Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet - Secure, Simple and Scalable Video Conferences that you use as a standalone app or embed in your web application.
30.2k GitHub stars · Apache-2.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Open-source and self-hosted alternatives to Zoom
Self-hosted video calls are doable, but quality depends on your server and bandwidth. Jitsi also runs a free public instance you can try before hosting anything.
Category: Video meetings · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jitsi Meet Active Apache-2.0 | Jitsi Meet - Secure, Simple and Scalable Video Conferences that you use as a standalone app or embed in your web application. | Apache-2.0 | 30.2k | Oct 29, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
| BigBlueButton Active LGPL-3.0 | A complete web conferencing system for virtual classes and more! | LGPL-3.0 | 9.3k | Oct 29, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| Nextcloud Talk Active AGPL-3.0 | Nextcloud Talk – chat, video & audio calls for Nextcloud. | AGPL-3.0 | 2.2k | Oct 15, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
Are they still maintained?
3 of 3 Zoom alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- Jitsi Meet: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- BigBlueButton: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Nextcloud Talk: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Zoom costs
Zoom: current plans and prices are on Zoom's pricing page.
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jitsi Meet | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (Apache-2.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
| BigBlueButton | Your server | $0 (LGPL-3.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| Nextcloud Talk | Your server | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
Self-hosting basics: Jitsi Meet, BigBlueButton and Nextcloud Talk need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Don't want to run a server? Jitsi Meet offers a hosted plan run by the project itself. Prices change, so check each project's site.
The options in more detail
BigBlueButton
A complete web conferencing system for virtual classes and more!
9.3k GitHub stars · LGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Nextcloud Talk
Nextcloud Talk – chat, video & audio calls for Nextcloud.
2.2k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Zoom alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Zoom?
It depends on how you use Zoom. Of the 3 options here, Jitsi Meet is the most followed on GitHub (30.2k stars) and is actively maintained, with its latest release on Oct 29, 2026.
Is there a self-hosted Zoom alternative?
Yes. Jitsi Meet, BigBlueButton and Nextcloud Talk run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. If you'd rather not run a server, Jitsi Meet also offers a hosted plan from the people who make it.
Is there a free alternative to Zoom?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on.
Are these Zoom alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 3 of 3 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Zoom?
The software itself is free. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
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