Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FreeTube VS YouTube

Compare FreeTube VS YouTube and see what are their differences

FreeTube logo FreeTube

FreeTube is an open source desktop YouTube player built with privacy in mind.

YouTube logo YouTube

Our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world.
  • FreeTube Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-29

  • YouTube Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-20

FreeTube features and specs

  • Privacy
    FreeTube offers enhanced privacy features, ensuring that user data isn't tracked or harvested. It doesn't track viewing habits and does not show personalized ads.
  • Open-Source
    Being an open-source application, FreeTube lets anyone inspect its code, ensuring transparency and the possibility for user-contributed improvements.
  • Ad-Free Experience
    FreeTube provides an ad-free experience, allowing users to watch YouTube videos without interruptions.
  • Cross-Platform
    FreeTube is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a broader audience.
  • Offline Viewing
    FreeTube allows users to download videos for offline viewing, which can be particularly useful in areas with limited internet connectivity.

Possible disadvantages of FreeTube

  • Limited Features
    FreeTube may lack some of the advanced features and services available directly on YouTube, such as real-time comments and live streaming options.
  • Dependency on YouTube
    Since FreeTube relies on YouTube for content, it may be subject to changes in YouTube's API or policies, which could affect its functionality.
  • Potential Bugs
    As an open-source project, FreeTube may occasionally encounter bugs or stability issues that could affect the user experience.
  • Manual Updates
    Users may need to manually update the app to benefit from the latest features and bug fixes, which can be less convenient than automatic updates.
  • Less Integration
    FreeTube may not integrate as seamlessly with other Google services and accounts, limiting some of the benefits of using YouTube within the Google ecosystem.

YouTube features and specs

  • Vast Content Library
    YouTube offers a colossal range of videos from educational content, entertainment, and DIY tutorials to professional how-to guides and music videos, catering to diverse interests.
  • Accessibility
    Content on YouTube can be accessed from anywhere in the world, on various devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers, making it convenient for users.
  • Free Usage
    Most YouTube content is available free of charge, supported by ads, which allows users to consume vast amounts of content without any financial commitment.
  • Content Creation Opportunities
    YouTube provides a platform where users can upload and share their own content, potentially reaching a global audience and even monetizing their videos.
  • Community Engagement and Interaction
    Users can engage with content through likes, comments, and shares, fostering a sense of community and direct interaction with creators.
  • Searchability and Algorithm
    YouTube’s advanced search functions and recommendation algorithms help users discover new content that aligns with their interests.

Possible disadvantages of YouTube

  • Content Quality Variability
    The quality of content on YouTube varies greatly, ranging from high-production work to low-quality videos, which can make it difficult to find reliable and accurate information.
  • Ad Interruptions
    Free content on YouTube is supported by advertisements, which can be frequent and disruptive to the viewing experience.
  • Potential Misinformation
    Given the user-generated nature of YouTube, it’s possible to encounter misleading or false information, which can be a risk for viewers looking for factual content.
  • Privacy Concerns
    YouTube collects significant data on viewers for targeted advertising, which raises concerns about data privacy and how that information is used.
  • Monetization Challenges for Creators
    While there are opportunities to monetize content, YouTube’s policies and algorithms can sometimes make it difficult for smaller or new creators to earn substantial revenue.
  • Time Consumption
    The vast amount of engaging content can lead to excessive consumption, causing users to spend more time than they might have intended on the platform.

FreeTube videos

いう

More videos:

  • Demo - 【復活】サワヤンの世界一面白いフォールガイズ
  • Demo - summer walker
  • Review - FreeTube: Watch Youtube Without Ads
  • Review - Best YouTube Alternatives! - Invidious, Newpipe, Freetube, LBRY, PeerTube

YouTube videos

A

More videos:

  • Demo - A
  • Demo - https://youtu.be/QJO3ROT-A4E?si=TQdMDDYNLANUyLdT
  • Demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq9250RQAFI
  • Review - YouTube Rewind 2019: For the Record | #YouTubeRewind
  • Review - YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind | #YouTubeRewind
  • Review - YOUTUBE REWIND HISPANO 2019 [Alecmolon]
  • Review - Words Of Power

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FreeTube and YouTube)
Video
12 12%
88% 88
Video Platform
13 13%
87% 87
Video Downloader
100 100%
0% 0
Social Media
15 15%
85% 85

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare FreeTube and YouTube

FreeTube Reviews

15 Best YouTube Vanced Alternatives 2023
You’ll be pleased to know that FreeTube does not track your viewing habits and does not resell your data to third-party entities. The FreeTube interface is built to look just like the YouTube interface and this makes it easy for users to transition from the original app to this one.

YouTube Reviews

  1. Good

    To be honest, YouTube is not only a platform where you can watch /download the video ,but a wonderful field where you can share and grow personally and help oher people to flourish through sharing your vision , art ,creativity ,etc.

  2. Dual purpose

    I like the idea of YouTube serving as a search engine and an entertaining feat


Top 6 Vimeo Alternatives to Embed Videos
YouTube is a great alternative because it's the only free tool out there and everyone is familiar with it. You can upload videos directly from your computer or phone and then embed them on your website with just a few clicks. The only downside to YouTube is that you can't control how long the video will play for or when it will start playing. Additionally, after the clip...
Source: www.vidjet.com
Top 26 Alternatives to Vimeo in 2024: Pricing, Features & More
Though both Vimeo and YouTube are popular video streaming services, they are each popular for different reasons. Businesses and professionals prefer Vimeo because it’s an ad-free streaming service with improved privacy options and extensive analytic capabilities. YouTube on the other hand is much more popular and has a larger user base. It’s best preferred for its social...
Source: www.dacast.com
Eight Meditation Apps That Are Cheaper (and Better) Than Headspace and Calm
Don’t want to pay for an app subscription to meditate? You don’t have to. YouTube is filled with wonderful resources to help you meditate. Just search for meditations for relaxing, anxiety, or stress. YouTube is also a great resource for learning breathing techniques, and for listening to mindfulness talks.
Source: lifehacker.com
20 Telegram Alternatives to Chat With in 2024
If you're a video creator, YouTube also has the advantage of being the world's second largest search engine. This means that even if people miss your livestream, they can catch your content by searching for it (even for years to come). And if you snip the best parts of it into shorts, viewers can find you organically that way too.
Review of the 7 best YouTube Video Hosting Alternatives: Differences, Pros, and Cons
Vimeo vs YouTube. The main difference between Vimeo and YouTube is the scale of the audience and the quality of the content. Vimeo is aimed primarily at professionals and companies looking for high-quality, ad-free hosting. Although the Vimeo audience is smaller than YouTube's, it is more dedicated and targeted.
Source: savemyleads.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, YouTube seems to be a lot more popular than FreeTube. While we know about 1839 links to YouTube, we've tracked only 43 mentions of FreeTube. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

FreeTube mentions (43)

  • YouTube detects and blocking Brave browser
    Https://freetubeapp.io/ ^ great alternative to youtube in a browser. - Source: Hacker News / 19 days ago
  • NewPipe on Linux, Using Android_translation_layer
    Why would one want NewPipe on desktop when there's https://freetubeapp.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • YouTube to restrict teenagers' exposure to videos about weight and fitness
    Hey Google, here's a suggestion: how about you make it possible to restrict a kids' account to only be able to view certain channels, disabling "the algorithm" altogether? Of course, that would lead to kids seeing less videos, so that is of course not an option, so while Google now tunes the algorithm a bit w.r.t. Weight and fitness, it is of course no problem that any young boy wanting to see some gaming videos... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • LTT video on de-Googling removed for "violating community guidelines"
    In your comment you said "the first video taken down from LTT", which is not true. Yes, this might be the first video removed for _one specific reason_. This also might be the first video where he broke external links policy[1] > Links to websites, apps, or other sources that give unauthorized access to audio content, audiovisual content, video games, software, or streaming services that normally require payment... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • LG and Samsung Are Making TV Screens Disappear
    On desktop I moved all my preferred channels on FreeTube and couldn't be more happy. https://freetubeapp.io/ Occasionally it may break because for obvious reasons Google does their best to force people to use their unwatchable page, but usually the fix comes out very quickly. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
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YouTube mentions (1839)

  • Ask HN: Freelancer? Seeking freelancer? (January 2025)
    SEEKING WORK - AI/Automation Expert I am an experienced automation developer specializing in Python. Over the last two years, I have focused on AI and automation, leveraging various LLMs to streamline back-office and internal processes. My projects include AI-driven conversational chatbots for lead capture with seamless CRM integration, as well as customer support AI systems that reduce human error and ensure... - Source: Hacker News / 6 days ago
  • Ask HN: How to learn marketing and sales as a solo entrepreneur?
    I have zero experience in sales and marketing, but I was wondering how I would start if I had to do that. After reading a bit about it and googling around, I stumbled upon Alex Hormozi and his YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@alexhormozi It has a lot of content & good presentation (minimalistic, but crisp). All about sales and marketing. I have no idea how an experienced sales or marketing person would rate... - Source: Hacker News / 8 days ago
  • What Is miniKanren?
    Power of Prolog. You can thank me later. https://youtube.com/@thepowerofprolog?feature=shared. - Source: Hacker News / 6 days ago
  • Ask HN: Who wants to be hired? (January 2025)
    Https://youtube.com/@foxev-content <-- this is how I speak! - Source: Hacker News / 6 days ago
  • Where Is James Bond? Trapped in an Ugly Stalemate with Amazon
    I think most rage bait about the Warhammer series is manufactured by content farm channels to generate clicks - the series wasn’t even officially in development until a few weeks ago. There’s an entire subgenre of YouTube channels that consist solely of creators updating videos promising that they have inside information on the creative conflicts at Lucasfilm/Amazon/etc, all of which happen to align perfectly with... - Source: Hacker News / 13 days ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FreeTube and YouTube, you can also consider the following products

NewPipe - NewPipe is a lightweight YouTube front-end for Android.

Vimeo - Vimeo is a social media app that lets you share and capture videos. You can watch new videos in a variety of different categories, and you can share your own content right from your device. Read more about Vimeo.

YouTube Vanced - Vanced is a modded version of YouTube with many features such as adblocking and background playback

Reddit - Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

Invidious.io - Invidious is an alternative front-end to YouTube.

Google - Google Search, also referred to as Google Web Search or simply Google, is a web search engine developed by Google. It is the most used search engine on the World Wide Web