Communication
Self-host BigBlueButton on a VPS
A virtual classroom built for teaching.
Whiteboard, breakout rooms, polls and recording designed for online classes and webinars.
Why self-host BigBlueButton?
BigBlueButton is purpose-built for education, with classroom features general conferencing tools lack.
How to install BigBlueButton
- 1
Provision a VPS
Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.
- 2
Install the stack
Install Docker/native (Tomcat, Kurento, Redis, Postgres).
- 3
Deploy the application
Follow the project’s official install guide for your distribution.
- 4
Enable HTTPS
Serve it on your own domain behind a reverse proxy with a certificate.
- 5
Back it up
Schedule a database dump plus a copy of any uploaded files to an off-box location.
Practical tips
- Give BigBlueButton its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
- Reverse-proxy BigBlueButton and terminate TLS at the proxy so certificates are managed in one place.
- Take a VPS snapshot before major upgrades so you can roll back cleanly.
- Keep BigBlueButton patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.
Frequently asked questions
- How much RAM does BigBlueButton need?
- Plan on 8 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
- What stack does BigBlueButton run on?
- Docker/native (Tomcat, Kurento, Redis, Postgres).
- Can I run other things on the same VPS?
- Yes — size the plan so BigBlueButton plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.
Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Jitsi Meet, Galène, Zoom (hosted) — browse all app guides.