Jami: Open Source alternative to Skype in 2026
Jami offers fully decentralized (P2P) video calls, messaging and voice calls, with no central server intermediating your communications, as a private alternative to Skype.
ℹ️ Jami is a P2P network with no central server: there's nothing equivalent to 'installing Jami on your VPS' like the other tools in this category. savoirfairelinux/jami-daemon doesn't exist as a published image on Docker Hub — the headless daemon is built from the repo's own Dockerfile, typically for bots or automation, not as a replacement for the desktop/mobile apps.
Audit Snapshot
View notes →License — Matches GitHub
GitHub — Active
Latest release — 4.0.0
Docker Compose — Not verified
Production — Not production-tested by AltFreeStack
Jami vs. Skype
Pros
- No server (not even your own) can see your calls
Things to consider
- Not built for webinars or massive company-wide meetings
- No official published Docker image (see note above) — it must be built from the repo's Dockerfile
Quick Docker installation guide
Copy this docker-compose.yml, adjust the example passwords and run docker compose up -d on your server. See the full step-by-step guide →
💡 Official SaaS or self-hosted with AltFreeStack?
- On the official cloud: a recurring monthly fee and usage limits on Skype.
- On your own VPS: 100% free software on your own server, with no artificial row, project or user limits.
version: "3.9"
services:
jami-daemon:
image: savoirfairelinux/jami-daemon:latest
restart: unless-stopped
network_mode: host
volumes:
- jami_data:/root/.local/share/jami
volumes:
jami_data:
🚀 Deploy in 1 command
Recommended for beginnersCopy this single command and paste it into your freshly created VPS's console (Vultr, DigitalOcean...). It downloads the script, prints it to your screen so you can see exactly what it's about to do (never a blind direct pipe), and only then installs Docker if needed, writes the files with secrets already generated, and starts everything — no nano, no pasting code blocks.
curl -sSL ".../api/deploy?stack=jami" -o deploy.sh && cat deploy.sh && bash deploy.shThis docker-compose corresponds to an actively maintained project — last commit today.
This docker-compose not working for you? Report it on GitHub →Technical profile
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Category
- Video Conferencing
- Replaces
- Skype
- Tech stack
- C++QML
Under the hood
Database
None / P2P (no server DB)
Language
C++
Platforms
Desktop (Mac/Win/Linux) · Mobile (iOS/Android)
Key features
- 100% P2P communication, no central server
- Video, voice, messaging and screen sharing
- Desktop and mobile apps
Preview
Public image provided by Jami on its own website.
💾 Backups in 3 steps (Day 2)
As long as the ./data folder (the "volume" mapped into the container) exists on your server, your data survives any restart or container update — that's the only thing you need to back up.
1. Create a compressed backup on the server
tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz ./data2. Download it to your computer
From your computer's terminal (not your server's):
scp root@YOUR_IP:~/app/backup-*.tar.gz ./3. Restore in case of emergency
tar -xzvf backup-file.tar.gz🌐 Connect your domain with free SSL
Step 1 — Set up the DNS
In your domain registrar's dashboard (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy...), create a record:
- Type
- A
- Name/Host
- @ (root domain) or a subdomain, e.g. app
- Content/Value
- Your server's public IP
Wait 5 to 15 minutes for the record to propagate across the internet.
Step 2 — Automatic reverse proxy with Caddy
One single file, no Nginx config or manual certificates — Caddy issues and renews Let's Encrypt HTTPS on its own.
Create a file called Caddyfile:
yourdomain.com {
reverse_proxy localhost:YOUR_APP_PORT
}Start Caddy with this command (pulls the image and runs it in the background):
docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 --name caddy --restart always -v $PWD/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile -v caddy_data:/data caddy