Fourwaves
Fourwaves follows its participant inbox with a week of admin fixes and security hardening.
Comparison · Meetings
BigBlueButton vs Pexip
A side-by-side editorial comparison of BigBlueButton and Pexip — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:video-conferencing
BigBlueButton vs Pexip: at a glance
What is BigBlueButton?
BigBlueButton 4.0 rc.5 drops Etherpad and makes BlockNote the only notes editor.
BigBlueButton 4.0.0-rc.5 removes Etherpad, so upgrading uninstalls bbb-etherpad and bbb-pads and leaves BlockNote as the only shared-notes editor. It also moves Node components to Node.js 24, switches the client to the 1.0 pre-release plugin SDK, and redesigns the poll and quiz panels. It follows two security-only candidates, and the project still recommends 3.0.x for production.
What is Pexip?
Pexip Infinity v40 lands as a maintenance-grade release.
The recent feed is dominated by the Pexip Infinity v40 release notes — upgrade procedure, changelog, resolved issues, known limitations — alongside the prior v39.1 release. The v40 release itself notes 'no significant changes' in functionality, suggesting this is a stability/security cut rather than a feature push.
BigBlueButton vs Pexip: editorial side-by-side
BigBlueButton
5.0MEETINGS
BigBlueButton 4.0 rc.5 drops Etherpad and makes BlockNote the only notes editor.
◆ Current state
BigBlueButton 4.0.0-rc.5 removes Etherpad, so upgrading uninstalls bbb-etherpad and bbb-pads and leaves BlockNote as the only shared-notes editor. It also moves Node components to Node.js 24, switches the client to the 1.0 pre-release plugin SDK, and redesigns the poll and quiz panels. It follows two security-only candidates, and the project still recommends 3.0.x for production.
◆ Where it's heading
The 4.0 cycle is removing legacy components one by one: SIP.js audio went in beta.4, and Etherpad goes now. Between the removals, security-only candidates harden the new LiveKit audio and BlockNote notes surfaces. The plugin SDK reaching a 1.0 pre-release suggests the extension API is being frozen for GA.
◆ Prediction
Expect at least one more candidate to settle the plugin SDK 1.0 change and Etherpad removal before 4.0.0 GA. The pace of security advisories makes the exact timing unclear.
Pexip
5.0MEETINGS
Pexip Infinity v40 lands as a maintenance-grade release.
◆ Current state
The recent feed is dominated by the Pexip Infinity v40 release notes — upgrade procedure, changelog, resolved issues, known limitations — alongside the prior v39.1 release. The v40 release itself notes 'no significant changes' in functionality, suggesting this is a stability/security cut rather than a feature push.
◆ Where it's heading
Pexip is operating in classic enterprise-on-prem mode: regular versioned releases with multi-step upgrade paths, security bulletins, and detailed end-of-life announcements. There is no visible AI or cloud-native pivot in the current notes. The product is being maintained for the install base it already has, not reshaped for a new buyer.
◆ Prediction
Expect a v40.x point release within 4–6 weeks addressing v40 known limitations, and continued biannual major versions. The next directional signal would be either an AI-meeting feature inside the web app or a cloud-managed deployment option — neither is hinted at in this batch.
Alternatives to BigBlueButton and Pexip
Other Meetings products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either BigBlueButton or Pexip.
HOMER
HOMER 11.0.369 fixes S3 auth on Ceph-based storage and stops compaction memory growth.
Element Call
Element Call starts moving to new LiveKit transports and falls back to remote SFUs when needed.
JW Player
JW Player moves CMAF VOD into the dashboard, adds AV1, and opens Broadcast Live to audio-only feeds.
rtpengine
rtpengine opens the mr26.3 branch with a rollback message and leaner call state.
Nextcloud Talk Desktop
Nextcloud Talk Desktop 2.3.3 adds accessibility options and bundles Talk v25.0.6.
See all BigBlueButton alternatives → · See all Pexip alternatives →
Recent activity from BigBlueButton and Pexip
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 21d agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.5 removes Etherpad and moves to Node.js 24
- 28d agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.4 patches audio and notes security flaws
- 1mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.3 hardens LiveKit reconnection
- 1mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.2 fixes cross-meeting security flaws
- 1mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.1 completes the LiveKit audio migration ⚡
- 2mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 beta.5 overhauls mobile layout
- 6mo agoPexipPexip Infinity v40 upgrade guide published
- 6mo agoPexipv40 ships with no significant functional changes
- 6mo agoPexipInstallation guide updated for v40
- 6mo agoPexipResolved issues in v40
- 7mo agoPexipv40 known limitations published
- 7mo agoPexipPexip Infinity v39.1 release notes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BigBlueButton and Pexip?
Both compete on the same themes — video-conferencing — within Meetings. BigBlueButton and Pexip are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is BigBlueButton better than Pexip?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. BigBlueButton and Pexip are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to BigBlueButton?
Top BigBlueButton alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "BigBlueButton alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/bigbluebutton for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Pexip?
Top Pexip alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Pexip alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/pexip for the full list with editorial commentary on each.