Free, open-source alternatives to YouTube
Google's video platform. 3 apps you can run yourself instead of YouTube, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
PeerTubeBest match
Decentralized video streaming platform using P2P (BitTorrent) directly in the web browser.
MediaCMS
Modern, fully featured open source video and media CMS, written in Python/Django/React, featuring a REST API.
ClipBucket
Start your own video sharing website (YouTube/Netflix Clone) in a matter of minutes.
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PeerTube | 15,361 | AGPL-3.0 | Node.js | |
| MediaCMS | 5,145 | AGPL-3.0 | Python, Docker | |
| ClipBucket | 183 | AAL | Docker, PHP |
Why replace YouTube?
YouTube works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to YouTube?
PeerTube is the closest open-source replacement for YouTube in our list. MediaCMS and ClipBucket are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to YouTube?
Yes. All 3 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.