🩺 Vitals
- Version: stable/jitsi-meet_10655 (Released 2025-11-24)
- Velocity: Active (Last commit 2025-12-05)
- Community: 27.9k Stars · 7.6k Forks
- Backlog: 144 Open Issues
🏗️ Profile
- Official: jitsi.org
- Source: github.com/jitsi/jitsi-meet
- License: Apache-2.0
- Deployment: Docker / Debian/Ubuntu Packages
- Data Model: N/A (WebRTC, P2P or SFU)
- 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: Ideal for GDPR as you control all data. Meetings can be end-to-end encrypted.
- Privacy: No accounts needed for basic use. Recordings can be stored locally or on self-hosted storage.
4. Alternatives & Ecosystem
- Alternative: Zoom/Google Meet/Microsoft Teams are proprietary SaaS offerings, often with less control over data.
- Alternative: BigBlueButton is another open-source alternative, often used for online learning.