Technical platforms? Yes.
Content platforms? No.
this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2025
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I use freetube, an open source youtube frontend
It's not an alternative per se, but it does make youtubes shit easier to stand
Front page is just all the videos from your subs in order of most recently uploaded. Super useful, especially if you find yourself missing out on videos from some of your less frequent uploaders
I also have the LibRedirect extension set so that when I click on a YouTube link, it opens in FreeTube.
just all the videos from your subs in order of most recently uploaded.
What's the difference to https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions ?
Edit: It's a genuine question. Is there a functional difference, or simply privacy reasons?
I run a Piped server for myself and friends, but it can be challenging to keep running. Whenever YT comes up with a new way to fuck around with NewPipe, you sometimes need to wait for someone that knows how to fix it shows up and makes a PR.
One of the best ways to start getting away from YouTube is to use Grayjay.
You can still follow content creators who are only on YouTube, but it allows you to curate your feed and mix in all of the content creators that do upload their content to other platforms like Peertube, Nebula, Odysee, Patreon, Twitch, Kick, Bitchute, Rumble, etc.
Just want to add in terms of all the suggestions: remember that alternative can also mean "in addition to" as well as "instead of." people wanting instead-ofs will run away from alternatives quicker, which radically hinders the "build it and they will come" momentum that these sites need to better alternatives in the long run
That's where I am with Lemmy right now. I still have reddit installed, I still dabble on Reddit but over time I'm finding I'm there less and less.
This is the second time I've tried Lemmy and its much more successful, I think it'll be my main social media.
Very good point. Many of these alternatives with less traffic are much better if one doesn't see them as 100% replacements.
Honorable mention for https://odysee.com/ I still use YT but I also like Odysee. And I use Freetube on my Linux laptop for YT, works great! Edit: format
Odysee is cool but is vulnerable to the same issues that youtube has iirc. Peertube I think is a federated version that would be less vulnerable
I gave up on the algorithm years ago and only use the subscription feed now.
Sounds like you should try TV to keep up with news
Invidious.
~~That's not an alternative. It's just another frontend.~~
edit: didn't see the youtube algo part. Mb
Surprise no one mentioned odysee
Odysee is completely overrun by lunatics. And i mean "Europa: The Last Battle" type of lunatics
I def get it you do see a bunch of bullshit there but theres still some educational videos.
Theres even more lunatics on youtube. The only thing is that its algorithm helps with filtering them out while odysee doesnt use a personalized algorithm.
I think the situation will improve as people migrate there and more normal videos get uploaded
I think the situation will improve as people migrate there and more normal videos get uploaded
I've seen that argument for Odysee as far back as 5 years ago. I don't think it's going to occur. Same goes for Truth Social
https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions is my Youtube bookmark. It's just who I'm subscribed to. That's it.
I just wanted to mention, because apparently only ~7% of us exist who use the Subscriptions feed, according to various Youtubers showing off their stats pages.
Thanks for the reminder, I really must change my bookmarks to this, such a simple change.
Not viable for the mobile app of course, but even having the browser sorted would be a start.
Its impossible for me to subscribe to a youtuber because I don't have (and don't want) a Youtube account. I understand Youtubers get more visibility with more subscriptions, but I just don't want to be part of the algorithm. I can close my private browser, and any algorithm infection is wiped clean from my view.
RSS
piped.30p87.de
And all other piped/invidious instances. You can sub locally, and everything is stored as a cookie in your browser (afaik).
Depending on your setup, YouTube will still fingerprint your browser and track your behavior, as is common practice with ad networks.
Your cookies and data might be cleared but as long as yt has any way to generate a unique identifier out of your browser preferences, it will identify you and start looking at your behavior / figuring out an algorithm.
Just fyi.
Sure, it can start building it again just with what I search to watch. Then I get to close the browser again and wipe it clean again. I know that fingerprinting exists, but I'm not seeing its behavior for video suggestions. In fact, I do see tracking by IP because I'll get suggested things I know my wife is looking at (and we're coming from the same IP). Even those are few and far between though.
I've thoroughly tested this and after a browser clear, I see literally zero recommendations that match my browsing habits. And this was tested without a vpn, so same IP. I've tested it on default chrome/edge. Also on tweaked firefox/librewolf, and on the YouTube app for LG webos. So yea, this is false. Idk why you're seeing stuff your wife watches. Are you logged in with an account? If not then you're not actually clearing the browser like you think you are. Unless you're somehow more fingerprintable than me, just based on IP. But idk why that would be the case.
So yea, this is false.
I'm not sure how you can speak with such authority when your sample size is so small. I believe you that you didn't experience this in any of your tests. However, your tests are far from exhaustive.
Idk why you’re seeing stuff your wife watches.
I'm not saying I'm getting a screen full of suggestions of only things she likes, but I also don't believe it is simply coincidence I get occasional suggested video guides on using the exact brand of makeup she likes.
Are you logged in with an account?
Never have and never will.
Well all I can say is i tested it every single way i know how. Also just tested on mobile, both iphone and android. Same result. So idk what you want from me? I don't think it's far fetched to assume that your wife likely uses a pretty popular brand of makeup. You're probably not getting carryover ads. Just coincidence. Makeup videos seem like a pretty standard default youtube suggestion.
I would strongly recommend using a VPN and changing servers regularly in that case.
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because I don't have (and don't want) a Youtube account.
Every channel has an RSS feed. I use that instead.
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There are many ways around the YouTube algo. Look into LibRedirect , Invidious, NewPipe, and subscribing to channels using an on device RSS reader. Also look into yt-dlp if you're savvy enough to use a command prompt/terminal.
Alternatives all have their drawbacks. Nebula is the best IMO, but there are some gate keeping sort of practices going on over there regarding how creators are chosen to be platformed there.
Floatplane is good for gamers and techies but ultimately supports the guys over at Linus Tech Tips, who have a bad reputation for their history of misogyny and grifting their audiences in various ways.
Rumble is a conservative cesspool for people too hateful for the YouTube platform.
And Peertube is the Federated alternative that has a lot of potential but nearly no traction and thusly there's not a whole lot of content.
Ultimately, I still watch YouTube (albeit less and less these days), via the platforms mentioned above like Invidious and Newpipe, using yt-dlp.
I do hope Peertube and the fediverse continues to grow. These platforms on the Fediverse are the last bastion of a decent internet imho.
EDIT: grammar.
I mean for yt-dlp you just need to know how to open the terminal in a specific folder and copy paste the link into it.
There's also the Seal for Android and Parabolic for Linux graphical frontends
Completely forgot about Seal.
Yeah I use Seal when NewPipe is having issues, and there are graphical front ends for yt-dlp for desktop, I'm just not familiar with most of them.
Thanks for mentioning that. Hopefully someone finds it helpful.
Yeah, but for some people that's too much.
Yeah sadly for some people if youtube had a download button it would be too hard.
!peertube@lemmy.world
It's still not as popular but it's making headway with makers.
Or if you want to stay on YouTube itself others have added clients that don't have algorithms.
They need to fix their instance list with filters. Wasn't a fan of having to scroll through pages <20 user instances with closed registration.
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Yes!
If you have a Linux OS on a PC then Freetube is a terrific desktop app.
You can import your subscriptions from YT there.
If it's only ads that you hate then Revanced mobile app is the way. Unless you are on iPhone - then it won't work. It's Android only.
No. Though I think it's important to separate video serving Youtube and recommendations/algorithm YouTube. We need FOSS solutions to both and neither will be easy.
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you can disable YouTube history
Inside newpipe. No feed or homepage (as long as you set it to that), just a list of the channels I've subscribed to. I just manually go through them if I'm looking for something to watch.
Piped.video is an option directly in the browser. Or Invidious.
On mobile (android) I've seen NewPipe as an option
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