6 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to YouTube
The best open-source alternative to YouTube is Invidious (AGPL-3.0, 25,778 GitHub stars, Docker image). PeerTube stands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (2,092), and MeTube stands out for the most recent release (2026.10.25, October 2026).
About YouTube: Google's video sharing and streaming platform.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Invidious
iv-org/invidious
Alternative YouTube front-end.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Media ServersCrystalDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
PeerTube
Chocobozzz/PeerTube
Decentralized video streaming platform using P2P (BitTorrent) directly in the web browser.
Active · last commit Oct 16, 2026
Media ServersTypeScriptStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (2,092).
- Rank 3:
MeTube
alexta69/metube
Web GUI for youtube-dl, with playlist support. Allows downloading videos from dozens of websites.
Active · last commit Oct 25, 2026
Media ManagementPythonDockerStands out for the most recent release (2026.10.25, October 2026).
At a glance
YouTube alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invidious | the most GitHub stars | AGPL-3.0 | 25,778 | 255 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| PeerTube | the most commits in the last 12 months (2,092) | AGPL-3.0 | 15,365 | 2,092 | Oct 16, 2026 | No |
| MeTube | the most recent release (2026.10.25, October 2026) | AGPL-3.0 | 15,097 | 363 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| Owncast | a permissive MIT license | MIT | 11,624 | 1,455 | Oct 25, 2026 | No |
| Tube Archivist | the newest codebase (created September 2021) | GPL-3.0 | 8,544 | 252 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| MediaCMS | – | AGPL-3.0 | 5,167 | 99 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
Full list
All 6 YouTube alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Invidious
Alternative YouTube front-end.
Media ServersDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Invidious has 25,778 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 255 commits in the last year.
- 2
PeerTube
Decentralized video streaming platform using P2P (BitTorrent) directly in the web browser.
Media ServersStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (2,092). PeerTube has 15,365 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license and had 2,092 commits in the last year.
- 3
MeTube
Web GUI for youtube-dl, with playlist support. Allows downloading videos from dozens of websites.
Media ManagementDockerStands out for the most recent release (2026.10.25, October 2026). MeTube has 15,097 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 363 commits in the last year.
- 4
Owncast
Decentralized single-user live video streaming and chat server for running your own live streams similar in style to the large mainstream options.
Media ServersStands out for a permissive MIT license. Owncast has 11,624 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license and had 1,455 commits in the last year.
- 5
Tube Archivist
Organize, search, and enjoy your YouTube collection. Subscribe, download, and track viewed content with metadata indexing and a user-friendly interface.
Media ServersDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created September 2021). Tube Archivist has 8,544 GitHub stars, uses the GPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 252 commits in the last year.
- 6
MediaCMS
Modern, fully featured open source video and media CMS, written in Python/Django/React, featuring a REST API.
Media ServersDockerMediaCMS has 5,167 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 99 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to YouTube?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace YouTube without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to YouTube with Docker?
Yes. 4 of the 6 apps here publish a Docker image, including Invidious, MeTube and Tube Archivist, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which YouTube alternative is the most actively developed?
PeerTube (AGPL-3.0), with 2,092 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.