Overview
Jitsi is a multi-platform open-source video conferencing suite built on top of WebRTC and XMPP. Architecturally, it is comprised of core components including Jitsi Videobridge (SFU), Jicofo (Focus Component), and Jibri (Broadcasting and Recording). In 2026, Jitsi remains the gold standard for organizations requiring complete sovereign control over their communications data. Its Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) architecture allows for high-concurrency meetings with low-latency media routing without requiring the heavy transcoding typical of traditional MCUs. The platform has evolved into a hybrid ecosystem: the community-driven Jitsi Meet remains free and open-source, while 8x8 provides 'Jitsi as a Service' (JaaS) for developers needing a cloud-managed API for video embedding. Positioned as the primary alternative to Zoom and Microsoft Teams, Jitsi's 2026 market value lies in its 'Privacy-by-Design' framework, supporting true end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and local network hosting for high-security sectors like legal, government, and healthcare. Its extensibility via the lib-jitsi-meet library allows for deep customization of UI/UX, making it the preferred choice for white-label SaaS integration.