TikTok
YouTube
Privacy passport
- No tracking
- Yes
- Open source
- Yes
- Only you can read it
- On device
- No account
- Yes
- Free
- Yes
5 of 5 checks
- Android
Private video apps
12 apps, each with a privacy passport
Most video privacy comes down to who sees your watch history. Alternative clients such as NewPipe and FreeTube keep subscriptions on your device and fetch videos without signing in, while PeerTube and Jellyfin let you host or join platforms that do not run on ads.
If you only try three
YouTube on Android with no account or ads
Privacy passport
- No tracking
- Yes
- Open source
- Yes
- Only you can read it
- On device
- No account
- Yes
- Free
- Yes
5 of 5 checks- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
The easy private YouTube app for computers
Privacy passport
- No tracking
- Yes
- Open source
- Yes
- Only you can read it
- Your server
- No account
- Needed
- Free
- Yes
4 of 5 checks- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
Your own streaming service, with no fees
All 12 video apps
Passes
Works on
12 of 12 apps
NewPipePick
App40.3k
Android YouTube client with no account, no ads and background play; subscriptions and history stay on the phone.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Stays on device
- No account
- Free
- Android
FreeTubePick
App22.1k
Desktop YouTube player that keeps subscriptions and history on your computer and blocks ads, no Google account needed.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Stays on device
- No account
- Free
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
JellyfinPick
Self-hosted58.6k
Free media server for your own films, shows and music, streamed to apps on phones, TVs and computers.
- No tracking
- Open source
- On your server
- Account needed
- Free
- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Web
Grayjay
App
Video app from FUTO that follows creators across YouTube, PeerTube, Twitch and more, with history kept on your device.
- No tracking
- Closed source
- Stays on device
- No account
- Free plan
- Android
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
LibreTube
App12.9k
Android YouTube client built on Piped, with local subscriptions, SponsorBlock and no Google services.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Stays on device
- No account
- Free
- Android
Yattee
App3.8k
YouTube client for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV that plays through Invidious or Piped instead of Google's app.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Stays on device
- No account
- Free
- iPhone
- Mac
SmartTube
App35.5k
YouTube app for Android TV boxes and smart TVs with ads blocked and SponsorBlock built in.
- Tracking not stated
- Open source
- Partly encrypted
- Account optional
- Free
- Android
PeerTube
Self-hosted15.4k
Open video platform made of independent servers that follow each other; watch without an account or host your own.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Provider can read it
- Account optional
- Free
- Android
- iPhone
- Web
Invidious
Self-hosted25.8k
Web front end for YouTube that strips ads and Google scripts; use a public server or run your own.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Account optional
- Free
- Web
Piped
Self-hosted10.3k
Lightweight YouTube front end that proxies videos so Google never sees your address; feeds are stored locally.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Account optional
- Free
- Web
VLC
App20.2k
Media player that plays almost any video or audio file offline, from the nonprofit VideoLAN.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Stays on device
- No account
- Free
- Android
- iPhone
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Loops
Service460
Short video app on the fediverse from the makers of Pixelfed, with no ads and a feed you can follow across servers.
- No tracking
- Open source
- Provider can read it
- Account needed
- Free
- Android
- iPhone
- Web
What to check in video apps
- 1 Whether subscriptions and history stay on your device
- 2 Whether you can watch without signing in to any account
- 3 Whether the app is still maintained, since streaming sites break clients often
