Social
PeerTube
YouTube alternative with P2P streaming and no ads
PeerTube is a privacy-friendly social platform. It helps you keep more control over your data.
Who is this for?
✓ Good for you if:
- • You want a YouTube alternative without ads or
- • You prefer platforms where you choose your server
- • You want granular video privacy controls (public, unlisted, private, internal, password-protected)
- • You need P2P streaming to reduce server load (can be disabled for privacy)
- • You want to self-host your own instance for complete control
⚠ Think twice if:
- • You need the largest video platform user base
- • You want simple, mainstream video-sharing experience
- • You want to avoid federation complexity (data shared across servers)
- • You need P2P streaming disabled (may expose IP addresses)
- • You want complete anonymity (requires email)
Overview
PeerTube is a decentralized video platform that gives you control over your videos and viewing experience. Unlike YouTube, PeerTube isn't owned by one company - instead, it's made up of independent servers (called instances) that can talk to each other. You choose which server to join based on its community rules, or you can host your own server for complete control. PeerTube has no ads, no tracking, and no algorithms manipulating what you see. You control who sees your videos with privacy settings - videos can be public (shared across the network), unlisted (accessible via link), private (only you), internal (only users on your instance), or password-protected. PeerTube uses peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming to reduce server costs, which helps make hosting more sustainable. However, P2P streaming can expose your IP address to other viewers in the network - you can disable P2P streaming in settings if privacy is a concern. PeerTube includes features like playlists, comments, and channel subscriptions. The platform is open source, maintained by a French non-profit organization, and is free to use.
Privacy highlight
video platform with no ads, no , and granular privacy controls. P2P streaming reduces server costs but can expose IPs.
Quick facts
- Country:
- 🇫🇷 France
- Pricing:
- Free
- Platform:
- Web, Android, iOS
- Technical:
- Intermediate
- :
- Yes
- :
- Minimal telemetry
- :
- Yes
- Open-source status:
- Fully open source
- :
- Yes
- :
- Yes
Key features
- Privacy-friendly social platform.
Security & encryption Click to expand
- Yes
- Encryption protocols
- , , WebTorrent
- PeerTube uses standard / for all connections. User passwords are hashed using bcrypt. The platform does not implement for video content. PeerTube uses .0 for and supports two-factor (2FA) via . Session tokens are managed securely. Video files are stored on the server with standard filesystem at rest (depends on hosting provider). P2P streaming uses WebTorrent protocol which does not provide of video content in transit between peers.
- Offline support
- No
Telemetry & tracking Click to expand
- Minimal telemetry
- No
- Ip no
- PeerTube instances collect minimal data. Most instances do not collect usage statistics or by default. Instance administrators can optionally enable basic , but this is not enabled by default. The platform does not send data to external services. Crash reporting and error are typically handled locally on the instance. PeerTube does not include third-party scripts or services in the default installation. Note: P2P streaming may expose viewer IP addresses to other viewers in the P2P network.
Jurisdiction & compliance Click to expand
- PeerTube is decentralized - data residency depends on which instance you join. Each instance is independently operated and may be hosted in different jurisdictions. The main PeerTube project is maintained by Framasoft, a French non-profit organization. Users can choose instances in their preferred jurisdiction or self-host their own instance.
- policies vary by instance, as each instance is independently operated. Most instances retain user data (videos, account information) until the user deletes their account or content. Deleted content is typically removed from the database, though may retain data for a period. Instance administrators set their own retention policies. Users can export their data and delete their accounts at any time. Federation means that content shared with other instances may be retained on those instances according to their policies. Video files may be cached by P2P network participants.
- Legal frameworks
- GDPR (where applicable). Each instance may be subject to different legal frameworks depending on its jurisdiction.
- Revenue sources
- Donations, Hosting
Editorial signals Click to expand
- 87
- Trust score
- 81
- Trust breakdown (0–10)
- Encryption: 65, Audits: 75, Open source: 95, Telemetry: 90, Jurisdiction: 85, Transparency: 80, Trackers: 95
- Editorial notes
- Usability: 70, Performance: 85, Family friendly: 75
User experience Click to expand
- Signup requirements
- Email address required for account creation. Some instances may require email verification. Username and display name are also required. No phone number or other personal information required.
- Onboarding difficulty (1-5)
- 3
- Accessibility features
- PeerTube includes accessibility features such as keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and video player controls. Accessibility features may vary by instance and client application.
Backup & portability Click to expand
- Yes
- Migration tools
- PeerTube supports video export and channel migration features. Users can download their videos and channel data. Migration tools may vary by instance.
- Account recovery is typically handled through email-based password reset. Users can export their account data as a backup. Instance administrators may provide additional recovery options depending on their policies.
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