Jitsi Meet vs Element Call
Both are alternatives to Zoom. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Element Call vs Jitsi Meet — same comparison, one verdict.
Element Call keeps your data local by default and Jitsi Meet keeps it in the vendor's cloud — for most teams that single fact decides it.
Jitsi Meet
TOP PICKOpen-source video meetings with no account required.
Jitsi Meet is a mature, open-source video-conferencing platform you can use free on the public instance or self-host for full control. Participants can join from a browser with no account, which makes it one of the easiest Zoom replacements to adopt.
Element Call
Decentralized, end-to-end encrypted calls on the Matrix network.
Element Call is a native Matrix video-conferencing app: end-to-end encrypted by default, federated across Matrix homeservers, and free to use or self-host. It is the best fit for teams that want secure, decentralized calls with no single company controlling the infrastructure — calls can even happen between users on different homeservers.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Jitsi Meet | Element Call | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 92 | 89 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | No | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free / open-source (self-host or use a public instance) | Free / open-source (use element.io or self-host with a Matrix homeserver) |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 8 GB for the videobridge under real load | 2–4 GB for Synapse, PostgreSQL, the LiveKit SFU and the MatrixRTC authorization service on one small box |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $40–80/mo for a usable instance, and bandwidth is the real cost | $12–24/mo on a 4 GB VPS for Synapse plus LiveKit, but bandwidth is the real bill: the SFU sends each participant a copy of everyone else's video, so outbound traffic climbs with every person who joins |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | 3 hours | A weekend if you already run Synapse; longer if this is your first Matrix homeserver |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | Active. It has many moving parts and they all matter. | The homeserver flags Element Call needs are still marked experimental, so re-check them against the self-hosting doc on every Synapse and Element Call release. LiveKit and the auth service are separate things to patch, and LiveKit's UDP media ports (50000–60000) must survive every firewall change. |
Jitsi Meet is Macrostack's recommended Zoom alternative, so it's our pick here.
Weighing both against staying on Zoom? Is Zoom free? What it actually costs →
Jitsi Meet
Strengths
- +No account needed to join
- +Self-hostable for full control
- +Mature and widely deployed
Trade-offs
- −Large calls need a well-sized server
- −Advanced features require self-hosting effort
Element Call
Strengths
- +End-to-end encrypted and decentralized (Matrix + LiveKit)
- +Federated — call across different homeservers
- +Use free online or self-host for full control
- +No account lock-in to a single provider
Trade-offs
- −Self-hosting means running a Matrix homeserver and LiveKit backend
- −Younger and less turnkey than Jitsi for large calls
- −Ecosystem is smaller than mainstream conferencing tools
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Jitsi Meet
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and no account needed to join.
Choose Element Call
if your data should stay on machines you control, and end-to-end encrypted and decentralized (Matrix + LiveKit).
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — large calls need a well-sized server, and self-hosting means running a Matrix homeserver and LiveKit backend. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Self-hosting Jitsi Meet
8 GB for the videobridge under real load RAM · 3 hours
$40–80/mo for a usable instance, and bandwidth is the real cost
Self-hosting Element Call
2–4 GB for Synapse, PostgreSQL, the LiveKit SFU and the MatrixRTC authorization service on one small box RAM · A weekend if you already run Synapse; longer if this is your first Matrix homeserver
$12–24/mo on a 4 GB VPS for Synapse plus LiveKit, but bandwidth is the real bill: the SFU sends each participant a copy of everyone else's video, so outbound traffic climbs with every person who joins
Jitsi Meet vs Element Call — common questions
Is Jitsi Meet a better fit than Element Call for video conferencing?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Jitsi Meet scores 92 to Element Call's 89 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Element Call earns its place on a different axis — end-to-end encrypted and decentralized (Matrix + LiveKit). Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Element Call keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. Jitsi Meet is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Jitsi Meet or Element Call?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Jitsi Meet and Element Call both alternatives to Zoom?
Yes — both appear in our Zoom comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Zoom and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-07-12. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.