BigBlueButton vs Element Call
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
BigBlueButton
Virtual classroom and web conferencing for education
VS
Element Call
Encrypted group video calls on Matrix
| Feature | BigBlueButton | Element Call |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Conferencing | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,182 | ★ 984 |
| First released | 2009 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zoom, Microsoft Teams | Zoom, Google Meet |
Why pick each one
Choose Element Call if…
- Strong encryption
- Federated via Matrix
- No app install needed
Frequently asked questions
Is BigBlueButton or Element Call better?
Neither is universally better. BigBlueButton has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are BigBlueButton and Element Call free and open-source?
Yes. BigBlueButton is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and Element Call under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run BigBlueButton and Element Call with Docker?
BigBlueButton: check the project docs for container support. Element Call: yes.