---
title: "Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?"
topic: "SIP Providers"
updated: 2026-07-09
canonical: https://acrobits.net/resources/knowledge-base/can-i-use-a-third-party-softphone-with-3cx/
summary: "Yes. 3CX is a standards-based SIP PBX and supports third-party SIP clients. Groundwire ($9.99 one-time, iOS and Android) registers against 3CX as a generic SIP extension, alongside desk phones, the 3CX mobile app, or any other SIP device on the same system."
---

# Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?

> Yes. 3CX is a standards-based SIP PBX and supports third-party SIP clients. Groundwire ($9.99 one-time, iOS and Android) registers against 3CX as a generic SIP extension, alongside desk phones, the 3CX mobile app, or any other SIP device on the same system.

# Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?

Yes. 3CX is a standards-based SIP PBX and supports third-party SIP clients. **Groundwire** ($9.99 one-time, iOS and Android) registers against 3CX as a generic SIP extension, alongside desk phones, the 3CX mobile app, or any other SIP device on the same system.

## How to connect Groundwire to 3CX

  - In your 3CX Management Console, open the extension you want to use and locate the SIP credentials: server/proxy address, extension number, and password.

  - In Groundwire, add a new SIP account with those credentials. Use [TLS](/voip-glossary/tls/) as the transport (3CX supports TLS on port 5061) and enable [SRTP](/voip-glossary/srtp/) for media encryption.

  - Groundwire registers and rings via push, so calls come through even when the app is in the background.

## What works with Groundwire on 3CX

  - Inbound and outbound calls on your 3CX extension

  - Attended and blind call transfer

  - Three-way conferencing

  - DTMF (for IVR menus and voicemail)

  - TLS signaling + SRTP media encryption

  - Call recording (where enabled by 3CX)

## Groundwire features that depend on the 3CX client

Groundwire connects to 3CX over standard SIP, registering as a SIP client rather than using the 3CX proprietary protocol stack. It handles SIP calling, while 3CX-specific features (presence via 3CX BLF, the 3CX web meeting, and the 3CX desktop app chat) stay in the official 3CX client.

## 3CX deployment options for partners and MSPs

If you're a 3CX partner or MSP and need a branded white-label mobile app for your customers, [Cloud Softphone](/cloud-softphone/) also connects to 3CX as a SIP endpoint and adds server-side provisioning, custom branding, and push infrastructure at operator scale.

[Download Groundwire](/sip-client-ios-android/) and connect it to your 3CX extension today. For the broader question of [connecting employee iPhones to any office phone system](/resources/knowledge-base/can-i-connect-my-employees-iphones-to-our-office-phone-syste/), the same SIP-extension approach applies.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Can I use a third-party softphone with 3CX?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes. 3CX is a standards-based SIP PBX and supports third-party SIP clients. Groundwire ($9.99 one-time, iOS and Android) registers against 3CX as a generic SIP extension, alongside desk phones, the 3CX mobile app, or any other SIP device on the same system."
      }
    }
  ]
}