Aria

Aria is a native SIP softphone for people who already use a standards-compliant SIP service or server. It is strongest as a private, multi-account desktop client for personal and other non-commercial calling, while organisations and mobile-first users face important qualifications. The free licence is unusually broad for individual use, but the absence of released mobile apps and the separate business licence materially shape the buying decision.

Overview

Aria connects directly to SIP infrastructure rather than providing browser calling or requiring a bundled telephone service. It names Asterisk, FreeSWITCH and 3CX among compatible servers, so it is a sensible front end for an existing self-hosted or hosted deployment. It also works with the maker's AriaRoute hosted PBX, which adds numbers, extensions, an auto-attendant, ring groups, voicemail and call recording.

There is no browser calling, and the iOS and Android applications remain in testing without released builds. That makes Aria a desktop-led choice today, not a complete cross-device replacement for a mature mobile softphone.

Key features

The calling set covers inbound and outbound calls, mute, hold, transfer, DTMF, presence, contacts and call history. Multiple accounts are supported, and the free plan allows unlimited calls, which is useful for someone maintaining several personal SIP identities without monitoring a usage quota.

Voice options include Opus at up to 48 kHz, G.711 and an adaptive jitter buffer. Those standards give Aria room to work across different SIP environments, while local WAV recording keeps recordings on the device. Recording still carries consent and regulatory responsibilities for the caller. An opt-in build feature can transcribe and summarise calls locally, but it is not part of the default download, so it should not be treated as a standard installation feature.

SIP signalling can use TLS and media can use SRTP with AES-128-CM and HMAC-SHA1-80. This protects transport rather than providing end-to-end encryption, a meaningful limitation for conversations requiring confidentiality beyond the normal SIP path. The privacy policy says Aria has no telemetry or analytics and does not phone home; credentials, contacts, call history and recordings are stored locally. That is a strong fit for users who want to minimise cloud processing, provided they can secure the device and its local files.

Desktop installers for macOS, Windows and Linux are signed and support in-app updates. The planned mobile integrations target iOS CallKit and PushKit, plus Android ConnectionService and FCM. Until those apps ship, the self-hosted push gateway is relevant only to a future mobile deployment: it uses APNs and FCM, stores data in SQLite and exposes a REST API for device registration and call signalling, and is required for background incoming calls on mobile.

Pricing

Free

The Free plan costs nothing, billed at $0 forever. It includes personal and non-commercial use, unlimited calls, multi-account support and the core softphone features, with community support. This is a generous fit for individual SIP users and hobbyist self-hosters. It cannot be used for business activity, and there is no free trial because the plan itself is permanently free.

Commercial

The Commercial plan uses custom pricing: billed as “Contact Us”. It grants a business-use licence, priority email support, custom branding and white-label options, custom development, a dedicated account manager and SLA guarantees. Companies that need contractual support or a branded client should consider it; organisations seeking a published, predictable per-seat cost cannot budget from the stated terms alone.

Platforms

Aria has desktop applications for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus self-hosted and API components. Android and iOS are described as testing builds rather than released apps. There is no web client, so desktop installation or an existing SIP integration is required.

Who it's for

Choose Aria if you run Asterisk, FreeSWITCH, 3CX, AriaRoute or another standards-compliant SIP service and want unlimited, multi-account desktop calling without a subscription for non-commercial use. Its local storage and no-telemetry policy also suit privacy-conscious individuals. Look elsewhere if your work is commercial and you need a licence immediately, if browser access is essential, or if staff require a released mobile app with background calling today.

Pros and cons

• Pros: The free plan permits unlimited calls and multiple accounts, removing common personal-use caps.
• Pros: TLS, SRTP options, local recordings and local account data support a privacy-conscious desktop setup.
• Pros: Signed installers and in-app updates cover all three major desktop operating systems.
• Cons: Business use requires a separate commercial licence, and commercial pricing is custom rather than published.
• Cons: iOS and Android releases are not yet available, while background mobile calling would require the push gateway.
• Cons: Transport encryption is not end-to-end encryption, and local transcription requires a special build.

Alternatives

Browse Softphone Software for the wider category. Pick Blink instead if you need released Android, iOS or web availability alongside desktop downloads; its free desktop build requires a SIP account. Linphone is the better choice when open-source licensing under GNU GPLv3 or web support matters. Siperb Mobile Softphone suits users wanting a personal tier with mobile and web platforms, accepting limited storage and seven-day logs. Choose SipPulse Softphone for a free app offering iOS, Android, Windows and Linux with unlimited users and installations. Zoiper is an alternative for a non-commercial free desktop client limited to one account and two lines. Bria Solo fits users who want a free trial and a paid cross-platform plan, though its free tier limits devices, accounts and weekly calls. AGEphone is another personal-use option with separate cloud or business requirements for commercial use. MicroSIP is preferable when you specifically want a GPL v2 Windows desktop client or a one-time custom-branded build.

Verdict

Aria is a strong recommendation for personal SIP users who value unlimited calls, multiple accounts and local data on a signed Windows, macOS or Linux client. Its main reason to choose it is the capable free desktop licence; its main reason to look elsewhere is that commercial users need custom licensing and mobile users must wait for unreleased apps.