BigBlueButton
Supports real-time sharing of audio, video, slides (with whiteboard controls), chat, and the screen. Instructors can engage remote students with polling, emojis, and breakout rooms.
BigBlueButton vs Janus
Two self-hosted Communication - Video Conferencing apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| BigBlueButton | Janus | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Supports real-time sharing of audio, video, slides (with whiteboard controls), chat, and the screen. Instructors can engage remote students with polling, emojis, and breakout rooms. | General-purpose, lightweight, minimalist WebRTC Server. |
| GitHub stars | 9,272 | 9,203 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 2.8k | 110 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-10 | 2026-11-09 |
| Latest release | v4.0.2 (2026-11-06) | v1.4.3 (2026-10-12) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language / platform | Java | C |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~4 GB, 2 vCPU | ~4 GB, 2 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Categories | Communication - Video Conferencing | Communication - Video Conferencing |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- BigBlueButton and Janus have a similar number of GitHub stars (9.3k vs 9.2k).
- BigBlueButton had more commits in the last 12 months (2,813 vs 110).
- BigBlueButton published a release more recently (v4.0.2 on 2026-11-06; Janus's latest is v1.4.3 on 2026-10-12).
- BigBlueButton is licensed under LGPL-3.0, Janus under GPL-3.0.
- BigBlueButton is written in Java; Janus in C.
Summary: BigBlueButton leads on commit activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-15. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is BigBlueButton or Janus more popular?
They are close: BigBlueButton has 9,272 GitHub stars and Janus has 9,203 (as of 2026-11-15).
Which is more actively maintained, BigBlueButton or Janus?
BigBlueButton had more commits over the last 12 months (2,813 vs 110). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-10 for BigBlueButton and 2026-11-09 for Janus. Releases in the past year: BigBlueButton 10+, Janus 8. Our health labels: BigBlueButton is “Active”, Janus is “Active”.
What licenses do BigBlueButton and Janus use?
BigBlueButton: LGPL-3.0. Janus: GPL-3.0.
Can I run BigBlueButton and Janus with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Janus
General-purpose, lightweight, minimalist WebRTC Server.
Browse all self-hosted Communication - Video Conferencing apps.