Lib-Jitsi-Meet vs mediasoup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted video conferencing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Lib-Jitsi-Meet | mediasoup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Video Conferencing | Video Conferencing |
| License | Apache-2.0 | ISC |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,420 | ★ 7,375 |
| First released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Twilio Video | Twilio Video |
What are Lib-Jitsi-Meet and mediasoup?
Lib-Jitsi-Meet
Lib-Jitsi-Meet is the low-level JavaScript library used to build custom video conferencing applications on top of a self-hosted Jitsi Videobridge. It handles WebRTC signaling and media management.
- Build custom Jitsi video apps
- WebRTC signaling library
- Works with self-hosted Jitsi
mediasoup
mediasoup is a WebRTC Selective Forwarding Unit implemented as a library for Node.js, Rust, and other languages. It powers many self-hosted video conferencing systems with low-latency media routing.
- WebRTC SFU engine
- Low-latency media routing
- Node and Rust APIs
- Building block for conferencing apps
Lib-Jitsi-Meet vs mediasoup: key differences
Lib-Jitsi-Meet is written in TypeScript, while mediasoup is built with C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Lib-Jitsi-Meet versus ISC for mediasoup. Lib-Jitsi-Meet is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for mediasoup. Mediasoup has the considerably larger community, at 7,375 GitHub stars versus 1,420.
Why pick each one
Choose Lib-Jitsi-Meet if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose mediasoup if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Mature project with 7.4k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Lib-Jitsi-Meet or mediasoup better?
Neither is universally better. mediasoup has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lib-Jitsi-Meet and mediasoup free and open-source?
Yes. Lib-Jitsi-Meet is licensed under Apache-2.0 and mediasoup under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lib-Jitsi-Meet and mediasoup with Docker?
Lib-Jitsi-Meet: check the project docs for container support. mediasoup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Lib-Jitsi-Meet or mediasoup?
Lib-Jitsi-Meet has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for mediasoup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.