FreeTube

FreeTube is a privacy-focused desktop application for watching YouTube videos without ads, tracking cookies, or the requirement of a Google account. It functions as a local-first subscription manager that tracks channels and playlists in local files instead of a centralized cloud account.

The application avoids tracking-heavy official APIs by using a content extractor that parses web pages directly. To further protect user identity, it can route network traffic through proxies or Tor to mask the hardware IP address.

The software provides tools for distraction-free viewing, including the ability to hide interface elements and organize content into profiles. It also supports handing off video playback to external third-party media players and redirecting browser links to the desktop app via an extension.

Subscription data can be moved between installations using import and export files.

Features

Private Content Consumption - Enables watching YouTube videos without ads, tracking cookies, or the requirement of a Google account.

Local-First Architectures - Employs a local-first architecture to store subscriptions and history on the device instead of a cloud account.

Web Page Scraping Extractors - Fetches video and channel data by parsing web pages directly to avoid tracking-heavy official APIs.

Content Extraction - Implements content extraction by parsing web pages directly to avoid tracking-heavy official APIs.

Local Feed Management - Manages YouTube subscriptions and playlists locally to avoid reliance on cloud-based accounts.

Local Subscription Tracking - Tracks subscriptions, playlists, and history in local files without requiring a centralized account.

Local Persistence - Stores user subscriptions and history in local flat files to eliminate the need for centralized authentication.

Local-First Storage - Implements a local-first storage strategy for subscriptions and history to ensure user data sovereignty.

Web Scraping - Uses web scraping to fetch video metadata and content by parsing raw HTML from web pages.

Privacy-Preserving Video Playback - Provides a way to watch video content without ads, tracking cookies, or JavaScript.

Chromium-Based Desktop Shells - Wraps a web-based interface in a Chromium-based desktop container to provide cross-platform system access.

Anti-Tracking Proxies - Streams video content without official APIs, cookies, or JavaScript tracking to maintain user privacy.

Video Streaming Clients - Provides a privacy-preserving desktop interface for streaming YouTube content without ads or tracking.

Content Organization Systems - Allows grouping subscriptions into distinct profiles to create focused and filtered content feeds.

Optical Media Playback - Supports handing off video playback to external third-party media player applications.

External Process Handoff - Sends video stream URLs to external third-party applications via system-level process calls for independent playback.

Network Traffic Proxying - Routes network requests through proxies or Tor to mask the hardware IP address from servers.

Anonymity Network Routing - Uses anonymity networks like Tor to hide the user identity while streaming video.

Client-Side Data Filtering - Provides client-side logic to hide specific interface elements and video categories based on user preferences.

Distraction-Free Interfaces - Provides distraction-free viewing by hiding non-essential interface elements and controls.

Distraction-Free Viewers - Offers a simplified interface that removes ads and recommendations to create a focused viewing environment.

Cross-Platform Desktop Applications - Built as a cross-platform desktop application using web technologies to provide a native interface.

Third-Party Media Player Integrations - Integrates with third-party media players by sending video stream URLs for external playback.

Audio and Video - Privacy-focused desktop YouTube client.

Audio Video Tools - Listed in the “Audio Video Tools” section of the Awesome Mac awesome list.

Social Platforms - Desktop YouTube player built with privacy-first architecture.

Video Streaming - Desktop-based YouTube player for enhanced privacy.

Web Service Clients - Private-focused YouTube client for desktop operating systems.

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Features

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