▶️ Video platforms Open source Privacy ★★★★
PeerTube
Federated decentralized video hosting
Overview
PeerTube from Framasoft federates via ActivityPub—each instance sets its own policies unlike centralized YouTube.
WebTorrent P2P helps small instances deliver large videos; creators upload locally and reach federated audiences.
Not a full YouTube catalog replacement—mature for education, FOSS, and community hosting.
Scores
Privacy 4/5
Ease of use 3/5
Features 3/5
Value 5/5
YouTube — comparison
Federated hosting vs single giant platform—less content and algorithm, but instance operators hold platform sovereignty.
Pros
- ✓ Fully open source
- ✓ Escapes central platform control
- ✓ Per-instance policy choice
- ✓ P2P reduces bandwidth costs
Cons & caveats
- − Far less content than YouTube
- − Instance selection required
- − Unfamiliar to mainstream viewers
Best for
- Federation supporters
- Organizations running their own instance
- FOSS community viewers
Not ideal for
- One app for all mainstream entertainment
- Zero-configuration starts
Specs
- Pricing
- Free — Software free. Instance hosting self-funded or via hosting providers.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Data location
- Your chosen PeerTube instance server; federation shares metadata across instances.
- Platforms
- Web · Various instances · Self-hosted
分散型P2P配信インスタンス選択ActivityPub連合
Migration from YouTube
- 1 Pick a trusted instance at joinpeertube.org and create an account
- 2 Re-upload videos you own rights to (after download)
- 3 Add PeerTube link to channel descriptions
- 4 Federate with Mastodon and other ActivityPub platforms
Setup steps
- 1 Register on chosen instance
- 2 Configure profile and channel metadata
- 3 Upload first video and wait for transcoding
- 4 Verify federation settings and RSS feed