The most popular video hosting website in the world is YouTube. It is of the most prominent websites on planet Earth. YouTube is the biggest video hoster and the second most visited website (after Google). A successful model that has inspired hundreds and thousands of websites and was copied by many companies.
YouTube’s success can be attributed to many reasons: ease of use, wide range of functions, video quality, and community-based approach to its development. You don’t need any special skills or knowledge to create your own account on this platform and share some videos you shot with your phone.
As long as it’s not illegal or offensive content, you will quickly gain many subscribers who will look at all your uploads and click the ‘like’ button they like and dislike if it is not good.
YouTube (as well as Google) is blocked in some countries due to political reasons and censorship of content deemed inappropriate by local authorities. China, Iran, North Korea, and Syria have strict rules on online content. Such restrictions prevent residents from using YouTube and other Google services.
To avoid all this mess, why not look for video websites like YouTube that are better and allow you to broadcast almost anything without limits? So what are the best YouTube alternatives where you can post any content online with less censorship or restrictions?
The Best YouTube Alternatives
There are some great sites similar to YouTube out there, depending on what you’re looking for. Here are some of our favorites:
Vimeo
Vimeo may not be as well-known as YouTube, but it’s a great alternative if you’re looking for a higher-quality video streaming experience. With Vimeo, you can upload videos of up to 500 MB in size (compared to YouTube’s limit of 2 GB), and the site offers a broader range of video formats than YouTube does.
Vimeo also has a “premium” subscription plan that gives you access to additional features, such as higher-quality video playback and the ability to download videos for offline viewing. If you’re looking for an alternative to YouTube that offers more customization options and better quality video streaming, Vimeo is worth checking out.
Metacafe
There are many great YouTube alternatives out there, and Metacafe is one of the best. With a massive library of videos, an easy-to-use interface, and great community features, it’s hard to go wrong with Metacafe.
One thing to note is that Metacafe does have more commercials than YouTube. But for the most part, the ads are well-placed and don’t get in the way. And if you can’t stand the ads, you can always upgrade to a premium account.
Brid.TV
Brid.tv is a great YouTube alternative because it offers a lot of the same features as YouTube but with some added benefits. For example, Brid.tv allows you to embed videos into your own website, which can help promote your content or drive traffic to your website.
Additionally, Brid.tv offers an easy-to-use video editor that makes it simple to create professional videos without prior experience or expertise in video editing. This can be a huge advantage for businesses and individuals who want to create high-quality videos but don’t have the time or resources to do so themselves.
Utreon
There are several different YouTube alternatives out there, but one of the best is Utreon. Utreon has a range of features that make it an excellent choice for those looking for an alternative to YouTube.
Utreon has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to find the videos you’re looking for. It also has a wide range of content, including videos from major networks like CBS and NBC. Additionally, Utreon is ad-free, making it an excellent choice for those who want to avoid ads.
DTube
DTube is an excellent YouTube alternative because it does not censor content.
YouTube has been known to censor content that does not align with its values, but DTube does not have those same restrictions. This makes it an excellent platform for sharing videos that might otherwise be censored.
Additionally, DTube is built on the Steem blockchain, which means that users are rewarded with Steem tokens for uploading and voting on videos. This creates an incentive for users to produce high-quality content and helps to ensure that videos are quality-checked before being added to the platform.
DTube is one of the best alternatives to YouTube because it puts user experience first.
9GAG TV
One of my favorite YouTube alternatives out there, 9GAG is a great place to watch all kinds of comedy videos that you can’t find anywhere else.
With its easy-to-use layout and simple categories like “funny,” “cute,” and “wow,” it’s easy to navigate through tons of hilarious posts in no time at all. There are loads of other posts on the website to check out if you’re bored, so 9GAG has something for everyone!
And with millions of users, there’s always someone around to share new content with – even if it’s not your kind of thing. But if you don’t like what you see, just skip it. It’s that simple!
Dailymotion
Dailymotion is another excellent alternative to YouTube because it allows users to upload longer videos than most platforms (up to 2 hours in length). Plus, there’s no limit on how many videos you can upload every month – so if you want to post several long-form pieces but don’t want them clogging up your channel, this might be the best option for you.
There are also some great features like channel suggestions based on what you’re interested in and related channels list at the end of each video that help users find new content they might not have otherwise discovered.
Crackle
Crackle is another excellent alternative for watching movies and TV shows online since it features Hollywood hits like The Da Vinci Code, Clockwork Orange, and Goodfellas.
And while most of these movies are available elsewhere (like Amazon), there’s something special about Crackle: it has original content too! With big names like Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler on its side, this video-sharing website gives aspiring actors a platform to get noticed by comparing themselves to some pretty impressive talent.
Not only that, but with a hit like Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, it’s easy to see why Crackle is one of the best YouTube alternatives.
Vevo
Vevo hosts official music videos from various artists and is a great place to discover new music. From the latest rap songs to classic rock tunes, Vevo has something for everyone. And thanks to its partnership with YouTube, you can watch your favorite videos in 480p and up (for free).
To make things even better, users get access to special playlists like Popular Videos in YOUR COUNTRY, the Newest Videos in YOUR COUNTRY, and Most Viewed in YOUR COUNTRY. This allows viewers to quickly find the best music videos without searching through tons of irrelevant content.
Vevo often hosts original series that offer additional insight into the musical world as a bonus. From short documentaries about upcoming bands or singers worldwide to behind-the-scenes looks at recording studios, Vevo has a ton of quality content you won’t find anywhere else.
Twitch
Twitch is one of the best YouTube alternatives because it allows users to broadcast live videos for their friends and fans worldwide. And if that’s not impressive enough, users can also watch others play video games (I know what you’re thinking: “how could this possibly be interesting?” But trust me, it actually is). It’s super fun!
That being said, Twitch is designed mainly for gamers who want to share their experience with fellow players. So if you don’t fit into that category, there’s too much here for you.
Internet Archives Video Section
Internet Archive is a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide “free universal access to all knowledge.” So, naturally, on their website, you can find thousands of videos related to every topic imaginable, including educational ones for kids on subjects like reading, science, and history.
You can watch any video for free with advertisements (not obnoxious like on YouTube) at Internet Archives’s dedicated video section. The only issue with this platform is that content is limited. There isn’t much per category, and it takes time to peruse through the massive collection to find what interests you most.
However, the Internet Archive offers many other great resources like books and music archives (and even software). So if you’re willing to do some digging, you’ll find something worthwhile.
TED Talks
TED Talks is a great YouTube alternative if you want to learn something new without reading a book or sitting in a classroom.
With topics on everything from global issues to deep-sea exploration, TED Talks is one of the best educational videos platforms. And with more than 2,400 TED Talk videos and counting, it’s easy to find something that piques your interest so you can expand your mind and learn about new things.
And while most people think of TED as an online lecture series, it also has several other features that help users get even more out of their experience.
This includes links to related videos after each talk that give viewers even more choices when looking for content that matches their interests, as well as the ability to create your own playlists so you can easily revisit talks about topics you’re passionate about.
Why Should You Look for YouTube Alternatives?
There are many reasons why someone would want to look for an excellent alternative to YouTube. But in my opinion, the three main factors that drive this process:
You’re giving Google even more information about you
Since Google purchased YouTube in October of 2006 for $1.65 billion, they’ve been collecting tons of data about its users. And while this might sound like a good thing (and trust me, it definitely is), it can also be pretty dangerous when you’re a private company with a monopoly on all the information we share online.
But for users, this means that when you watch a video on YouTube, Google has an even bigger chance of personalizing the ads it shows you based on your interests.
Of course, if you’re not too worried about Google using your data in this way – then there’s nothing to worry about. Just know that every time you click on a new video or watch something in HD, you could be giving Google more information to help advertisers target their ads at the right people (which is super cool but also scary).
You’re trapped in the “filter bubble”
The “filter bubble” is basically what happens when we get stuck watching videos we agree with and never see any opposing viewpoint.
This is bad for many reasons (which I won’t go into here) but just know that it keeps us in our own little world where we never hear things that might challenge our way of thinking.
And if this keeps up, people will only be exposed to the same ideas repeatedly until they stop caring about politics or social issues entirely due to their lack of exposure to contrasting opinions.
And while there are plenty of websites out there that only focus on specific niches, it’s much harder to avoid encountering different viewpoints when you’re scrolling through a seemingly endless list of videos on YouTube.
That’s why if you want to keep up with current events or learn more about things like philosophy, it’s a good idea to step out of your comfort zone and find a YouTube alternative.
Expand your horizons
Last but not least, the best reason for looking for a new video-sharing website is so you can see what other people are doing beyond creating cat videos.
The truth is that YouTube has become such a popular platform thanks to its easy accessibility and simplistic format – making it perfect for ordinary people to share their unique content with others. And while there’s nothing wrong with this, it also means that most of what we see on YouTube today falls under one (or all) categories: vlogs, beauty gurus, comedians, gamers playing walkthroughs – you get the point.
If you want to see what other people are up to or you don’t always agree with the opinions presented on YouTube, it’s crucial not only to watch videos outside your comfort zone (like TV shows and movies) but also look for alternative video-sharing websites like YouTube – where there is more balanced content.
Conclusion
The internet is a big place, and the worldwide web has many different video platforms to explore. Whether you’re looking for better video hosting options or want to break out of the filter bubble, there are plenty of great YouTube alternatives out there.
We’ve highlighted ten of our favorites, but there are plenty more where that came from. So get exploring and see what other fantastic content you can find!
We hope this article helped explore some of these options so that you can continue your journey on finding content that best suits your needs and interests!