HOMER

Overview

HOMER brings search, analysis and capture together for SIP and related real-time communications. Advanced search, end-to-end analysis and packet drill-down help operators move from a broad issue to captured traffic, a useful depth for troubleshooting teams. That breadth comes with an operational trade-off: this is a framework to deploy and run, not a hosted service that removes infrastructure responsibility.

HOMER 11 is an all-in-one HEP capture and API server for the Homer 11.x data lake. Its architecture includes ingest, DuckLake storage, a Node with FlightSQL and a Coordinator with a REST API. Docker support and release packages offer deployment paths, while the AGPL-3.0 license is important for organizations incorporating or modifying the project.

Key features

The capture server combines call-flow and PCAP capabilities with statistics, analytics, widgets and a REST API. Together with packet drill-down and end-to-end analysis, these tools support investigations that need more than a high-level view of call activity. MOS scoring, jitter tracking and packet-loss tracking add measures relevant to voice quality.

Capture agents support HEP3 encapsulation, payload encryption, compression and TLS. The core covers SIP, RTCP, RTCP-XR, WebRTC signaling and log collection. HEP/EEP integrations include Kamailio, OpenSIPS, Captagent, Asterisk, FreeSWITCH, RTPEngine, sipgrep, sngrep and hepipe, making HOMER relevant to teams already working with those tools. Multi-user LDAP and Radius support provides access-control options for shared deployments.

VQRTCP collection and SIPREC support are optional and disabled by default. Teams that need either capability must account for enabling it rather than assuming it is active in a standard setup. Commercial support is available by quote, including development support, 24/7 SLA production support and advanced training.

Pricing

HOMER Open Source: Free. The plan is 100% open-source and includes the core capture and analysis framework. It is the natural fit for operators able to deploy and maintain their own stack; those needing commercial assistance can request quote-based support. HOMER is released under AGPL-3.0, so organizations should consider the license when using or modifying it.

Platforms

HOMER supports API, Linux, macOS, web and self-hosted environments. Docker and release packages provide deployment options, but the self-hosted model makes infrastructure operation part of the choice.

Who it's for

HOMER is best suited to ITSPs, VoIP providers, trunk suppliers and technical operations teams that need detailed visibility into SIP and related RTC traffic. Its combination of packet inspection, quality metrics and API access is valuable when teams need to connect monitoring with their own workflows. Organizations seeking a managed monitoring product or a setup that avoids operating capture infrastructure should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Packet drill-down, call-flow and PCAP capabilities support detailed investigation rather than relying only on summary metrics.
• Pros: Broad protocol coverage, agent security options and HEP/EEP integrations suit established VoIP stacks.
• Pros: Free open-source access and a REST API allow teams to build around the framework without a listed license fee.
• Cons: Self-hosting puts deployment and operation on the user, making it a poor fit for buyers who want monitoring delivered as a service.
• Cons: VQRTCP and SIPREC are disabled by default, so they are not ready-to-use capabilities in the standard configuration.
• Cons: Commercial support is quote-based, so support costs are not fixed in advance.

Alternatives

VoIP Monitoring Software is a useful starting point for comparing products in the category. Consider Obkio if you want a freemium option with a 14-day trial, multiple desktop and mobile platforms, and a stated cap of 10 agents on its trial. Dotcom-Monitor is another freemium alternative, with a free plan covering up to 25 targets, five-minute monitoring frequency and two monitoring locations.

CallMeter offers paid plans for readers comparing another API, self-hosted and web option. ServicePilot VoIP Monitoring is a freemium alternative with an object-based VoIP monitoring plan. VoIP Spear is a paid alternative with a trial and a plan that specifies endpoint, test-frequency, server and history limits.

Exoprise is a paid alternative sold through monthly credits. sip-exporter is a free, self-hosted Linux option under AGPL-3.0, worth considering for readers who want a narrower open-source alternative. Sipfront Beat is a paid self-hosted and web alternative with a starter plan that includes functional test minutes and an active-schedule limit.

Verdict

Choose HOMER if you operate VoIP or RTC infrastructure and need a free, extensible way to capture traffic, inspect call flows and investigate quality issues down to packet detail. Its breadth and API are compelling for technically equipped teams, but the self-hosted operating burden, AGPL-3.0 license and optional capabilities disabled by default make it a weaker fit for buyers seeking a managed, ready-to-run monitoring service.