How to Use Free Jitsi Video Calls for Bookings

What is Jitsi Meet

Jitsi Meet is a free, open-source video conferencing platform. Unlike Zoom or Google Meet, Jitsi requires no account creation, no software download, and has no time limits on calls. It works entirely in the browser. Meetario includes Jitsi as a built-in video meeting option at no extra cost.

How Jitsi Works with Meetario

When you select Jitsi as the location for your event type, Meetario automatically generates a unique Jitsi meeting room URL for each booking. Here is the flow:

You create an event type and set the location to Jitsi (Free Video).
A guest books a time slot on your booking page.
Meetario generates a unique meeting URL like meet.jit.si/meetario-abc123-xyz.
The meeting link is included in the confirmation email sent to both you and the guest.
At the scheduled time, both parties click the link and join the video call in their browser.

No accounts are needed on either side. The guest does not need to sign up for anything — they simply click the link.

Setting Up Jitsi for Your Event Type

To use Jitsi video calls:

Go to /app/event-types and either create a new event type or edit an existing one.
In the Location field, select Jitsi (Free Video) from the dropdown.
Save the event type.

That is it. There is nothing else to configure. No API keys, no OAuth, no account connection. Jitsi just works out of the box.

Jitsi Features

Despite being free, Jitsi Meet offers a robust feature set:

HD video and audio — Quality comparable to paid platforms.
Screen sharing — Share your screen during the call for presentations or demos.
Chat — In-call text chat for sharing links or notes.
No time limits — Calls can last as long as needed. No 40-minute cutoff.
No participant limit — Suitable for group meetings and webinars (though performance is best with up to 50 participants).
Recording — Built-in recording to Dropbox (optional).
Browser-based — Works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. No app installation required (though mobile apps are available).
End-to-end encryption — Available for peer-to-peer calls.

When to Use Jitsi vs Zoom

Both are great options. Here is how to decide:

Choose Jitsi when:

You want a completely free solution with no account required.
Your guests may not have Zoom installed and you want zero friction.
You are on the free Meetario plan and do not need Zoom-specific features.
You want simplicity — no OAuth setup, no API keys, it just works.
Privacy is a priority — Jitsi is open source and can be self-hosted.

Choose Zoom when:

Your organization standardizes on Zoom and guests expect Zoom links.
You need advanced features like breakout rooms, webinar mode, or cloud recording.
You have a paid Zoom account and want to leverage it.
You regularly have meetings with more than 50 participants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do my guests need to install anything?

No. Jitsi Meet works entirely in the browser. On desktop, guests simply click the meeting link and join. On mobile, the browser will suggest opening the Jitsi Meet app if installed, but it also works in the mobile browser.

Is the meeting link unique per booking?

Yes. Meetario generates a unique meeting room URL for each booking. This ensures that your 10 AM and 11 AM meetings have separate rooms and do not overlap.

Can I use Jitsi for group event types?

Yes. Jitsi supports multiple participants, so it works with group event types where multiple guests book the same time slot. All guests receive the same meeting link.

Is there a fallback if Jitsi is down?

Jitsi Meet is a distributed service with high availability. If the main meet.jit.si server experiences issues, Meetario uses alternative Jitsi instances. Downtime is extremely rare.