Is there a truly great alternative to YouTube that’s ad free and open source? I won’t keep you in suspense for long: Yes, it exists! And as luck would have it, that’s exactly what this article is about 🙂

YouTube has been crossing the line for a long time: people are fed up!

YouTube has turned into an ad nightmare. Ads come before, during, after, and sometimes even in the middle of a video just to finish you off. It’s ad overload. And it’s getting harder and harder to block this relentless ad assault with ad blockers.

On top of that, YouTube’s algorithm pushes the most toxic and polarizing content first. Why? Because drama drives clicks, and clicks bring in money. Everything is carefully engineered to keep you on the platform as long as possible. And to achieve that, YouTube has no qualms about manipulating you.

As for the atmosphere, it’s not hard to find something better. Between insults, harassment, and trolls running wild, it’s far from a constructive, respectful space for users.

In short, it’s the perfect example of a predatory Big Tech platform: 100% centralized, as intrusive as possible, with one single goal. Monetize your personal data and every bit of your attention to the highest bidder. That’s exactly how their business model works: a “free” service where the user is treated as the product, squeezed for maximum profit.

For content creators, it’s no better. They’re squeezed too, getting only crumbs of the ad revenue their work generates. And if they’re unhappy? Too bad. They have no way to fight the platform’s power. If a video gets demonetized for vague reasons, they’re out of luck. Worse yet, if their channel gets shut down, often for highly questionable reasons, it’s the same story. They hit a brick wall.

But let’s be clear: this is not a call for “free speech” à la Elon Musk. Of course it’s important to moderate toxic content and fake news. But on YouTube, moderation is questionable at best. On one hand, the platform lets morally unacceptable content thrive. On the other, it hassles small, honest creators over trivial nonsense.

I don’t know about you, but I find all of this pretty outrageous. So it’s high time we looked at how to ditch YouTube entirely and get the same service, but this time 100% decentralized and 100% open source.

CommonsTube: A YouTube Without Scams or Manipulation

Now, imagine a site like YouTube, but stripped of everything that’s broken. No ads before your videos, during them, or after. No ad tracking that analyzes every tiny detail of your private life. No absurd recommendations that send you in one click from a serious science lecture to the latest conspiracy nonsense like “They’re hiding everything from us! The reptilians have built a secret base at the center of our planet. Which is flat, as all true insiders know.”

Well, guess what? That site exists! It’s called CommonsTube, and it’s a breath of fresh air in the polluted atmosphere of online video streaming. With this alternative, there’s zero nasty algorithm trying to trap you in a toxic bubble. There’s no race for virality pushing creators to go ever more extreme just to get noticed. Naturally, that changes the vibe: less fake news, less conspiracy garbage, less pointless hype, and a much friendlier overall atmosphere.

Another big difference: the platform is 100% open source and developed in the true spirit of the free web. That means the goal is not to turn you into an advertising product, but rather to give you a genuine space for discovery, sharing, entertainment, and creativity.

And you’re probably wondering: how does moderation work? Well, it’s simple. CommonsTube runs on PeerTube, a decentralized system where each instance is managed by real humans.

In CommonsTube’s case, it’s a team committed to the free web who set the rules and enforce them. Videos are monitored, illegal content is removed, and abuse is dealt with. There’s no biased AI mass censoring content like on YouTube. Instead, moderators actually review flagged items and decide based on a clear set of guidelines. Their only goal is to keep the space clean, free from hate, free from spam, and free from the avalanche of awful clickbait you see elsewhere. In short, it’s a genuinely caring community, not a soulless algorithm designed to make money off your back.

Bottom line: CommonsTube is the right place for anyone looking for a healthy space to watch or share videos.

How Does PeerTube Work?

CommonsTube is built on PeerTube, a video platform created by a French non profit organization: Framasoft. Their mission? To offer a free, decentralized alternative to YouTube. The project is funded by donations, which guarantees that no investor can swoop in and dictate profit driven choices at the expense of users. Or, even worse, use the platform to push toxic political agendas, as we’ve seen happen with Twitter, now rebranded as X.

The concept is simple: PeerTube is not a single website, but a network of interconnected instances. Each instance is an independent server, funded and managed by someone who sets its own rules.

The key difference is that video delivery also relies on P2P technology (like BitTorrent). When you watch a video, your browser can simultaneously share parts of it with other viewers. The result: less load on the main server, smoother streaming, and no need for massive Big Tech style data centers.

Instances can also share videos with each other, improving speed and accessibility. This means you might be watching a video hosted on one instance but streamed from another closer to you without even realizing it.

The bottom line: more freedom, less arbitrary censorship, and a viewing experience designed for users, not advertisers.

How to Create a PeerTube Instance

As we’ve just seen, PeerTube’s way of working is clever. Very clever! It’s incredibly cost efficient for streaming video online. You don’t need to be a millionaire or own a hidden data center in the Nevada desert to launch your own streaming service.

A group of friends pooling resources, a small local association, or even a community organization can create their own PeerTube instance. Hosting is far cheaper than for a traditional centralized site, since P2P technology shares the load among all users.

And the best part? You don’t need to be a network engineer from MIT. With a bit of motivation and the right tutorials (there are plenty out there), it’s within reach for anyone. And if you’re really ready to take the plunge, we can even guide you through it from the NovaFuture forum.

Now it’s your call: keep letting YouTube wash your brain, or join a space that actually matches your values.

CommonsTube: It (Really) Works

Let’s be honest: a few years ago, when PeerTube first launched, many instances were slow. Watching a video often required patience. But times have changed! Playback today is nearly as smooth as on YouTube. That’s thanks to the widespread rollout of fiber optic internet and the constant improvement in web hosting performance.

The quality? Full HD, which is more than enough for web use or a decent display on a TV. And 4K will almost certainly arrive sooner or later.

As for the interface, it’s a breath of fresh air. Clean, uncluttered, and a welcome change from the bloated mess YouTube has become. Each instance can have its own look: some mimic YouTube’s layout to make newcomers feel at home, while others build entirely custom designs.

And to help you find videos easily, PeerTube offers an integrated search engine: SepiaSearch. It lets you explore a vast network of connected instances without having to stumble around blindly.

The bottom line: PeerTube has made spectacular progress and keeps evolving. CommonsTube is living proof.

How to Support Creators

On CommonsTube, monetization doesn’t depend on an ad network or some moody algorithm. Creators set up their own ways to get paid, and ironically, that can earn them far more than the crumbs YouTube hands out.

The method is simple: each creator can display one or more direct links to support platforms like Buy Me a Coffee, Patreon, and others. It’s the user who chooses whom to support and how much to give, with no limits. No middleman takes a big cut along the way, and the money goes straight into the creator’s pocket.

In this spirit, many also use Liberapay, a completely free and open source recurring donation platform. The advantage is that it stays true to the ethos of the free web while giving creators a stable income stream. Unlike one off donations, Liberapay allows you to set up regular support that adds to contributions from others. Over time, that can cover the costs of producing content or even provide a solid monthly income for the most popular creators.

Bottom line: here there’s no race for virality to please an AI. If you value a creator’s work, you can genuinely help them make a living from their passion.

PeerTube Tools for Creators

CommonsTube, like all other PeerTube instances, offers creators a complete set of powerful tools to publish, organize, and share their videos.

Find Your Place

Choose the PeerTube instance that best fits you, based on its theme, rules, or community vibe. And if you ever want to move, no problem. Export all your videos and settings into a single file and import them elsewhere.

Publish Easily

Upload videos directly from your computer or mobile device, or import them from YouTube, Dailymotion, or a torrent file. Set the details: title, description, thumbnail, category, license, language, and keywords. Choose the access level: public, unlisted, password protected, subscribers only, or fully private. Bonus: add subtitles, split your video into chapters, or even create a video from just an audio file and an image.

Manage Your Content

PeerTube can keep a copy of your original videos so you don’t have to store them locally (if your instance enables this feature). Track your progress with detailed stats: view counts, total watch time, unique viewers.

With PeerTube Studio, trim videos and add a watermark directly in your browser. Need to update a video? Replace its file with a new version without losing views or comments (depending on your instance’s settings).

Stream Live, Freely

Go live from OBS, Restream, or even ffmpeg. Create a permanent stream link, automatically record replays, and chat in real time with your audience using the Livechat plugin.

Organize Your Channels

Create multiple channels under one account, each with its own banner, avatar, and even a support button to show how fans can help fund your work. Followers can subscribe from any PeerTube instance, and even from Mastodon or other Fediverse networks. You can also create public or private playlists to organize your videos or feature ones from other instances.

And as for other YouTube alternatives? No thanks!

When we talk about a real alternative to YouTube, you have to know how to sort the good from the garbage. I’m not about to send you to some digital trash heap just because it doesn’t have “Google” in the name.

Let’s take just one example: Odysee. On paper, it calls itself “free.” In reality, it runs on an opaque crypto based system and mostly serves as a refuge for the most deranged minds ever banned from YouTube. And that’s putting it mildly! We’re not talking about minor slip ups here. It’s a concentrated mix of conspiracy theories, extremist rants, and a governance model as clear as mud. In short, the perfect anti model of what a truly free system should be.

And I’m pointing you to the least bad one! Many of the other so called “alternatives” are even worse. They inherit YouTube’s most toxic habits, like disinformation, click chasing, and exploitation of creators, without fixing a single thing. On top of that, they often provide even less safety for users.

That’s exactly why we prefer to focus on PeerTube and strong instances like CommonsTube. Because they’re not built to manipulate their audience or strip mine their personal data.

CommonsTube on Mobile: The PeerTube App

Want to enjoy CommonsTube on your phone? Nothing could be easier. There’s an official PeerTube app for both Android and iOS.

And here’s the good news! It’s also available on F Droid, the alternative app store that’s 100% open source and completely free of tracking. It’s perfect if your smartphone runs a de Googled version of Android.

On F Droid, you don’t need a Google account. Just download, install, and you’re good to go! It’s the ideal solution if you’re using a de Googled phone with Murena OS or LineageOS, both of which we’ve already talked about on NovaFuture.

Once the app is installed, simply add CommonsTube as your instance. And of course, you can add other PeerTube instances too if you like. There’s no limit.

The app then connects automatically to the instances you’ve chosen, and you can watch, comment on, or publish your videos directly from your phone. Just like you would with YouTube!

Conclusion

Complaining is easy. But at some point, you also have to take action. You can’t spend your time railing against Big Tech if you never bother to try the alternatives.

Instead of just putting up with it, you can create your own video platform today with PeerTube (via FramaTube), and it works great! So, what more do you need?! All you have to do is step out of your comfort zone and explore what the free web has to offer. You’ll see it can change your life, at least the part of your life that’s tied to the digital world.

Using free and open source tools is already a big step. But if we want them to still be around tomorrow, we also have to support them. Because the day there are no more alternatives and you’re left alone facing Big Tech, it will be too late to cry about it.

So yes, a donation to Framasoft, which has been doing an incredible job for years, is always welcome 🙂 And while we’re at it, NovaFuture only exists thanks to its readers. So if you want to see more content like this, thank you for taking 10 seconds to buy us a coffee on Buy Me a Coffee.