If you’re looking to move off Zoom, you have options. Real ones. Here are the 3 open-source, self-hostable alternatives I’ve tested, with honest notes on what each does well and where each falls short.
Why leave Zoom?
- 40-minute limit on the free tier makes it painful for real meetings.
- History of security and privacy issues (E2E marketing scandal, uninvited guests).
- AI Companion trains on your meetings unless explicitly disabled.
The 3 best self-hosted alternatives to Zoom
Jitsi Meet
The go-to self-hosted Zoom. No install for guests — browser-based. Room quality depends on your server.
Visit Jitsi Meet website →BigBlueButton
Education-focused. Whiteboards, polls, breakout rooms. Heavier to run than Jitsi.
Visit BigBlueButton website →Nextcloud Talk
If you already run Nextcloud, this bolts on. Best for small teams.
Visit Nextcloud Talk website →Quick comparison
| Alternative | Difficulty | License |
|---|---|---|
| Jitsi Meet | Medium | Apache-2.0 |
| BigBlueButton | Hard | LGPL-3.0 |
| Nextcloud Talk | Easy | AGPL-3.0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Zoom?
Yes. Every tool listed above is free and open source. Some, like Jitsi Meet, also have optional paid hosted tiers if you don’t want to run the server yourself. Everything else is genuinely free to self-host — you pay only for your own hardware and time.
Which one should I pick if I’ve never self-hosted anything before?
Start with Nextcloud Talk. It’s the lowest-friction option here — realistic to have running in an afternoon on a small server or Raspberry Pi. If it doesn’t fit your workflow, BigBlueButton is a good second try.
Can I run these on a Raspberry Pi?
Most of them, yes — the tools marked Easy here will comfortably run on a Pi 4 or Pi 5 with 4GB+ of RAM. The Medium tools may work but appreciate a mini PC or a spare desktop. Hard-tagged tools generally want real server hardware.
What about mobile apps?
It varies. Tools like Vaultwarden and Immich have native iOS/Android apps that connect to your server. Others rely on the web UI through your phone browser — fine for occasional use, not a full app experience.