11 YouTube Alternatives for Something a Little Different

YouTube is the biggest repository of videos on the Internet, and sometimes it can get a little overwhelming. Sure, having over one-billion videos to choose from is a luxury people in the 90s would’ve dreamt of, but the excesses of “Recommended” videos, clickbait, and other junk that you don’t care to see can make it tiring. Thankfully, there are many YouTube alternatives.

The dominance of the YouTube-Google machine has meant that some alternatives have now gone out of business, but a few sites continue to thrive, such as those in this list.

Good to know: if you no longer want YouTube to have a record of the past videos you have watched, learn how to clear your YouTube history.

1. Utreon – Strong YouTube Competitor

Some YouTubers use Utreon alongside their YouTube channel. However, others prefer to use Utreon exclusively. While you can watch an endless stream of content for free (some with ads, of course), you can also pay creators directly (kind of like Patreon) for ad-free access and exclusive content. The platform claims to not be so heavy-handed with censorship. What’s nice is that Utreon is very direct about what data is collected from users and what is and isn’t allowed.

Pros:

• Incredible variety of content, much like YouTube
• View on-demand and live streaming content
• Built-in chat for a more social experience
• Ability to support creators directly (Utreon only takes a 5% fee, which is significantly less than YouTube)

Cons:

• Still growing, so there’s far less content and viewers than YouTube
• Finding content outside of the Search box isn’t always easy

Tip: learn how to find your YouTube search history as well as other data.

2. Twitch – For Gamers

While YouTube has gaming content, Twitch is the king of video content for gamers. It’s not just livestreaming, though – you’ll find news, music, in-depth discussions on production, and creative inspiration. While you’re not going to find the latest pop music videos or the day’s top political stories (which makes Twitch an even better YouTube alternative), if you love gaming, it’s the place to hang out.

Pros:

• Large variety of gaming content from live streams to previews of upcoming games
• Great way to check out games in action before buying
• Ideal for socializing with other gamers
• Starting to broadcast more than just gaming content, including live concerts

Cons:

• Mainly gaming content, though the IRL category features artists, singers, and even cooks

FYI: Compare Facebook gaming, Twitch, and YouTube gaming and see which one is the best game streaming platform.

3. DailyMotion – Closest YouTube Equivalent

DailyMotion became one of the first YouTube alternatives, coming online right after YouTube. You’ll usually find more high quality resolution videos from both well-known publishers/brands and individual publishers. It’s one of the closest alternatives, featuring most any kind of videos you could imagine. Just like YouTube, your feed becomes more personalized the more you watch.

Pros:

• Most like YouTube overall
• Large audience with over 350 million active users
• Most videos are higher quality (forget the shaky smartphone vids here)

Cons:

• Starter accounts have more upload limits than YouTube
• More difficult to become a publisher

4. Vimeo – Higher Quality YouTube

If you want YouTube alternatives with higher quality content and fewer trolls, Vimeo is your home sweet home away from the Google tube. The caliber of videos often feels like the difference between a college frat party and scholarly discussions. Enjoy well curated categories and channels. There are even some movies and TV shows, though nothing really mainstream.

Pros:

• Higher resolution videos overall
• Often has more intellectual, professional, and educational content, such as documentaries and independent films
• Easy to navigate categories and channels
• Creators earn up to 90% of revenue generated by their videos

Cons:

• Smaller selection of content
• Not the best option for more lighthearted or silly content

5. TED – Ideal for Education and Inspiration

If you’re looking for YouTube alternatives with more of a focus on education and inspiration, then TED is the perfect option. Respected experts and those with interesting true stories share their ideas, lessons, and advice via TED Talks. These talks are usually between 5 and 20 minutes long and cover most any and every topic you could think about. These talks have become so popular that there are even several TED podcasts with varying themes.

Pros:

• Shorter form content for watching during breaks
• Lots of educational and inspirational videos
• Covers a wide variety of topics

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer the same variety as YouTube, such as music videos, gaming content, news, and random craziness

6. DTube – The Blockchain YouTube

DTube stands for Decentralized YouTube and honestly looks almost identical to YouTube, so it’s an easy transition to make. The platform uses the Avalon Blockchain, and you’re able to earn via Avalon, Steem, and Hive. However, everything’s free to view. You can earn DTC (DTube’s tokens) to post, comment, and do other things on the site.

Pros:

• Decentralized, so you maintain control of your content
• Potential to earn several different ways
• Content from other platforms can be shared by linking directly to it

Cons:

• Still a much smaller platform compared to YouTube
• Uploading still has some glitches

Good to know: don’t know much about Blockchain? Learn all you want in this guide.

7. Facebook Watch – For Facebook Users

If you’re already a major Facebook user, why not try Facebook Watch, Facebook’s version of YouTube. The interface is kind of a mix between YouTube and Facebook. What I really like is that you don’t need a Facebook account to watch most videos. But, if you want to comment, follow, or interact outside of watching the video, you will need an account.

Pros:

• Perfect for Facebook users, as you never have to leave the platform
• Offers numerous topics and a growing library of content
• Perfect for on-demand and live streaming content

Cons:

• It’s a Facebook product, so it has the same kind of data collection and privacy issues as Google

8. TikTok – For Short-Form Content

Just want a quick dose of video? Then TikTok is the perfect YouTube alternative. Videos last anywhere from just seconds to up to 10 minutes. Despite the negative press, especially from ridiculous challenges, you’ll actually find many useful tips, tricks, and guides among the chaos. In terms of topics, you’ll find just as much on TikTok, if not more, than YouTube. If you already use TikTok, learn how to repost content and better manage your watch history.

Pros:

• Has one of the largest number of users compared to other alternatives
• Easy to find new content and upload your own
• Focuses solely on short form video

Cons:

• Plagued by privacy concerns and banned in many areas
• No long-form content

9. Odysee – For Less Censorship

Odysee was created as a place without censorship to let people freely express their thoughts and opinions. To ensure users own their content, it operates on a blockchain platform and was created by the founders of LBRY. It’s kind of been taken over by American right-wing creators, though you can still find plenty of other content, too. It’s surprisingly well designed to help you find new topics and videos.

Pros:

• Decentralized blockchain design
• Far less censorship
• Videos available on most any topic

Cons:

• Some may be turned off by the many news and opinion videos with noticeable right-wing bias. If you want more conservative content, try BitChute, which has even less censorship than Odysee.

Tip: you can censor your own videos by adding a censor beep to sensitive YouTube content.

10. The Internet Archive – For Older Movies, TV, and Concerts

The Internet Archive isn’t just for video, but the video section has an impressive collection of older movies, film clips, classic TV episodes and ads, live concerts, and much more. Currently, there are over nine million videos available. It’s not the easiest site to navigate, but you can start by choosing a category and browsing to see what treasures you’ll find. You won’t find new content here, but for those looking for older videos you probably wouldn’t see on YouTube, this is the place to be.

Pros:

• Lots of classic and hard-to-find content
• Find numerous old concerts
• Both entertainment and educational content
• Much of the content can be downloaded for free

Cons:

• No newer content
• Not much social interaction

11. Rumble – For Less Content Moderation

Rumble is a Canadian YouTube alternative that doesn’t focus too heavily on content moderation. It doesn’t seem to have quite as much extreme political content as Odysee or BitChute, though there is some. However, it’s incredibly similar to YouTube and even has numerous cute pet videos. You’ll also find livestreaming and even Rumble original shows.

Pros:

• Great variety of content with many YouTube creators migrating over
• Less content moderation
• Offers original shows, much like YouTube

Cons:

• Some political content creators banned from YouTube for extreme videos have moved here

Tip: instead of quitting YT, try an alternative YouTube app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are YouTube alternatives focused on privacy?

Every platform has its own privacy policy. Some collect just as much information as YouTube, while others only collect what’s absolutely essential for use, such as your username and watch history. Read the privacy policy of any platform to know for sure what is and isn’t collected.

Can I create my own YouTube?

Yes. If you want more free speech or just want to start your own niche YouTube, consider using Peertube. It’s open source, and you can run it from your own server.

Is there a way to better customize what I see on YouTube?

If you’re looking for YouTube alternatives because you’re tired of seeing channels and recommendations you hate, you may want to try customizing what you see first. This is especially true if your favorite content creators are exclusively on YouTube. The easiest method is to simply block what you don’t want to see so that YouTube can better judge what you do and don’t like.

Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Crystal Crowder.