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BigBlueButton

bigbluebutton.org
Video Conferencing
Weekend Project

Virtual Classroom Software

How to Replace BigBlueButton
Compare:vs Acefonevs Intermedia Unitevs Livestorm

Overview

BigBlueButton is a purpose-built virtual classroom that empowers teachers to teach and learners to learn. It features built-in tools designed around real-world students, teachers, and schools to foster collaboration, engagement, and applied learning. The platform is embedded into major learning management systems and used by millions of educators and learners worldwide in over 65 languages.

Features

18 features across 8 categories

Analytics(2)

Learning Analytics Dashboard

Built-in dashboard that answers three questions: Who is attending your sessions, Who is participating in your sessions, and Who is learning based on responses to polls. Allows pinpointing students that are struggling.

Live Analytics

Live analytics to actively gauge student engagement without dependency on webcams

Also in: Hugging Face, Notion, Smartsheet

Assessment(2)

Polling

Easily test your students knowledge with polling

Visual Assessment Tools

Built-in visual assessment tools for evaluating student understanding

Also in: TalentLMS, KnowBe4, Lessonly

Collaboration(4)

Breakout Rooms

Get students engaged in collaborative learning with breakout rooms for small group discussions

Multi-User Whiteboard

Encourage creative thinking with the multi-user whiteboard for collaborative drawing and annotation

Shared Notes

Use shared notes for easier group collaboration

Whiteboard

Use the virtual whiteboard for highlighting content

Also in: Notion, Airtable, Obsidian

Communication(2)

Chat

Communicate with your classroom in public and private chats

Emojis

Express yourself through our wide range of emojis

Also in: Jobber, Jira, Insightly

Content Delivery(4)

AI-Powered Smart SlidesAI

AI-powered smart slides for enhanced presentation capabilities

PeerTube Video Support

Support for sharing videos from PeerTube, an open-source YouTube equivalent

Screen Share

Intuitive screen sharing that keeps students engaged

YouTube Video Broadcasting

Capability to broadcast YouTube videos to all participants

Also in: Aprimo, Podia, Thinkific

Content Management(1)

Document Upload

Upload documents such as PowerPoint, Word, PDF and images

Also in: Juro, Notion, WordPress.com

Engagement(1)

Hand Raise

Provide feedback during class by virtually raising your hand

Also in: Klaviyo, Iterable, Internal-io

Media(2)

Video Options

Play video in low, medium, and high-resolution video options

Webcam Video

Share your webcam video during class and use custom backgrounds

Also in: Unbounce, Tome, WordPress.com

Cost Calculator

Pricing data not available for BigBlueButton. Check their website for current pricing.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a BigBlueButton alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 18 features.

Buy BigBlueButton

Better Value
Monthly costContact Sales
3-year totalVaries
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$12,000
Maintenance$180/mo
3-year total$18,480
Dev time~1 months

Buying BigBlueButton saves ~$18,480 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 18 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

6 known integrations

CanvasD2LJenzabarMoodle CloudSakaiSchoology