Jitsi Meet
Reviewed by Alexis Morain · Updated October 29, 2026
Jitsi Meet is open source video conferencing, free on meet.jit.si with no announced time limit, or installable on your own server in Europe.
The only truly free video call with no announced time limit, and the only one you can install yourself to control the hosting. Jitsi Meet is a great help to associations, small organizations, and technical teams, and its open source code has served as the base for many video services. Participants need no account, and end-to-end encryption is available in compatible browsers. The reservations are real: the public service meet.jit.si belongs to 8x8, an American company, and runs with no guarantee; creating a room requires a Google, GitHub, or Facebook account since 2023; and self-hosting requires system administration skills.
- Free, with no announced time limit on meet.jit.si
- Participants with no account, from the browser or the mobile app
- Public service operated by 8x8, an American company, with no availability guarantee
Jitsi Meet is open source video conferencing software. The project goes back to 2003, when Emil Ivov, then a student at the University of Strasbourg, created SIP Communicator. Bought by Atlassian in 2015, then by the American operator 8x8 in 2018, Jitsi remains open source and serves as the base for many video services, public and private. It targets associations, small organizations, and technical teams who want free video calls or ones hosted on their own infrastructure.
Two ways to use Jitsi Meet
The first is the public service meet.jit.si, operated by 8x8. Participants join from their browser or the iOS and Android apps, with no account, and no time limit is announced. Since August 2023, whoever creates a room must sign in with a Google, GitHub, or Facebook account, a measure taken against abuse. The service is provided as is, with no availability guarantee. The second is self-hosting: Ubuntu and Debian packages let you install Jitsi Meet on your own server, for example with a European host, and keep control of the streams.
How much does Jitsi Meet cost?
The software and the meet.jit.si service are free. Self-hosting costs the price of the server and the maintenance time, which assumes someone able to administer a Linux server. To build video into an application, 8x8 sells a paid offer, Jitsi as a Service (JaaS), with webhooks, recordings, statistics, and transcriptions.
Who is it for, and what to watch out for?
Jitsi Meet suits long meetings without paying, and organizations that want to control the hosting of their video calls. Audio and video traffic is encrypted on the network, and end-to-end encryption can be turned on in Chromium-based browsers. Against Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace, it falls behind on polish and side features. For webinars with registration, Livestorm is better suited, and for a fixed room hosted in Europe with no server to manage, Whereby is simpler.
Pros & Cons
- Free, with no announced time limit on meet.jit.si
- Participants with no account, from the browser or the mobile app
- Open source code, installable on your own server in Europe
- End-to-end encryption available in Chromium browsers
- iOS and Android apps, including a version on F-Droid
- Public service operated by 8x8, an American company, with no availability guarantee
- Google, GitHub, or Facebook account required to create a room
- Self-hosting reserved for a team able to administer a server
- Polish and side features behind Zoom or Teams
- No guaranteed support on the free service
Key features of Jitsi Meet
Meetings without an account for participants
A link is enough to join from a browser or from the iOS and Android apps. Only the room creator signs in on meet.jit.si.
Self-hosting
The software installs on an Ubuntu or Debian server. The organization chooses its host, keeps control of the streams, and can customize the interface.
Encryption
Audio and video traffic is encrypted on the network. End-to-end encryption can be turned on from the security options in Chromium-based browsers, for audio, video, and screen sharing.
Meeting tools
Screen sharing, chat, and polls are built in, with no extension or module to install.
Jitsi as a Service
A paid 8x8 offer to build Jitsi video into an application, with API, webhooks, recordings, statistics, and transcriptions.
Jitsi Meet pricing
Free plan / trial
No announced time limit on meet.jit.si; service provided with no availability guarantee, sign-in required to create a room
meet.jit.si
Participants with no account, from the browser or the app · No announced time limit · Google, GitHub, or Facebook sign-in to create a room · Service operated by 8x8, with no availability guarantee
€0 month
Self-hosted
Open source software to install on your own server · Ubuntu and Debian packages · Hosting of your choice, in Europe for example · Server and maintenance costs to plan for
€0 month
Pricing verified on October 28, 2026
Try Jitsi MeetWho is Jitsi Meet for?
Best for
- Associations and small organizations with no video conferencing budget
- Long meetings that exceed the limits of free plans
- Organizations that want to host their video calls on their own server
- Technical teams comfortable administering a Linux server
- Developers who want to build open source video into their product
Not recommended for
- Companies that require an availability commitment and support
- Organizers of webinars with registration and replay
- Organizations without technical skills that want to self-host
- Teams already equipped with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
- Room creators who refuse to sign in with a Google, GitHub, or Facebook account
Want to try Jitsi Meet?
Head to the official site and the current offer.
Frequently asked questions about Jitsi Meet
Is Jitsi Meet really free?▼
Do you need an account to use Jitsi Meet?▼
Where is Jitsi Meet data hosted?▼
Is Jitsi Meet secure?▼
Can you install Jitsi Meet on your own server?▼
What are the alternatives to Jitsi Meet?▼
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