Fourwaves
Fourwaves follows its participant inbox with a week of admin fixes and security hardening.
Comparison · Meetings
BigBlueButton vs ClickMeeting
A side-by-side editorial comparison of BigBlueButton and ClickMeeting — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:video-conferencing
BigBlueButton vs ClickMeeting: at a glance
What is BigBlueButton?
BigBlueButton 4.0 rc.5 drops Etherpad and makes BlockNote the only notes editor.
BigBlueButton 4.0.0-rc.5 removes Etherpad, so upgrading uninstalls bbb-etherpad and bbb-pads and leaves BlockNote as the only shared-notes editor. It also moves Node components to Node.js 24, switches the client to the 1.0 pre-release plugin SDK, and redesigns the poll and quiz panels. It follows two security-only candidates, and the project still recommends 3.0.x for production.
What is ClickMeeting?
ClickMeeting ships steadily but slowly — AI summaries and integrations, with promos mixed into the feed
ClickMeeting's tracked feed spans more than a year and mixes real features with promotional content. The substantive work includes AI summaries of recordings, a MailerLite integration, a Stripe payment integration, and a CTA wizard — solid webinar-monetization and automation additions. The most recent entry, though, is a discount promotion rather than a product change, and the overall cadence is unhurried.
BigBlueButton vs ClickMeeting: editorial side-by-side
BigBlueButton
5.0MEETINGS
BigBlueButton 4.0 rc.5 drops Etherpad and makes BlockNote the only notes editor.
◆ Current state
BigBlueButton 4.0.0-rc.5 removes Etherpad, so upgrading uninstalls bbb-etherpad and bbb-pads and leaves BlockNote as the only shared-notes editor. It also moves Node components to Node.js 24, switches the client to the 1.0 pre-release plugin SDK, and redesigns the poll and quiz panels. It follows two security-only candidates, and the project still recommends 3.0.x for production.
◆ Where it's heading
The 4.0 cycle is removing legacy components one by one: SIP.js audio went in beta.4, and Etherpad goes now. Between the removals, security-only candidates harden the new LiveKit audio and BlockNote notes surfaces. The plugin SDK reaching a 1.0 pre-release suggests the extension API is being frozen for GA.
◆ Prediction
Expect at least one more candidate to settle the plugin SDK 1.0 change and Etherpad removal before 4.0.0 GA. The pace of security advisories makes the exact timing unclear.
ClickMeeting
2.5MEETINGS
ClickMeeting ships steadily but slowly — AI summaries and integrations, with promos mixed into the feed
◆ Current state
ClickMeeting's tracked feed spans more than a year and mixes real features with promotional content. The substantive work includes AI summaries of recordings, a MailerLite integration, a Stripe payment integration, and a CTA wizard — solid webinar-monetization and automation additions. The most recent entry, though, is a discount promotion rather than a product change, and the overall cadence is unhurried.
◆ Where it's heading
The direction is webinar monetization and lead-flow plumbing: payments via Stripe, paywalls for on-demand content, marketing-tool integrations, and AI to reduce post-event busywork. ClickMeeting is rounding out the commercial workflow around webinars rather than redefining the core product. Promo entries in the feed suggest marketing and product news share the same channel.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued integration and monetization features (more marketing-tool connectors, payment options) and incremental AI assistance; cadence will likely stay moderate.
Alternatives to BigBlueButton and ClickMeeting
Other Meetings products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either BigBlueButton or ClickMeeting.
HOMER
HOMER 11.0.369 fixes S3 auth on Ceph-based storage and stops compaction memory growth.
Element Call
Element Call starts moving to new LiveKit transports and falls back to remote SFUs when needed.
JW Player
JW Player moves CMAF VOD into the dashboard, adds AV1, and opens Broadcast Live to audio-only feeds.
rtpengine
rtpengine opens the mr26.3 branch with a rollback message and leaner call state.
Nextcloud Talk Desktop
Nextcloud Talk Desktop 2.3.3 adds accessibility options and bundles Talk v25.0.6.
See all BigBlueButton alternatives → · See all ClickMeeting alternatives →
Recent activity from BigBlueButton and ClickMeeting
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 21d agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.5 removes Etherpad and moves to Node.js 24
- 28d agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.4 patches audio and notes security flaws
- 1mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.3 hardens LiveKit reconnection
- 1mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.2 fixes cross-meeting security flaws
- 1mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 rc.1 completes the LiveKit audio migration ⚡
- 2mo agoBigBlueButtonBigBlueButton 4.0 beta.5 overhauls mobile layout
- 4mo agoClickMeetingClickMeeting Up to 30% Off — A Full Year of Access for the Price of 9 Months
- 6mo agoClickMeetingClickMeeting + MailerLite Integration: How It Works
- 9mo agoClickMeetingAI summaries in ClickMeeting: turn your recording into useful notes
- 1y agoClickMeetingThe brand-new CTA wizard. How can you make the most of it?
- 1y agoClickMeetingIntegration with Stripe
- 1y agoClickMeetingAnimated virtual background
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between BigBlueButton and ClickMeeting?
Both compete on the same themes — video-conferencing — within Meetings. BigBlueButton is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is BigBlueButton better than ClickMeeting?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. BigBlueButton is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to BigBlueButton?
Top BigBlueButton alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "BigBlueButton alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/bigbluebutton for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to ClickMeeting?
Top ClickMeeting alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "ClickMeeting alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/clickmeeting for the full list with editorial commentary on each.