What is the difference between Google Meet and Jitsi?

Google Meet is best for Google Workspace users who need simple video calls, while Jitsi is best for Anyone wanting free, open-source video conferencing. Google Meet starts at Free and Jitsi starts at Free.

Is Google Meet or Jitsi cheaper?

Google Meet starts at Free with a free tier. Jitsi starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Jitsi?

Both Google Meet and Jitsi offer free tiers.

Google Meet vs Jitsi

Google Meet is video conferencing built into Google Workspace with screen sharing, recording, and live captions, while Jitsi is free, open-source video meeting solution with no account required and self-hosting option. Jitsi is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Google Meet is built for google workspace users who need simple video calls, whereas Jitsi targets anyone wanting free, open-source video conferencing.

At a glance

	Google Meet	Jitsi
Best for	Google Workspace users who need simple video calls	Anyone wanting free, open-source video conferencing
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Captions	✓	—
E2E Encryption	—	✓
No Account Needed	—	✓
Open Source	—	✓
Recording	✓	—
Screen Sharing	✓	—
Self-Hosted	—	✓
Workspace Integration	✓	—

Google Meet

Strengths

Screen sharing built into every call with no plugins or extensions needed
Includes Captions as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Free for 60-min group calls — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Includes recording alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Call quality depends heavily on participants' internet connections
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Google Meet → Full review

Jitsi

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
Call quality depends heavily on participants' internet connections

Try Jitsi → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Google Meet and Jitsi are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Google Meet offers Captions, Recording and Screen Sharing that Jitsi lacks. Jitsi brings E2E Encryption, No Account Needed and Open Source that Google Meet does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target any size teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Jitsi is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Google Meet is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Google Meet's biggest strengths are: screen sharing built into every call with no plugins or extensions needed. includes captions as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. Jitsi's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development.

Watch out for: With Google Meet, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Jitsi, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Google Meet if...

You need a tool built for google workspace users who need simple video calls
You specifically need Captions and Recording
You care about includes captions as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
The free tier works for you: free for 60-min group calls

Choose Jitsi if...

You need a tool built for anyone wanting free, open-source video conferencing
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need E2E Encryption and No Account Needed
You care about open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development