Best Zoom Alternatives in 2026: Free, Open-Source and Self-Hosted Video Conferencing

The best Zoom alternatives depend on whether you want a hosted service or your own server. Jitsi Meet is a free, open-source option that runs in the browser, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are the simplest swaps if your company is already on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and BigBlueButton is the pick for online classes.

This guide covers hosted video meeting tools first, then open-source servers you can run yourself, followed by a section on free video conferencing software and one on webinars. If you are leaving Webex rather than Zoom, the same list applies. Every tool is listed on Enlisted, so the table shows which ones are open source and self-hostable.

Why people look for Zoom alternatives

Zoom is the default name in video meetings, and these are the reasons people still shop around.

• Free-plan limits. Zoom's Basic plan limits how long group meetings can run, according to its pricing page, and teams that meet for longer hit that wall quickly.
• Per-seat pricing. Zoom's paid plans are charged per user per month, so the bill rises with headcount.
• Closed source, hosted only. Enlisted lists Zoom as proprietary with no self-hosted version. If recordings and meeting data must stay on your own servers, you need a different tool.
• A growing suite. Zoom now describes a wider workplace platform with chat, a phone system, mail, calendar, whiteboards and events. Teams that only want video calls may not need all of that.
• Switching with a suite you already pay for. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace customers often already have a meeting tool included, so a second subscription is hard to justify.

How we picked

Each tool here does the core job of Zoom: live video meetings with screen sharing for a group of people. Enlisted's data decided the rest. Open-source projects had to show recent GitHub activity, licences are quoted as listed, and each pick notes whether you can self-host and whether a free plan exists. Enlisted's listings and the vendors' own pages supply the facts, and no benchmarks were run for this guide. Enlisted's overall approach is laid out in how Enlisted ranks tools. Meeting length and participant caps are mentioned only where a vendor states them, and they change, so confirm them before you commit.

1. Jitsi Meet: best free open-source Zoom alternative

Jitsi Meet is an open-source video conferencing platform that works in the browser and in mobile apps and that you can use as a hosted service or run on your own server. It is built on WebRTC with a selective forwarding unit to scale to larger meetings, and meetings include screen sharing, chat, polls, reactions and virtual backgrounds. Android and iOS apps exist, and the project can also be embedded into your own web application through its SDKs.

The hosted service at meet.jit.si is free to use, and Jitsi's site describes it as open to everyone with no account needed, although the project's README mentions signing in with an account from a major provider to start a meeting, so check how the public server currently behaves. Jitsi's site calls it a fully encrypted, open-source solution. 8x8, the company behind Jitsi, also sells a managed hosting option called JaaS. The software is released under Apache-2.0.

• Best for: teams, schools and communities that want a free Zoom replacement without installing anything, with the option to self-host later.
• Watch out for: the public server is shared infrastructure, and running your own video server means planning for bandwidth and maintenance.

2. Google Meet: best free option if you already use Google accounts

Google Meet is Google's video meeting service that runs in the browser and in mobile apps and plugs into Google Calendar and Workspace. You can start a meeting from Calendar or Gmail, which makes it the path of least resistance for companies that already use Google. Per Google's Meet page, anyone with a personal Google account can host a free meeting.

Google says free group meetings have a time limit and a participant cap, while one-to-one and mobile calls have no time limit, and that paid Workspace and Google One Premium plans raise both. It lists live captions and screen sharing as free features, with recording, transcripts, polls, breakout rooms and Q&A on premium plans. More options on the Google Meet alternatives page.

• Best for: teams already on Google Workspace and individuals who want free calls with a Google account.
• Watch out for: recording and interactive tools such as breakout rooms sit on paid plans, and it is closed source with no self-hosted version.

3. Microsoft Teams: best for companies on Microsoft 365

Microsoft Teams is Microsoft's collaboration app that combines video meetings, persistent team chat, calling and shared files, and it is part of the Microsoft 365 suite. It works alongside Outlook, SharePoint and the Office applications, so meetings, mail and documents sit in the same suite.

Teams is proprietary and runs only as a hosted service, so self-hosting is not possible. Enlisted's entry could not read Microsoft's site when it was prepared, so check current plans on the Microsoft Teams page before relying on any limit. For the chat side of Teams, see the Slack and Teams alternatives guide, and for other options, Microsoft Teams alternatives.

• Best for: organizations that already license Microsoft 365 and want meetings, chat and files together.
• Watch out for: it is tied to the Microsoft ecosystem and is a larger product than a plain meeting tool.

4. Webex: best for large enterprises that want one vendor

Webex is Cisco's collaboration platform that combines video meetings and webinars, team messaging and business calling, aimed at enterprises and other large organizations. The vendor also sells related hardware and room systems, so it suits companies that want meeting-room equipment and software from the same supplier.

It is a hosted Cisco service and not self-hostable, and Enlisted lists a free plan. Webex's own site blocked automated reading when this guide was prepared, so check the current plan limits on the vendor's pricing page. Visit the Webex alternatives page for more, since this guide is also written for people leaving Webex.

• Best for: enterprises that want meetings, messaging and calling plus room hardware from one vendor.
• Watch out for: it is aimed at large organizations, so small teams may find more administration than they need.

5. Whereby: best for permanent room links in a privacy-minded hosted tool

Whereby is a browser-based video meeting service that uses permanent room links, so participants join through a URL without installing software. The vendor describes itself as European owned and privacy-first, and it has two product lines: Meetings for individuals and teams, and Embedded, an API and SDK for adding video calls to your own application.

According to Whereby's pricing page, Meetings is charged per user licence and Embedded is charged by usage. Enlisted lists a free plan; see Whereby alternatives for similar tools.

• Best for: freelancers, consultants and small teams that want a fixed room link for client calls.
• Watch out for: it is closed source and hosted only, and the free plan's limits are not covered in Enlisted's data, so read the vendor's plan page.

6. Zoho Meeting: best for Zoho users who also run webinars

Zoho Meeting is an online meetings and webinar tool from Zoho that supports screen sharing and recording and sits alongside the wider Zoho product family. It covers both regular meetings and webinars in one product, so a company that runs product demos or training sessions does not need a second tool.

Enlisted lists a limited free meeting plan and trials of the paid Standard and Professional tiers. The vendor's site could not be read when the entry was prepared, so confirm limits at the Zoho Meeting page and the vendor's pricing page.

• Best for: small businesses already using Zoho apps that need both meetings and webinars.
• Watch out for: it is closed source and hosted only, and the free plan is limited.

7. BigBlueButton: best open-source option for online classes

BigBlueButton is an open-source web conferencing system designed for online learning, with real-time audio, video, slides, a shared whiteboard and screen sharing. Where Zoom is a general meeting tool, BigBlueButton adds classroom features: polls, emoji reactions, shared notes, breakout rooms, session recording and a Learning Analytics Dashboard for moderators.

It is released under LGPL-3.0, and its default front end is called GreenLight. The README lists online tutoring, flipped classrooms, group collaboration and online classes among its scenarios, and says it also works for many other meeting types. For related tools, see open-source Zoom alternatives.

• Best for: schools, universities and training organizations that want a self-hosted virtual classroom.
• Watch out for: it is built around teaching, so a team that only wants quick stand-ups may find the classroom model more than it needs. You also run the server.

8. La Suite Meet: best sovereign, MIT-licensed self-hosted option

La Suite Meet is an open-source video conferencing app built with Django and React on top of LiveKit that runs in the browser, so participants join without installing anything. It comes from the French government's La Suite numerique project, and a public instance runs at visio.numerique.gouv.fr.

The code is MIT-licensed and fully self-hostable. Listed features include stability tuned for large meetings, multiple screen-sharing streams, a non-persistent chat, recording, authentication and access control, and a customizable front end. Transcription and summaries are in beta, and end-to-end encryption is listed as coming soon.

• Best for: public institutions and organizations that want sovereign, self-hosted meetings on LiveKit.
• Watch out for: end-to-end encryption is not available yet, according to the listing, and transcription is still in beta.

9. OpenVidu: best self-hosted option you can brand and embed

OpenVidu is a self-hosted real-time video stack built on LiveKit and mediasoup that ships as two products: a ready-to-use conferencing app and a developer platform. OpenVidu Meet offers rooms, recordings, chat, screen sharing and moderation, and you can brand it with your own name, logo and colors or embed it in your product through a web component, a REST API and webhooks.

The code is Apache-2.0. Enlisted lists a free Community edition and a Pro edition that is also self-hosted and billed by cluster usage, with a trial. OpenVidu Platform is API-compatible with LiveKit, so LiveKit SDKs work with it unchanged. See the OpenVidu page.

• Best for: product teams and organizations that want a branded, self-hosted Zoom replacement or video inside their own app.
• Watch out for: Enlisted lists no hosted version, so you run the infrastructure, and the platform side is aimed at developers.

10. MiroTalk SFU: best self-hosted server with no meeting-length cap

MiroTalk SFU is an open-source video conferencing platform that you deploy on your own server, built on a mediasoup selective forwarding unit. It supports video chat, screen sharing, file sharing and RTMP live streaming, and the project is offered as an alternative to Zoom, Google Meet, Jitsi Meet and Microsoft Teams.

Compared with hosted services, its README highlights unlimited meeting duration and rooms, plus full control of data and infrastructure. It is released under AGPL-3.0, with one-time commercial licences available for people who cannot use AGPL. Enlisted also lists the lighter MiroTalk P2P and MiroTalk C2C, the latter for private one-to-one calls.

• Best for: groups that want an unrestricted self-hosted meeting room and are comfortable with Docker.
• Watch out for: the AGPL licence has obligations if you modify or embed it, so read the terms or buy a commercial licence, and Enlisted lists no hosted version.

11. Galène: best lightweight server for modest hardware

Galène is a lightweight videoconferencing server written in Go that is easy to deploy and runs on modest server resources. It is a WebRTC selective forwarding unit, so the server forwards participants' streams instead of mixing them, which keeps CPU use low while supporting group calls from a web browser.

It is MIT-licensed and also supports file sharing between participants. The project ships documentation for installation, administration, writing clients and an administrative API, and the quick start shows how to try it locally. See the Galène listing.

• Best for: small organizations, clubs and classes that want to host meetings on a cheap server.
• Watch out for: it is a lean server rather than a full suite, so check its documentation for any feature you rely on, such as recording, before moving a team.

Other video tools worth knowing

plugNmeet is a self-hosted, LiveKit-based web conferencing system with a whiteboard, breakout rooms, SIP dial-in and an AI meeting agent. edumeet is a self-hosted WebRTC meeting service built on mediasoup. Screego is a self-hosted screen-sharing server with a built-in TURN server. Chitchatter is a serverless peer-to-peer chat and video app that its listing describes as end-to-end encrypted and ephemeral, with no accounts. Developers building their own meetings can start from LiveKit, an open-source realtime server and SDK platform.

Free video conferencing software: what the free plans look like

Free video conferencing comes in two forms. Hosted free plans, such as Zoom's Basic tier, Google Meet with a personal Google account and the free plans listed for Webex, Whereby and Zoho Meeting, cost nothing but cap something, usually meeting length, participant count or features like recording. Jitsi Meet's hosted service at meet.jit.si is free to use. Self-hosted options such as Jitsi Meet, BigBlueButton, MiroTalk SFU and Galène do not charge for the software or cap meeting length by plan, but you pay for the server, its bandwidth and the time spent keeping it running.

Some setups also need a relay called a TURN server for people on restrictive networks, and Screego, for example, bundles one. If you only run occasional calls, a hosted free plan is less work. If you meet daily, hold long sessions or need data on your own servers, hosting your own video server starts to pay off.

Webinars are a separate job

If you are looking for a Zoom replacement because of webinars rather than team meetings, browse tools built for that job. Livestorm is a browser-based webinar and virtual event platform with engagement analytics and CRM sync. ClickMeeting covers webinars and meetings with polls, whiteboard and breakout rooms. BigMarker handles live and on-demand sessions with registration and audience engagement. All three are hosted, and none is open source.

Best video conferencing software: which Zoom alternative should you choose?

For a wider view, see all Zoom alternatives on Enlisted, or browse the video conferencing category and team chat category. If the meetings are mostly chat with the occasional call, the Slack alternatives guide covers workplace chat tools.