Digital Samba vs Zoom
Digital Samba is a European alternative to Zoom: same video conferencing use case, headquartered in Spain and governed by EU GDPR, while Zoom is based in the United States.
By the EU Alternatives team Last updated
Barcelona video conferencing with end-to-end encryption, GDPR-native infrastructure, and a Zoom-style free tier, plus Digital Samba Embedded, a white-label SDK for developers.
- Jurisdiction
- EU / EEA
- Primary privacy law
- EU GDPR
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- No
- Open source
- No
- Free tier
- Yes
Zoom became the default video conferencing tool during the pandemic and is still widely used for meetings and webinars. Free calls are capped at 40 minutes; paid licences are sold per host. Zoom Communications is based in San Jose, California, so meeting data and metadata are handled under US law.
- Jurisdiction
- United States
- GDPR by default
- Requires DPA + TIA
- US CLOUD Act exposure
- Yes
Digital Samba vs Zoom at a glance
| Digital Samba | Zoom | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Spain | United States |
| Data jurisdiction | EU / EEA | United States |
| Primary privacy law | EU GDPR | Requires DPA + transfer assessment |
| US CLOUD Act exposure | No | Yes |
| Best for | Teams that need video conferencing built for European data-protection requirements | Teams already invested in the Zoom ecosystem |
Choose Digital Samba if…
- You want a provider governed by a European privacy regime
- GDPR or public-sector data-protection requirements apply to you
- You want to start free and scale up later
- You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem
Stick with Zoom if…
- You depend on integrations only available in the Zoom ecosystem
- Your organisation has no EU data-residency constraints
- Migration costs outweigh the jurisdiction benefits for now
About Digital Samba
Digital Samba is a Barcelona-based video conferencing platform founded in 2003, making it one of Europe's longest-running video meeting services. The product line covers two distinct offerings: Digital Samba Free (a Zoom/Meet-style end-user product) and Digital Samba Embedded (a white-label SDK for developers building video into their own apps).
The platform runs entirely on European infrastructure with European sub-processors only, making it one of the strongest GDPR-native alternatives to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet for EU companies and public sector organisations.
Key features:
- Instant meeting links that stay active for 30 days with no account required
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE) option for sensitive meetings
- Screen sharing and collaborative tools
- Q&A, polling, shared notes, whiteboards built-in
- Digital Samba Embedded, a white-label video SDK and API for developers
- 100% European infrastructure with no US or non-EU sub-processors
- GDPR-compliant, SOC 1-aligned processes
- No tracking, no data profiling, and no monetisation of meetings
- SSL/TLS encryption in transit
- Free tier that stays completely free with no hidden costs
Headquartered in Barcelona (Travessera de Gràcia 98 bis 6-2, 08012). A strong Spanish alternative to Zoom and Teams for teams that need EU data residency without compromising on features, or a video API for developers building custom collaboration tools.
Why choose Digital Samba over Zoom?
The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. Zoom is headquartered in the United States, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes: the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.
Digital Samba removes that overhead. As a Spain-based provider, it operates under EU GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.