BigBlueButtonvsElement
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| BigBlueButton | Element | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 25 in Video Conferencing | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 9 258 | 13 621 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +31 | +119 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 18 |
| Latest release | v3.0.40 · 28 Oct 2026 | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Typescript |
Which one should you pick?
Element scores 76/100 against 73/100 for BigBlueButton, so it is the safer default.
BigBlueButton ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 18 for Element.
If you want the quickest setup, Element is easier to run; BigBlueButton needs more configuration.
Element is growing faster right now (+119 stars in 30 days).
BigBlueButton details →Element details →
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