PortaSwitch vs Sippy: Comparing VoIP Platforms for Growing Operators
Comparing PortaSwitch and Sippy? Both support VoIP operations, but they differ in platform architecture, billing, integrations, reseller management, and scalability.
PortaSwitch: Telecom Billing Software & SIP Softswitch Platform
PortaSwitch is telecom billing software — a unified service management & delivery platform for voice, messaging, IoT/M2M, and data traffic within a single converged network.
Most telcos are now relying on their software vendors for integration and maintenance.
If this sounds like your company, you may be experiencing…
- Frustration associated with integrating UCaaS platforms with billing
- Ambiguous licensing that has hidden costs and poses a threat to profitability
- Vulnerability due to an inability to scale with legacy, on-premise solutions
Discover a better way
Get PortaBilling and PortaSIP in one – convergent billing and online charging system PLUS class 4 and 5 SIP softswitch.
Instant deployment
Implement your PortaSwitch cloud installation within a day
Quickly launch new services
Efficiently scale your PortaSwitch cloud installation without any additional expense
Deliver a feature-rich experience
And deliver it directly to your customer’s browser, applications, or desk phone
Uninterrupted service
Plus get zero downtime during updates with geographic redundancy across the globe
Unmatchable scalability
Choose your ideal processing capacity and increase it on demand at any time
PortaSwitch is deployed by over 500 telcos worldwide
What makes PortaSwitch a favorite in telecom circles?
For over 20 years we have grown to provide services for some of the biggest telcos in the world – while maintaining our key principles of being fair, honest, and invested in our customers and their success through transparent pricing and flexible services.
Reliability and redundancy
Clustering and geo‑redundancy provide high-availability configuration and zero downtime for updates
Open architecture
PortaOne provides both APIs and source code for PortaSwitch to allow an easy integration
Scalability for growth
Our platforms can easily scale up by adding more servers to match your project’s success
Agile development
PortaOne delivers more than 20 software builds per year – new features are available every 7 weeks
24/7 technical support
Our technical support is praised as best-in-industry, with 180 engineers ready to help whenever you need it
Sign up for PortaSwitch today and enjoy getting more
PortaSwitch offers so much more than traditional switches. Combining PortaBilling and PortaSIP, you get a unified service management and delivery platform comprised of:
- a business support system (BSS) to manage communication service networks for voice, data, SMS, IPTV, and IoT/M2M projects
- a switch with a media application that plays IVR (voice prompts) offering advanced features for hosted IP PBX or IP Centrex services
- BONUS: There are no restrictions on equipment, so there is no need to change vendor or models
How you benefit
Experience a solution that will make your business run smoother, quicker, and even happier.
- Speed up your path to profitability by launching new services more quickly, even with big systems
- Relax while we deliver a feature-rich experience directly to your customers
- Have confidence in guaranteed excellent operational uptime across different geographical regions
- Experience peace of mind and self-sufficiency with online self-care and open architecture
Deploy and pay exactly the way you want
It’s completely up to you how to run your operations. PortaOne guarantees the best value for any option you choose.
Deployment scenarios
On-premise
Install on your own hardware and host it in your favorite datacenter.
In the cloud
Oracle datacenter hosting available for SaaS subscriptions.
Payment options
Unlimited license
A one-time payment gets you an unlimited and perpetual license for installation of a specified number of servers.
Monthly SaaS Subscription
Based on a value metric with an initial setup charge. Always includes hosting and support.
All options include:
Dual Version
Our solution for smooth and painless updates across multiple major releases of PortaOne software.
Configurator
A tool to automate server installations and update processes, enabling secure testing and rollback to a previous version if necessary.
How PortaOne onboards our customers
Download ›
Sign up & pay; download or get system in the cloud
2 business days
Install ›
Installation for on-premise is done in-house by the client
1-3 business days
Systems check › Support teams verify and test protocols remotely
2-3 business days
Learn ›Training sessions are held for relevant customer employees
2 business days
FAQ
Deployment and Infrastructure
How can a service provider migrate existing customers from a legacy system (like BroadSoft or 3CX) to PortaSwitch with complete PBX configuration (such as customer profiles, SIP credentials, or routing rules)?
PortaOne starts every migration with a Discovery phase. A business analyst and migration engineer analyze the service provider’s requirements, existing documentation, and business flows, define what will and won’t be migrated, and identify any gaps. Together with the service provider, PortaOne prioritizes and estimates the high-priority items. The service provider then receives a “Scope of Work” document and timeline before anything progresses.
Direct access to the legacy software platform’s database is not mandatory. If the legacy vendor restricts data exports, PortaOne can work with standard-format files exported by the service provider from their system, and map data from that legacy system to PortaSwitch. If the legacy format requires adaptation or out-of-the-box tools do not fully cover mapping data, PortaOne engineers write custom migration scripts to handle the translation. If a feature the service provider relies on doesn’t exist in PortaSwitch yet, the development team can implement it in upcoming releases.
PortaOne can manage the migration process end-to-end, coordinating planning, data preparation, execution, and post-migration support.
Two migration strategies are available: run both systems in parallel and switch to PortaSwitch once migration is complete, or move everything in a single planned operation.
How does PortaSwitch ensure geo-redundancy and automatic SIP traffic failover during a data center outage?
PortaSwitch is built on a multi-site architecture comprising a main site and secondary sites in separate locations. Each secondary site continuously replicates data from the main site, so it always has the latest customer and service data.
Traffic distribution between sites is managed by the Dispatching Session Border Controller (DSBC). If the main site becomes unavailable due to a power outage, network failure, or a natural disaster, the DSBC automatically redirects all incoming SIP traffic and device registrations to the secondary site, which switches into stand-alone mode, all without any manual intervention. Customers can continue making and receiving calls, and their balances are tracked accurately during the outage. Once the main site comes back online, the DSBC redirects traffic back to it, and all accumulated changes are synced automatically.
How does PortaSwitch enable real-time billing for SIP calls and prevent prepaid balance overruns?
PortaSwitch handles authorization and charging in real time through its billing engine, PortaBilling. When a customer dials a number, PortaBilling authenticates the caller, checks their available balance, and authorizes the call before it connects. If the balance runs out mid-call, the call is disconnected.
PortaBilling prevents overdrafts through fund locking. For every call, the system locks a portion of the customer’s balance to cover the next call interval (e.g., the next five minutes of a call). Those funds are unavailable for any other concurrent session. As the call progresses, the system re-authorizes and locks funds for the next interval. The same mechanism applies to shared service quotas. If several users share a pool of minutes, for example, a “Family” package where all minutes are shared between the customer’s family member accounts , PortaBilling locks a portion of that quota for each active call, preventing users from exceeding the shared limit.
What is the difference between a perpetual license and a SaaS subscription, and what are the deployment options for PortaSwitch?
PortaSwitch supports two deployment options: on-premises, where the platform is installed on the service provider’s own hardware, and cloud, where the platform is hosted and managed by PortaOne in an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure data center.
Two commercial models are available, depending on the deployment option chosen.
The unlimited license pricing is based on a per-installation model, defined by a predefined maximum number of physical servers. It does not depend on the number of subscribers, concurrent calls, or any other usage-based metric. This model is available for on-premises deployments only and also includes a complimentary period of 24/7 technical support with access to all feature updates, full source code, database schema, and REST API.
The SaaS subscription (pay-as-you-go) is a monthly fee based on the number of xDRs (billable events such as calls, messages, subscriptions, data sessions, and reseller charges) processed each month. No license purchase is required. This model is available for both on-premises and cloud deployments.
Both models include initial system setup and customized online training.
What is an SIP softswitch?
An SIP softswitch is software that routes and processes voice and video calls over an IP network using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). An SIP softswitch replaces traditional circuit-switched telephone exchanges.
An SIP softswitch handles SIP signaling which includes setting up calls (e.g., authenticating callers and applying routing rules), making modifications (e.g., holding or transferring), and ending calls. The actual voice or video stream typically flows directly between endpoints or through a separate media component.
A modern softswitch platform can support a wide range of telecom services, such as:
- Wholesale VoIP with least-cost routing or routing based on quality metrics, and high concurrent call capacity.
- Cloud PBX services with auto attendants, call queues, conferencing, and voicemail.
- SIP trunking for connecting on-premises PBXs to the network.
- Calling, SMS, and chat via web or mobile applications.
When evaluating softswitches, it’s critical to consider the billing system that works with the softswitch to monetize the provided services.
What is the difference between a Class 4 and a Class 5 softswitch, and can both run on a single platform?
Class 4 softswitches route traffic between carriers and networks, while Class 5 softswitches provide calling services to end users.
A Class 4 softswitch sits between carrier networks, routing large volumes of voice traffic across regions and countries. Its primary functions are least-cost routing and handling large volumes of concurrent calls. Wholesale VoIP providers and international carriers typically operate at this layer.
A Class 5 softswitch handles subscriber-facing services (such as voicemail, auto-attendants, call forwarding, and conferencing), routing calls to specific devices and applications. Cloud PBX providers typically use Class 5 functionality.
In practice, the two classes work together. For example, a call can start on a Class 5 softswitch, pass through one or more Class 4 softswitches, and terminate through another Class 5 softswitch. Most SIP softswitches can provide both Class 4 and Class 5 functionality, allowing a service provider to handle wholesale transit and retail end-user services.
How can a SIP softswitch platform be updated without downtime?
Certain softswitch platforms support multi-instance deployments, where the platform runs across multiple independent physical servers, cloud instances, or geographically distributed sites. This allows software updates and system maintenance to be performed without service interruptions.
Before updating a specific instance, a Session Border Controller (SBC) shifts new calls to other instances. Once all active calls on the instance have ended, the instance is updated. After the update completes, the SBC resumes directing calls to the updated instance, and the process repeats for each remaining instance.
When evaluating a telecom platform, it’s important to understand whether the platform supports updates without interrupting active services.
More stories about PortaSwitch
PortaSwitch Versus Tridens: Comparing Telecom Billing and Switching Approaches
Comparing PortaSwitch to Tridens? One handles switching and billing together, the other expects you to plug in a softswitch of your own. We break down what that difference means in practice.
PortaSwitch vs MOR: Which One Fits Where You’re Headed?
Comparing PortaSwitch to MOR? Both combine switching and billing capabilities, but they take different approaches to scaling telecom operations. See how they compare across platform architecture, deployment, and business requirements.
PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 131 now available
Add new capabilities when you need them by discovering relevant Add-on Mart modules directly in PortaBilling; offer IoT/M2M customers data pools shared across multiple SIM cards; protect sensitive SIM card data with access controls and database encryption – all with PortaSwitch MR131.
From Legacy to Done: How Cgates Completed a Billing Migration for 100,000+ Subscribers
Billing migrations are rarely straightforward. For Cgates, Lithuania’s second-largest triple-play provider, it took six years, over 20 features and integrations developed by PortaOne, and two mid-project ISP acquisitions. On June 30, 2026, they migrated the last of their 100,000+ subscribers. Here’s how they did it.
PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 130 now available
Become a white-label provider of AI voice agents to add a new revenue stream; connect AI assistants to PortaBilling without the need to deploy a dedicated server; enable personalized voice messages in calls handled by custom voice applications using real-time text-to-speech; and more – all with PortaSwitch MR130.
