Take a Look At The Top 20 Video Websites Like YouTube

As much as you’re aware of YouTube and its features as a great video platform, you must also know that there are several other video websites like YouTube on the internet. These alternatives are equally useful and unique in terms of features and functionalities. 

Since the popularity of video marketing is continuously increasing these days, whether a marketer, businessman, or a content creator, everyone is aware of how powerful video marketing is. In fact, around 86% of businesses consider video content as a powerful marketing tool. Almost 92% of marketers value video as an important part of their marketing strategy. 

When we think about video websites on the internet, the first thing that comes to our mind is YouTube. YouTube is the go-to video platform for most people. YouTube has around 122 million daily active users who consume over a billion hours of video content everyday. 

So, let’s dive right into it!

Top 20 Video Websites That Are Similar To YouTube

1. IGTV 

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One of the most popular online video websites is Instagram’s IGTV; giving a tough fight to YouTube. IGTV is here to stay!

It is somewhat different from YouTube as all videos are tailored for mobile users and Autoplay in their Feed. IGTV videos are vertical and you can only view them on the application. 

IGTV videos are perfect for content creators or influencers who wish to showcase a tutorial or review of a product to their audience. If your Instagram account is verified, you can post an IGTV video of up to 60 minutes ( or else 15 minutes for unverified users). 

The best advantage of using this platform is that the videos shown on YouTube interests Instagram audiences as well. 

The rising popularity of IGTV confirms the fact that the future of video is definitely mobile. IGTV videos are full-screen, played in a vertical format, with a highly intuitive interface for the viewers. 

2. TikTok

The popularity of TikTok took the world by storm! It has grown to be one of the biggest video-sharing and social media platforms in the past few years. 

TikTok is mainly about creating short lip-sync videos with themes like comedy, dance, singing, etc. These videos mostly appeal to the younger generation who’re looking for snippets for entertainment. 

In terms of popularity, TikTok was the most downloaded app in the United States in October 2018. Then, in 2019, it was declared as the seventh most downloaded mobile app of the decade - 2010 to 2019. 

However, nowadays Instagram Reels has taken over TikTok especially in India, after the government banned it in June 2020. 

3. Vimeo

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Trusted by a community of over 230 million users, Vimeo is a great alternative to YouTube that works for everyone from creators to entrepreneurs, and world’s biggest corporations. Vimeo is quite popular among filmmakers, marketers and artists. 

Best known for its high-quality videos, the platform attracts those who aim to create content of the highest quality with a sophisticated audience. 

Unlike YouTube that’s meant for all kinds of video content, you’ll get to watch videos that are meaningful as well as interesting. 

Besides, it’s the best platform for anyone who wants to showcase their work to mass audiences. 

4. Wistia 

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Though not specifically meant for watching videos online, Wistia is still counted as one of the best video websites like YouTube free. It is especially aimed at video marketers for running video marketing campaigns as it offers in-depth analysis, autoplay, embedding, and other customization options. 

Apart from this, filmmakers can easily collaborate with each other, and share their case studies, portfolio on the internet using this platform.

Wistia offers two paid plans - Pro & Advanced, and one free version for new businesses. 

5. Metacafe 

We cannot forget about Metacafe when it comes to mentioning online video websites like YouTube. One of the oldest video-hosting sites, it has been there since 2003, even before YouTube. 

The platform specializes in short videos, and you won’t find too professional or artistic content here. Instead, there are short clips such as reviews, how-to videos, etc. 

6. Dailymotion 

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Dailymotion is a French video-sharing platform quite similar to YouTube in terms of interface. It displays trending videos on its homepage or users can browse through categories section and search bar. 

Dailymotion is one of the online video websites like YouTube with many lenient copyright policies, therefore it gives more freedom to content creators. 

Another interesting feature of this platform is that it allows users to monetize their content via ads or paywall. This is the reason why you’ll find ads on some of its videos. However, this feature is optional, and creators can choose whether or not they want to monetize their videos. 

7. SproutVideo

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SproutVideo is a great video-hosting platform especially meant for businesses for video marketing campaigns. It allows companies to live-stream or upload on-demand videos on their websites. 

The best part is that the videos are optimized for both mobile and desktop users. 

SproutVideo also offers various analytics tools to monitor the performance of your video content. Other features include video websites, customizable player, playback of upto 4K & 8K, as well as Post-Play Call-to-Action for engaging your viewers once they’re done watching the video. 

8. Netflix 

Though a lot different from YouTube, Netflix definitely deserves a spot in this list of top video websites. 

Netflix is an OTT platform that provides streaming services on both mobile and desktop screens. Based on your ratings, it also recommends the movies, TV shows or documentaries as per your taste. 

It boasts an extensive library of audiovisual content with movies and TV series on a variety of topics like Rom-Com, Thriller, Romance, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Reality TV, and  a lot more. Netflix offers different paid subscription plans - Mobile, Basic, Standard and Premium. 

9. Behance 

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Owned by Adobe, Behance is a video-sharing platform for creative professionals who wish to showcase their skills in fields like gaming, architecture, entertainment, etc. It’s a great way to show off your talent and get feedback from the audience. 

It not only allows users to upload videos, but photos and character illustrations too. However, it isn’t completely free of cost, and a part of Adobe Creative Cloud plans. You can still upload your work with limited features. 

10. Amazon Prime Video

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If you’re a moviebuff, you must know that Amazon Prime Video has an endless number of movies, TV shows, etc for you to binge-watch. It is a subscription-based video streaming service, which not only streams movies and shows from third-parties, but only produces titles of their own. 

Amazon Prime Video isn’t really a video-hosting platform like YouTube, still it's an excellent place for people looking for top-class entertainment. 

11. Twitch 

Twitch is the world's top video platform for gamers. So, if you’re looking for a video website like YouTube, Twitch isn’t for you!

Launched in 2011, it mainly focuses on live streaming of video games, broadcasts of esports competitions, as well as live broadcasts of DJs playing music in real time. 

The most unique feature of this site is that it allows gamers to build an online digital community of their own. Viewers can chat with each other during a live event and the person who live streams can respond to them in real time. You can also interact with your favourite content creators on this platform. 

12. Vevo 

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Vevo is the world’s leading music video platform connecting global audiences to high quality music. It became a good option for music lovers who want to watch music videos on other platforms besides YouTube. 

The website was launched in 2008 by some of the top record companies. Vevo gained popularity and attained the title of ‘the world’s largest all-premium music video provider’. It was also available as an app on selected digital media players, Smart TVs, video recorders, etc. 

However, unfortunately, it has lost its fame, and is expected to shut down soon. 

13. Brightcove 

Founded in 2004, Brightcove is one of the oldest video websites like YouTube, helping businesses and agencies discover the power of video marketing. It allows users to deliver video to different devices and destinations by providing an extensive video tool set. 

Brightcove is a lot more than YouTube as it offers a wide range of services. You can edit videos on it, upload to various social media platforms as well as analyze their performance across channels. You can even use it for your company’s internal communication. 

Apart from this, its best feature is the HTML5 video player. The site claims that it's 70% faster than other players, and it can be used on different screens as well. 

14. Hulu 

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Hulu is a streaming platform offering an extensive library of movies and TV shows from channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, FX and more. It also provides a special service - Hulu + Live TV where viewers can watch content via internet protocols (IPTV). 

Majority of the company is owned by The Walt Disney Company, however it offers content from other networks as well. 

Hulu is very much similar to OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, but it’s nothing when compared to these two. 

15. Dtube 

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Dtube is a video sharing website where users give vote to videos to support & reward their favourite creators, influencers, curators and viewers in cryptocurrency. Therefore, it is nowhere close to YouTube. 

It is a decentralized platform that makes use of the social blockchain system where every user interaction is end-to-end encrypted. Users can post whatever they want to, so they enjoy more freedom and control over their content. So, Dtube is censorship-free, and once a video gets uploaded, it’s always there. 

The most remarkable thing about this website is that users are rewarded for posting, curating and voting on content. The rewards are its own cryptocurrency called DTC. 

16. Veoh 

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Veoh is another video website similar to YouTube that is not only a video-sharing platform, but also streams TV shows in the U.S. as well as films from a variety of production houses. 

In order to watch full-length videos, viewers are required to install the Veoh web player in their browser. 

17. PeerTube

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PeerTube is another decentralized video-hosting service, but it doesn’t work the way Dtube does. 

PeerTube is a free and open-source video platform that uses peer-to-peer technology for reducing overload of servers while watching videos. In simple words, it allows users to take control of their video content. 

The server is known as an instance and can be hosted by users with less technical knowledge. Each instance can be moderated independently by different users simultaneously. 

This makes an interconnected network of video hosters who can enjoy more freedom over their content, which isn’t quite possible with YouTube. 

18. Disney+

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Disney+ is one of the latest and popular OTT streaming sites available out there. It currently has around 118. 1 user, and around 10 million people subscribed on its launch day. 

It is owned by The Walt Disney Company and offers films and TV series from some of the biggest companies such as Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, ABC Signature, National Geographic as well as Fox Networks Group. 

Disney+ also produces original movies and shows which are mostly surrounded by heavy marketing so that more & more people watch it on the platform. 

19. Curiosity Streams 

Curiosity Streams is another OTT streaming platform like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, and it’s also a subscription-based website. However, the content here differs a lot from the one which you find on other streaming websites. 

Curiosity Streams offers original and third-party content such as films, TV series, documentaries and video clips. Besides, you can watch documentaries in upto 4K resolution. 

20. TED

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An award-winning video website, TED is owned by the non-profit TED organization. It is devoted to sharing ideas, through short, powerful talks called TED Talks. 

The interface might be similar to YouTube, but the content is significantly different. You will find hundreds of recorded videos/speeches by famous personalities on a variety of topics such as technology, politics, science, design, humanitarian, education, etc. 

Most of the videos on the platform can be accessed free of cost. However, few videos are exclusively for members. 

A TED membership allows people to interact with each other in discussions on different subjects. An interesting fact is that the subscription fee goes to charity. 

Though a lot of TED talks are available on YouTube, it's always recommended to watch them on the platform itself. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Which websites are the replacement of YouTube?

Honestly, there’s no better alternative than YouTube. However, there are a lot of other platforms that grew especially in the last few years. So, following are the best websites apart from YouTube: 

• IGTV
• Wistia
• Netflix
• TikTok
• Twitch
  

There are few decentralized websites which are posing a threat to YouTube, as many content creators are moving to these sites which have no censorship. 

2. Which apps are better than YouTube?

While YouTube offers a seamless viewing experience, the platform still isn’t optimized for vertical screens, the content can’t be played in the background, and users cannot download videos within the app. Here are few apps that are optimized for mobile video streaming:

• Amazon Prime Video
• Netflix
• Twitch
• IGTV 
• TikTok

3. Which video websites are YouTube’s biggest competitors?

All the video platforms mentioned above are quite amazing and unique. However, only a few can really compete with it. These are:

• Vimeo
• Wistia
• Dailymotion 
• IGTV
• Dtube
  

Conclusion 

Now that you’re fully aware of video websites that are more or less like YouTube, you can give these a try. 

You can pick the website according to the content type that interests you. Uploading your videos on platforms other than YouTube will only help you reach different audiences as well as content. 

Besides, not every creator or viewer is on YouTube. This means that you can definitely try other video-hosting platforms.