Janus

An open-source, general-purpose WebRTC server by Meetecho

About Janus

Janus is a free, open-source, general-purpose WebRTC server developed by Meetecho. Rather than being a conferencing product itself, it provides a small, performant core with plugins for use cases such as video rooms, streaming, SIP gatewaying and recording, all controlled through a simple API. Written in C and released under the GPL, Janus is a building block for developers. It suits teams building custom real-time audio and video applications who need a flexible media server foundation.

Janus website preview

Live preview of janus.conf.meetecho.com via the WordPress mShots service — it can take a few seconds to generate on a first visit.

Janus: strengths & things to check

Strengths

Completely free to use — this directory lists no paid plan for it.
Covers webrtc, video, streaming, server — see the focus areas listed in its key facts.
Has 6 close alternatives in the same category on this page, so switching or comparing is easy.

Things to check

Free tools can change their model or shut down — avoid locking critical work into it without an export path.
Current plan prices are not listed here (they change too often to print reliably) — confirm the exact price on the official site.
It is one of 565 tools in the Communication & Collaboration category here — compare it against the alternatives below before you commit.

Derived from this listing's own data (pricing model, focus areas and category) — not a hands-on review score.

Janus pricing

Pricing model	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Free access	Yes — fully free
Current plan prices	Listed on the official site — prices change, so this directory links out instead of printing a number that may already be stale.
Official site	janus.conf.meetecho.com

Janus key facts

Category: Communication & Collaboration
Pricing: Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas: webrtc, video, streaming, server
Official site: janus.conf.meetecho.com

Janus FAQ

How much does Janus cost?

Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it. Current plans and prices are listed on the official site (janus.conf.meetecho.com).

What is Janus used for?

An open-source, general-purpose WebRTC server by Meetecho Its focus areas in the Communication & Collaboration category: webrtc, video, streaming, server.

Where can I try Janus?

On its official site, janus.conf.meetecho.com — the Visit Official Site button above goes straight there.

Janus vs alternatives

	Janus	3CX	8x8	Acquire
Pricing	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Freemium — a free tier lets you start, and paid plans are available if you need more.	Paid — this directory does not list a free tier for it.	Paid — this directory does not list a free tier for it.
Focus areas	webrtc, video, streaming, server	pbx, voip, business phone, video	ucaas, phone, contact centre, video	engagement, co browse, video, enterprise
Official site	janus.conf.meetecho.com	3cx.com	8x8.com	acquire.io
Directory status	Listed	Listed	Listed	Listed

Side-by-side from each listing's own directory data. Full alternative cards are below.

About the Communication & Collaboration category

Chat, video meetings, and messaging apps that keep teams connected. The Communication & Collaboration category on Tools Hub currently lists 565 tools. Alongside Janus, it includes MiroTalk P2P, ejabberd, Prosody IM, Converse.js.

FreeCommunication & Collaborationwebrtcvideostreamingserver

Alternatives to Janus

Tools in the same Communication & Collaboration category that share focus areas with Janus — worth comparing before you commit:

Communication & Collaboration

3CX

Business phone system with video and live chat

Freemiumpbxvoipbusiness-phonevideo

Communication & Collaboration

8x8

Unified communications and contact centre platform

Paiducaasphonecontact-centrevideo

Communication & Collaboration

Acquire

Customer engagement with chat, video and co-browse

Paidengagementco-browsevideoenterprise

Communication & Collaboration

Chitchatter

Peer-to-peer, serverless, ephemeral chat that is end-to-end encrypted

Freechatpeer-to-peerwebrtcencrypted

Communication & Collaboration

CrankWheel

Instant screen sharing for sales and support calls

Freemiumscreen-sharingcobrowsingsales-callsvideo

Communication & Collaboration

ejabberd

Robust, scalable, extensible realtime platform: XMPP, MQTT and SIP in one server

Freemiumxmppmessagingmqttserver

More in Communication & Collaboration

Comparing tools in the Communication & Collaboration category? These related listings are worth a look: MiroTalk P2P — Free, secure, fast real-time video conferences over WebRTC; ejabberd — Robust, scalable, extensible realtime platform: XMPP, MQTT and SIP in one server; Prosody IM — A modern XMPP communication server that is easy to set up.