Agent Voice Response

Agent Voice Response (AVR) adds a real-time voice agent to an Asterisk phone system. It is best suited to teams already running Asterisk that want to choose their AI components or keep audio processing on their own network. Its main appeal is a free, configurable stack; the trade-off is self-hosted setup and no call recording.

Overview

AVR connects voice AI to Asterisk using AudioSocket, supported on Asterisk 18 and later. It is compatible with FreePBX, VitalPBX, Vicidial, Elastix, and custom dialplans. Rather than a hosted phone service, it is software for operators to deploy and configure around an existing PBX.

Its composable microservices allow operators to swap speech recognition (ASR), language-model (LLM), and speech-synthesis (TTS) engines. That flexibility is useful when provider choice or local processing matters, but it puts configuration and deployment decisions on the team.

Key features

Responsive voice interaction

Voice activity detection lets callers interrupt while the agent is speaking. That can make support and contact-center conversations less rigid than exchanges that require callers to wait for a response to finish.

Choice of AI components

Named integrations include OpenAI, Anthropic, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, Google, Ollama, Vosk, Kokoro, Ultravox, OpenRouter, CoquiTTS, and Silero. The range gives technical teams options across recognition, reasoning, and synthesis, though AVR's flexibility also means they must select and configure the components that suit their deployment.

Local deployment and scaling

AVR can run locally with Vosk or Silero for recognition, Ollama for reasoning, and CoquiTTS or Kokoro for speech synthesis. The maker says caller audio stays on the network in that setup, an important advantage for teams prioritizing local processing. Stateless Docker microservices can also be scaled horizontally behind a load balancer, which gives operators a path to scale deployments without tying each service to a single instance.

The product describes AI-powered noise cancellation and echo suppression before audio reaches the model. It also supports speech input and webhooks or an API. Call recording is not supported, so teams that require recorded calls should consider another solution.

Pricing

There is no paid tier or free trial. The free plan suits personal projects and commercial deployments alike, and voluntary donations are the only stated contribution. Its price does not remove the operational work: users still need to configure Docker images, providers, and an Asterisk dialplan extension.

Platforms

AVR is self-hosted. The getting-started instructions call for Docker images, provider configuration, and a dialplan extension, so it fits teams able to manage those pieces rather than buyers looking for a managed service.

Who it's for

AVR makes most sense for Asterisk operators building customer support, contact-center, healthcare, voice-commerce, voice-learning, or IoT voice-control workflows. Teams that want provider choice, local processing, or horizontal scaling may value its architecture. It is a weaker fit for organizations that need a turnkey service or call recording.

Support channels include documentation, Discord, GitHub, and email for business inquiries and partnerships.

Pros and cons

Pros

• No software charge: Personal and commercial use are free, with no license keys or per-minute charge.
• Flexible AI stack: Operators can swap engines and choose among a broad set of named providers.
• Local option: A fully local configuration keeps caller audio on the network, according to the maker.
• Interruptible conversations: Voice activity detection supports callers speaking over the agent's response.

Cons

• Technical setup required: Deployment involves Docker, provider configuration, and Asterisk dialplan changes.
• No call recording: Teams that need recorded calls will have to look elsewhere.
• Self-hosted only: It is not a ready-to-use hosted phone service.

Alternatives

For broader options, see IVR Software.

• Momo Business IVR is worth considering if a pay-as-you-go service with no monthly fee suits better than a self-hosted Asterisk integration.
• Teloz IVR may suit readers who want Android, iOS, or web access and a free plan with US/Canada calling, SMS, a local number, and a monthly AI receptionist allowance.
• Voicent offers a free allowance of 100 minutes/texts and a Starter plan with 6,500 minutes/texts per month; consider it if those usage-based plans better match your needs.
• CallFire IVR is an option for readers seeking a web- or API-based service with pay-as-you-go pricing or a monthly Lite plan.
• JVoiceXML is a free VoiceXML interpreter for Java and may fit a project that needs that rather than a real-time AI agent for Asterisk.
• Cognigy is an enterprise AI platform with demo-based pricing; consider it if an enterprise platform is the priority.
• Dialogic Digital IVR is another paid IVR option.
• Plum DEV is another paid option available through API and web.

Verdict

Choose AVR if you already operate Asterisk and want a free voice-agent layer with interchangeable AI engines and the option to keep processing local. Its strongest case is control without license or per-minute charges. Look elsewhere if you need call recording, a hosted service, or a setup that does not require Docker and dialplan configuration.