Sustainable Substitutes for Zoom

A video conferencing platform with a history of security breaches.

Reasons to avoid Zoom

Avoid Zoom due to misleading security claims. repeated data leaks invasive tracking violate trust.

Zoom has utilised its market position for dubious data collection practices. Opt for privacy-focused, open-source tools.

Ethical and Sustainable Zoom Alternatives

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  • Feasibility: How easily can the average user switch to this substitute? Higher feasibility results in a higher ranking.
  • Editor's Rating: How sustainable is the substitute? The more sustainability attributes it fulfils, the higher it is ranked.

Nextcloud Talk

Nextcloud is a German self-hostable, open-source cloud storage and collaboration platform.

Nextcloud does not track users or sell personal data, ensuring a private and secure experience with optional end-to-end encryption.
Nextcloud is ad free and does not monetise user-data.
Nextcloud is fully compatible with Microsoft Office and OpenDocument formats.
Nextcloud syncs files to your device. You can edit files offline and changes will sync automatically once you reconnect to the internet.
Nextcloud allows for real-time same-document collaboration.
Some third party providers offer free plans with up to 5GB of storage. The self-hostable community edition is free and without licensing costs.
Nextcloud became the first cloud software platform to earn the Blauer Engel ecolabel, emphasizing environmental responsibility.
Nextcloud is designed to be self-hosted, giving users full control over their data and infrastructure.
Nextcloud is based in Germany, ensuring compliance with strong European privacy laws.
Nextcloud’s core software is fully open-source, allowing for independent audits and community-driven development.
Website
opentalk logo

OpenTalk

A German GDPR compliant video conferencing service.

OpenTalk offers a free tier with meetings of up to 30 minutes length and 5 participants.
OpenTalk can be self-hosted, giving full control over data and privacy.
OpenTalk allows users to join meetings without creating an account or registering.
OpenTalk by Heinlein is based in Berlin, Germany.
OpenTalk does not show ads to its users.
OpenTalk comes with end-to-end encryption and does not engage in data mining for advertising.
OpenTalk is open source under the EUPL (European Public License).
Website

Wire

A Swiss secure messaging and video conferencing platform with end-to-end encryption.

Wire offers end-to-end encryption for all communications and does not perform data mining for advertisement, ensuring user privacy and security.
Wire is free and open-source software, allowing anyone to inspect, modify and enhance the code.
Wire's service is ad-free for all its free and paid tiers, it's funded through enterprise plans.
Wire offers a free tier, mainly for messaging. For video conferencing one has to opt for one of the paid tiers.
Wire can be self-hosted, giving organizations full control over their data and privacy.
Wire is based in Switzerland, ensuring compliance with GDPR and strong European privacy laws.
Website
jitsi logo

Jitsi

An open-source video conferencing platform with end-to-end encryption, widely used for secure meetings.

Jitsi is ad-free, providing a clean and distraction-free experience.
Jitsi can be fully hosted on your own servers, giving complete control over data and privacy.
Jitsi does not engage in data mining for ads and comes with end-to-end encryption for calls with two participants.
Jitsi is free and open-source software, allowing anyone to inspect, modify and enhance the code.
Jitsi is free to use for everyone, with no participant limits or mandatory fees for basic features.
Jitsi allows anyone to join meetings without registration. Unfortunately, creating a meeting on the public instance (meet.jit.si) now requires a Google, GitHub, or Facebook account. Self-hosted instances can be configured to allow anonymous meeting creation.
Website

Whereby

A Norwegian privacy-focused video conferencing tool with no account required.

Whereby is ad-free, providing a clean and distraction-free video conferencing experience.
Whereby offers end-to-end encryption for small meetings (peer-to-peer), ensuring user privacy and security.
Whereby is based in Norway, ensuring compliance with GDPR and strong European privacy laws.
Whereby allows users to join meetings without registration.
Whereby offers a free plan with no participant limits.
Website

The 4 main issues with Zoom

Big Tech - Big Tech companies do not nourish people and planet. This is especially true in times of political tension.

Zoom is a dominant player in video conferencing, contributing to market monopolisation.Source: Market.us: Market Share of Leading Video Conferencing Platforms (2026)

Privacy Concerns - User data is likely to be stored and used against users' best interest.

Zoom has faced significant privacy concerns, including data leaks and lack of end-to-end encryption.Source: Heise: Videoconferences: High-risk rights extension gaps in Zoom Workplace apps (2025)ID Strong: Zoom Data Breach (2021, Last Updated 2025)

Lack of Transparency - Opacity in operations, data handling, or supply chains, making it difficult for users to understand practices.

Zoom lacks transparency in its data handling, encryption and security practices.Source: The Verge: Zoom might pay you $25 as part of a class-action settlement (2021)

Data Monopolies - Control of vast amounts of user data, creating risks for privacy and potential misuse.

Zoom has been criticized for its data monopolies and potential misuse of user data.Source: CPO Magazine: Zoom AI Data Collection Catching Users by Surprise (2023)

Suggestions and Feedback

If you have suggestions for more alternatives or general feedback, please contact me via email or create an issue over on Codeberg. Suggest Substitute on Codeberg Write an Email