Galène
A videoconference server light enough to run on a small machine.
Instead of Zoom, Google Meet
Screenshot from galene.org, taken 2026-10-30, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.
Galène is the work of Juliusz Chroboczek, and the project describes it as a fully-featured videoconferencing system that is easy to deploy and needs very moderate server resources. It is MIT licensed, you build it with Go and run one binary, and you define a group in a JSON file and open it in a browser.
Galène scores a 5 on footprint, a 4 on lock-in and power and a 3 on self-direction, longevity and delivery.
The page gives no capacity figures, does not describe encryption and does not state a price or supported platforms. One person's repository holds the code, so Longevity is a 3. The quick start uses a self-signed certificate and tells you to ignore the warning, so plan to set up a proper one.
- A videoconference server that needs very moderate server resources
- MIT licensed, built with Go and run as one binary
- One person's repository, and no capacity figures
What stands out
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For comparison, we also reviewed Zoom (16/30) as a benchmark.
Other tools for “meet without an account or a landlord”
JamiPeer-to-peer calls and messages with no central server, from a GNU project.
Jitsi MeetFree video meetings in a browser or app, with no account needed and a server you can host yourself.
BigBlueButtonAn open-source virtual classroom with slides, polls, whiteboards and breakout rooms.
Element CallGroup video calls on the open Matrix network, from the makers of Element.