BigBlueButton Hosting on Own Server: Offers Compared

BigBlueButton Hosting on Your Own Server: Providers Compared

In today's digital world, where online education and remote work are becoming increasingly important, BigBlueButton offers a powerful solution for video conferences, webinars, and virtual classrooms.

Hosting BigBlueButton on your own server allows you to maintain control over your meetings and educational content while benefiting from the platform's comprehensive features. But which hosting provider is right for you? Our comprehensive comparison of the best providers will help you find the perfect solution for your BigBlueButton hosting. We analyse and evaluate various hosting options to provide you with a clear overview of costs, services, and support. Discover how to set up and operate your own BigBlueButton server to ensure a stable and secure environment for your online meetings and courses.

What is BigBlueButton?

BigBlueButton is an open-source web conferencing system specifically designed for online learning and virtual classrooms. It offers a comprehensive range of features that enable teachers, trainers, and moderators to conduct interactive and engaging online sessions.

Main features of BigBlueButton:

• Real-time Audio and Video: Enables high-quality audio and video transmissions for interactive online sessions.
• Presentations: Users can upload and present PowerPoint slides and PDFs in real-time.
• Whiteboard: Integrated whiteboard tool for collaborative drawing and note-taking in presentations.
• Breakout Rooms: Divide participants into smaller groups for separate discussions and activities.
• Screen Sharing: Participants can share their screens to show content directly from their computers.
• Chat: Text chat feature for public and private messages.
• Polls: Live polls and voting for interactivity and participant engagement.
• Recording and Playback: Sessions can be recorded and played back later, which is particularly useful for tutoring and future references.
• Integration: Seamlessly integrates with learning management systems (LMS) such as Moodle, Canvas, and Sakai.

These features make BigBlueButton a powerful solution for schools, universities, businesses, and organisations looking to conduct online learning and virtual meetings in a professional and interactive manner.

What are the server requirements for BigBlueButton?

BigBlueButton requires a server with Ubuntu 20.04 64-bit and Linux Kernel 5.x, 16 GB RAM with enabled swap, 8 CPU cores with high single-thread performance, and at least 500 GB of free storage space (50 GB if the recording function is disabled). The latest version of Docker must be installed. The server should have symmetrical bandwidth of at least 250 Mbit/s, and TCP ports 80 and 443 as well as UDP ports 16384-32768 must be accessible. TCP ports 80 and 443 must not be used by another web server or reverse proxy. An own domain (e.g. bbb.example.com) for setting up an SSL certificate, as well as IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, are also required.

Detailed information on the BigBlueButton system requirements can be found at https://docs.bigbluebutton.org/administration/install/.

What to consider when choosing a server provider for BigBlueButton hosting?

When choosing a server provider for hosting BigBlueButton, you should ensure sufficient hardware resources. The provider should support Ubuntu 20.04 64-bit and provide the latest Docker version. The provider should allow the use of an own domain for SSL certificates and IPv4 as well as IPv6 addresses. Additionally, reliable security measures, regular backups, and good technical support are important.