Zoom vs BigBlueButton

Side-by-side feature comparison and pricing breakdown.

Video Conferencing Both support HD video calls
Breakout Rooms BBB has built-in breakout rooms designed for classrooms
Interactive Whiteboard BBB has a full multi-page whiteboard; Zoom's is more basic
LMS Integration BBB integrates natively with Moodle, Canvas, and other LMS platforms
Native Mobile Apps BBB is browser-based only
Cloud Recording BBB requires self-hosted recording infrastructure
Polls & Shared Notes Both support in-meeting engagement tools
Self-Hosting Option Full data control with self-hosted BBB
Pricing
$13.33/mo
Free Open Source
Save 100% — Save ~$13.33/user/mo (100% savings vs Zoom Pro)

Verdict

BigBlueButton is ideal for education and training use cases where whiteboards, breakout rooms, and LMS integration matter more than Zoom's broader business features. Self-hosting eliminates per-user costs entirely.

Best for: Schools, universities, and training organizations running virtual classrooms

Last updated: 2026-03-01