Last checked October 15, 2026
BigBlueButton vs Jitsi Meet
BigBlueButton and Jitsi Meet are free apps you can use instead of Zoom. BigBlueButton is a classroom server you host. Jitsi Meet has a public hosted service.
A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement. How this works
Instead of Zoom
Last checked October 15, 2026
Jitsi Meet is #1 (80). BigBlueButton is #2 (77).
BigBlueButton
#2
12 of 12 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.What you give up: webinars and end-to-end encryption. You only get part of: larger meetings, calendar integration, and usable hosted service without running a server.
Jitsi Meet
#1 · Closest
12 of 12 checked features. A full score means it matches our checklist. It is not a drop-in replacement.What you give up: webinars. You only get part of: recording, larger meetings, and end-to-end encryption, and 1 more.
Scroll sideways to see both apps.
| Feature | BigBlueButton#2 · 7712 of 12 checked features | Jitsi Meet#1 · 8012 of 12 checked features |
|---|---|---|
| Group video meetingsCounts for 10 | Full | Full |
| Screen sharingCounts for 8 | Full | Full |
| In-meeting chatCounts for 5 | Full | Full |
| RecordingCounts for 7 | Full | PartialNeeds Jibri on a server you run. It is not a one-click feature on meet.jit.si. |
| Breakout roomsCounts for 5 | Full | FullBreakout rooms are included and are less managed than Zoom's. |
| Join in a browserCounts for 8 | Full | Full |
| Larger meetingsCounts for 5 | Partial | PartialPossible when you run the bridge yourself. The public service is not a webinar platform. |
| WebinarsCounts for 4 | Missing | Missing |
| End-to-end encryptionCounts for 6 | Missing | PartialEnd-to-end encryption is available for smaller meetings and disables some features. |
| A server you runCounts for 7 | Full | Full |
| Calendar integrationCounts for 4 | PartialIntegrates with learning tools more than with a generic calendar invite. | Partial |
| Usable hosted service without running a serverCounts for 6 | PartialThird-party hosts exist. There is no official free public room service. | Full |
Where they differ
Recording
Worth 7 points. BigBlueButton does all of it. Jitsi Meet does part of it. Needs Jibri on a server you run. It is not a one-click feature on meet.jit.si.
End-to-end encryption
Worth 6 points. BigBlueButton does none of it. Jitsi Meet does part of it. End-to-end encryption is available for smaller meetings and disables some features.
Usable hosted service without running a server
Worth 6 points. BigBlueButton does part of it. Third-party hosts exist. There is no official free public room service. Jitsi Meet does all of it.
Both do all of these: group video meetings, screen sharing, in-meeting chat, breakout rooms, join in a browser, and a server you run.
Also ranked: Nextcloud Talk is #3 (68). Element Call is #4 (54).
The facts on file
BigBlueButton
An open-source classroom meeting server.
- Rules
- Open source. LGPL-3.0
- Run it yourself
- Hard. Official docs expect a dedicated Ubuntu server with substantial RAM. It is a poor fit for a tiny shared VPS.
- Free plan
- The software is free. Hosting is not included.
- They host it
- No hosted price on file.
- Where it runs
- Web, Run it yourself
Last checked October 15, 2026
Jitsi Meet
Browser video meetings, Apache-2.0, with a public hosted service.
- Rules
- Open source. Apache-2.0
- Run it yourself
- Setup: medium. Docker is documented for a small server. Recording (Jibri) and large meetings need more machines.
- Free plan
- meet.jit.si is free. Running it yourself is free. There is no fee per person.
- They host it
- No hosted price on file.
- Where it runs
- Web, iOS, Android, Run it yourself
Last checked October 15, 2026
Which one to pick
BigBlueButton
Pick BigBlueButton if you want recording marked full on a server you host. It is built for teaching. There is no official free public room service. End-to-end encryption is missing. The license is LGPL-3.0. Running it is hard.
Jitsi Meet
Pick Jitsi Meet if you want meet.jit.si without running a server. Recording needs Jibri on a server you run. End-to-end encryption is partial. The license is Apache-2.0. Setup for your own server is medium.