Jitsi vs Slack

A comparison of Jitsi, a free open-source video conferencing tool, and Slack, a paid team chat and collaboration platform with video huddles.

Updated 2026-09 · 2026

Jitsi

Free, open-source video conferencing

Freeforever (self-hosted or meet.jit.si)

Strengths

+Completely free with no user limits on meet.jit.si
+Open source and self-hostable for full data control
+No account required to join or host a meeting

Weaknesses

-No persistent team chat or message history
-No native app integrations or app directory
-Meeting content (chat, files) isn't retained after the call ends

Best for

Teams that just need free, ad-hoc video calls without a chat platform attached.

Slack

Team messaging with channels, huddles, and integrations

$0 (free) / $7.25user/month (Pro, billed annually)

Strengths

+Persistent channels and searchable message history
+2,600+ app integrations (Google Drive, Jira, GitHub, Salesforce)
+Huddles for quick audio/video calls without leaving a channel

Weaknesses

-Free plan caps message history at 90 days
-Group video calls require a paid plan
-Costs scale fast per seat as the team grows

Best for

Teams that need daily async communication plus occasional calls, not just video meetings.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Jitsi	Slack
Core purpose	Video conferencing	Team messaging + video
Free tier	Fully free, unlimited use	Free with 90-day history limit
Persistent chat history	No	Yes (paid plans keep full history)
Group video calls	Free, unlimited participants (server-dependent)	Requires paid plan for groups
Self-hosting option	Yes, fully open source	No
Meeting recording	Yes, via Jibri (self-managed)	Yes, on paid plans
App integrations	None native	2,600+ apps in directory
Account required to join	No	Yes
File sharing	Basic, in-call only	Yes, with cloud storage per plan
Search across conversations	Not applicable	Yes
Mobile apps	Yes	Yes
Pricing at 10 users	$0	~$870/year (Pro, annual)

The Verdict

Jitsi and Slack solve different problems: Jitsi is a free video calling tool, Slack is a paid chat hub with video bolted on. If your team only needs occasional video meetings, Jitsi costs nothing and works well. If you need ongoing async communication, searchable history, and integrations, Slack is worth paying for — just budget for per-seat costs that grow with headcount.

How to switch from Jitsi to Slack

1Download any recorded Jitsi meetings — if Jibri recording was enabled, grab the .mp4 files from your configured storage (local server, Dropbox, or S3) before shutting down your Jitsi instance, since Jitsi doesn't retain meeting content otherwise.
2Create a Slack workspace and decide between the free plan or Pro ($7.25/user/month annual) based on your team's message history and integration needs.
3Recreate your meeting workflow — use Slack Huddles for quick calls, or connect Zoom/Google Meet through the App Directory if you need scheduled group video beyond huddles.
4Invite your team manually by email, since Jitsi has no user directory or account system to import from.
5Set up channels matching your team's structure and install key integrations (Google Drive, Google Calendar, GitHub) from the Slack App Directory.
6Pin any exported meeting recordings or notes into the relevant Slack channels, announce a cutover date, and shut down your Jitsi server if it was self-hosted.

Jitsi vs Slack: common questions

How do I export my Jitsi meeting data before switching to Slack?+

Jitsi doesn't store meeting content by default — chat messages and shared files disappear once a call ends. If you enabled recording via Jibri, download the .mp4 recordings from wherever they were configured to save (local disk, Dropbox, or S3) before decommissioning your instance. There's no built-in export tool since Jitsi isn't designed to retain data long-term.

What do I lose moving from Jitsi to Slack?+

You lose free, unlimited group video calling — Slack's free plan only supports 1:1 huddles, and group video requires a paid plan. You also lose the ability to self-host and fully control your data, since Slack is a hosted SaaS product only.

Is Slack's free plan enough for a small team?+

It can work for very small or low-usage teams, but the 90-day message history limit and 10-integration cap will frustrate teams that rely on searching past conversations or connecting multiple tools. Most teams outgrow the free plan within a few months and move to Pro.

What integrations does Slack support that Jitsi doesn't?+

Slack's app directory has over 2,600 integrations including Google Drive, GitHub, Jira, Salesforce, and Zapier, letting you pull notifications and workflows directly into channels. Jitsi has no native app ecosystem — its only common integration is calendar linking (Google/Outlook) for scheduling meetings.

How much will switching cost over time?+

Jitsi stays free indefinitely, whether you self-host or use meet.jit.si. Slack's Pro plan runs $7.25/user/month billed annually, so a 10-person team pays roughly $870/year, and costs rise further on Business+ at $12.50/user/month or Enterprise Grid with custom pricing.