BigBlueButton (BBB) integration — default open-source live classes

BBB is Studeia's default video provider: open-source, iframe-embedded so students stay inside Studeia, with whiteboard, breakout rooms, and polls. Use a self-hosted or managed BBB instance.

2026-05-24 5 min

Resposta curta

BigBlueButton (BBB) is Studeia's DEFAULT video provider: open-source AGPL, iframe embed (student stays INSIDE Studeia), native educational features (collaborative whiteboard, breakout rooms, polls). Setup: self-hosted instance OR managed BBB provider ($20-200/mo). Auth via SHA-256 checksum (no OAuth). Supports ~150 students per server, scales via Scalelite.

Why BBB is default

Aspect	BBB	Zoom/Teams/Meet
Cost	Open-source + hosting ($20-200/mo)	$14-25/host/mo
Iframe embed	Yes (student stays in Studeia)	NO (X-Frame-Options blocks)
Collaborative whiteboard	Native	Limited
Breakout rooms	Yes, unlimited	Yes (tier limits)
Multi-share	Yes (multiple simultaneous screen-share)	NO in Zoom (1 at a time)

Self-hosted vs Managed

Self-hosted

Requirements (1 instance for 150 users): 16 CPU, 16 GB RAM, 500 GB disk, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, domain + TLS. Install via bbb-install.sh (~30min). Cost: VPS $30-100/mo.

Managed

Providers: BlindsideNetworks ($50-500/mo), HigherEdLab ($20-200/mo). Includes hosting + updates + backup + support.

Setup in Studeia

Get BBB instance URL (e.g., https://bbb.school.edu/bigbluebutton/api)
Get Shared Secret (bbb-conf --secret on server)
Studeia > Settings > Video Provider > BBB > Add URL + Shared Secret + Set as default

How it works

Admin creates LiveClass (videoProvider=bbb or null=default) → Studeia BBBAdapter.createMeeting() → SHA-256 checksum → GET /api/create?meetingID=...&checksum=... → returns meetingID + joinUrl. Student joins via joinMethod=iframe — Studeia renders BBB iframe INSIDE page.

Limitations

No native BBB mobile app — students use mobile browser
WebRTC: student needs modern browser
Bandwidth: ~1 Mbps download per student
Latency: BBB is great on LAN, OK on WAN

See also

FAQ

Is BigBlueButton free?

Software is free (open-source AGPL 3.0). But you need to host a BBB instance (own server with ~16 CPU + 16 GB RAM for ~150 concurrent users) OR hire managed BBB provider ($20-200/mo).

Why is BBB the default video provider in Studeia?

Three reasons: (1) Educational open-source — native teaching features (collaborative whiteboard, breakout rooms, polls, raise hand, emoji status). (2) Iframe embed — student stays INSIDE Studeia (Zoom/Teams/Meet block iframe via X-Frame-Options). (3) No per-meeting costs.

How to configure BBB in Studeia?

Settings > Video Provider > BBB > URL (e.g., https://bbb.school.edu/bigbluebutton/api) + Shared Secret (from BBB server). Auth via SHA-256 checksum (BBB doesn't use OAuth). Studeia tests connection via /api/getMeetings.

Is BBB suitable for 1000 concurrent students in a class?

A typical BBB instance handles ~150 students per server. For >150: configure BBB Scalelite (load balancer + multiple instances). For >1000 concurrent: consider Zoom Webinar instead.

Veja tambem

Live classes

BigBlueButton (BBB) integration — default open-source live classes