Private and open-source alternatives to Zoom
6 video calls rated against the same public privacy criteria as Zoom, with our picks first.
Why look for an alternative?
- Open source: no. Closed source.
- No trackers or telemetry: no. The privacy statement describes third-party advertising and analytics cookies shared with marketing partners.
- No ads or data sales: no. The privacy statement allows targeted advertising through third-party partners and sales of business contact data through one product.
- Independent audit: partial. Zoom lists SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001 and FedRAMP audits, but the reports are not public.
- End-to-end encrypted: partial. End-to-end encryption is optional, off by default and disables features such as cloud recording and the web client.
- Join without an account: partial. Participants can join without an account; hosts need a Zoom account.
- Self-hostable: partial. Zoom Node can keep meeting media on customer servers, but it is managed from and depends on the Zoom cloud.
The alternatives
Element Call Grade B
Open source group video calling app built on Matrix and LiveKit, usable standalone in the browser at call.element.io or inside Matrix apps such as Element X. It can be self-hosted.
Based in the United Kingdom (Five Eyes). Element Call scores 77 out of 100 (grade B) on the video calls criteria. It meets 5 of 7 criteria: open source, no ads or data sales, end-to-end encrypted, join without an account and self-hostable.
Galène Grade C
Lightweight self-hosted videoconference server with a web client, designed for lectures, conferences and meetings, with screen sharing, chat and recording.
Galène scores 67 out of 100 (grade C) on the video calls criteria. It meets 5 of 7 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, join without an account and self-hostable.
Brave Talk Grade C
Browser-based video calling service from Brave, built on Jitsi and run with 8x8. Calls are started from the Brave browser and can be joined from any browser.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Brave Talk scores 60 out of 100 (grade C) on the video calls criteria. It meets 3 of 7 criteria: no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and join without an account.
Jitsi Grade D
Open source video conferencing that runs in the browser without an account, with desktop and mobile apps. It can be self-hosted or used through the free meet.jit.si service run by 8x8.
Based in the United States (Five Eyes). Jitsi scores 53 out of 100 (grade D) on the video calls criteria. It meets 3 of 7 criteria: open source, no ads or data sales and self-hostable.
BigBlueButton Grade D
Self-hosted web conferencing system for online classes, with whiteboard, shared notes, breakout rooms, polls and recording, often integrated with learning management systems.
BigBlueButton scores 47 out of 100 (grade D) on the video calls criteria. It meets 4 of 7 criteria: open source, no ads or data sales, join without an account and self-hostable.
Whereby Grade F
Browser-based video meeting service from Norway where hosts create permanent room links that guests open in a browser, with mobile apps and an embeddable video API.
Based in Norway (Nine Eyes). Whereby scores 33 out of 100 (grade F) on the video calls criteria. It meets 1 of 7 criteria: no ads or data sales.