The 20 Best Video Websites Like YouTube You Still Don’t Know

What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about online video websites? YouTube, right? It’s not a surprise, though – YouTube is the go-to video site for most people, even for us here at Yum Yum Videos!

But as good as YouTube is, it is far from being the only good option! There are, in fact, many other video websites like YouTube out there – each with its unique strengths and features to be discovered.

Marketers, content creators, business owners, and even regular users should at least be aware of their alternatives and know about some of the other options available. So, we bring you a cool list of our 20 favorite alternatives for video sites that aren’t YouTube. Enjoy!

The 20 Best Video Sites That Aren’t YouTube

1. IGTV
2. TikTok
3. Wistia
4. Vimeo
5. Metacafe
6. Sprout Video
7. Dailymotion
8. Netflix
9. Behance
10. Twitch
11. Amazon Prime Video
12. Brightcove
13. Vevo
14. Hulu
15. Dtube
16. PeerTube
17. Veoh
18. Disney+
19. Curiosity Streams
20. TED

1. IGTV

One of the latest video hosting platforms and a strong competitor to YouTube, Instagram TV seems to be here to stay.

That said, it’s not really a video platform like YouTube: IGTV videos are tailored for mobile users and autoplay in the feed. You can only browse through the app, and this is why all videos on this platform are vertical and full-screen.

Videos uploaded on IGTV can be up to 60 minutes in length (15 minutes if your account is unverified), and if you’re a content creator, it’s one of the greatest video sites to showcase your work to a large audience. Users are able to browse through accounts they follow, or simply browse through a feed containing curated content based on their interests. And the best part? YouTube video ideas and concepts tend to appeal to IGTV audiences as well!

Moreover, the rise and popularity of IGTV confirms one thing – the future of video is mobile. Lately, the trend is marked by full-screen video, in a vertical format (a 16:9 ratio), and a completely intuitive interface (swiping left or right to navigate through videos videos, and swiping up for browsing – but that’s it). All meant to simplify the mobile experience for video platforms!

2. TikTok

Let’s start by stating the obvious – TikTok isn’t just a video website like YouTube. Having taken the world by storm, TikTok stands now as one of the fastest-growing video hosting and social media platforms out there.

You won’t find animated explainer videos here because this platform is used to create short lip-sync, comedy, and talent videos that appeal to younger demographics looking for snippet-based entertainment!

How big is it? Well, it was the most downloaded app in the US in October 2018, the first Chinese app to achieve this. As of 2018, it was available in over 150 markets and in 75 languages. In 2019, TikTok was declared the 7th most downloaded mobile app of the decade, from 2010 to 2019. Marking its ascension into the social media big league.

3.  Wistia

While not strictly a spot to watch videos online per se, Wistia is one of the best video sites as far as hosting goes. A direct competition to YouTube in this regard, it’s often used to host marketing videos due to its in-depth analytics and wide array of embedding, autoplay, and customization options similar to YouTube banners.

Even here at Yum Yum Videos (read review), we use Wistia to share our portfolio, case studies, and other pieces! So, check the platform out and see if you like it as much as we do 😊

4.  Vimeo

You probably already knew this one, right? Vimeo is one of the most famous alternatives to YouTube out there, and it’s widely popular amongst artists, motion graphics studios, and filmmakers.

Known for its high-quality content and its fully engaged community, this video website attracts people who are truly interested in film quality – an audience that truly appreciates the medium. Remember, quality is really important for this platform, so edit your video with a 4K video editor or similar to create top-notch videos.

It’s a video hosting site that fully encourages artists and creative professionals to show off their work. In that sense, it isn’t a site like YouTube since here you won’t find a ten-hour video of a bear dancing to “Sweet Dreams”. Instead, you’ll find thoughtful and interesting content, for the most part.

Vimeo is your go-to spot if you want to show your work– the kind that you’re most proud of!

5. Metacafe

If we are talking about the best video websites like YouTube, we can’t forget to mention Metacafe. It’s a very old video entertainment site – it’s been around since 2003; even older than YouTube, which was born two years later, in 2005!

This video site specializes in short pieces, and – unlike Vimeo – you won’t find professional or artsy video content here. Instead, you’ll find short videos made by everyday users (much like YT), from reviews to how-to videos, and everything else in between.

6. Sprout Video

Here’s a video site meant for businesses that are undertaking a video marketing strategy.

Sprout Video allows businesses to display videos like animated ads, healthcare ads, testimonials, and also live streaming or on-demand videos on their websites. The coolest part is that these videos are optimized for both desktop and mobile screens.

Similar to great sites like YouTube or Wistia, Sprout Video offers comprehensive analytic tools that are instrumental to any serious video marketing agency or vmail campaign. It also allows users to customize their video players and email-gate their content to capture new leads’ contact data.

7. Dailymotion

Dailymotion is another video website like YouTube and has a really similar structure and interface. You can find trending videos on the homepage or discover more through the categories section and the search bar.

This online video website has a more flexible copyright policy than YouTube, though, so there is better tolerance for content uploaders. Maybe this is why it has around 112 million visitors per month!

Another thing that makes Dailymotion special is the fact that users can monetize their videos through ads or a paywall. This is why you’ll find some videos with ads, and others completely free. However, this is an optional feature, and the users who upload the videos can choose whether to monetize them or not. Regardless of what you go for, it’s important to remember to add an introduction to your video so people associate it with your brand. (Here are some YouTube intro ideas you can use as inspiration.)

8. Netflix

While this is not a video hosting website like YouTube, it’s one of the platform’s biggest competitors and, as such, deserves a spot on our list.

Netflix provides its subscribers with a streaming service they can enjoy from the comfort of their homes as well as on the go. It also presents them with personalized recommendations based on their past ratings.

This California-based video streaming site boasts an extensive and diverse library of audiovisual content. That said, it also produces original movies and series, some of which have won prestigious awards and amassed a lot of popularity.

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9. Behance

Behance is not just another video entertainment site – It’s owned by Adobe Inc., and like most services this firm offers, it’s meant for creative professionals.

Everyone in the creative field, from architects to animated video companies and even game designers, can use this platform as a portfolio to show off their skills. It’s a great way of putting their work out there and gaining visibility by amassing likes and even feedback.

Behance isn’t a site like YouTube since it allows not only video uploads but also photos and illustrations. It isn’t a free video hosting site either, as it’s part of Adobe Creative Cloud plans. Still, you can upload a portfolio with no charge, but the features options will be limited.

10. Twitch

If you are looking for websites similar to YouTube, then Twitch is not a good option for you… unless you are into gaming.

This particular video hosting site mainly displays live-streaming videos of individual gamers and eSport competitions. It’s also used by blossoming DJs to broadcast live sets in real-time and for other types of streaming.

What makes this video streaming site so unique is its ability to build digital communities around its content. You see, since viewers can involve in a chat while the live event is taking place and the streamer can respond to this chat in real-time, it’s easy for Twitch users to interact with each other and their favorite content creators.

11. Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is a subscription-based video entertainment site that offers over-the-top streaming services.

Like Netflix, this platform not only distributes movies and series from third parties, but also produces original titles as well. However, the amount of original content to date is lesser than the one produced by the former.

As you can see, Prime Video is more a video streaming site like Netflix than a website like YouTube. Still, it is an excellent option for viewers looking for quality entertainment.

12. Brightcove

Being one of the oldest video hosting sites out there (since 2004), Brightcove offers a wide variety of video management tools for businesses. It allows them to manage their video marketing strategy efficiently by making tasks simpler. 

With Brightcove, you can edit a video, upload it to different social platforms simultaneously, and analyze its overall performance in every channel. It’s not necessarily an alternative to YouTube, as you can share a Brightcove video there too! You can even use this video site for your company’s training videos.

That said, Brightcove’s most remarkable feature is by far its HTML5 video player. The video site claims it’s 70% faster than any other player out there and can be used in every type of screen available.

13. Vevo

Vevo is a video entertainment site exclusively dedicated to music clips.

Founded in 2008 by some of the biggest record companies, Vevo gained popularity fast and soon became “the world’s largest all-premium music video provider,” in their own words.

As much as it is, in theory a competitor, Vevo has a deal with YouTube, so its videos can also be found on the platform. This syndication is now the music video hosting site’s main priority.

Unfortunately, the website itself has lost its fame over the years and will supposedly shut down soon. For the moment, though, it’s a good alternative for music fans who want to watch YouTube videos on other websites or prefer a platform exclusively dedicated to this type of content.

14. Hulu

Hulu is a video website that distributes and produces on-demand movies and series. It also offers a special service (Hulu + Live TV) in which users can enjoy television content transmitted through internet protocols (IPTV).

The site is mainly owned by the most famous animation company of all time—yes, The Walt Disney Productions! However, it also provides content from various other networks.

You may find Hulu similar to other sites like YouTube, such as Netflix and Prime Video. Yes – these three major OTT video streaming sites have various things in common and can be easily compared to each other. Hulu is the most economical site of the bunch, although it’s worth noting that, unlike Netflix and Prime Video, its lower-cost plans involve ads.

15. Dtube

At first glance, you may think Dtube is just another of those websites similar to YouTube, but that’d be doing the platform a disservice.

Dtube is a decentralized platform that uses a social blockchain system where every user interaction is end-to-end encrypted. There’s no central figure controlling what users are posting, so they have more independence and control over their content. As a result, Dtube is censorship-free, and every uploaded video remains there forever.

The best part of this innovative video website is that users earn rewards for posting, curating, and voting content. The rewards come in the form of Dtube’s own cryptocurrency, DTC.

16. PeerTube

This is another decentralized video hosting site, but it doesn’t work in the same way that Dtube does.

Peertube is a software platform that uses a peer-to-peer system in which users can create a server that hosts particular users and content. This server is called an instance and can be hosted by people with moderate technical skills. Every instance can be moderated and maintained independently by various administrators at the same time.

According to Peertube, this results in a network of interconnected small video hosters with a lot of freedom over their content, something that’s hard to find on video platforms like YouTube.

17. Veoh

Veoh is a video website similar to YouTube that not only hosts user-generated videos, but also offers TV shows (only in the U.S.) and full-length movies from major studios or independent productions.

To watch full-length videos, though, viewers have to install the Veoh Web Player within their browser.

18. Disney+

Disney+ is one of the newest OTT video streaming sites out there, but it has already gained relevance worthy of long-established platforms. In fact, ten million people subscribed to the service on day one.

Owned by The Walt Disney Company, the platform offers movies and TV series of most subsidiary companies and franchises inside Disney’s ever-growing empire: Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, ABC signature, and the former Fox Networks Group.

Disney+ also provides original movies and TV series that are exclusively distributed through the platform. These original titles are often surrounded by a storm of marketing-fueled hype –or haven’t you been attacked by WandaVision ads lately?

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19. Curiosity Streams

Curiosity Streams is not really a website like YouTube but it is similar to Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video, as it’s a subscription-based video streaming site. However, Curiosity Streams’ content differs significantly from the one you’ll find on other platforms.

This site is devoted to original and third-party documentary films, series, and short videos. It was launched by the founder of the Discovery Channel – so you can say it’s in the service’s DNA.

Luckily, Curiosity Streams is included among other platforms’ services, such as YouTube TV, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Channels, so it’s easy to access. On its own, the streaming service offers both traditional quality and 4K plans – perfect for enjoying wildlife documentaries.

20. TED

TED is an award-winning video website owned by the non-profit TED foundation.

Its interface is similar to video platforms like YouTube, but its content is quite different. Here, you can find thousands of recorded talks by renowned thought leaders on technology, design, science, politics, and humanitarian and academic topics.

For the most part, TED talks on the platform are free and accessible to everyone. However, some videos are exclusive to members only.

A TED membership allows users to enjoy those exclusive talks and discuss with each other in a conversation group. Interestingly, the subscription fee works as a donation, so members can decide how much they’ll pay, yearly or monthly.

Many TED talks are also available on YouTube, but the platform is a good alternative for those who wish to watch YouTube videos on other websites.

Who Is YouTube’s Biggest Competitor?

All the video platforms you’ve learned about today are awesome, but only a handful of them represent a direct competitive threat to YouTube. Namely:

• Vimeo
• IGTV
• Wistia
• Dailymotion
• Dtube

What Will Replace YouTube in 2021?

Honestly? Probably nothing, as the site is still going strong. But, based on the growth of other platforms during 2020, here are some heavy competitors for this year:

• IGTV
• TikTok
• Twitch
• Netflix
• Wistia

Decentralized video platforms are a particular threat to the video giant since many YouTube content creators are moving to these sites where there’s no censorship.

Is There a Better App Than YouTube?

While the free YouTube app provides a pretty smooth watching experience, the platform’s content isn’t optimized for vertical screens, can’t be played in the background, and you can’t download content within the app.  Here are some video platforms that are better optimized for mobile video streaming:

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

What Is the Best Alternative to YouTube?

Although a bit subjective – depending on your goals – here are the best alternatives to YouTube:

• For hosting corporate video production: Wistia.
• For entertainment: Netflix.
• For uploading user-generated content: Dailymotion.
• For creative professionals: Behance.
• For film buffs: Vimeo.
• For music lovers: Vevo.
• For streamers and gamers: Twitch.
• For those looking for a decentralized site: PeerTube.

Let’s wrap it up!

As you have seen here, there are many great online video websites like YouTube out there. So, even though YouTube is the biggest of them all (and with its 1.8 billion monthly users – it definitely is), it’s not your only option when it comes to video hosting or video streaming.

Don’t be afraid to upload or enjoy your content on other video sites, as it will only help you reach different kinds of audiences and content.

Not everyone is on YouTube: Creatives and filmmakers, for example, usually go for Vimeo instead. For uploading motion graphics videos or whiteboard videos, Behance is the popular choice, whereas people prefer a more business-like site such as Wistia for corporate videos or healthcare video production. Users looking for short and quick videos, they’ll be on TikTok instead of YouTube! Lastly, most marketing agencies and video animation services leverage a combination of different hosting services.

So look at this as an advantage, and expand your video’s reach!