Jitsi Meet is a free, open-source video conferencing product from the Jitsi project, backed by 8x8. It lets people host and join video calls from a shared link in a browser or app, and organisations can deploy and manage their own servers from the same stack. It serves teams, classrooms, and communities that need quick meeting rooms, plus organisations and developers that need video they can host or embed themselves.[1][2]
Quick verdict
Remote teams and communities that need a meeting room in seconds will get the most from Jitsi Meet. Its hosted rooms open from a shared link with no account, and the same open-source stack can be self-hosted when an organisation must control where meeting traffic goes. That control costs operational effort, and usage beyond the free hosted allowance is billed, so teams that want zero-maintenance meetings with managed scale should stay with a mainstream SaaS suite instead. Choose Jitsi Meet when open, self-hostable video matters; choose a managed service when nobody on your side will run servers.[1][2][3]
Key features
Anyone with the link can join a hosted call, so a meeting starts by sharing a URL rather than provisioning accounts or installs.[1][2]
The conferencing solution is presented as free and open source, maintained within the Jitsi project with 8x8 behind it.[1]
Participants host and join video calls through the web interface, and mobile SDKs extend the same calls to phones.[1][2]
Organisations can deploy their own servers starting from a Docker setup or a Debian-based quick install.[1][2]
The documented stack combines an XMPP server, the web interface, Videobridge, and Jicofo, with Jigasi and Jibri covering SIP gateways and recording.[1]
Advanced guides cover scaling, autoscaling, high availability, authentication, monitoring with Grafana, and backups for growing deployments.[1]
Developers can embed meetings through the hosted JaaS API instead of running servers, starting from a free tier of 25 monthly active users.[1][2]
Beyond the free allowance, hosted use bills by monthly active users with volume discounts, and transcription and recording are separate add-ons.[1]
Who will love it
Data-control matters: the whole stack is self-hostable, so meeting traffic can stay on infrastructure the organisation controls.[1][2]
Speed matters: classes, communities, and teams that meet ad hoc get rooms from a link with no accounts to manage.[1][2]
Embedding matters: product teams that need video inside their own app get an API and mobile SDKs instead of building real-time media themselves.[1][2]
Who should avoid it
Self-hosting means owning operations: updates, scaling, authentication, monitoring, and backups are your team's job, not the vendor's.[1]
Free hosted use is capped at 25 monthly active users, with overages, volume tiers, and transcription and recording add-ons billed separately.[1]
Meeting experience follows the server you pick: capacity and network on public, shared, or self-run servers shape call quality, and a self-run server carries no managed uptime promise.[1][2]
Compatibility and integrations
Calls run in the browser through the web interface, reach phones through the mobile SDKs, and reach phone systems through the Jigasi SIP gateway.[1][2]
Recording and transcription are covered by the Jibri component for self-hosters and by paid add-ons on the hosted service.[1][2]
Servers run on standard Linux environments via Debian packages or Docker, with Grafana-based monitoring for operating the deployment.[1]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Jitsi Meet alternative for non-technical users?
Is Jitsi Meet really no-code?
How much does Jitsi Meet cost per month?
The software itself is free and open source with no licence fee. Hosted JaaS use starts with a free tier of 25 monthly active users, then bills by usage with volume discounts, and transcription and recording are separate add-ons. Self-hosting carries no software fee but your own infrastructure costs. Prices checked October 9, 2026.[1][2]
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- Jitsi: free, secure, flexible video conferencing
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official homepage positioning Jitsi Meet as free, secure, flexible video conferencing from the Jitsi project backed by 8x8, with self-hosting and JaaS paths.
- Jitsi Handbook introduction
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official handbook introduction covering hosting and participating in video calls, mobile SDKs, developer guides, and pointers to self-host and JaaS documentation.
- Jitsi Meet self-hosting guide
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official self-hosting guide listing server components (XMPP server, web interface, Videobridge, Jicofo, Jigasi, Jibri) and install, scaling, security, monitoring, and backup paths.
- Jitsi as a Service documentation
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official Jitsi-as-a-Service documentation with quick start, free 25 monthly-active-user tier, MAU billing, volume discounts, and transcription and recording add-ons.