YouTube is the biggest video streaming service in the world, with the platform boasting more than 2.5 billion monthly active users. However, users are miffed because of multiple non-skippable ads on YouTube videos, the platform cracking down on ad blockers, and increasing Premium prices. Creators too face challenges regarding monetization, discoverability, and more. Therefore, if you believe it’s time to look for a better alternative, we’ve compiled a list of the best YouTube alternatives where you can watch videos or publish your content.
Best YouTube Alternatives for Video Streaming
This list contains list of some of the best YouTube alternatives you can use. However, do note that some of them may have content dissimilarities and preferences. Although, since there are 10 alternatives on this list, you should find a viable YouTube alternative by the end depending on your content preferences.
1. Vimeo
After YouTube, Vimeo is probably the most famous video-sharing website out there. Vimeo was launched back in 2004 and has slowly but strongly become a major player in the video streaming services. The company has more than 90 million monthly active users with over 35 million registered creators.
While these numbers might seem low when compared to YouTube, the basic concept of quality vs quantity applies here. Vimeo is a mature video-sharing platform that attracts artistic creators in films, animation, music, and more. As a result, the community isn’t as big as YouTube. It’s much more appreciative of the content that is being published with far more constructive comments.
The platform has paid plans, allowing creators to pay to gain extra features which makes them a little bit more serious about the type of content being produced. Besides, Vimeo is available on almost all the platforms out there, just like YouTube. Overall, if you don’t appreciate the noise generated on YouTube and want to enjoy hand-picked content inside a positive community, you should check out Vimeo.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Flourishing and constructive community | No ad-based revenue sharing |
| Over 90 million monthly active users | Not totally free for creators |
| Quality of content is better | |
| Revenue through donations |
Price: Free, $25/month for creators
2. Dailymotion
Just like YouTube, Dailymotion is a video-sharing platform where you can create an account and publish your videos. Similarly, viewers can visit the website and watch the published content for free. Dailymotion differs itself from YouTube by bringing far relaxed policies for creators and viewers.
That is both a good and a bad thing. The good thing is that you don’t need an account to watch videos (no age restriction) on Dailymotion. However, the relaxed policies of Dailymotion also mean that it is very easy for someone to republish your videos and there’s not much you will be able to do about it.
Pros Cons No age restriction Analytics does not match up to YouTube Not required to create an account Ad-based revenue sharing like YouTube Nice interface
Price: Free
3. Instagram
Meta has merged IGTV with Instagram’s feed so you can watch Reels and videos on Instagram itself. Instagram has also crossed over 2 billion monthly active users and is in the right position to tackle YouTube’s monopoly over video content. One of the good things about Instagram is that it’s not just copying YouTube but doing something different which makes it stand out from the service it is competing against.
For starters, Instagram Reels is mainly focusing on vertical content which was the weakest point of YouTube before Shorts. Since most of us consume content on our smartphones, having a platform for vertical video content makes good sense. However, unlike before when Instagram had a 90-second video length limit, the same has been raised to 3 minutes, making it a viable alternative to YouTube.
Also, Instagram already has a large number of influencers using the service and they get better reach than on YouTube. While Instagram has no monetization program for creators, creators can earn through affiliate marketing and donation. Whether you are a creator or a consumer, you should definitely check out Instagram.
Pros Cons Over 2 billion users waiting for your content No direct monetization for creators Vertical videos look great Nice and easy to navigate UI
Price: Free
4. TikTok
TikTok is kind of a go-to platform for those who love to watch bite-sized funky videos. The platform did undergo a strict glance from the US government and was almost banned. But it’s back in action again. Love it or hate it, the credit (or blame?) for introducing short form content (and reducing our attention span) all goes to TikTok as the platform was an instant hit across the globe.
Probably the biggest highlight of this video-sharing app is a huge community of creators who keep unleashing fun-loving viral videos, which you may like to watch tirelessly. Though it doesn’t offer the same lucrative monetization that YouTube provides, it allows creators to reach a massive young audience. That makes it a great platform for creators and viewers alike.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| A huge community of creators | Not available in many regions |
| Go-to platform for watching bite-sized videos | Previous privacy allegations |
| 10-minute video duration |
5. Twitch
Twitch is a platform which is made entirely for gamers. If you are someone who wants to earn money by using your gaming talents or just want to enjoy someone’s gameplay, Twitch is the place to do it. Since its launch, the service has evolved and now include dedicated streams focusing on artwork, music, talk shows, and more, it still is mostly dominated by the gaming community. Unlike YouTube, where you can find content on any and all topics, Twitch still remains fairly niche and that is its biggest strength.
One thing that differentiates Twitch from any other video website is that it hosts a ton of live streaming content something which is not normal for other video platforms. In fact, live streams of gaming sessions are the crucial ingredient which has made Twitch such a successful company.
Twitch also has a very different monetization method. Instead of using ads to monetize content for its creators, Twitch allows creators to accept donations from viewers. This not only ensures that the platform is totally free of ads, it also means that viewers who donate to their favorite creators feel like a part of a tight-knit family.
Hence, the community at Twitch is more friendly and genuinely cares about its creators. If you are into games and want to see some breathtaking gameplays while supporting the creators who play the games, there is no better place to do that than Twitch. If you like live streaming platforms but don’t like Twitch in particular, you can check out our favorite Twitch alternatives.
Pros Cons Tight-knit community Not great for non-gaming content Heaven for gamers Revenue through donations Great alternative to YouTube Gaming
Price: Free
6. Nebula
Next, we come to Nebula where you can find videos, podcasts, and classes from thoughtful creators. You can think of Nebula as the curated version of YouTube. For creators, Nebula is one of the best YouTube alternatives out there. Videos are owned by creators and they earn revenue through user subscription.
Apart from that, users can find exclusive content here that may not be available on YouTube. Many YouTube creators publish their content on Nebula exclusively. Besides watching videos, you can also join classes and learn about new topics.
Pros Cons Thoughtful videos and podcasts from creators Video library is small Learn about new topics Attend classes
Price: Free
7. Facebook Watch
Facebook has also launched its own video focused service called Facebook Watch. While your Facebook feeds have been harboring videos since forever, the company started focusing on videos to get more traction. Launched in August 2017, Facebook Watch enables creators to create and publish videos on its platforms while giving them access to data and analytics which can help them grow their viewer base, just like on YouTube.
Facebook has partnered with many creators to launch original series so that the service has its own exclusive content. That said, just like on YouTube, anyone can create their own channel and start publishing videos on the platform.
Another good thing about Facebook Watch is that it has a similar revenue sharing program to YouTube, which means that the company pays a part of its ad revenues to creators. Also, since most of the online world is still on Facebook, having the same website to watch videos where you already spend most of your time means that you have one less website and app to worry about.
Pros Cons One of the largest potential viewer bases Not available everywhere Ad-revenue sharing program similar like YouTube The content could be a bit nauseating depending on where you live Lots of videos to watch
Price: Free
8. TED
While we know TED as a media organization that holds conferences on many seminal topics, it also maintains a video platform which hosts all its talks and conferences from all around the world. You can find videos on several topics, including technology, science, nature, global warming, education, social change, and more. If you want to avoid YouTube because you’ve been wasting too much time on the platfor, TED is definitely the platform for you
The best part about TED is that you get to hear experts from various fields which adds to your understanding of the world. As of now, it has more than 4700 videos and talks which are quite inspiring and riveting. I would say, if you want to spend time learning something new in an enjoyable way then TED fits the bill quite well. Also, if you are short on time and want to understand social phenomena around the globe, TED videos make for a compelling watch.
Pros Cons Hosts more than 4700 videos The content catalog is nowhere near as vast as YouTube A vast library of inspiring videos on technology, social change, health, etc Talks from experts hence reliable information User interface and video playback is right up there with YouTube
Price: Free
9. The Internet Archive
While Internet Archive may not be as popular as YouTube, it’s got a massive catalog of videos. As it’s a non-profit public domain online organization, movies, and TV shows stay on the site for long. Besides, it’s got one of the largest assortment of famous documentaries and classic movies which may appeal to your interest, if you love to catch up with legendary films.
However, unlike YouTube, the site lacks trending new content and it also takes comparatively more time to show the viral videos. For those who like to keep a tab on the videos that are breaking the Internet may find it a little outdated. As for the user interface, the Internet Archive looks quite simple. With the categorized genres and titles, it also makes a bit easier to discover specific content. Moreover, you can also download your favorite videos to watch offline.
Pros Cons A huge library of movies and videos Doesn’t offer latest and viral content Offers a straightforward way to download videos Lacks high-budget content Simple interface with categorized genres and titles Not a great platform for creators Might contain obscene content
Price: Free
10. Odysee
Odysee is a new video-sharing platform where creators can upload their videos and viewers can watch videos for free. It has been developed by LBRY which is a blockchain-based decentralized platform. Launched in 2020, Odysee has a lot of monthly active users. While it doesn’t contain videos from mainstream content creators, there’s a lot of other creators you can watch to keep yourself entertained.
Odysee is popular for providing an open-source alternative to YouTube. It’s against anti-censorship so videos are not highly censored. However, content moderation is still applied based on community guidelines. It hosts millions of videos ranging from pop culture, lifestyle, tech, comedy, and more.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Open-source alternative to YouTube | Small community |
| Over 7 million monthly active users | |
| Hosts millions of videos |
Price: Free
That ends our list of the best platforms like YouTube that you can check out to stream videos. As far as I am concerned, Vimeo and Twitch are the two best alternatives to YouTube for me. I am also keeping an eye on new platforms like Nebula to see how the platform develops. X is another platform you could use to watch or publish content, but the content creation scene hasn’t really took off on the platform. Therefore, you may be better off with the platforms we mentioned on this list.
What are some of your favorite YouTube alternatives? Let us know in the comments below.
