BigBlueButton is an open source conferencing system built for teaching and training, not for sales calls. It runs in the browser, is operated on your own server and ships with a whiteboard, polls and breakout rooms as standard. This article explains how it works, who it suits and what running it involves.
BigBlueButton in brief
BigBlueButton is open source software for virtual classrooms. There are no license fees, it runs on infrastructure you control, and its design follows teaching situations: one person leading, many participants, material on a shared surface, group work next door.
Three properties define its character:
- Open source. No license fees and no per-seat costs. Costs arise for operations.
- Self-hosted. The software runs on servers you or your provider control. With us, those servers sit in Germany in an ISO 27001-certified data center. See BigBlueButton hosting.
- Built for education. The feature set follows teaching and learning scenarios rather than the classic business meeting.
How does BigBlueButton work?
BigBlueButton runs entirely in the browser. Participants click a link, allow camera and microphone, and they are in the room – no installation, no account, no client software.
Technically it uses the real-time communication standards already built into current browsers. Audio, video and screen content travel through the conference server, which distributes the streams, so performance depends on that server. Organizations running many parallel rooms spread the load across several machines; the Scalelite component distributes conferences across a pool of servers.
None of this is visible to participants. They see a room with a presentation area, a participant list and a chat.
The most important features
The feature set is what really separates BigBlueButton from general conferencing tools. Everything below is part of the system, not a paid add-on.
- Whiteboard. You can draw, highlight and write on the presentation area. Moderators can open the whiteboard to everyone so several people work at once.
- Screen sharing. A single window or the full screen is shared – for software demonstrations, documents or live walkthroughs.
- Breakout rooms. Participants are split into small groups, work independently and return to the main room when time runs out. Moderators can drop into the groups.
- Polls. Quick votes during a session with immediate results on the presentation area. Useful as a comprehension check.
- Shared notes. A joint text field everyone can type in simultaneously. Results can be exported at the end.
- Recording. Sessions can be recorded and played back later. Note that recording people needs a proper legal basis. BigBlueButton and GDPR →
- Moderator rights. Moderators grant and withdraw speaking rights, mute individuals or everyone, promote participants to presenter and lock features such as chat or private messages when needed.
Everyday details round this out: public and private chat, raised hands, status icons and presentation upload.
Who is BigBlueButton for?
For anyone who teaches, trains or moderates regularly and wants to keep control over their data.
- Schools and universities use it for remote and hybrid teaching. Breakout rooms mirror group work, the whiteboard replaces the blackboard. Solutions for schools →
- Training providers and companies run courses and onboarding with it, often straight from their learning platform. Solutions for companies →
- Associations and clubs hold meetings and courses without paying per member. Solutions for associations →
It fits less well where telephony, large broadcast events or deep integration into a proprietary office suite are central. What that means in a direct comparison is covered in BigBlueButton vs. Zoom.
BigBlueButton and Moodle
This is the strongest argument in an education setting: BigBlueButton runs natively as a Moodle activity. Teachers add a conference to a course the same way they add a forum or an assignment.
The practical consequences matter. Course participants are automatically conference participants – no separate invitation lists. Course roles translate into roles inside the room. Recordings appear in the course and can be played there. And there is no second login.
The setup details are covered on BigBlueButton in Moodle. If you do not run Moodle yet, we host both from one source – see Moodle hosting.
Run it yourself or have it hosted?
Both are possible. The software is freely available; the effort sits in operations.
| Aspect | Self-hosted | Hosted with us |
|---|---|---|
| License fees | none | none |
| Installation and updates | your responsibility | handled by us |
| Scaling for peak load | your own server planning, Scalelite if needed | planned into operations |
| Data protection documentation | you write it | DPA and documentation available |
| Server location | your choice | Germany, ISO 27001-certified |
| Knowledge required | Linux, networking, media servers | none required |
Running it yourself pays off when you already have IT capacity and maintain servers anyway. For everyone else, renting is the faster route: rent BigBlueButton →
Frequently asked questions about BigBlueButton
Is BigBlueButton really free? The software is open source, with no license fees and no per-seat costs. Servers, maintenance and support create operating costs. Pricing →
Do participants need software or an account? No. A current browser and the room link are enough. That lowers the barrier considerably for external guests and parents.
How many people fit into one conference? That depends on server capacity and how the room is used – cameras for everyone consume far more resources than a lecture with chat. We clarify beforehand which plan size fits your typical number of participants.
Can I record sessions? Yes, recording is part of the system. Clarify the legal basis up front and inform participants.
Does BigBlueButton work on tablets and phones? It is designed for browser use and works on mobile devices too. Screen sharing is limited there depending on the operating system.
Can it be run in a GDPR-compliant way? Yes. With us BigBlueButton runs on servers in Germany in an ISO 27001-certified data center, including a data processing agreement. Details →
Does BigBlueButton replace my learning platform? No. It is the conference room, not the learning platform. Courses, materials, assignments and grades stay in the learning management system.
Conclusion
BigBlueButton is not general meeting software with an education label attached; it is a virtual classroom with the right tools on board. Whiteboard, breakout rooms, polls and shared notes are part of the system instead of paid extras. Because it is open source and runs on your own servers, you keep control over data and costs. The effort shifts from buying licenses to running the service – and that part you can hand over.