Alternatives to YouTube

YouTube is probably the hardest platform to walk away from. The content it hosts is unique, and the creators you follow publish almost exclusively there. For this reason our approach here is two-pronged: we offer both fully alternative video platforms and so-called "frontends" that let you watch YouTube videos without going through the official site.

Alternative frontends are web interfaces or apps that access YouTube's content while stripping out advertising, tracking, and recommendation algorithms. You can watch the same videos and the same channels without Google knowing what you're watching. Some work in a browser, others are installable apps on Android. On iOS the situation is more complicated due to Apple's restrictions.

Alternative video platforms like PeerTube aim to build an entirely different ecosystem — decentralised and federated. The catalogue is obviously more limited than YouTube's, but it's growing, and the model without advertising and without algorithms designed to keep you glued to the screen has an appeal of its own.

If you're not ready to leave YouTube entirely, start with the frontends: the experience is nearly identical but without the tracking overhead. For those who want to explore something new, decentralised platforms represent the future of online video.