# BigBlueButton vs Gather

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Gather

| Attribute | BigBlueButton | Gather |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 56.9 (44% (low)) | 67.6 (73% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A self-hosted web conferencing system that enables virtual meetings, classes, and collaborative sessions with features like screen sharing and video capture. It is indexed under Collaboration Software.","source":"https://bigbluebutton.org","question":"What is BigBlueButton?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"BigBlueButton is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://bigbluebutton.org","question":"Is BigBlueButton free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to BigBlueButton. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://bigbluebutton.org","question":"What platforms does BigBlueButton support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. BigBlueButton can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://bigbluebutton.org","question":"Can BigBlueButton be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 8 integrations for BigBlueButton, including Sakai, Canvas, Moodle Cloud, Jenzabar, D2L, Schoology, YouTube and PeerTube. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://bigbluebutton.org","question":"What does BigBlueButton integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"BigBlueButton is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in Canada.","source":"https://bigbluebutton.org","question":"Where is BigBlueButton available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"answer":"Gather provides a web-based workspace for distributed teams to collaborate in real time through video, chat, and spontaneous interactions, with customizable virtual office environments and built-in meeting tools. It is indexed under Collaboration Software.","source":"https://www.gather.town/pricing","question":"What is Gather?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Gather is a paid product; published pricing starts at $12 per user per month. It is sold across 2 plans (Essential Plan and Custom Plan). There is no free tier. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.gather.town/pricing","question":"How much does Gather cost?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed browser-based access to Gather. That is the extent of what we could verify from public sources, so it may well offer desktop or mobile clients we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.gather.town/pricing","question":"What platforms does Gather support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Gather, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.gather.town/pricing","question":"Can Gather be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 5 integrations for Gather, including Google Calendar, GitHub, Spotify, Google Chrome Extension and Outlook (planned). This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.gather.town/pricing","question":"What does Gather integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for Gather. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Gather not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.gather.town/ja/security","question":"What security certifications does Gather have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Gather is available worldwide. Its primary markets are the United States, the EU, the United Kingdom and Japan. The vendor is headquartered in the United States.","source":"https://www.gather.town/pricing","question":"Where is Gather available?","confidence":0.75}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | A freely-available conferencing system designed for educational settings, offering tools for collaborative group learning such as breakout areas, interactive drawing surfaces, and screen sharing capabilities. | A web-based platform that enables remote teams to interact, meet, and work together as if co-located, without constant formal meeting scheduling. Users can see colleague availability, initiate instant conversations, and customize their shared digital workspace. |
| features.capabilities | `{"hosting":"self","free_tier":true,"api_access":true,"whiteboard":true,"open_source":true,"browser_join":true,"breakout_rooms":true,"screen_sharing":true,"video_meetings":true,"app_marketplace":true,"recording_transcription":"recording"}` | `{"hosting":"cloud","sso_scim":true,"free_tier":true,"messaging":true,"api_access":true,"whiteboard":true,"e2e_encryption":false,"screen_sharing":true,"video_meetings":true,"app_marketplace":false,"deployment_model":"cloud_web_app","max_participants":"hundreds","compliance_controls":true,"guest_external_access":true,"recording_transcription":"recording_ai_notes"}` |
| integrations.count | 8 | 4 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Sakai"},{"name":"Canvas"},{"name":"Moodle Cloud"},{"name":"Jenzabar"},{"name":"D2L"},{"name":"Schoology"},{"name":"YouTube"},{"name":"PeerTube"}]` | `[{"name":"Google Calendar"},{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"Spotify"},{"name":"Google Chrome Extension"},{"name":"Outlook (planned)"},{"name":"Google Chrome"},{"name":"Outlook"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":["US","EU","GB","JP"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://bigbluebutton.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T23:00:49.909Z"}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Essential Plan","summary":"$12/member/month (or $9.60/member/month when billed annually with -20% discount)","features":["Unlimited audio & video calls","Unlimited chat messages","Meeting recordings","AI meeting notes and transcriptions","Google Calendar sync","Screen sharing","Permanent chat with private/public channels and DMs","Host guests","GitHub & Spotify integrations","Full workspace customization","Interactive whiteboards","Mini mode","Presence indicators and status management"],"components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"member","amount":12,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"All Gather features included","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Custom Plan","summary":"Contact for custom quote","features":["All Essential Plan features","Custom pricing","Custom onboarding","Custom, larger offices","Hybrid solutions","Single Sign-On","Extended trial","Regional pricing"],"description":"All Essential features plus customization for large teams","contactSales":true}],"summary":"From $12/member/month. Free 30-day trial. Custom plans available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.gather.town/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-06T10:07:25.447Z","freeTrialDays":30,"startingPrice":{"unit":"member","amount":12,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | low |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":12,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | - | yes |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","level":"Type II","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.trust_center | - | https://www.gather.town/pt/security |

## Capabilities (Collaboration Software)

| Capability | BigBlueButton | Gather |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Modality** |  |  |
| Messaging | - | ✓ |
| Video meetings | ✓ | ✓ |
| Whiteboard | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Meetings** |  |  |
| Screen sharing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recording / transcription | Recording | Recording + AI notes |
| **Security** |  |  |
| End-to-end encryption | - | ✗ |
| SSO / SCIM | - | ✓ |
| **Access** |  |  |
| Guest / external access | - | ✓ |
| **Compliance** |  |  |
| Compliance controls | - | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Self-hosted only | Cloud only |
| **Scale** |  |  |
| Max participants | - | hundreds |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| App marketplace | ✓ | ✗ |
| Public API / bot framework | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Commercial** |  |  |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T08:15:55.835Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*