Free Call Center Software That Punches Above Its Weight

Here's the short answer: truly free call center software exists, but almost none of it is "free" in the way you'd hope. You'll find free plans that cap users, free plans that expire, free software that charges for every minute, and free open-source systems that cost you a weekend of Linux wrangling. The trick is picking the kind of free that matches your team.

I checked every vendor's live pricing page in October 2026, and a few plans you might remember are gone. Below is what's actually free right now, what each option is good for, and the point where paying $12 a month beats bending a free plan out of shape.

What "free" actually means in call center software

Before you sign up for anything, know which flavor of free you're getting. There are four:

• Free forever with a user cap. Real free plans, but usually limited to 2-5 seats and often missing the phone channel entirely.
• Free plan, paid minutes. The software costs nothing, but every call goes on a usage bill.
• Free for a limited time. A $0 plan that turns into a paid one after a few months.
• Free and open source. No license fee, but you host it, connect a carrier, and maintain it.

The phone part is always the expensive part. Phone numbers, carrier minutes, and SMS registration cost vendors real money, so nobody gives those away for long. That's why the best free setups usually pair a free ticketing tool with a cheap phone line. If you want the bigger picture first, our call center software category lists every tool we track.

The free plans worth your time

CallHippo: the closest thing to a free phone system

CallHippo has the most generous free calling offer I found, with one big catch. Its Basic calling plan is $0 per user, but only for the first six months after signup. You still pay for your phone numbers. After six months, you move to Starter at $18 per user per month (billed annually).

What you get on Basic is a real phone system, not a demo:

• Inbound and outbound calling, with voicemail
• Click-to-dial and business hours routing
• SMS and MMS
• Desktop and mobile apps

CallHippo also has a separate Omnichannel Inbox with a Basic tier that's free for up to 3 users and doesn't list a time limit. Six months is plenty of time to learn whether your team even needs a dedicated phone system, which is the question most small teams should answer before they spend anything.

Best for: new teams that want to test real call routing before committing.

Zoho Voice: free software, pay-per-minute calls

Zoho Voice's Solo plan is listed as free, with call charges applied on top. It covers inbound and outbound calls, voicemail, call detail records, call recording, and native connections to other Zoho apps, plus mobile and desktop apps.

The math works if your volume is low. You pay for what you dial and nothing more. Once you need IVR menus, queues, or more users, the Basic plan starts at US$34 per user per month (billed annually). Zoho also offers a 15-day free trial of its paid plans.

Best for: solo operators and Zoho shops with light call volume.

HubSpot: free help desk for two

HubSpot's free tools include help desk ticketing, a shared inbox, and live chat (with HubSpot branding) for up to 2 users, no credit card required. That's a solid free base for logging and routing customer conversations.

What it doesn't include is calling. HubSpot's pricing page lists calling minutes only on paid tiers, starting with 500 minutes and one number on Starter. So treat the free plan as the system of record, not the phone.

Best for: teams that already track customers in HubSpot.

Help Scout and Zoho Desk: free ticketing to pair with a phone line

If you need somewhere to put calls after they end (notes, follow-ups, callbacks), a free help desk does the job:

• Help Scout has a Free plan with 5 users, 1 inbox, and 1 Docs site. It's email-first and doesn't include phone, but it's one of the friendliest free inboxes around.
• Zoho Desk has a Free Edition with 3 user licenses for email ticketing. Built-in telephony only starts on the Professional plan at US$23 per user per month (billed annually).

Pair either one with a cheap phone line and you have a workable two-tool call center. We cover the trade-offs between the big help desks in Freshdesk vs Help Scout, and our list of help desks with native phone integration shows which ones handle calls without a second tool.

VICIdial: free and open source, if you can run a server

VICIdial is an open-source contact center suite, licensed under AGPLv2 with no software licensing cost. It handles inbound queues, outbound dialing, and agent screens, and it's been around for years.

"No licensing cost" isn't the same as "no cost," though. You need a server, a SIP trunk from a carrier, and someone comfortable with Linux and Asterisk. For a team with an in-house technical person, it's the only option on this list with no user cap at all. For everyone else, the setup time costs more than a paid plan.

Best for: technical teams that want full control and unlimited agents.

Free plans that disappeared (or never existed)

A lot of "best free call center software" lists are out of date. Here's what changed:

• Freshdesk no longer shows a free plan. Its pricing page now starts at Growth for $19 per agent per month (billed annually), with a 14-day trial of the Enterprise plan.
• Zendesk doesn't have a free plan. It offers a 14-day trial of Suite Professional. The exception is Zendesk for Startups, which gives early-stage startups a 6-month trial of the Zendesk Suite for up to 50 agents. If you qualify, that's the most generous "free" deal in support software. See Zendesk for the full plan breakdown.
• Most VoIP providers are trial-only. Expect 7-14 days, not a permanent free tier.

If you were planning on one of these, check our roundup of affordable Zendesk alternatives instead.

When $12 a month beats free

Free plans run out of road fast once your phones get busy. Here's the honest comparison:

KrispCall: the cheapest real upgrade

KrispCall has no free plan, but its Starter plan is $12 per user per month (billed annually) for teams of up to 5. Each user gets one free US, Canadian, or UK number, 200 outbound and 200 inbound minutes, 100 SMS segments, and a $1 testing credit. It also includes multi-level IVR and call monitoring, which free plans almost never do. There's a 14-day refund window on the subscription. Our KrispCall pricing deep dive goes through the add-ons.

Calilio: same price, different bundle

Calilio's Standard plan is also $12 per user per month billed annually ($15 monthly). It includes one free virtual number, 200 outgoing and 100 incoming minutes, 200 SMS, and a $1 credit. When the bundle runs out, calls bill from your wallet. Our Calilio review covers call quality and the AI features.

For more cheap phone systems, see the best affordable VoIP phone systems for small teams.

When AI answering is worth paying for

If your real problem is missed calls after hours, no free plan fixes that. Distance runs AI agents that answer phone, text, chat, and social messages for service businesses, then turn each conversation into a ticket. Pricing is custom, so it's a step past "cheap," but one recovered job can cover a month for a plumbing or HVAC business.

How to build a $0 call center stack

Here's the setup I'd use for a team of 2-5 people starting from zero:

1. Start CallHippo's free Basic calling plan for the phone line, and pay only for your number.
2. Add Help Scout's Free plan (5 users) or HubSpot's free tools (2 users) to log every call as a conversation.
3. Write down your call volume weekly. Track missed calls, average handle time, and callbacks.
4. Before month six, decide. If you're above a few hundred minutes a month per person, move to a $12 plan with bundled minutes instead of CallHippo's $18 Starter.

Connecting the phone and the help desk is where most teams get stuck. Our guide to wiring call center software into your stack covers that part, and our cost justification framework helps you decide when the paid upgrade earns its keep. For fully featured options, browse the best call center software for small businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there completely free call center software?

Yes, but with limits. VICIdial is open source with no licensing cost, though you pay for hosting and a carrier. CallHippo's Basic calling plan is $0 for the first six months, and Zoho Voice's Solo plan is free apart from call charges. Nobody gives away phone minutes indefinitely.

Does Freshdesk still have a free plan?

Not on its current pricing page. As of October 2026, Freshdesk plans start at Growth for $19 per agent per month billed annually, and new signups get a 14-day trial of the Enterprise plan.

Does Zendesk have a free plan for call centers?

No. Zendesk offers a 14-day free trial of Suite Professional. Early-stage startups can apply to Zendesk for Startups, which provides a 6-month trial of the Zendesk Suite for up to 50 agents.

What's the cheapest call center software with a free phone number?

KrispCall Starter and Calilio Standard both cost $12 per user per month billed annually and include one free number per user, along with bundled call minutes and SMS.

Can I run a call center with free help desk software?

You can run the ticketing side for free. Help Scout's Free plan covers 5 users and HubSpot's free tools cover 2. Neither includes calling, so pair them with a phone system like CallHippo or Zoho Voice.

When should I upgrade from a free plan?

Upgrade when you need more seats than the free plan allows, IVR menus or call queues, or predictable monthly costs. Pay-per-minute plans get expensive once each agent handles a few hundred minutes a month.

Is open-source call center software worth it?

Only if you have someone technical on staff. VICIdial removes license fees and user caps, but you handle the server, carrier connection, security, and updates yourself.