Jitsi Meet: lean, quickly started, usable without an account, ideal for meetings, client calls and small groups.
BigBlueButton: designed for teaching and webinars, with whiteboard, polls, breakout rooms, recording and shared notes.
Comparison
Setup: Jitsi is easier to install; BigBlueButton needs more resources and planning.
Group features: BigBlueButton offers more teaching tools.
Participant numbers: depend heavily on hardware and bandwidth; load should be tested beforehand.
Operation: Jitsi is very straightforward for guests; BigBlueButton suits structured events.
Integration: both can be connected to platforms such as Nextcloud or learning environments.
Why run it yourself?
With self-hosting, servers and data are under your control, for instance in a German data centre. This eases compliance with data protection requirements. In return you bear operation, updates and capacity planning, or hand them to a provider.
Our recommendation
For general meetings Jitsi is often enough. If you regularly offer training, webinars or lessons, BigBlueButton pays off. Both can run side by side.
JitsiBigBlueButtonself-hosted video conferencingopen source meetings
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Jitsi and BigBlueButton?
Jitsi is lean and meant for quick meetings. BigBlueButton is built for teaching and webinars and offers whiteboard, polls, breakout rooms and recording.
Are Jitsi and BigBlueButton free?
The software is open source and usable without licence fees. Costs arise for servers, operation and maintenance.
How many participants are possible?
It depends on server, bandwidth and configuration. Plan capacity and test before important events.