Some open source video conferencing software
In today's digital age, video conferencing has become an essential tool for remote work, education and meetings. While there are many popular software or options for video conferencing, there is currently a growing demand for open source video conferencing software. This is because open source software focuses more on transparency, customization and user privacy. Also, open source software is free to use.
So, in today's topic I will discuss 4 such open source video conferencing software, which can be the best video conferencing software for you. Also, what benefits you can get by using these softwares and their unique features will be discussed.
Why should you use an open source video conferencing software?
Open-source video conferencing software can often be more secure than closed-source software. Such software can be especially important to you when you come to know that there have been incidents like Data Breaches of some closed source platforms in the past. For example: In April 2020, the usernames and passwords of millions of Zoom users were exposed.
Although open source software is not perfect, but one can find problems related to the security of such software. And, in most cases, many people try to find out the problems of such software. In that case, Contributor-Rera can quickly identify and fix other bugs.
Also open source software allows you to make unlimited video calls completely free. Although, some closed source software have no limit on video calling, but popular and most of the software have to pay for unlimited video conferencing. For example, you can talk for a maximum of 40 minutes continuously using Zoom using the Free Plan.
So let's take a look at some of the best open source video conferencing software, which don't offer unlimited video conferencing access.
1. Jitsi Meet
Jitsi Meet is a free and user friendly video conferencing tool. During video conferencing with it, you only need to share a link to another person to give them access to the conference. Where the person can join the video conference without downloading any app.
Jitsi Meet supports group video, live chat, screen sharing, streaming and more. To use it, one needs to download its Chrome extension on PC. If you prefer to plan your week using Google Calendar, Jitsi Meet can integrate with Google Calendar.
In addition to video conferencing using a web browser extension, you'll also find Jitsi Meet's mobile apps for iOS and Android.
2. Jami
Jami is an open source video conferencing software available on all devices and completely free. You can easily make video calls using this software as well as create your own username, making it easy for others to find you. Apart from video conferencing, you can also use Jami for instant messaging with others.
So, if you want a good internal communication tool for your workplace or daily work, then Jami can be a great choice for you.
Since, Jami software has features of Anonymous and End-to-end Encryption, so if you care about your privacy, then it can be a great option for you. This software has no feature, storage or bandwidth restrictions for users. And it is completely Ad-free, Stable, and Fast video conferencing software.
You don't have to pay anything to use Jami open source video conferencing software. However, you can donate to support their projects.
Nextcloud Talk lets you have video meetings and screen sharing. For that reason, it is particularly popular as an ideal open source video conferencing platform for many people. This is a fully self-hosted platform. Which means you don't have to worry about your data being leaked from here. Because, all the data will be stored on your device while using it. the
Also, this platform has AES-256-level encryption facility. Nextcloud Talk protects you from Brute-Force Attacks and gives your calls extra security.
In addition to video conferencing tools, Nextcloud Talk offers several great tools to make your meetings more productive and interactive. Among these, you can present presentations through the Whiteboard feature while using it. You can also use Nextcloud Talk as an alternative to Google Drive and Dropbox, which allows you to store various documents, images and more.
Nextcloud Talk software has several other interesting features. Where you can create In-chat Polls to get necessary information or take opinions from other participants during video conferencing.
Apache OpenMeetings is one of the exceptional tools for video conferencing software. It has two main options during video conferencing. Whereas, using the first one you can video call only others and using the second option you can come to the video call with a whiteboard.
The second option is best for you when you want to host video conferencing as a presenter. That is, when you want to convey something manually to the person on the other end.
In addition to video calls, you can also conduct audio-only meetings using Apache OpenMeetings. While using it the other person can access the meeting with just one click on the conference link without downloading any kind of app. Also, you can record the entire meeting using its call recording feature.