Jitsi – Self-hosted open source video conferencing solution [+3 hosting platforms]

Video conferencing is not new, but the demand has increased in the current situation where most people are working from home.

How do I communicate with the team?

Are you still meeting with your team or clients?

I agree.

You’ve probably heard of or tried Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. They are all good and work really great. However, there may be many reasons not to use it within your organization. It might be compliance, privacy, or cost.

So what could be the solution?

Self-hosted open source video conferencing software – try Jitsi .

Jitsi gives you full control over your video conferencing solution hosted on your server. A perfect alternative to Zoom private meetings.

Two key components make this possible.

Jitsi Meet – A JavaScript-based client application that enables video chat. Share your screen, collaborate in real time, invite people, and more. You can join the meeting using a web browser or Android/iOS app.

Jitsi Videobridge – XMPP server (Prosody) that can host thousands of video chats. WebRTC is compatible and provides encryption by default.

If you want to test your client, try calling :

Jitsi looks promising and is easy to get started.

Installing Jitsi

Jitsi has been tested on Ubuntu/Debian and there are two ways to install it. Get a cloud VM and follow the steps below.

Docker – Probably the easiest method. After installing Docker, refer to this easy-to-follow guide .

Manual – Not recommended as it takes some time. However, if you still want to give it a try, check out this guide .

How can I take advantage of the Jitsi hosting platform?

Of course, you can get started in less than 15 minutes with the following Jitsi hosting platforms:

Kamadera

Get a Jitsi-enabled VM with Kamatera for just $4 per month.

You can choose to deploy to the closest location in North America, Europe, the Middle East, or China.

digital ocean

Start a Jitsi server through the DO Marketplace . You can get an Ubuntu VM with Jitsi and Nginx.

You must enter the domain where you want to host your video conference and follow the on-screen instructions during setup. Everything is ready within 15 minutes.

DigitalOcean offers $100 in free credits.

Bartol

Vultr allows you to deploy Jitsi with one click.

Vultr provides a beautiful control panel and API to manage your servers. It comes with built-in monitoring, and prices start at $5 per month.

How does it look?

Jitsi setup on DO was completed within 15 minutes. This is how the client sees the browser.

I did a quick test with a friend and found good sound and video quality.

Options include choosing front or back camera, starting live streaming, sharing your screen, and muting other users. I haven’t tried the mobile app, but I think it’s better than the browser.

conclusion

Both Vultr and DO have data centers in multiple locations around the world. Choose a location to host your Jitsi server where you expect the most people to participate. Start with a small server size and scale as you grow. You can choose to front a CDN like Cloudflare or StackPath to speed up data delivery.