Jitsi Meet vs Jami
Both are alternatives to Zoom. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Jami vs Jitsi Meet — same comparison, one verdict.
Jami 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.
Jami
Fully peer-to-peer calls with no server at all.
Jami is a GNU project for calls and messaging that works peer-to-peer and end-to-end encrypted, with no central server to run or trust. It is the most decentralized option — private by design, at the cost of some polish for large group meetings.
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 | Jami | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 92 | 90 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | No | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free / open-source (self-host or use a public instance) | Free / open-source |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 8 GB for the videobridge under real load | Nothing server-side for one-to-one calls. The real requirement moves to whoever starts a group call: that device receives every participant's video, mixes it and sends the mixed stream back to each person, so its upload carries one outgoing stream per participant |
| 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 | $0 on Jami's default network (Savoir-faire Linux runs the bootstrap, TURN, DHT-proxy and name servers). If you run your own TURN and DHT node, a small VPS at roughly $5/mo, and every call it relays counts against that plan's bandwidth |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | 3 hours | 5 minutes to install the app and create an account; an afternoon to stand up your own TURN server and DHT node |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | Active. It has many moving parts and they all matter. | Keep the app updated on every device. If you run your own TURN or DHT node, patch it like any small server and re-test it after firewall or router changes. There's no database to back up, but each person should export their account archive. |
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
Jami
Strengths
- +Fully peer-to-peer — no server to run
- +End-to-end encrypted by design
- +Cross-platform
Trade-offs
- −Less turnkey for big group meetings
- −Smaller ecosystem than Jitsi
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 Jami
if your data should stay on machines you control, and fully peer-to-peer — no server to run.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — large calls need a well-sized server, and less turnkey for big group meetings. 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 Jami
Nothing server-side for one-to-one calls. The real requirement moves to whoever starts a group call: that device receives every participant's video, mixes it and sends the mixed stream back to each person, so its upload carries one outgoing stream per participant RAM · 5 minutes to install the app and create an account; an afternoon to stand up your own TURN server and DHT node
$0 on Jami's default network (Savoir-faire Linux runs the bootstrap, TURN, DHT-proxy and name servers). If you run your own TURN and DHT node, a small VPS at roughly $5/mo, and every call it relays counts against that plan's bandwidth
Jitsi Meet vs Jami — common questions
Is Jitsi Meet a better fit than Jami for video conferencing?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Jitsi Meet scores 92 to Jami's 90 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Jami earns its place on a different axis — fully peer-to-peer — no server to run. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Jami 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 Jami?
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 Jami 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.