Galene review
A free, self-hosted conferencing system with broad controls but no end-to-end encryption.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Galene is a low-resource, open-source videoconferencing system made up of a web client and server. It is designed for administrators who want free, self-hosted conferencing for lectures, conferences, seminars, tutorials, staff meetings, and similar sessions. Participants can join through desktop and mobile browsers, while a separate Android client supports selected capabilities. Supported platforms include web, Windows, Android, iOS, and a self-hosted server.
Its feature set covers the core needs of managed online meetings: audio and video conferencing, text chat, screen and window sharing, recording to disk, group moderation, peer-to-peer file transfer, background blur, and a built-in TURN server. Administrators also get an HTTP API for groups and users, plus password- and token-based authorization. LDAP and OAuth2 support can fit existing identity workflows, while OBS Studio, SIP, and WHIP integrations extend its place in streaming and communications setups. Local recording and self-hosting give administrators direct control over where the service and recordings run.
Galene is a strong fit when ownership, open-source access, and administrative control matter more than a hosted service model. It is less suitable for organizations that require end-to-end encrypted meetings: media is decrypted by the server and reencrypted to clients. Teams should also account for the responsibility of operating the server and managing locally stored recordings. Choose Galene for self-managed conferencing with moderation, authorization, and integration options; consider an alternative when server-side media processing conflicts with security requirements or when a fully hosted workflow is preferred.
Galene pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free and open-source with self-hosting support
- Recording, moderation, authorization, and file transfer included
- LDAP, OAuth2, OBS Studio, SIP, and WHIP integrations
- Where it doesn't
- Media is decrypted by the server and reencrypted to clients
- Recording is stored locally rather than through hosted storage
- Android access is available for selected capabilities
Galene fact sheet, pricing and score →
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