Jitsi Meet

Jitsi Meet is one of the most popular open-source video conferencing solutions in the world, offering a powerful alternative to proprietary platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. Originally developed in Strasbourg, France by Emil Ivov in 2003, Jitsi has grown into a comprehensive communication platform that prioritizes privacy, openness, and user freedom. The project is now stewarded by 8x8, Inc., but remains fully open source under the Apache 2.0 license.

European Origins and Open Source Philosophy

Jitsi's origins trace back to France, where it was created as an open-source alternative to proprietary communication tools. This European heritage is reflected in its privacy-first approach and commitment to user rights. Unlike commercial platforms that monetize user data, Jitsi is community-driven and transparent. All source code is publicly available on GitHub, allowing anyone to audit, modify, and deploy their own instance.

The open-source nature of Jitsi means that organizations can achieve complete data sovereignty by self-hosting. European companies, government agencies, and privacy-conscious organizations can run Jitsi on their own infrastructure within the EU, ensuring full GDPR compliance and eliminating any third-party data processing concerns.

No Account Required - Instant Meetings

One of Jitsi Meet's most distinctive features is that no account is required for anyone - hosts or participants. You can start a meeting instantly by simply visiting meet.jit.si (or your own Jitsi server) and creating a room. Participants join by clicking a link, with no registration, downloads, or app installations needed. This frictionless approach respects user privacy by not collecting personal information.

For added security, rooms can be password-protected and hosts can enable a lobby feature that requires approval before participants can join. This prevents unwanted attendees while maintaining the simplicity of instant access.

End-to-End Encryption

Jitsi Meet offers optional end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for meetings, ensuring that only participants can access the audio and video content - not even the server operator. When E2EE is enabled, all media is encrypted on the sender's device and can only be decrypted by other meeting participants. This is particularly important for sensitive discussions where confidentiality is paramount.

The E2EE implementation uses the Insertable Streams API in supported browsers, providing robust security without requiring special client software. This makes Jitsi one of the most secure video conferencing options available.

Comprehensive Feature Set

Despite being free and open source, Jitsi Meet includes features that rival or exceed commercial platforms. Screen sharing supports sharing your entire screen, application windows, or browser tabs. Recording can be done locally or to cloud storage services like Dropbox. Breakout rooms allow larger meetings to split into smaller discussion groups.

Additional features include virtual backgrounds and blur, hand raising, participant polls, live streaming to YouTube, chat with emoji reactions, speaker statistics, and integration with calendar applications. The mobile apps for iOS and Android provide full functionality on the go.

Self-Hosting Flexibility

Jitsi's self-hosting capability is one of its greatest strengths. Organizations can deploy Jitsi on their own servers, whether on-premises or in a cloud provider of their choice. This provides complete control over data, security configurations, and customization. The Jitsi team provides Docker containers and installation guides for easy deployment on Linux servers.

For European organizations, self-hosting Jitsi on EU-based infrastructure (such as Hetzner, OVHcloud, or Scaleway) ensures that all video conference data remains within EU borders and under EU jurisdiction. This is invaluable for GDPR compliance and data sovereignty requirements.

Scalability and Performance

Jitsi is designed to scale from small team meetings to large conferences. The Jitsi Videobridge (JVB) component uses a Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) architecture that efficiently routes video streams between participants. For very large deployments, multiple JVB instances can be deployed behind a load balancer.

The Jibri component enables server-side recording and live streaming, while Ocsserver (Ocsgenserver) handles participant presence. These modular components allow organizations to build the exact infrastructure they need.

Integration and Customization

Jitsi Meet can be embedded into other applications using the JaaS (Jitsi as a Service) API or the open-source IFrame API. This allows developers to integrate video conferencing directly into their products. The interface can be extensively customized with branding, feature toggles, and UI modifications.

Jitsi also integrates with Ocsservices like Ocsserver, Matrix, and various calendar applications. For organizations using Ocsserver or Matrix for messaging, Jitsi provides seamless video calling within those platforms.

Limitations to Consider

While Jitsi is powerful, there are some considerations. The public meet.jit.si service, while free, is not recommended for highly sensitive meetings as you're trusting 8x8's servers. For maximum privacy, self-hosting is recommended but requires technical expertise. Very large meetings (100+ participants) may require careful server configuration and adequate resources.

Some advanced enterprise features like SSO integration and detailed analytics require additional configuration or third-party tools. However, the active community and extensive documentation make most challenges surmountable.

Who Should Use Jitsi Meet

Jitsi Meet is ideal for anyone who values privacy and transparency in their video communications. It's perfect for privacy-conscious individuals who want secure video calls without creating accounts, organizations requiring data sovereignty and GDPR compliance, developers building video features into their applications, and anyone who believes communication tools should be open and auditable. The self-hosting option makes it particularly attractive for European businesses, government agencies, and healthcare organizations with strict compliance requirements.