradeoffs. The alternatives below cover those architectures. Listed starting prices are not comparable to per-call costs: check number, minute and usage charges before moving production traffic.
01Why people leave Zadarma
You need an application API
A hosted phone system and a programmable communications API solve different integration problems. Pick an API platform if calls need to become part of your application workflow.
You need more control
Open-source options such as LiveKit may suit teams building real-time products. Check what you would need to operate and integrate before replacing phone routing.
Call setup needs investigation
Reddit reports range from successful use to missed calls and one-way audio. Commenters point to RTP blocking or double NAT as possible causes; test your network and routing.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Programmable communications
TwilioTwilioTwilio is a fit when you want voice inside a broader application, alongside messaging, email or identity APIs. The listed starting price is $15, with a free plan; that is not a per-call estimate. Treat the switch as an application integration, map your existing call flows, and check production costs and carrier rules before moving traffic.
Trade-off: Production costs and carrier rules need attention.
7.3/10from
$15/mofree plan - Hosted WebRTC and agents
DailyDailyDaily combines hosted WebRTC infrastructure with Pipecat for teams building real-time voice calls or deploying agents. The listing marks it open source and starts at $0 with a free plan; production costs scale by participant-minutes. It may fit a product built around WebRTC better than a hosted phone system, but confirm how your phone-number and routing needs map to it.
Trade-off: Participant-minutes drive production costs.
7.7/10from
Freefree plan - Carrier APIs and inference
TelnyxTelnyxTelnyx combines carrier APIs with an edge runtime and hosted inference, making it relevant if your replacement needs both communications and voice AI. Its listed starting price is $0, with costs tied to usage. Plan the migration around the APIs and services your application will call, then model those usage charges against your expected traffic.
Trade-off: Usage-based costs need modeling.
7.8/10from
$5,000/mofree plan - Open-source real-time agents
LiveKitLiveKitLiveKit suits teams building real-time AI agents that need voice, telephony and model flexibility. It is listed as open source and starts at $50 with a free plan. That gives developers a different foundation from a hosted phone system, but the production bill spans more than session minutes, so account for the rest of the stack too.
Trade-off: Production bills include more than session minutes.
8.1/10from
$50/mofree plan - Communications APIs
Vonage Communications APIsVonage Communications APIsVonage offers communications APIs for voice workflows, video, messaging and network-powered security. The listed starting price is $10.49. Choose it when those building blocks match your application better than a hosted PBX; before porting call flows, confirm the API pricing and production limits that apply to your use case.
Trade-off: Confirm API pricing and limits before committing.
5.0/10from
$10.49/mo - Carrier connectivity
Bandwidth Communications APIsBandwidth Communications APIsBandwidth is aimed at enterprise communications platforms and teams that need carrier connectivity for voice or messaging applications. Its listed starting price is not available, so there is no published entry figure to compare with Zadarma’s free plan. Ask for full production costs and integration details before estimating a migration.
Trade-off: Starting price and production costs need confirmation.
6.8/10from
Custom
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zadarma Zadarma (current) | 5.8 | Free | Yes | Small teams needing a free PBX |
| Twilio Twilio | 7.3 | $15/mo | Yes | Teams building multichannel communications |
| Daily Daily | 7.7 | Free | Yes | Teams building realtime voice calls |
| Telnyx Telnyx | 7.8 | $5,000/mo | Yes | Teams building voice AI agents |
| LiveKit LiveKit | 8.1 | $50/mo | Yes | Teams building real-time AI agents |
| Vonage Communications APIs Vonage Communications APIs | 5.0 | $10.49/mo | No | Teams adding voice to customer workflows |
| Bandwidth Communications APIs Bandwidth Communications APIs | 6.8 | Custom | No | Enterprise communications platforms |
Questions people ask
Which Zadarma alternative is cheapest?
Daily and Telnyx are listed from $0, and both have different architectures from a hosted phone system. That starting price does not establish which will cost less for your traffic. Daily production costs scale by participant-minutes, while Telnyx costs are tied to usage. Compare number, call and other usage charges for your own volume.
Which Zadarma alternative is open source?
Daily and LiveKit are marked open source. LiveKit is listed for real-time AI agents, voice, telephony and model flexibility; Daily combines hosted WebRTC infrastructure with Pipecat. Confirm the licence and which components you can run or modify before planning around self-hosting.
Can I keep my phone numbers and call routing?
Do not assume numbers or routing transfer unchanged. Check number porting, country coverage, SIP compatibility and call-flow support with the provider before switching. Zadarma users on Reddit report different call outcomes, including missed calls and one-way audio; commenters suggest checking network conditions such as RTP blocking or double NAT.