Jitsi Meet vs Element Call
Both are free/open-source alternatives to Zoom. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
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
| Jitsi Meet | Element Call | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 92 | 89 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first | 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) |
Jitsi Meet is Macrostack's recommended Zoom alternative, so it's our pick here.
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
Facts verified 2026-07-12. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.