The Open Source Alternative to Zoom & Google Meet

🩺 Vitals

📦 Version: stable/jitsi-meet_10710 (Released 2026-01-14)
🚀 Velocity: Active (Last commit 2026-01-30)
🌟 Community: 28.5k Stars · 7.7k Forks
🐞 Backlog: 167 Open Issues

🏗️ Profile

Official: jitsi.org
Source: github.com/jitsi/jitsi-meet
License: Apache-2.0
Deployment: Docker / Native Packages
Data Model: N/A (WebRTC, P2P or SFU)
Jurisdiction: USA 🇺🇸
Compliance: HIPAA (via 8x8 JaaS), GDPR
Complexity: Moderate (3/5) - SFU setup, network config
Maintenance: Moderate (3/5) - Regular Updates & Scaling
Enterprise Ready: High (4/5) - Integrations, API, Scalability

1. The Executive Summary

What is it? Jitsi Meet is a completely free, open-source, and secure video conferencing platform that you can use all day, every day, without limits. It supports both peer-to-peer (P2P) connections for small calls and a Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) architecture for larger, more complex conferences, ensuring scalability and quality.

The Strategic Verdict:

🔴 For Zero-Config SaaS: Caution. Self-hosting requires some technical expertise.
🟢 For Privacy & Control: Strong Buy. Full data control, self-hostable, and robust encryption features.

2. The "Hidden" Costs (TCO Analysis)

Cost Component	Proprietary (Zoom)	Jitsi Meet (Self-Hosted)
License Fee	~$15/user/mo	$0 (Apache-2.0)
Infrastructure	$0	~$30-100/mo (VPS for SFU)
Privacy Concerns	Data Location	Full Control

3. The "Day 2" Reality Check

🚀 Deployment & Operations

Installation:Docker Compose provides a quick setup. For larger deployments, requires knowledge of Nginx, WebRTC, and network configuration for the SFU (Jitsi Video bridge).
Scaling: Scales well with multiple Jitsi Video Bridges and Jitsi Prosody servers.

🛡️ Security & Governance

Compliance: HIPAA (via 8x8 JaaS), GDPR
Privacy: No accounts needed for basic use. Recordings can be stored locally or on self-hosted storage.

Jitsi Meet