YouTube might be the largest repository of video content around, but it doesn’t mean it’s right for you, especially if you prefer using non-Google products. Many YouTube alternatives offer a wide variety of entertaining and informative videos to keep you busy for years.
Content
- 1. Best for Gamers and Live Streams: Twitch
- 2. Most Like YouTube: DailyMotion
- 3. Best for High-Quality Videos: Vimeo
- 4. Best for Education and Inspiration: TED
- 5. Best for Funny Content: 9GAG
- 6. Best for Facebook Users: Facebook Watch
- 7. Best for Short Form Content: TikTok
- 8. Best Decentralized Alternative: Odysee
- 9. Best for Older Movies, TV, and Concerts: The Internet Archive
- 10. Best for Less Moderation: Rumble
1. Best for Gamers and Live Streams: Twitch
While YouTube has gaming content, Twitch is the king of gaming content, especially livestreaming game play. 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 for many), if you love gaming, it’s the place to hang out.
My favorite part is getting to check out games before I buy and knowing how to get through the impossible parts before I even start. It’s also nice to find a community of fellow gamers to share in the fun and gripe about what we don’t like.
2. Most Like YouTube: DailyMotion
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 almost any kind of videos you could imagine. Just like YouTube, your feed becomes more personalized the more you watch.
It is more focused on professional content and brand partnerships. But you’ll still discover ample amateur content as well, such as adorable cat videos and people vying for a Darwin Award. The biggest downside is that the audience is smaller here.
3. Best for High-Quality Videos: Vimeo
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.
For content creators, it’s more expensive, especially with a very limited free account. They also need to meet higher quality standards for anything that’s uploaded. But if you’re just a viewer, get started with the carefully selected Staff Picks in various categories.
4. Best for Education and Inspiration: TED
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 topic you could think about. These talks have become so popular that there are even several TED podcasts with varying themes, including a TED Tech podcast.
Obviously, TED doesn’t have the same variety as YouTube. It’s all talks, not music, gaming, news, etc. But you can watch experts talking about all those topics. Plus, it’s shorter form content for a quick watch during a break.
5. Best for Funny Content: 9GAG
Many YouTube alternatives are missing one thing: funny content. 9GAG has you covered with a mix of funny memes and clips. However, you’ll also find breaking news, along with ample hilarious responses to breaking news. It’s surprisingly easy to navigate with clear categories, featured sections, and an endless stream of (usually) short-form content.
The video quality isn’t always great, so if shaky phone videos or low-resolution isn’t your thing, 9GAG probably isn’t the right alternative. Also, there’s more explicit and suggestive content here, which could be offensive to some.
6. Best for Facebook Users: Facebook Watch
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.
It’s a nice combination of short clips, reels, live streaming, and even shows and trailers. And, of course, you’re welcome to upload and share videos of your own. Of course, if you’re leaving Google due to privacy issues, Facebook Watch isn’t any more private than YouTube, though there are ways to make Facebook more private.
7. Best for Short Form Content: TikTok
Just want a quick dose of video? Then TikTok is one of the best YouTube alternatives. 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.
With over 1.5 billion users, there’s no shortage of viewers and creators. Of course, you won’t have any long-form content here, though the platform is testing 15-minute videos. Plus, some areas have banned the app, but a VPN and browser (try desktop mode in a mobile browser) helps circumvent that.
8. Best Decentralized Alternative: Odysee
Odysee was created as a place with less censorship (though some rules are in place) than YouTube 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 surprisingly well designed to help you find new topics and videos. In fact, I enjoy the layout far more than YouTube.
The only downside is that you’ll discover numerous news and political posts in almost every category. If you love that type of content, you’ll be happy here. If you’re looking for lighter content, you sometimes have to dig around a little. If you enjoy Odysee, also check out Bitchute, another decentralized YouTube alternative.
9. Best for Older Movies, TV, and Concerts: The Internet Archive
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 much new content here, but for those looking for older videos you probably wouldn’t see on YouTube, this is the place to be. There’s also the Wayback Machine to view old cached pages of websites. Some content is free to download or check out. However, if any illegally uploaded content is discovered, it will be removed. Of course, YouTube videos get removed all the time, even though you can sometimes still find deleted YouTube videos.
10. Best for Less Moderation: Rumble
Rumble is a Canadian YouTube alternative that doesn’t focus too heavily on content moderation, though some moderation rules are still in place. Just like Odysee, there are a lot of political videos. However, it’s incredibly similar to YouTube and even has numerous cute pet videos. You’ll also find live streaming and even Rumble original shows.
While the audience is smaller at Rumble, creators actually earn a higher percentage than with YouTube, so this could be a great platform to better support your favorite creators. Plus, Rumble’s not quite as restrictive, making it easier to find a wider variety of opinions and content types.
If you’re a creator and just want more control over your content, try hosting your own YouTube alternatives with Peertube. Or, if you still love YouTube, but hate all the ads and want more features, try these third-party YouTube apps instead.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Crystal Crowder.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox
Sign up for all newsletters.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. We will not share your data and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe
Crystal Crowder –
Staff Writer
Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.
Leave a comment