European alternatives to Zoom
Zoom is widely used, but subject to US law. Anyone who wants to run video conferences with more data control can use European-hosted or self-hostable solutions.
Why look for an alternative?
Reasons include data sovereignty, EU hosting and the desire for an open, open-source solution without being tied to a US provider.
What to look for in an alternative
- EU hosting or self-hosting
- Stable quality for larger meetings
- No account required for participants (optional)
- DPA for hosted offerings
- Operational effort for self-hosting
The best European alternatives at a glance
Sorted by suitability as a replacement for the tool you searched. The Sovereignty Score independently rates how European and data-sovereign a provider is – so the two values can differ.
Open-source video conferencing software that can be self-hosted – full data control with own operation.
Norwegian, browser-based video conferencing with EU servers – GDPR-compliant, ISO 27001, also as an embeddable video API.
Independent Swiss cloud and hosting provider with own data centers – from web hosting and email to public cloud, 100% green electricity.
Comparison table
| Providers | Fit | Sovereignty | Headquarters | Open Source | Self-hosting | EU hosting | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jitsi Meet | 78 | 60 | United States | Open source (self-hosting free) | |||
| Whereby | 80 | 80 | Norway | Freemium / cloud subscription (per user) | |||
| Infomaniak | 72 | 86 | Switzerland | Web hosting / cloud (pay-as-you-go) |
The top providers in detail
Jitsi Meet is a well-known open-source solution (Apache 2.0) for video conferencing. Self-hosted on European servers, it gives you full control over the data and a free Zoom alternative. It should be noted that the project has been backed by the US company 8x8 since 2018: the public instance meet.jit.si runs on AWS and requires sign-in with Google, GitHub or Facebook for some features – for data-sensitive use, self-hosting in the EU is therefore recommended.
Strengths
- Open source and self-hostable without license costs
- No account required for participants
- Full data control with own operation
Weaknesses
- Project sponsor is a US company
- Public instance does not offer EU data residency
- Self-hosting requires resources for stable quality
Whereby is a browser-based video conferencing solution from Norway (EEA) that emerged from the early WebRTC service appear.in. According to the provider, meetings are hosted in Europe; European users are routed through EEA data centers, which is relevant in relation to the US CLOUD Act. Whereby is GDPR-compliant and has been ISO/IEC 27001 certified since 2022, and it can also be used as an embeddable video API (Whereby Embedded), for example in healthcare. There is a free plan as well as paid plans per user.
Strengths
- EU/EEA servers, ISO 27001, GDPR-compliant
- Browser-based, usable without installation
- Embeddable video API (Whereby Embedded)
Weaknesses
- Headquartered in Norway (EEA), not in the EU
- Not open source, no self-hosting
Infomaniak from Geneva is one of the best-known independent European hosting providers and is controlled by its own employees. The company operates its own data centers in Switzerland (Geneva and Winterthur); according to the provider, data never leaves Switzerland and is processed with open-source or self-developed software. Infomaniak is ISO/IEC 27001 certified (plus ISO 14001, 50001, 9001), runs on 100% renewable energy and has been climate-neutral since 2007. The offering ranges from web hosting and the kSuite groupware (alternative to Google Workspace) to OpenStack-based public cloud.
Strengths
- Own Swiss data centers, data does not leave Switzerland
- ISO 27001 plus ISO 14001/50001/9001, 100% green electricity
- Broad offering: hosting, email/kSuite, public cloud
Weaknesses
- Headquartered in Switzerland (EFTA), not in the EU/EEA
- Not open source
- Public-cloud ecosystem smaller than with hyperscalers
Migration effort
| Providers | Migration effort | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Jitsi Meet | medium | 78/100 |
| Whereby | low | 80/100 |
| Infomaniak | low | 72/100 |
When switching pays off
Anyone with IT resources can self-host Jitsi Meet on European servers and get a free, open Zoom alternative with full data control.
When to stick with your current tool
For very large, professionally moderated webinars with many additional features, a hosted specialized solution may be more sensible than pure self-hosting.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jitsi as stable as Zoom?
The Sovereignty Score is an editorial orientation aid, not legal advice. How we rate.