YouTube is a video-sharing and streaming platform for uploading, watching, and sharing videos, with easy embedding and cross-site distribution. Users praise its huge library for both education and entertainment, though some seek alternatives with better privacy controls or ad-free experiences.
PeerTube tops the rankings as the most recommended YouTube alternative, offering federated hosting where communities can run their own instance while connecting to others. Odysee supports decentralized video hosting plus live streaming for creators wanting more control. Vimeo emphasizes professional hosting with privacy controls and customizable players for businesses needing private sharing tools.
These YouTube alternatives split between full hosting platforms like PeerTube and Vimeo, versus front-end clients like NewPipe that provide ad-free Android viewing while still accessing YouTube's content library.
For self-hosting and complete data ownership, MediaGoblin and AVideo let you run your own video site with full control over content and user data. Live streaming enthusiasts have dedicated options in Twitch and Kick, which emphasize real-time interaction features over traditional video hosting.
To escape heavy advertising, ad-free alternatives like Invidious strip out promotional content entirely. FreeTube adds picture-in-picture viewing for multitaskers watching while using other apps, plus 4K support for viewers with high-resolution displays. Linux users get desktop-friendly options through Minitube and LBRY, designed specifically for native Linux workflows rather than browser-based viewing.
For dark mode viewing that's easier on the eyes during night sessions, Piped includes comprehensive dark themes alongside its ad-free experience.
Unofficial extended YouTube client featuring ad-free playback, SponsorBlock for skipping segments, background and minimized play, auto-repeat, original dislike counts, offline downloads, customizable patches, amoled theme, microG, and enhanced navigation.
Open-source YouTube frontend for Android offering ad-free playback, SponsorBlock, synchronization across devices, video and audio downloads, user accounts, subscription management, playlists, channel grouping, search filters, gestures, comments, captions, and dark mode.
Ad-free frontend to YouTube offering channel subscriptions without an account, multiple playlist import/export formats, SponsorBlock integration, picture-in-picture, and privacy features. No Google connection, supports dark mode, is open-source, and requires no email.
If you want to watch YouTube content but don't like ads and Google's invasive data collection, you should definitely try Piped. It's super fast (faster than Invidious in my experience) and the Preferences allow users to enable SponsorBlock, an open-source crowdsourced platform that skips sponsored segments automatically, so that you never have to hear "this video is sponsored by RandomVPN" ever again. It's highly customizable, very similar to NewPipe.
Almost everyone thinks Piped is a great YouTube alternative.
Rumble is your rights management video platform. Host, distribute and monetize all your professional, social and viral video.
Rumble has much less censorship than youtube. It also has a rapidly growing userbase which is nice to see.
They allow honest content, instead of trying to push their ideological goals on to everyone else.
It has very advanced licensing features for videos and allows you to earn ad revenue from your videos, much like YouTube. There is also an active community and many big YouTube creators also upload their content to Rumble.
Almost everyone thinks Rumble is a great YouTube alternative.
Advanced player for Android TVs and TV boxes offering 8K video, 60fps, HDR, adjustable playback speed, SponsorBlock, ad-free viewing, customizable buttons, live chat reading, account login, casting support, no reliance on Google Services, and open source.
no ads, no censorship, no algo.
Almost everyone thinks SmartTube is a great YouTube alternative.
Open source Android client for viewing YouTube videos with ad-free playback, advanced blockers, offline downloads, swipe gesture controls, channel subscriptions without a YouTube account, SponsorBlock support, and privacy features, all without requiring Google services.
No ads, you don't need an account to star or subscribe because they have an offline database that keeps track.
It is an alternative to the YouTube mobile app, not YouTube itself.
It relies on YouTube to function, so it is in no way an alternative.
Some users think SkyTube is a great YouTube alternative, some don't.
Broadcast live gaming content, esports, creative arts, and IRL streams with real-time audience interaction, subscriptions, ads, and donations, fostering a global community.
Twitch is more focused on livestreaming content, while YouTube is generally more so with videos. In terms of YouTube live though, Twitch would be a good alternative.
Twitch is not at all similar to YouTube. It is for streaming games.
Some users think Twitch is a great YouTube alternative, some don't.
Offers ad-free access to both video and music streaming, enables background playback, manages playlists and libraries without login, hides shorts, and is open-source for enhanced privacy and control across platforms, serving as an alternative to default clients.
Short-form video app reviving six-second looping format, blending restored archive of 100,000+ historic clips with new user posts, all running on decentralized Nostr protocol. Authenticity is upheld by cryptographic checks, enabling only verified device uploads.
It is an open source solution that is freely available to everyone. It's written in PHP and you can create your own video sharing site and stream Live videos for free.
Very clear layout and help
YouPHPTube is primarily for downloading videos from a url.
Most users think AVideo is a great YouTube alternative.
Enjoy a streamlined YouTube experience with free, open-source software that skips ads, supports background play, 4K resolution, live streams, dark mode, and more, without needing an account.
A Material 3 YouTube Music client with offline downloads, ad-free background play, account synchronization, local play, enhanced metadata, Android Auto support, LRC lyrics, and sound adjustments.
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It's much nicer than Invidious. Piped is not a full YouTube alternative like LBRY, but rather a frontend that allows you to watch YouTube and only connecting to googleapis.com (not googlevideo.com like Invidious). It also has the craziest ad blocker ever. When you watch a video and they say, now it's time for a word from our sponsor or something like that, it fast forwards to the end of that part. It's insane, I have no idea how they pull that off!