YouTube is the largest video sharing site and probably one of the first that comes to mind when talking about video streaming platforms.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s the only one. In fact, many users, including YouTube vloggers and content creators are seeking alternative video sharing sites to break away from the monotony.
There are several reasons for this:
- Ever-increasing hard-to-avoid ads per video
- Algorithms that affect uploaded content
- Censorship issues on YouTube
- Higher cost of failure for new content creators
- Copyright and data collection issues
- Frustrations with demonetization and earnings
All these issues make YouTube less appealing to content creators despite having a huge audience of over 2.3 billion people.
Fortunately, there are some YouTube alternatives that offer different content emphasis, geographic reach, different target audiences, better support for other content types, and monetization methods.
Best YouTube Alternatives
Whether you create video content to reach new audiences or embed it on your site for lead conversion, here are 20 great YouTube alternatives you can try.
1. Dailymotion
Dailymotion is a platform you can use to create a video channel, host your videos, and share them with your current audience. You can also use Dailymotion to garner a following and make money through shared advertisement revenue.
It’s like YouTube in many ways without necessarily looking like the same platform as it has similar layout and video categories. This way, you can transition easily from YouTube. Plus, Dailymotion offers 300 million unique visitors on average monthly, making it one of the best YouTube alternatives.
Unlike YouTube, though, Dailymotion offers less harsh video policies and terms. You can upload videos, and no one will remove them. Plus, Dailymotion offers upload support for HD videos of 60 minutes and 2GB long.
You get a sleek embedded video player with no branding or extended playback, support for 4K video uploads and playback, and earn money on ads. They can promote your video if you reach 1000 views in 24 hours and hit trending lists faster than you would on YouTube.
There’s a higher chance that your video will be seen and shared on Dailymotion than it would on YouTube. If you have a small audience, Dailymotion is a worthwhile platform you can use to test a new distribution channel for your audience.
2. Vimeo
Vimeo is a video-sharing platform that provides collaboration, sharing, hosting, compressing, and lead generation among other tools. You get an active user base that’s niche-focused, which makes Vimeo an eligible platform to build your audience as a creator or business.
The platform is free of ads, unlike YouTube, whose annoying ads are even more these days. Vimeo ensures that people can focus on watching your content without distractions.
Plus, Vimeo offers higher quality videos using 4K Ultra HD, and you can share your high-quality videos with others.
It also supports live streaming, has embeds you can customize, and supports 4K upload and playback.
With a user base of over 200 million, Vimeo maintains a thriving community and is home to all sorts of creators covering a host of topics and genres from sports and gaming to travel and DIY.
The most popular topics on Vimeo include nature videos, short films, music, and animations. The community embraces creativity and if you meet their cinematographic standards, they’ll happily share your work.
Also included is a feature page of premieres for short films and human-curated picks. This ensures you reach an audience a lot faster than you would on YouTube.
The platform is smaller and has a more focused audience, so you can gain views and traction easily without a following compared to YouTube’s huge platform that doesn’t guarantee such quick wins.
Vimeo also has a better embedded video player, and you can customize the embed code directly. You can alter the playback color scheme to match your brand colors, and create full-screen videos that play automatically without needing third-party services or tools for that.
3. DTube
DTube uses blockchain technology and a decentralized approach that allows you to store and share videos with less risk of server outages that interrupt the video.
The platform opposes YouTube’s AI-based censorship and supports free speech. Plus, if you’re a content creator on DTube, you can earn cryptocurrency for successful videos.
DTube has a similar interface to YouTube but operates differently from it. All the personal data and videos are safe from hackers, compared to YouTube, which collects your data and you don’t know how they use it.
The ad-free platform also gives viewers cryptocurrency rewards when they like and comment on videos, while creators earn to upload videos. The reward system makes it ad-free, but if you promote your own products or services, you also don’t compete with other people’s ads.
Another good thing about DTube over YouTube is that its interface is familiar and seamless. You need unique keys to sign in, though, but it’s easy to adopt the platform owing to its familiarity with YouTube.
There’s no censorship, and you get an audience of over two million unique viewers monthly.
4. Wistia
Wistia is a professional alternative to YouTube that marketers and lead-focused businesses use to integrate their videos with their marketing efforts.
The platform provides in-video lead capture forms, detailed video analytics, integration with marketing automation tools, and much more.
You also get a data-driven approach to help you develop and optimize your campaigns. The platform provides 4K video support and up to 8GB files, excellent customizable embeds, and you can capture leads right from the video player.
Based on user activity, you can create custom audiences for Facebook ads. Plus, you can sync your email and other data with CRMs and autoresponders.
Wistia offers beautiful video embeds, and complete control to customize the video player to match the container size. This way, you can include videos throughout multiple pages.
You can also add calls-to-action or lead capture forms at the start or end of the video.
5. Spotlightr
Formerly vooPlayer, Spotlightr is a video marketing platform that provides lead capture, advanced analytics, advanced security, and business tool integration features.
The platform allows you to run giveaways or contests exclusive to users who watch specific videos. If you get the Pro version, you can set pay-per-view video on demand on your site without creating a membership portal.
You get 4K video support, audience-building tools, advanced analytics like you would on YouTube, and a marketing automation integration.
Spotlightr is a complete toolbox that helps integrate your video content at each stage of your sales and marketing process. You can create audiences for Google Ad and Facebook campaigns using the audience builder, host live streams, and run contests.
It also has heatmaps and advanced analytics so you can see how your audience engages with your videos.
6. Brightcove
Brightcove is another popular YouTube alternative designed for distributed businesses and enterprises with Fortune 500 clients who rely on them for their video hosting and live streaming needs.
The platform raises the bar by allowing you to use over-the-top (OTT) technology for your live video on smart TV apps or smartphones.
It also provides a server-side ad insertion to videos hosted on the platform, and you can integrate with a DSP and sell ad spaces to your customers directly.
Brightcove offers video analytics in real-time so you can understand how your prospects or customers engage with content on your site.
The platform offers UltraHD support for up to 8K resolution, video integration across sites and apps with advanced content management, and collaboration tools for better video quality.
7. SproutVideo
SproutVideo is another great alternative to YouTube for solopreneurs or small businesses with serious marketing skills. The platform offers complete control so you can create and customize your video players for each page on your site.
Doing this ensures you can embed the video and it complements your site’s design – not clash with it.
Plus, you can use customizable lead forms to capture leads from the video player, and then send those leads through your CRM or API integrations to your favorite autoresponder.
SproutVideo integrates with Zapier, HubSpot, and MailChimp among other third-party tools.
You also get 4K UltraHD playback, geotracking and advanced analytics, and custom CTAs after videos to drive more actions.
8. Twitch
Twitch is a popular YouTube alternative, especially for gamers. It offers a live streaming portal that focuses on e-sports and video games.
Since 2011, Twitch has attracted tens of millions of viewers on about six million different channels. Since Amazon acquired it in 2016, the company has gone on to create Twitch Prime, which provides free subscriptions and games, game loots, and ad-free streaming.
The concept is like YouTube’s with free content for everyone. You can register for free via Facebook or email, and use features like chat, adding friends, or following channels.
The social sharing service allows registered users to stream all content and share moments from their own lives while discussing with others.
Twitch offers a partner or affiliate program that gives the streamer the option to offer different subscriptions at a fee or participate in the cheering program. With the latter, users can buy bits to support their favorite channel.
Plus, the affiliate program provides the opportunity to embed ads, which makes Twitch profitable for gamers with pro ambitions and content.
Unlike YouTube, Twitch has live videos and you can save short snippets of streams to watch later.
9. Odysee
Odysee also runs on LBRY – a blockchain protocol, which lets anyone build apps that interact with digital content on LBRY’s network.
You can upload content and use it for your digital marketing and other business activities. You can also build an app through the protocol and accomplish some great things.
In Odysee, you get to set prices per download or stream, give free content to viewers, publish audio and video files, or documents and other types of files. Unlike YouTube, Odysee lets you earn cryptocurrency through LBRY Credit when you use the platform.
10. Brid.TV
Brid.TV is ideal for enterprises. The video monetization platform helps you grow and monetize your audience.
Right now, Brid.TV’s stream and ad request data are growing exponentially so it’s a good time to join and see what you can do on the platform.
The setup process is easy and its player integrates with Android and iOS apps. You also get enterprise-level video management affordably. So, if you want to monetize content effectively and quickly, or boost revenues and views, Brid.TV is worth considering.
11. Utreon
Utreon is another solid YouTube alternative for content creators and viewers. The platform has grown in popularity as it offers more advanced content creation tools and focuses on better community engagement and innovative features.
You can upload your videos on YouTube and they’ll be synced automatically to your Utreon channel – even up to 4K resolution.
Unlike YouTube, which has questionable privacy issues, Utreon has a strict stance on privacy – they don’t sell user data under any circumstances. Plus, they monetize videos through direct subscriptions, and you get to keep 75 percent of the fees – that’s higher than many other platforms would offer.
Plans are underway for Utreon to implement an advertising model that gives creators more ways to monetize their content.
For viewers, Utreon offers similar content to YouTube, which is another bonus for creators because they can easily attract viewers to their own Utreon channel. Besides privacy, Utreon leverages a system of clip sharing, memes, asking questions, and ratings to bridge the gap between content creators and their followers/fans.
12. Metacafe
Metacafe is different from YouTube in terms of its content length – no longer than 90 seconds. The videos are mostly low in quality, but they stay forever and don’t disappear or get removed by anyone – not even an algorithm.
It’s more like a mini YouTube where you get to search for content based on trending categories and topics, and you can subscribe to channels. Metacafe is great if you want funny videos, tutorials, or quick product reviews.
The platform has a very effective and simple concept. It’s also easy to use to upload and browse content. The site registers as a top-three video site with a strong online following of over 12 million monthly unique views.
You can get your message out via Metacafe and keep your content short and succinct. Its audience enjoys curated original content from pranks and juggling tricks to cat videos and vehicle breakdowns.
You can also create individual playlists, videos, and image galleries, which others can share, like, or comment on different social platforms.
13. Vevo
Vevo is popular for its music videos, with hundreds of thousands of quality videos from Universal Music Group and Sony Entertainment.
Unlike YouTube, Vevo was created for music enthusiasts – not musicians. You can’t upload your own content but you can consume the content on the platform.
Millions of people request content from Vevo via third-party apps like Roku, LG Channels, YouTube, and more, where Vevo is a content distributor.
It’s a great platform to watch music video clips only in multiple formats like concert clips, studio performances, and behind-the-scenes interviews and features.
14. PeerTube
PeerTube is a video-sharing platform based on peer-to-peer interaction. Unlike YouTube, which uses one server and other video sites, PeerTube allows you to host your server or instance.
Each instance has a user and their content, and they can connect to one another. You can upload any type of video without worrying about censorship or being banned.
It has no restrictions, is ad-free, and supports high-quality videos. It’s also open-source so you can contribute to its code and there aren’t any irritating recommendation algorithms.
15. Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch is the brainchild of Facebook, and it has grown over the past few years after the company’s decision to double down on video content.
The Facebook Watch feature lets users browse and watch videos that are trending based on their viewing history and interests.
However, the interface isn’t like that of YouTube, but the audience and content overlap, making Facebook a fully-fledged YouTube alternative in the video sharing and hosting space.
The potential audience and reach are larger, and you get native video sharing, the option to earn with ads, live streaming, support for four hour-long files of up to 10GB, and custom audiences for your retargeting efforts.
16. Twitter Video
Twitter Video allows you to upload and share video content or start live streams on the platform. You get native video sharing, live streaming, and if you have low-fi videos they’ll do pretty well on the platform.
The maximum length of the videos is 140 seconds with a 1200p maximum resolution. This is different from YouTube, which favors longer videos for search results and recommendation purposes.
Twitter Video is good when you want to make short and snappy content.
17. IG TV
IG TV, or Instagram TV, is a video-sharing platform that’s mobile-first and a viable YouTube alternative for businesses and content creators.
If you don’t see traction on YouTube, IG TV is worth considering. You get native video sharing, full native mobile video format support, and your low-fi videos will do well here.
The objective is to create a mobile-first video experience and help you build deeper relationships with your audience via mobile video – in unstructured formats.
IG TV is a good option if you have a younger audience and can’t afford expensive production equipment for your videos.
18. Floatplane
Floatplane is the brainchild of Linus Sebastian – a YouTuber and owner of Linus Media Group. The platform is built to handle YouTube creators’ challenges and concerns including monetization and audience quality.
You need to sign in to use and watch videos on Floatplane, but you’re not allowed to post anonymous comments. This way, you can filter out low-quality engagement and the amount of feedback you get overall.
The content is paid so viewers don’t have to pay to get an account. However, they pay producers a monthly fee to watch videos.
Content creators get 100 percent of their subscription revenues, unlike on YouTube, which deducts the earnings and sometimes could even demonetize them.
19. Crackle
Crackle is another alternative to YouTube that’s built for viewers and not content creators. The platform hosts full-length shows and movies so viewers who love this on YouTube will enjoy it on Crackle.
Most of the shows are free, compared to YouTube, which charges a fee for similar content. Plus, Crackle has older and classic shows, which you may not find on YouTube.
20. Jetpack
If you have a WordPress site and want a plugin to host your videos, you can go for Jetpack for WordPress. In its premium plans, you can get the video hosting feature, and add video blocks into posts or pages without copying and pasting them.
You can also view in-depth analytics for your videos in real time in your WordPress dashboard. Jetpack supports up to 4K resolution on HD videos, offers unlimited bandwidth and storage, and real-time analytics. You can also choose to mute, autoplay, or loop embedded videos.
And you don’t need custom codes to make your videos look professional when they’re live. The process is handled automatically by WordPress.
Wrapping Up
Just because YouTube is the leading platform for hosting and sharing videos doesn’t mean it’s the end-all-be-all. You have plenty of other YouTube alternatives to pick from.
Start with any of our 20 picks and see how you can add different types of videos to your repertoire and offer more variety to your audience.
