Jitsi Videobridge 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?
Jitsi Videobridge
Scalable WebRTC-compatible video routing engine
VS
Element Call
Encrypted group video calls on Matrix
| Feature | Jitsi Videobridge | Element Call |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Conferencing | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Kotlin | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,093 | ★ 984 |
| First released | 2013 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Zoom, Twilio | Zoom, Google Meet |
Why pick each one
Choose Jitsi Videobridge if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Kotlin
Choose Element Call if…
- Strong encryption
- Federated via Matrix
- No app install needed
Frequently asked questions
Is Jitsi Videobridge or Element Call better?
Neither is universally better. Jitsi Videobridge has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Jitsi Videobridge and Element Call free and open-source?
Yes. Jitsi Videobridge is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Element Call under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jitsi Videobridge and Element Call with Docker?
Jitsi Videobridge: yes. Element Call: yes.