Jitsi Meet — Open Source Video Conferencing You Can Self-Host

Introduction

Jitsi Meet is a fully encrypted, open-source video conferencing solution that works entirely in the browser. Participants need no account and no download, making it one of the most accessible self-hosted alternatives to Zoom or Google Meet.

What Jitsi Meet Does

• Hosts multi-party video and audio calls with screen sharing and in-call chat
• Provides end-to-end encryption via the WebRTC insertable-streams API
• Offers lobby mode, meeting passwords, and per-participant moderator controls
• Supports live streaming to YouTube and server-side recording via Jibri
• Embeds into any web page through a simple iframe API

Architecture Overview

The stack consists of a React-based web client, Jicofo (the conference focus component that assigns participants to bridges), Jitsi Videobridge (JVB) which routes media as a Selective Forwarding Unit, and Prosody for XMPP signaling. Because JVB forwards rather than mixes streams, CPU cost stays low even with many participants.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy with Docker Compose using the official docker-jitsi-meet repository
• Or install on Debian/Ubuntu via the Jitsi apt repository with a quick-install script
• Configure domain, TLS certificates, and auth mode through environment variables
• Add extra Videobridge nodes behind a load balancer for horizontal scaling
• Enable JWT or LDAP authentication for multi-tenant or enterprise deployments

Key Features

• Zero-install WebRTC calls in any modern browser
• End-to-end encryption for maximum conversation privacy
• Breakout rooms for splitting large meetings into focus groups
• SIP and telephone dial-in gateway via Jigasi
• Native mobile apps for iOS and Android

Comparison with Similar Tools

• BigBlueButton — Focused on online education with built-in whiteboard; heavier resource footprint
• Zoom — Polished proprietary platform; requires paid plans for advanced features and cannot be self-hosted
• Nextcloud Talk — Integrated into Nextcloud ecosystem; less scalable for large standalone conferences
• LiveKit — Lower-level WebRTC infrastructure SDK for building custom real-time apps
• Element (Matrix) — Focuses on persistent chat with optional video; video quality still maturing

FAQ

Q: How many participants can a single meeting support? A: A single Videobridge instance handles 75 to 100 participants comfortably. Adding more JVBs scales beyond that.

Q: Does Jitsi Meet work without any external accounts? A: Yes. A self-hosted instance needs no Google, Facebook, or third-party login. You control authentication entirely.

Q: Can I record meetings on the server? A: Yes. Jibri captures meetings via a headless Chrome instance and saves recordings locally or streams them.

Q: Is Jitsi suitable for HIPAA-regulated environments? A: The technology supports E2EE and full self-hosting which helps meet compliance requirements, but full HIPAA compliance depends on your deployment policies and infrastructure.

Sources

• https://github.com/jitsi/jitsi-meet
• https://jitsi.github.io/handbook/