Apache OpenMeetings
Video conferencing software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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- Information technology and software
- Education and training
- Public sector and nonprofit organizations
What is Apache OpenMeetings
Apache OpenMeetings is an open-source web conferencing and collaboration platform used for online meetings, training sessions, and webinars. It provides browser-based audio/video conferencing, screen sharing, whiteboard, chat, and meeting room management. Organizations typically deploy it on their own infrastructure to retain control over data, authentication, and integrations. It is commonly used by IT-managed teams, education providers, and organizations with self-hosting or compliance requirements.
Self-hosted deployment control
OpenMeetings can be deployed on-premises or in a private cloud, which supports organizations that need to control data residency and network access. Administrators can manage server configuration, storage, and retention policies directly. This deployment model can fit environments where externally hosted meeting services are restricted. It also enables internal-only usage without relying on a third-party SaaS tenant.
Open-source licensing model
The project is released under the Apache License 2.0, which allows use, modification, and redistribution under permissive terms. Teams can review source code and adapt functionality to internal requirements. This can reduce vendor lock-in compared with proprietary services. It also supports long-term maintenance strategies where organizations prefer to own their deployment lifecycle.
Built-in collaboration features
OpenMeetings includes core meeting capabilities such as audio/video, screen sharing, chat, and a collaborative whiteboard. It also provides meeting room management and user administration features suited to recurring internal sessions. These functions cover common needs for training and small-to-mid sized web meetings. The feature set can be sufficient when advanced event production tooling is not required.
Higher operational overhead
Running OpenMeetings typically requires server provisioning, updates, monitoring, and troubleshooting by an IT team. Capacity planning (concurrency, bandwidth, TURN/STUN, storage) becomes the customer’s responsibility. This can be more complex than using a fully managed conferencing service. Organizations without dedicated administrators may find ongoing operations burdensome.
User experience can vary
Browser compatibility, device support, and meeting quality depend on the specific deployment configuration and network environment. Compared with many modern conferencing tools, the interface and workflows may feel less streamlined for non-technical users. Rollouts often require more internal documentation and training. This can affect adoption in large, mixed-skill user populations.
Limited enterprise SaaS ecosystem
As an open-source project, OpenMeetings does not inherently provide the same breadth of packaged integrations, analytics, and managed compliance features that some enterprise webinar and video platforms offer. Organizations may need custom development for SSO, identity governance, or deep CRM/marketing automation connections. Support options depend on community resources or third-party providers rather than a single vendor SLA. This can be a constraint for regulated enterprises that require contracted support and certifications.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apache OpenMeetings (self-hosted) | Free — Apache License 2.0 | Open-source, downloadable binaries and source; self-hosted installation (requires Java 17); features: audio/video conferencing, recording, whiteboard, file explorer, REST/SOAP API, user/room management. |
| Commercial support / hosting (third-party) | Not specified on official site (contact providers) | Official project site lists third-party commercial support providers (e.g., unipro.ru, samoo.es) and references cloud hosting (om-hosting.com) and data-sheets but does not publish pricing. |
Seller details
Apache Software Foundation
Wakefield, Massachusetts, USA
1999
Non-profit
https://www.apache.org/
https://x.com/TheASF
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-apache-software-foundation/
