The Jitsi Meet Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Jitsi Meet in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Jitsi Meet
The Insider’s Guide
Free, open-source video meetings you can self-host
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Jitsi Meet’s own pages.
Made by 8x8, Inc. · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Jitsi Meet’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Jitsi Meet’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 29 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade
Jitsi Meet is a free, open-source video conferencing app from the Jitsi project, which is funded by 8x8. Meetings open at a simple URL in a browser or in the mobile and desktop apps, with screen sharing, chat and a shared document, and the same software can be installed on your own server. The public meet.jit.si service is free to use.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Jitsi Meet, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Joining a call takes a room name on a URL, but running your own instance means Debian packages or Docker, and nobody sells support.
- 1
Best for free video calls where guests need no account
It's a meeting tool only, with no messaging between calls.
- 2
It is free
Jitsi Meet has no paid plan at all. Free and open source, both as the hosted meet.jit.si service and as software to run on your own server. On meet.jit.si the person creating a room must sign in.
- 3
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 4
Meetings at a simple URL
A meeting is a room name on a URL. On meet.jit.si the first participant signs in with a Google, Facebook or GitHub account; everyone else joins without one.
- 5
Screen sharing and in-call tools
Share a desktop or presentation, chat with emoji, raise a hand, edit a shared Etherpad document and play a YouTube video to all attendees.
- 6
Self-hosting
Stable and nightly Ubuntu and Debian packages and a Docker setup let you run your own instance, with your own authentication and moderation rules.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 29 of 33
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Jitsi Meet is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Jitsi Meet at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- 8x8, Inc., since 2014
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 3.5 on the App Store, 492 ratings
The report card
Best for free video calls where guests need no account
Jitsi Meet is open-source video calling with no paid plan: use the public service at meet.jit.si or run it on your own server, and guests join from a room name on a URL without an account. The catches: whoever creates a room must sign in, end-to-end encryption is opt-in and skips chat and polls, the iPhone app sits at 3.55, and nobody sells official support. It's a meeting tool only, with no messaging between calls.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | No paid plan exists. The hosted meet.jit.si service costs nothing and the same software is open source to run on your own server, against the $7 a month this category typically starts at. Embedding, if you need it, is 8x8's separate paid service. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright, with no paid tier: screen sharing, chat, raised hands, a shared Etherpad document and recording are all in. The one condition is that whoever creates a room on meet.jit.si signs in with a Google, Facebook or GitHub account. |
| Features | C | The call covers a room name on a URL, screen sharing, chat, YouTube playback, streaming and dial-in. It's a meeting tool and no more, with no channels or messaging between calls, and the listing says end-to-end encryption is opt-in and skips chat and polls. |
| Ease of use | D | 3.55 from 492 App Store ratings, below the line on our ladder: about a quarter of those reviewers left one star. Joining a call takes a room name on a URL, but running your own instance means Debian packages or Docker, and nobody sells support. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. An external API embeds a meeting in a web page, there are SDKs for Android and iOS, and the code is open source, so you can take it further yourself. Etherpad, YouTube and Dropbox connect. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Jitsi Meet is for
- Fits if you want video calls where guests join from a link with no account
- Works for organizations that want to run open-source video conferencing on their own server
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want someone to call when it breaks, as neither the Jitsi team nor 8x8 sells commercial support
- Not for you if you need end-to-end encryption on by default: it's opt-in, needs Chromium or the desktop app, and skips chat and polls
- Too light for a team that wants channels and messaging between calls, as this is a meeting tool
- Watch out: whoever creates a room on meet.jit.si must sign in with Google, Facebook or GitHub
- Tight if you want meetings inside your own app, as that's 8x8's separate service, paid beyond 25 endpoints
Good to know
Good for
- Quick video calls where guests should not need an account
- Organizations that want to self-host open-source video conferencing
- Developers who want to customize or embed the meeting client
Worth knowing
- Since August 24, 2023, the person creating a room on meet.jit.si must sign in with an account.
- End-to-end encryption is opt-in, needs a Chromium-based browser or the desktop client, and covers audio, video and screen sharing but not chat or polls.
- Neither the Jitsi team nor 8x8 sells commercial support; self-hosters rely on the community forum or outside providers.
- Embedding meetings in another app is directed to 8x8's separate Jitsi as a Service, which is free up to 25 endpoints and paid beyond that.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Jitsi Meet is free to use.
Free outright, with no paid tier: screen sharing, chat, raised hands, a shared Etherpad document and recording are all in.
Jitsi Meet
$0
Free meetings on the hosted meet.jit.si service, and free open-source software for self-hosting. The project is funded by 8x8.
The free plan
Free and open source, both as the hosted meet.jit.si service and as software to run on your own server. On meet.jit.si the person creating a room must sign in.
Read from jitsi.org on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Free, open-source video meetings you can self-host. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, end-to-end encrypted, public API, video calls.
The call covers a room name on a URL, screen sharing, chat, YouTube playback, streaming and dial-in.
- Meetings at a simple URL
- A meeting is a room name on a URL. On meet.jit.si the first participant signs in with a Google, Facebook or GitHub account; everyone else joins without one.
- Screen sharing and in-call tools
- Share a desktop or presentation, chat with emoji, raise a hand, edit a shared Etherpad document and play a YouTube video to all attendees.
- Self-hosting
- Stable and nightly Ubuntu and Debian packages and a Docker setup let you run your own instance, with your own authentication and moderation rules.
- Encryption
- Audio and video are encrypted in transit with DTLS-SRTP by default. End-to-end encryption can be switched on in Chromium-based browsers and the desktop client.
- Recording, streaming and dial-in
- Conferences can be live streamed to YouTube and recorded, and joined by phone. Self-hosted servers need the Jibri and Jigasi components for these.
- APIs and SDKs
- An external API embeds a meeting in a web page, and the app can be compiled as an SDK for Android and iOS. The code is 100% open source.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Etherpad
- YouTube
- Dropbox
Who makes Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet is an open-source project whose technology and team 8x8, Inc. acquired from Atlassian in 2018. 8x8 earns most of its revenue from subscriptions to its cloud communications services, and it also runs a hosted version called Jitsi as a Service.
- Founded
- 1987sec.gov
- Based
- Campbell, Californiasec.gov
- Ownership
- Publicly traded. 8x8, Inc. trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol EGHT, according to its annual report for the year to March 2026. Jitsi is a trademark of 8x8, which acquired the Jitsi technology and team from Atlassian in 2018.sec.gov
- Team
- 8x8 reported 1,819 full-time employees as of March 31, 2026, 70% of them outside the United States.sec.gov
- Founders and leaders
- Hiring
- 8x8's careers page lists 17 jobs across the company; the first ten shown are in customer support, sales, finance and engineering, most of them in the Philippines.8x8.com
- Lately
- Introducing Multi-screen support for Jitsi Meet · Oct 1, 2026
- Introducing Document PiP for browser meetings · Sep 2, 2026
- Tracing calls through backend components · Aug 20, 2026
- A new architecture for transcription (and more) · Jul 14, 2026
Read on Oct 6, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
29/33
Other team communication apps it is graded above
Jitsi Meet's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 29 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 30 of 33) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Jitsi Meet has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 34 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Jitsi Meet’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 30 of 33
- AFree plan and trialAbove 30 of 33
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 33
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 33
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 33
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 31 team communication apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Jitsi Meet is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Jitsi Meet is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 29 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade.
What you could not
- Video calls.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Etherpad, YouTube and Dropbox among them, and has an API.
- End-to-end encryption done properly.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Jitsi Meet’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Zoom, Google Meet, Whereby, Webex and Element
The 5 tools Jitsi Meet is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Zoom
Free plan · from $14.16/mo
Video meetings bundled with team chat, phone and AI notes.
- Only Zoom lists a browser extension.
- Jitsi Meet is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Zoom also covers meeting notes, whiteboard, booking links and team chat.
- 2.8GPA
Google Meet
Free plan · from $7/mo
Browser-based video meetings included with Google Workspace.
- Only Jitsi Meet lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Jitsi Meet is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Google Meet also covers meeting notes, transcription and noise cancellation.
- 2.4GPA
Whereby
Free plan · from $10.99/mo
Browser-based video meetings with permanent room links.
- Only Jitsi Meet lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Jitsi Meet is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Whereby also covers noise cancellation, whiteboard and file sharing.
- 2.8GPA
Webex
Free plan · from $12/mo
Cisco's app for video meetings, messaging and calling.
- Jitsi Meet is open source, self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Webex also covers noise cancellation, whiteboard, screen recording, team chat and file sharing.
- 2.8GPA
Element
Free plan
End-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the Matrix standard.
- Element also covers team chat and file sharing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Jitsi Meet free?
Yes. Jitsi Meet is free to use.
How much does Jitsi Meet cost?
Jitsi Meet lists one plan. Jitsi Meet: $0.
What platforms does Jitsi Meet work on?
Jitsi Meet is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
How is Jitsi Meet rated?
Jitsi Meet's iPhone and iPad app averages 3.5 out of 5 from 492 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Is Jitsi Meet open source?
Yes. Jitsi Meet is open source, according to its own site.
Is Jitsi Meet end-to-end encrypted?
Jitsi Meet describes itself as end-to-end encrypted on its own site. Nobody here has audited that.
Does Jitsi Meet have an API?
Yes. Jitsi Meet offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Jitsi Meet integrate with?
Jitsi Meet's listing names Etherpad, YouTube and Dropbox. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Jitsi Meet?
Jitsi Meet is made by 8x8. 8x8, Inc. trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol EGHT, according to its annual report for the year to March 2026.
What are the alternatives to Jitsi Meet?
The closest alternatives to Jitsi Meet in our directory are Zoom, Google Meet, Whereby, Webex and Element.
How does Jitsi Meet compare with other team communication apps?
Jitsi Meet's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 29 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 1.
Is Jitsi Meet good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Jitsi Meet A for value for money. Jitsi Meet has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Jitsi Meet?
Jitsi Meet is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Jitsi Meet’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Jitsi's own pages on 6 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-22.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by 8x8, Inc. Prices change, so check jitsi.org before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Jitsi Meet, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/jitsi-meet
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Jitsi Meet: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/jitsi-meet
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/jitsi-meet/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Jitsi Meet, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 34 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Zoho Cliq Insider's GuideTeam chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Jitsi Meet’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Jitsi Meet is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by 8x8, Inc. Prices and plans change: check jitsi.org before you buy.