ORIGINAL REDDIT POST

Is there a self hosted Google Voice alternative?

I’m not sure if this is something I can self host. I’m looking for a way to have an anonymous phone number like how I have with Google Voice. I use it for one time sign ups often. Google is selling the data about who calls or texts that number and I just want…

Original postr/selfhosted

I’m not sure if this is something I can self host. I’m looking for a way to have an anonymous phone number like how I have with Google Voice. I use it for one time sign ups often. Google is selling the data about who calls or texts that number and I just want to have my own version. Is there a self hosted alternative to Google Voice l?

Collected discussion

14 comments

u/asimovs-auditor

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u/OcotilloWells

Note: FreePBX is just a shell over Asterisk. I can't comment on 3CX, never administered it.

u/morbidpete84

3cx is its own thing but still uses a lot of code from Asterix, but the company itself is run by legit douchebags. Look them up. The whole C-Suite. I was in the voice game for a long time

u/hoffsta

It’s actually not bad at all. I’ve been self-hosting PBX with voip.ms and bulkvs as the service provider for over a decade and it’s been extremely reliable.

u/phinohan1960

Go to nerdvittles.com and follow the instructions for a simple install on proxmox. I have run my own pbx since 2006. I run it on a vps from crowncloud for $24 per year. I have never had any downtime. A bulk vs number is about $1 per year. Sms is a pain but if you can handle some scripting it is easy enough. You can also use textable.co which gives you mobile apps and such. If you follow Ward Mundy's advice from Nerdvittles you can be running in no time.

u/phinohan1960

You can get a voip phone number from many providers who don't sell your call records. I use bulkvs but many others like voip ms are good choices. Set up voip software on your phone. Sms can be a pain but I've had it working.

u/ehansen

You can self host a pbx like asterisk , at least it used to be a thing. And hook twilio , clicksend or another provider to it. But ymmv. Managing a pbx set up is about as intense as email, which is why most don't do it.

u/luisbandalap

You can configure a PBX software like asterisk (very very hard to configure) or something easier like FreePBX/3CX (disclaimer: this is still hard to configure). VoIP configuration is difficult if you don't have any experience with it and may lead to vulnerabilities or monetary loses. Put your PBX vm/container isolated from everything else and use voip providers where you pre paid everything and don't allow for balance auto recharges.

u/showbizusa25

The Google Voice equivalent isn't something you can fully self-host. You can self-host Asterisk/FreePBX, but you'll still need a SIP provider for the actual phone number. The upside is you own the PBX and your call data instead of Google.

u/achiya-automation

ran into this with twilio numbers - a lot of signup flows detect voip and just won't send the verification text. some services take them, plenty don't.

u/TechMaven-Geospatial

Not the phone but voice amd video calls use FLUXER

u/Responsible_Fruit841

you can run asterisk or freepbx on a cheap vps and get a sip number from a provider that does not log calls

u/ifyoudothingsright1

Not free, but still kinda cheap, and able to integrate with some self hosting solutions, https://jmp.chat