Open-source alternatives to Zoom
6 self-hostable open-source projects that replace Zoom, ranked by computed health score with real self-hosting cost. Save up to $118/yr per seat by self-hosting on a $4.13/mo VPS.
Why people leave Zoom
- 40-minute cap on free tier with 3+ participants
- Per-host licensing for teams
- Recording storage tiered separately
- Cloud-only, calls and recordings live on Zoom
Jitsi Meet and BigBlueButton give the same browser-based video calls, fully self-hostable, no time limits.
The 6 alternatives, ranked by health
Health score is a 6-dimension composite. See methodology for formula and weights.
A complete web conferencing system for virtual classes and more!
Jitsi Meet - Secure, Simple and Scalable Video Conferences that you use as a standalone app or embed in your web application.
Self-hosted, open-source WebRTC video conferencing platform for real-time communication and collaboration. A modern alternative to Zoom, built on SFU architecture.
Zoom responsively, images & more, w/ jQuery.
Image slide-show viewer with multiple predefined transition styles, with ability to create new transitions with ease.
Jam is your own open source Clubhouse for mini conferences, friends, communities
Cost comparison vs Zoom
Self-hosting cost on cheapest plan meeting requirements vs Zoom entry tier ($14/mo).
| Project | Self-host /mo | Zoom /mo | Save /yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bigbluebutton | $4.13 | $14+ | $118 | Deploy → |
| jitsi-meet | $4.13 | $14+ | $118 | Deploy → |
| mirotalksfu | $4.13 | $14+ | $118 | Deploy → |
| magnificent.js | $4.13 | $14+ | $118 | Deploy → |
| ATGMediaBrowser | $4.13 | $14+ | $118 | Deploy → |
| jam | $4.13 | $14+ | $118 | Deploy → |
Pick your alternative
Most operators land on bigbluebutton (top health score in this category; cheapest VPS path is bigbluebutton on hetzner for $4.13/mo).
Data refreshed daily. Pricing for Zoom sourced from official site.