Jitsi vs Zoom: What are the differences?

Introduction

Jitsi and Zoom are both popular video conferencing platforms that provide online meeting and collaboration solutions. While they both offer similar functionalities, there are key differences between Jitsi and Zoom that can influence the choice of platform for different users and organizations.

1. Open Source vs Proprietary Software: Jitsi is an open-source software platform, meaning that its source code is publicly available and can be modified and distributed by users. On the other hand, Zoom is a proprietary software, where the source code is not publicly accessible. This difference gives Jitsi users more flexibility and control over the software, allowing them to customize and enhance its features to better fit their needs.

2. Cost: Jitsi is free to use, with no subscription or licensing fees required. It can be hosted on private servers or used through public instances. This makes it an appealing option for individuals and organizations with tight budgets. In contrast, Zoom offers a range of plans including both free and paid options with additional features and higher participant limits. The pricing structure of Zoom may be more suitable for larger organizations with specific requirements.

3. End-to-End Encryption: Jitsi provides end-to-end encryption by default, ensuring that only the participants in a meeting can access the content exchanged. This means that even Jitsi developers and server administrators cannot decrypt or access the meeting data. On the other hand, Zoom's end-to-end encryption is available only for paid users, and it has faced criticism for its encryption policies in the past. The difference in encryption approaches can be a significant factor for users concerned about privacy and security.

4. Meeting Participants Limit: Jitsi has scalable architecture and can support a large number of participants in a single meeting. The exact participant limit may vary depending on the server setup and system resources. In contrast, Zoom has predefined meeting participant limits based on the pricing plan chosen. The limits range from 100 participants for the free plan to up to 1000 participants for certain paid plans. This difference in participant limits can be crucial for organizations that frequently host large-scale virtual events.

5. Screen Sharing Features: Jitsi offers screen sharing capabilities that allow users to share their entire screen, specific applications, or even individual windows during a meeting. It also provides advanced features like remote control where participants can give control of their screen to another participant. Zoom also supports screen sharing but provides additional features such as annotation tools, co-annotation, and a whiteboard feature, allowing for more interactive collaboration during screen sharing sessions. The difference in screen sharing features can affect the level of engagement and productivity in virtual meetings.

6. Integration and Ecosystem: Zoom has an extensive ecosystem with integrations and partnerships with various software platforms, applications, and hardware devices, allowing for seamless integration with existing workflows and tools. It has well-developed APIs and SDKs that enable developers to create custom solutions and enhance the Zoom experience. While Jitsi also offers integrations and APIs, its ecosystem may be less comprehensive compared to Zoom, making it more suitable for users who primarily rely on the Jitsi platform for their collaboration needs.

In summary, Jitsi and Zoom differ in terms of their software type, cost, encryption, participant limits, screen sharing features, and integration ecosystem. These differences can influence the decision-making process for selecting the appropriate video conferencing platform based on individual or organizational requirements.