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Comparison · Meetings

Jitsi vs Element Call

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Jitsi and Element Call — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Jitsi vs Element Call: at a glance

FeatureJitsiElement Call
SectorMeetingsMeetings
Velocity score5.06.3
Sparks · 30d01
Top themesopen-source, video-conferencing, transcription, webrtcmatrix, video-calling, multi-sfu, federation
Last editorial update4d ago5d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Jitsi?

Jitsi rebuilds its transcription stack and keeps investing in large-call performance.

Jitsi (Jitsi Meet plus its open-source backend) is an engineering-led project whose blog doubles as its changelog. Recent posts mix genuine infrastructure work, a rebuilt transcription architecture, receiver audio subscriptions, AV1 codec adoption, with community items like Google Summer of Code cohorts.

Read the full Jitsi trajectory →

What is Element Call?

Element Call goes multi-SFU by default, betting federated calls scale better without central negotiation.

Element Call is a Matrix-native video and voice app shipping fast release candidates, embeddable as a widget across web, Android, and iOS. Recent work centers on federated call architecture (multi-SFU) plus a steady stream of mobile UX polish and a migration onto the Compound design system.

Read the full Element Call trajectory →

Jitsi vs Element Call: editorial side-by-side

J
Jitsi
MEETINGS
5.0

Jitsi rebuilds its transcription stack and keeps investing in large-call performance.

◆ Current state

Jitsi (Jitsi Meet plus its open-source backend) is an engineering-led project whose blog doubles as its changelog. Recent posts mix genuine infrastructure work, a rebuilt transcription architecture, receiver audio subscriptions, AV1 codec adoption, with community items like Google Summer of Code cohorts.

◆ Where it's heading

The technical arc is toward scaling and modernizing the media stack: selective audio subscriptions, SSRC rewriting, AV1, and now a from-scratch transcription architecture replacing the decade-old Jigasi approach. Jitsi is steadily shedding legacy components in favor of architecture that handles large calls and real-time features more efficiently.

◆ Prediction

The new transcription architecture likely lands broader real-time features (live captions, translation hooks) over the coming releases; expect continued media-pipeline optimization for large meetings.

E
Element Call
MEETINGS
6.3

Element Call goes multi-SFU by default, betting federated calls scale better without central negotiation.

◆ Current state

Element Call is a Matrix-native video and voice app shipping fast release candidates, embeddable as a widget across web, Android, and iOS. Recent work centers on federated call architecture (multi-SFU) plus a steady stream of mobile UX polish and a migration onto the Compound design system.

◆ Where it's heading

The defining move is architectural: defaulting to multi-SFU so each homeserver owns its own media path, hardening Element Call for federated and self-hosted deployments. Around that, the team is grinding mobile call ergonomics, edge-to-edge layouts, portrait one-on-one, PiP, gradient theming, while retiring the old design system.

◆ Prediction

Expect the multi-SFU default to graduate from RC to stable and continued mobile-first UX refinement; the growing set of config options (matrix_rtc_mode, background) points to more deployment-tuning knobs for embedders next.

Alternatives to Jitsi and Element Call

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 Jitsi or Element Call.

See all Jitsi alternatives → · See all Element Call alternatives →

Recent activity from Jitsi and Element Call

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 4d agoJitsiA new architecture for transcription (and more)
  2. 5d agoElement CallGradient background by default; mobile call UI polish
  3. 10d agoJitsiGoogle Summer of Code 2026 – Meet This Year’s Projects!!
  4. 20d agoElement CallMulti-SFU calling becomes the default
  5. 1mo agoElement Callmatrix_rtc_mode config option and clearer error reporting
  6. 1mo agoElement CallBugfixes: device switcher labels, older-WebView polyfill
  7. 1mo agoElement CallFast switcher and portrait one-on-one call layout
  8. 2mo agoElement CallEdge-to-edge mobile display and sync-error grace period
  9. 9mo agoJitsiIntroducing Receiver Audio Subscriptions
  10. 1y agoJitsiGSoC 2025, let’s do this!
  11. 1y agoJitsiAV1 and more … how does Jitsi Meet pick video codecs?
  12. 2y agoJitsiConnecting anything to everything via SIP

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Jitsi and Element Call?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Element Call is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 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 Jitsi better than Element Call?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Element Call is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 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 Jitsi?

Top Jitsi alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Jitsi alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/jitsi for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

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.