09/10/24
Author: Carmen Coto
20 min reading
DistributionMarketing
What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about online video websites? YouTube, right? It’s not a surprise, though —YouTube is the go-to video site for most people, even for us here at Yum Yum Videos (read review)!
But as good as YouTube is, it is far from being the only good option! There are, in fact, many other video websites like YouTube out there —each with its unique strengths and features to be discovered.
Marketers, content creators, business owners, and even regular users should at least be aware of their alternatives and know about some of the other options available. So, we bring you a cool list of our 25 favorite YouTube alternatives. Enjoy!
Now, there’s no point in making you wait any longer, so here are our top YouTube alternatives:
Table of Contents
Let’s start by stating the obvious —TikTok isn’t just a video website like YouTube. Having taken the world by storm, TikTok stands now as one of the fastest-growing video hosting and social media platforms out there. In fact, many valuable YouTube video ideas nowadays first started as viral TikTok trends.
As you might well know, TikTok is used to create short lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos that appeal to younger demographics looking for snippet-based entertainment!
How big is it? Well, it boasts over 1,582 billion monthly users and more than 700 million videos are uploaded to the platform per month. It has definitely entered the social media big league, and it’s here to stay!
You probably already knew this one, right? Vimeo is one of the most famous alternatives to YouTube out there, and it’s widely popular amongst artists and filmmakers.
Known for its high-quality content and its fully engaged community, this video website attracts people who are truly interested in film quality —an audience that truly appreciates the medium.
It’s a video hosting site that fully encourages artists and creative professionals to show off their work. In that sense, it isn’t a video website like YouTube since you won’t find a ten-hour video of a bear dancing to “Sweet Dreams” here. Instead, you’ll find thoughtful and interesting content, for the most part, such as short films, professional explainer videos, and other high-quality, portfolio-worthy content.
Vimeo is your go-to spot if you want to show your work —the kind that you’re most proud of!
Dailymotion is another video website that has a really similar structure and interface to YouTube. You can find trending videos on the homepage or discover more through the categories section and the search bar.
This online video website has a more flexible copyright policy than YouTube, though, so there is better tolerance for content uploaders. Maybe this is why it has around 450 million visitors per month!
Another thing that makes Dailymotion special is the fact that users can monetize their videos through ads or a paywall. This is why you’ll find some videos with ads, and others completely free. However, this is an optional feature, and the users who upload the videos can choose whether to monetize them.
Behance is not just another video website —it’s owned by Adobe Inc., and like most services this firm offers, it’s meant for creative professionals.
Everyone in the creative field, from architects to game designers, can use this platform as a portfolio to show off their skills. It’s a great way of putting their work out there and gaining visibility by amassing likes and even feedback.
What sets Behance apart from a site like YouTube is that it allows not only video uploads but also photos and illustrations. It isn’t a free video hosting site either, as it’s part of Adobe Creative Cloud plans. Still, you can upload a portfolio at no charge, but the features options will be limited.
If you are looking for websites similar to YouTube, then Twitch is not a good option for you… unless you are into gaming.
This particular video hosting site mainly displays live-streaming videos of individual gamers and eSport competitions. It’s also used by blossoming DJs to broadcast live sets in real time and for other types of streaming.
What makes this streaming site so unique is its ability to build digital communities around its content. You see, since viewers can send messages in a chat while the live event is taking place and the streamer can respond to them in real-time, it’s easy for Twitch users to interact with each other and their favorite content creators.
Being one of the oldest video hosting sites out there (since 2004), Brightcove offers a wide variety of video management tools for businesses. It allows them to manage their video marketing strategy efficiently by making tasks simpler.
With Brightcove, you can edit a video, upload it to different social platforms simultaneously, and analyze its overall performance in every channel. It’s not necessarily an alternative to YouTube, as you can share a Brightcove video there too!
That said, Brightcove’s most remarkable feature is by far its HTML5 video player. The video site claims it’s 70% faster than any other player out there and can be used in every type of screen available.
Vevo is a video entertainment site exclusively dedicated to music clips.
Founded in 2008 by some of the biggest record companies, Vevo gained popularity fast and soon became “the world’s largest all-premium music video provider,” in their own words.
As much as it is, in theory, a competitor, Vevo has a deal with YouTube, so its videos can also be found on the platform. This syndication is now the site’s main priority.
Unfortunately, the website itself has lost its fame over the years, and while it’s still alive and updated, all videos will redirect you to a YouTube tab. For the moment, though, it’s a good alternative for music fans who prefer a platform exclusively dedicated to this type of content.
Hulu is a video website that distributes and produces on-demand movies and series. It also offers a special service (Hulu + Live TV) in which users can enjoy television content transmitted through Internet protocols (IPTV).
The site is mainly owned by The Walt Disney Company but provides content from various other networks as well.
You may find Hulu similar to other sites like YouTube, such as Netflix and Prime Video. Yes —these three major OTT video streaming sites have various things in common and can be easily compared to each other. Hulu is the most economical site of the bunch, although it’s worth noting that, unlike Netflix and Prime Video, its lower-cost plans involve ads.
At first glance, you may think Dtube is just another non-YouTube video website, but that would be doing the platform a disservice.
Dtube is a decentralized platform that uses a social blockchain system where every user interaction is end-to-end encrypted. There’s no central figure controlling what users are posting, so they have more independence and control over their content. As a result, Dtube is censorship-free, and every uploaded video remains there forever.
The best part of this innovative video website is that users earn rewards for posting, curating, and voting content. The rewards come in the form of Dtube’s own cryptocurrency, DTC.
This is another decentralized video hosting site, but it doesn’t work in the same way that Dtube does.
Peertube is a software platform that uses a peer-to-peer system in which users can create a server that hosts particular users and content. This server is called an instance and can be hosted by people with moderate technical skills. Every instance can be moderated and maintained independently by various administrators at the same time.
According to Peertube, this results in a network of interconnected small video hosters with a lot of freedom over their content, something that’s hard to find on video websites like YouTube.
Veoh is a video website similar to YouTube that not only hosts user-generated videos but also offers TV shows (only in the U.S.) and full-length movies from major studios or independent productions.
To watch full-length videos, though, viewers have to install the Veoh Web Player within their browser.
Curiosity Streams is not really a website like YouTube but it is similar to Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, as it’s a subscription-based video streaming site. However, Curiosity Streams’ content differs significantly from the one you’ll find on other platforms.
This site is devoted to original and third-party documentary films, series, and short videos. It was launched by the founder of the Discovery Channel —so you can say it’s in the service’s DNA.
Luckily, Curiosity Streams is included among other platforms’ services, such as YouTube TV, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Channels, so it’s easy to access. On its own, the streaming service offers both traditional quality and 4K plans – perfect for enjoying wildlife documentaries.
TED is an award-winning video website owned by the non-profit TED Foundation.
Its interface is similar to video platforms like YouTube, but its content is quite different. Here, you can find thousands of recorded talks by renowned thought leaders on technology, design, science, politics, and humanitarian and academic topics.
For the most part, TED talks on the platform are free and accessible to everyone. However, some videos are exclusive to members only.
A TED membership allows users to enjoy those exclusive talks and discuss with each other in a conversation group. Interestingly, the subscription fee works as a donation, so members can decide how much they’ll pay, yearly or monthly.
Many TED talks are also available on YouTube, but the platform is a good alternative for those who wish to watch videos on other websites.
This website started as a place for photographers worldwide to share their art, but nowadays you can also upload video content along with your photos.
The community is as strong as ever, and the platform allows you to customize your profile to introduce yourself to fellow photographers (professional or hobbyists!) before exhibiting your creations.
You can choose a free account —with an upload limit of 1,000 items— or pay a subscription for unlimited uploads. All accounts can organize their content into albums and collections, and tag videos and photos with keywords and locations to make them easier to find for other members of your community!
Utreon, known today as Playeur, is an independently developed video website that aims to take things to the next level by allowing viewers to interact more freely with their favorite creators and allowing “complete freedom of speech.”
The project started in 2020, and it’s currently in its final stages of development. The most attractive feature of this YouTube alternative is that it’s against algorithms —there are no hidden rules that promote certain channels over others. All creators have equal opportunities to monetize their content and reach new audiences.
The best part about Playeur is that you can easily ask your existing audience to support you on the platform and import all the existing content on your YouTube channel to the website for a smooth, hassle-free transition.
On a similar note to the previous example, Rumble is a video website like YouTube that defines itself as “immune to cancel culture”, and encourages its creators to be authentic and share diverse ideas and opinions on the platform.
Rumble creators can get revenue thanks to ads, tips (called “Rants”), and subscriptions, so it’s a great alternative to monetize your content in a place that isn’t YouTube.
The website is very intuitive to navigate and has a very similar layout to older YouTube, and you can even discover new content by browsing the “Trending” and “Editor Picks” tabs.
This video website is actually an OTT streaming platform, but what sets it apart is that it’s 100% free. Though it works with an ad-based model, you get to watch movies and TV shows from some of the best providers out there, including A24, BBC Studios, Hallmark, and more.
It also features original content, and new titles are added every month.
One downside is that it’s only available to people residing in the US, but this might change in the future.
Seeking to bring back the feeling of the early 2000s internet, Odysee is a decentralized, blockchain-based platform where sharing is the name of the game. Though it’s mainly known as a video website, users can also share images, PDFs, audio files, and more.
Although you don’t get money from your uploads, you do get LBRY Credits —tokens that are required to upload content to the blockchain. This means that you’ll need to exchange a few tokens every time you want to upload something to Odysee.
However, you can get cash tips from your community, as well as create memberships, if you connect your bank account to your Odysee account.
Speaking of 2000s nostalgia, you probably won’t find a video website that evokes this feeling as strongly as MediaGoblin! This free media publishing platform aims to be a decentralized alternative to mainstream sites —not only YouTube, but also SoundCloud, Flickr, and other popular media-sharing platforms.
As a visitor, you can browse endless galleries curated by other users or create your own, either by uploading your own files or by compiling collections from other members. As you navigate the site, you’ll notice that the media is the main focus on every page: text and any metadata are small and discrete, letting the photos and videos shine.
In addition to visual mediums, you’ll also find audio files, books, and presentations!
This video website is actually dedicated to making the job of video creators easier: it’s an all-in-one paid membership platform where you can create and customize your own branded site —this includes uploading and organizing videos, native live streaming, and a community hub where your audience can enjoy all your content in a single place.
It works across all devices, and you can even launch your own app to engage your viewers more personally. The video library is described as “Netflix style,” so you can rest assured that the user experience and ease of navigation are top-notch.
Though you’ll have to pay a subscription to access all these perks, it’s a great investment if you’re a business owner who wants to have a dedicated, all-in-one space for their brand.
This video website was developed by the School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, in 1998. Even then, the team behind the project knew what was to come regarding video libraries and their importance for research, so they set out to create their own.
Since they aim to collect and maintain a video repository for research purposes, you’ll find mostly educational content on this site. However, the collection is both impressive and super interesting, with material from NASA, old TV commercials, black-and-white pieces, and more.
I’m sure you’ve heard about this Internet legend at least once! In addition to being a video website like YouTube, the Internet Archive is the biggest non-profit digital library in the world, with millions of free images, texts, music files, movies, and much, much more.
Committed to providing universal access to knowledge, you’ll find pretty much anything you can think of here. From music videos to entire live concerts, the Archive is bound to have the video somewhere.
The best part? You can download all the files and keep a safe copy with you wherever you go, in case the website is taken down.
Founded in 2001, eBaum’s World still maintains that old Internet essence —although it has an updated layout, the idea behind this video website is the same as it was back then: share funny content with the masses.
In addition to viral and not-so-viral videos, you can also enjoy tons of memes, images, articles, games, and audio files. If you’re bored on a Saturday evening, this site is bound to make you laugh with some light-hearted, funny content!
As we’re nearing the end of the list, I want to add another video website like YouTube, which is specially tailored for content creators: GUDSHO. In fact, the team itself defines this platform as a YouTube alternative for creators!
By creating an account on GUDSHO, you get unlimited hosting, management, marketing, distributing, streaming, and earning capabilities. However, there’s one key difference that sets this platform apart: it’s a premium video website, so your audience has to pay to watch your content.
There are several different pricing models you can choose depending on what suits your channel best, and you can even opt for an ad-based system where your fans can watch your videos for free, but with ads. There’s also an option to ask for voluntary donations if you’re unsure about pricing your content just yet.
This website is the best option if your business’ main profit comes from video content, as it’s a much more reliable system than YouTube’s monetization program.
Let’s wrap this list up with a sort of hybrid video website: Facebook Watch. It’s not exactly like YouTube, as Facebook is primarily a social media platform, but it’s constantly pushing video content as one of the main attractions on user’s feeds, making it worthy of being included here.
What makes Facebook Watch so attractive to users is that the suggestions it places on their feeds are perfectly tailored to their likes and interests, so the content is almost always super engaging and eye-catching. And, although long-form content is also hosted here, the majority of videos are short, TikTok-like pieces, so they’re perfect for users who are scrolling their feeds and want to watch something fun yet short before moving on.
While streaming sites aren’t all that similar to YouTube, they’re still a great source of entertainment (and competition to the platform!), so here’s our top 5 pick:
Netflix provides its subscribers with a streaming service they can enjoy from the comfort of their homes as well as on the go. It also presents them with personalized recommendations based on their past ratings.
This California-based streaming site boasts an extensive and diverse library of audiovisual content. That said, it also produces original movies and series, some of which have won prestigious awards and amassed a lot of popularity. It’s the website that set the benchmark for all other streaming services that followed, and its fame is well deserved!
Disney+ is one of the newest OTT streaming sites out there, having been launched in late 2019, but it quickly gained relevance worthy of long-established platforms. In fact, ten million people subscribed to the service on day one.
Owned by The Walt Disney Company, the platform offers movies and TV series of most subsidiary companies and franchises inside Disney’s ever-growing empire: Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, ABC signature, and the former Fox Networks Group.
Disney+ also provides original movies and TV series that are exclusively distributed through the platform.
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription-based entertainment site that offers over-the-top streaming services.
Like Netflix, this platform not only distributes movies and series from third parties, but also produces original titles as well. However, the amount of original content to date is lesser than the one produced by the former. Still, it is an excellent option for viewers looking for quality entertainment.
This streaming platform has been a part of the game for a long, long time, though you might recognize it by its former name: HBO Max. It’s probably one of the favorite subscription-based streaming websites out there, thanks to its exceptional catalog. They’re the brain behind classic TV shows such as Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Succession… Need I say more?
In addition to their original content, they also host many beloved movies and TV shows, and get to stream tons of new movies once they leave the cinema screen.
Last, but certainly not least, we have Paramount+. It’s the newest addition to the list, launched in March 2021, but that doesn’t make it a weaker contender by any means: some of the newest sensations in cinemas and TV, like Tulsa King or the Mean Girls remake, are available to stream here.
If you’re a reality show fan like me, then you’ll love their catalog: RuPaul’s Drag Race, Catfish, Acapulco Shore… it’s certainly a perk that makes this video website stand out from the rest!
Honestly? Probably nothing, as the site is still going strong. But, based on the growth of other platforms during the past year, here are some heavy competitors:
Decentralized video platforms are a particular threat to the video giant since many YouTube content creators are moving to these sites where there’s no censorship.
While the free YouTube app provides a pretty smooth watching experience, the platform’s content isn’t optimized for vertical screens, can’t be played in the background, and you can’t download content within the app. Here are some video platforms that are better optimized for mobile video streaming:
Although a bit subjective —depending on your goals— here are the best alternatives to YouTube:
As you have seen here, there are many great online video websites like YouTube out there. So, even though YouTube is the biggest of them all, it’s not your only option when it comes to video hosting or video streaming.
Don’t be afraid to upload or enjoy your content on other video sites, as it will only help you reach different kinds of audiences.
Not everyone is on YouTube: Creatives and filmmakers, for example, usually go for Vimeo instead. People looking for short and quick videos, they’ll be on TikTok instead of YouTube! So look at this as an advantage, and expand your video’s reach!
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