The Best YouTube Alternatives for Watching Videos in 2022

Skylly
5 min readOct 22, 2018

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Here are the best YouTube alternatives…because you deserve unlimited free content without 10-second ads….

Let’s face it, we are all obsessed with YouTube. There’s nothing quite like playing our favorite song to get hyped for a day’s work or intense workout, only to fall deep down the rabbit hole and end up watching cats fight fish for 3 hours.

The problem is that YouTube is ramping up its ads and rolling out new and more frustrating guidelines and restrictions by the day (what do you mean my favorite dog mayor video isn’t available in my area??!?!).

These are the best sites like YouTube that will give you your fix without all of the red tape. So keep reading and choose the best YouTube alternatives for you.

#1 DailyMotion — YouTube’s Laxer Clone

The #1 alternative to YouTube is DailyMotion, the site that has basically cloned YouTube’s layout and populated it with higher quality content with way fewer restrictions.

It’s got everything you’re used to from YouTube-playlists, a home page, recommended videos, categories. But, it also has a higher level of content quality (since there’s less money to be made, there’s less riff-raff).

The downside is that DailyMotion limits you to 4GB of uploads unless you’re a pro user, so you’re missing out on the really high-quality stuff from users that don’t pay. Still, all in all, it’s a great place to view killer content without looking over your shoulder for the big bad YouTube police.

Why Choose DailyMotion Over YouTube?

#2 Vimeo — The World’s Leading Creative Community

If you’re looking for sites that aren’t like YouTube, but BETTER than it, you’ve found the right one. Vimeo is a community for the world’s best creators. It’s aimed at professionals, especially in the snobby arts. The quality of content is out of this world.

So, Vimeo is not only one of the best Youtube alternatives, but one of the best Youtube competitors as well.

If you’re looking for a place to “awww” at cats and dogs, it’s not for you. Vimeo has extremely strict quality guidelines. The drawback is Vimeo severely limits creators to how much they can upload (500mb per month for 5GB if you upgrade).

The platform is extremely easy to use and is a great resource if you’re trying to learn a craft or view some seriously artsy Cannes-Film-Festival-esque features. For regular surfing, it’s meh.

We love the fact that most distractions are limited, and you can focus on the video rather than all of the recommendations on the side or ads in your face (NO WE DON’T WANT TO VIEW YOUR OTHER TUTORIALS, THANKS).

Why Choose Vimeo Over YouTube?

It’s hard to call Twitch a YouTube alternative per se, but as the internet’s home for hoards of gamers drooling over everything from tournament game replays to live streams from their favorite Scandinavian gaming icons, Twitch has everything a gamer wants and still other video content for more refined tastes.

Twitch is focused on the gaming community but also includes content for music, the arts, and TV series. It’s the perfect place to monetize your lonely Sunday nights on the couch playing Fortnite (what a world we live in) or to catch one of your favorite gamers playing live.

That’s our favorite part about Twitch, actually…. all of the live streaming makes it one of the most exciting and communal platforms out there. One other awesome aspect? It’s totally ad-free!

Why Choose Twitch Over YouTube?

#4 Vevo — The Best YouTube Alternative for Music

We all go YouTube to listen to our favorite songs for free. How would any of us get through a day at work without our 90s and 00s hits playlists? The world would come to a halt.

Vevo is not only one of the best YouTube alternatives for music videos; it is the best alternative. So if some audio therapy is what you’re after, you’ve found it.

Of course, that’s all Vevo has to offer so if you want endless animal videos or Russian car crashes, you’ve got to choose a different alternative.

Why Choose Vevo Over YouTube?

#5 Metacafe — The Hipster’s Choice Over YouTube

Metacafe was offering highly clickable 90-second clips since before offering online videos was cool.

It’s been in the game since 2003-before YouTube was even off the ground. Metacafe focuses on short, humorous clips with funny clickable thumbnails. The videos are fast and lighthearted, so don’t expect political extremism, fake news, and comments arguing about the nuances of how the world will end (not saying that’s on YouTube, but you get the picture).

Metacafe is fun if you just want to browse some lighthearted material and have a good time watching people falling over.

Why Choose Metacafe Over YouTube?

YouTube is the king of video content online, but it’s increasing restrictions and annoying ads are enough to make us boil with anger for the 10 seconds we have to wait for our favorite free content we don’t deserve.

These YouTube alternatives are a great idea if you can’t handle all of YouTube’s red tape. If you’re a content creator, be sure to choose a platform that fits your niche and gives you the best chance at monetizing your brand!

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Skylly
Skylly

Written by Skylly

I’m fascinated by the influence of evolving technologies, computer software/hardware as well as social behavioral norms. https://www.swifdoo.com/