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Comparison · Meetings
Element Call vs Jitsi Meet Desktop
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Element Call and Jitsi Meet Desktop — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Element Call vs Jitsi Meet Desktop: at a glance
What is Element Call?
Element Call publishes an experimental React component that renders in the host page, not an iframe.
Element Call ships release candidates every few weeks, and the 0.28.1 line moved fast this week. rc.3 starts publishing @element-hq/element-call-component to npm, an experimental way to render calls in a host page instead of an iframe. rc.2 backports fixes for media from one participant being lost after another joins. rc.1 added remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit transport migration.
What is Jitsi Meet Desktop?
Jitsi Meet Desktop ships a trust-store fix you can only get by updating the app
Jitsi Meet Desktop releases every month or two, mostly upkeep. 2026.10.0 moves to Electron 43.8.3, which removes trust for the certificate hierarchy behind the October eMudhra intermediate CA compromise; because the app carries its own root store, updating is the only way to get it. It also adds a default-server CLI option and keeps JWTs when opening a meeting window.
Element Call vs Jitsi Meet Desktop: editorial side-by-side
Element Call
5.0MEETINGS
Element Call publishes an experimental React component that renders in the host page, not an iframe.
◆ Current state
Element Call ships release candidates every few weeks, and the 0.28.1 line moved fast this week. rc.3 starts publishing @element-hq/element-call-component to npm, an experimental way to render calls in a host page instead of an iframe. rc.2 backports fixes for media from one participant being lost after another joins. rc.1 added remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit transport migration.
◆ Where it's heading
After finishing the MatrixRTC protocol cutover in August, the team is working on the transport layer and on how Element Call gets embedded. A React component alongside the widget, Android and SwiftPM packages, plus the MatrixRTC SDK from rc.1, suggests the calling stack is meant to be reused in other apps.
◆ Prediction
Expect a 0.28.1 final soon after these quick candidates; how long the React component stays experimental isn't clear from the entries.
Jitsi Meet Desktop
2.5MEETINGS
Jitsi Meet Desktop ships a trust-store fix you can only get by updating the app
◆ Current state
Jitsi Meet Desktop releases every month or two, mostly upkeep. 2026.10.0 moves to Electron 43.8.3, which removes trust for the certificate hierarchy behind the October eMudhra intermediate CA compromise; because the app carries its own root store, updating is the only way to get it. It also adds a default-server CLI option and keeps JWTs when opening a meeting window.
◆ Where it's heading
Since the 2026.6.0 redesign into per-call windows, the app has returned to maintenance: Electron bumps, packaging and small fixes. Its security posture depends on how fast it follows Chromium through Electron.
◆ Prediction
The next release is likely another Electron bump with small fixes, in roughly a month.
Alternatives to Element Call and Jitsi Meet Desktop
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 Element Call or Jitsi Meet Desktop.
Airmeet
Airmeet rebundles as Airmeet Suite, with AI content from events as its clearest feature.
HOMER
HOMER 11.0.373 shows custom OAuth provider names at login and pins UI dependencies.
go2rtc
go2rtc keeps adding vendor camera clouds, with Xiaomi the focus of the last three releases.
Eventzilla
Eventzilla's feed wakes up after 18 months with two event-marketing blog posts.
vMix
vMix's blog has gone a year without a new version, filling the gap with laptops and trade shows.
See all Element Call alternatives → · See all Jitsi Meet Desktop alternatives →
Recent activity from Element Call and Jitsi Meet Desktop
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 3d agoElement Callv0.28.1-rc.3: experimental React component published to npm
- 4d agoElement Callv0.28.1-rc.2 backports fix for lost participant media
- 6d agoElement CallElement Call 0.28.1 rc adds remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit migration
- 12d agoJitsi Meet DesktopElectron 43.8.3 drops compromised eMudhra CA trust
- 27d agoElement CallQuick audio menu, bell reaction sound and redacted analytics IDs
- 1mo agoElement Callv0.26.1-rc.1
- 1mo agoElement Callv0.26.0-rc.2
- 3mo agoJitsi Meet DesktopRemote control returns behind a translated native consent dialog
- 3mo agoJitsi Meet DesktopElectron 43 bump and new static Linux AppImage builder
- 5mo agoJitsi Meet DesktopMain UI redesigned to a conference list with per-call windows ⚡
- 5mo agoJitsi Meet DesktopTwo-window layout; groundwork for mac desktop audio capture
- 7mo agoJitsi Meet DesktopElectron 41 update and picture-in-picture restore fix
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element Call and Jitsi Meet Desktop?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Element Call is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Element Call better than Jitsi Meet Desktop?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Element Call is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Element Call?
Top Element Call alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Element Call alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/element-call for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Jitsi Meet Desktop?
Top Jitsi Meet Desktop alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Jitsi Meet Desktop alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/jitsi-meet-electron for the full list with editorial commentary on each.