shouldiuse.io

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Should I Use Jitsi?

jitsi.org·Analyzed 20 hours ago··Based on 15 sources

Learn more about Jitsi, a free open-source video conferencing software for web & mobile. Make a call, launch on your own servers, integrate into your app, and more.

Depends

Depends

Buy it if you want free, private video calls and can self-host or accept a no-frills public service.

Free open-source Zoom alternative: great for privacy and self-hosters, thin on support and polish for mainstream teams.

Confidence: Medium

$0

Starting price

100% open source

Yes

Free tier

Public hosted service

~$40+/mo

Self-hosting cost

Typical server estimate

JaaS by 8x8

Managed option

Fully managed, enterprise-ready

Value for money5

Free, open source, no seat fees

Ease of use4

Reviewers praise ease; self-hosting harder

Feature depth4

TechRadar impressed by breadth of features

Security posture3

E2EE exists; multiple CVEs, actively patched

Pros

  • Completely free and open source¹
  • Self-host on your own servers for data control¹
  • End-to-end encryption is supported³
  • Broad feature set impressed reviewers
  • Managed JaaS option exists via 8x8

Cons

  • Some long-time users report declining quality
  • Self-hosting takes real admin effort
  • Desktop client is legacy; web and mobile lead

Gotchas

  • highUntrusted servers may compromise meetings; enable E2EE deliberately.14
  • medium.si rooms appear in scam attempts; verify links before joining.
  • mediumSelf-hosting means you own patching, scaling, and uptime exposure.
  • lowJaaS pricing not public in sources; confirm 8x8 costs before committing.15

Best for

  • Privacy-focused teams
  • Self-hosters
  • Developers embedding video in apps
  • Zero-budget groups

Not for

  • Enterprises needing vendor SLAs and support
  • Non-technical teams avoiding server admin
  • Anyone wanting Zoom-grade polish by default
  • Compliance-heavy regulated industries

Pricing

Jitsi Meet (hosted or self-hosted)

$0

  • Open source, fully encrypted
  • Hosted instance or your own servers

Self-hosted infrastructure

~$40+/mo

  • Typical VPS/server cost
  • You manage patching and scaling

JaaS (8x8 managed)

Not public in sources

  • Fully managed by Jitsi's team
  • Enterprise-ready

Security

Actively patched open-source project with E2EE, but multiple CVEs and a stealth-media privacy flaw mean self-hosters must stay current.

  • Electron client arbitrary RCE (CVE-2020-27162)Fox-IT disclosed arbitrary client remote code execution in the Jitsi Meet Electron app.10
  • Meeting password disclosure with lobbies2024 flaw exposed passwords of password-protected meetings using lobbies.11
  • One-click stealth audio/video privacy flawPrivacy flaw discussed on Hacker News enabling covert media access.13
  • CVE-2025-64754NVD-listed 2025 vulnerability in Jitsi Meet; see NVD entry for details.12

What users say

Mostly positive on cost, privacy, and ease of use; a vocal minority reports quality decline and self-hosting friction.

I started using Jitsi Meet and holy shit the call...
Reddit, r/jitsi
I remember not long ago Jitsi was a pretty decent,
Reddit, r/degoogle
Overall, I find Jitsi to be a great software for vide...
GetApp review

Alternatives

Compare Jitsi with each alternative.

Google Meet

Free with a Google account; zero setup.

Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources; review snippets partially truncated.

Sources

  1. official
  2. official
  3. official
  4. official
  5. review
  6. review
  7. review
  8. review
  9. GetApp reviewsgetapp.co.uk
    review
  10. security
  11. security
  12. NVD CVE-2025-64754nvd.nist.gov
    security
  13. HN privacy flaw threadnews.ycombinator.com
    security
  14. Front Line Defenders guidefrontlinedefenders.org
    official
  15. news

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