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Galene

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhoneLinuxSelf-hostedWeb+1

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Galene's own site

What Galene is

Galene is a free videoconference system with a browser client and a self-hosted server, designed for lectures, conferences, and tutorials as well as meetings. The server handles audio and video streams, multiple codecs, simulcast, and scalable video coding for VP8 and VP9. Through the browser client, participants can chat, share screens or windows, blur backgrounds, use activity detection and moderation, and transfer files peer to peer. The client can also broadcast audio and video from files on disk. Administrators can manage groups and users through an HTTP API; authentication options include usernames and passwords or token authorization. Galene supports WHIP and lists integrations including an RTMP frontend for OBS Studio, an experimental SIP bridge, and LDAP. Traffic is encrypted and authenticated between participants and the server, but the server decrypts media, so calls are not end-to-end encrypted. The project estimates about 300 lecture participants per CPU core, or around 20 participants in a many-to-many meeting on one core. The default client bundles its third-party assets rather than contacting third-party servers or CDNs.

Who it suits

Galene suits organizations or individuals who can host a videoconference server and need tools for lectures, conferences, tutorials, or meetings. Its browser client also supports screen sharing, chat, moderation, and file transfer.

What it does well

  • Free and open source under the MIT licence.
  • Self-hosted server with a browser client.
  • Supports screen sharing, chat, and moderation.
  • Includes an HTTP administrative API.
  • Default client does not contact third-party servers or CDNs.

What to know first

  • Media is decrypted by the server.
  • Calls do not have end-to-end encryption.
  • Many-to-many meetings are estimated at around 20 participants per core.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
Free and open sourceMIT licence · self-hosted videoconference serverFree

As galene.org lists them, read 4 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

  1. Visit the Galene website.
  2. Set up a self-hosted server.
  3. Choose built-in username-and-password authentication or token authorization.
  4. Use the browser client to join a conference, share a screen, or chat.
  5. Connect an RTMP frontend such as OBS Studio if needed.

Verdict

Galene offers a self-hosted option with a capable browser client and administrative API. Its server-mediated media means it does not provide end-to-end encryption.

Questions

Is Galene free?

Yes. The listed plan is free and open source under the MIT licence, with a self-hosted videoconference server.

Can Galene be self-hosted?

Yes. It is available as a self-hosted server with a web client.

Does Galene provide end-to-end encryption?

No. Traffic is encrypted and authenticated between users and the server, but the server decrypts media.

Which platforms are supported?

The listed platforms include Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, web, API, and self-hosted server.

What integrations does Galene list?

It lists an RTMP frontend usable with OBS Studio, an experimental SIP bridge, LDAP integration, and a sample third-party authorization server.

What participant capacity does Galene estimate?

The site estimates about 300 participants per CPU core for lectures and around 20 participants in a many-to-many meeting on one core.

Facts from Galene's own pages

APIs and protocols
Galene provides an HTTP administrative API for managing groups and users and supports the WHIP protocol. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Authentication
Built-in authentication options include username and password and token authorization; external token servers can support other setups. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Broadcasting
The client can broadcast video and audio from on-disk files. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Browser support
The FAQ says the project aims to support recent browsers implementing WebRTC and lists Chrome, Firefox and Safari with documented feature caveats. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Capacity
The site estimates about 300 participants per CPU core for lectures and around 20 participants in a single many-to-many meeting on one core. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Encryption
Traffic is encrypted and authenticated between sender and server and between server and receiver, but media is decrypted by the server, so Galene does not provide end-to-end encryption. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Free plan
Yes · galene.org, 22 Sept 2026
Integrations
Galene lists an RTMP frontend usable with OBS Studio, an experimental SIP bridge, an LDAP integration and a sample third-party authorization server. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Privacy
The FAQ says the default client does not contact third-party servers or CDNs because its third-party assets are bundled with Galene. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Purpose
Galene is a low-resource videoconference system with a web client and server, designed for lectures, conferences and tutorials and also suitable for meetings. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Security review
Galene says it underwent a security review by Radically Open Security funded by NLnet. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Support
The Galene mailing list is for both user questions and development discussions. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Video and audio
The server supports arbitrary numbers of audio and video streams, multiple codecs, simulcast and scalable video coding for VP8 and VP9. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026
Web client
The browser client supports conferencing, text chat, sharing screens and windows, background blur, activity detection, moderation and peer-to-peer file transfer. · galene.org, 4 Oct 2026

Where Galene stands on Freedom251

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