{"slug": "peertube", "name": "PeerTube", "category": "selfhosted", "category_name": "Self-hosted and home server", "description": "Free, open-source, federated video platform software for running your own video site.", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 10, "warners": 2, "score": 3.267, "rising": -1.96, "first": "2025-11-29", "latest": "2026-07-03", "why": "Liked as software for running your own ad-free video site, used for everything from open source tutorials to private family video archives.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 1, "compare": 1, "warn": 2}, "spark": [1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": ["Own video platform", "Big Tech alternative"], "caveat": "Content discovery", "short_quote": "It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/chocobozzz/peertube", "official_url": "https://joinpeertube.org", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["PeerTube"], "verdict": [{"text": "Liked as software for running your own ad-free video site", "cites": [{"id": 780321248, "item_id": 48770078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770078", "by": "ndriscoll", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think it's pretty clear that it's software for running your own video sharing platform?", "excerpt": "> An alternative to Big Tech's video platforms > PeerTube is a tool for sharing online videos developed by Framasoft, a french non-profit. > PeerTube allows you to create your own video platform, in complete independence. I think it's pretty clear that it's software for running your own video sharing platform? Sure, people are used to monopolies and consolidation now, but surely you can wrap you head around the idea ", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780292608, "item_id": 48768288, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48768288", "by": "Animats", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "No ad insertion, which is why I use PeerTube.", "excerpt": "There are four functions here: - Discovery (as in search) - Monetization (as in ads) - Hosting (as in storage) - Playout (as in data distribution) PeerTube only performs the fourth, and maybe the third. It's not a flooding distribution system like BitTorrent. It's just a way for a large number of people to play the same video without overloading a modest hosting server. Playout load is distributed amongst the watcher", "context": "hosts rendering test videos", "use_case": "hosting tech demo videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780386720, "item_id": 48774170, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48774170", "by": "ndriscoll", "date": "2026-07-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "It's an alternative to youtube for people who just want to share videos", "excerpt": "You are not \"on peertube\" because there's no such thing as a peertube to be on. What I'm trying to convey is that your words literally don't make sense. There is no \"everybody else\" for the UX to suck for. You're complaining that it doesn't try to be the opposite of what it is. If you're interested in Debian, you go to Debian's peertube which is part of Debian's website, where the Debian foundation hosts their videos", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted video sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}, {"text": ", used for everything from open source tutorials to private family video archives.", "cites": [{"id": 780223424, "item_id": 48763964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48763964", "by": "raphinou", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It was a really good experience, so I'll continue that way.", "excerpt": "I am currently recording tutorial videos for an open source project. It's produced fully with Foss software (on Linux, obs, kdenlive) and about an open source project, so I wanted to host it with peertube (though YouTube might be used later on for its network effect, it was easier to publish with peertube as yt required an video of me and my ID). It's going fine until now. I don't host peertube myself though, I use a", "context": "recording tutorials for an open source project", "use_case": "hosting tutorial videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 737414912, "item_id": 46088432, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46088432", "by": "ArtemZ", "date": "2025-11-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos", "excerpt": "Peertube? It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos and things I want to save from youtube. I feel like it lacks traction due to how convenient and popular youtube is...but at the same time with more and more ad and the war on ad blockers things can change.", "context": "", "use_case": "hosting family videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why aren't there any \"YouTube competitors?\""}, {"id": 772299810, "item_id": 48268738, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48268738", "by": "toomuchtodo", "date": "2026-05-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I maintain a Dropbox account, Apple Shared Albums, and a private Peertube instance for sharing this media.", "excerpt": "SSDs are vulnerable to rot. I recommend multiple copies on spinning disk at a minimum. For photos of historical family significance, consider uploading to familysearch.org as part of a family tree; this system is maintained by the LDS Church (Mormons) with a billion dollar trust contributing to their technology apparatus. Their longevity is likely longer than personal systems. M-DISC sounds reasonable for the use cas", "context": "", "use_case": "sharing family media", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Archiving Family Photos?"}]}, {"text": " The most common complaint is that content is hard to discover", "cites": [{"id": 780309184, "item_id": 48769324, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769324", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it is not an alternative to YouTube because it's very difficult to discover content", "excerpt": "I agree with you, but I was speaking to PeerTube's own claim that it is an alternative to YouTube, rather than the narrow use case you're describing. For the vast majority of the people on the planet, it is not an alternative to YouTube because it's very difficult to discover content. When I go to YouTube, I can find videos immediately. If I want to find videos via PeerTube, it's a journey. It's the same journey that", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780334544, "item_id": 48770909, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770909", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "For everybody else... The UX sucks.", "excerpt": "I am both here, and on Reddit, and also on YouTube. I can be in many places at the same time because this is all made of light and there are lots of interesting places to go. I'll probably find myself on Reels before too long. I'm not on PeerTube because I cannot find content that is interesting on PeerTube, which again is the crux of my argument. https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube > PeerTube is a free, decentral", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}, {"text": ", and some also call the UX laggy and poorly implemented.", "cites": [{"id": 780280688, "item_id": 48767543, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48767543", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "PeerTube's software was disappointing and really poorly implemented compared to Google.", "excerpt": "I used it a few months ago but there was lag and things not working. I keep on saying we need to eliminate Google for real. I mean it too. But the services NEED TO BE FLAWLESS if you want to have a chance against Google. I don't understand why people don't seem to understand it. Software can often be better. PeerTube's software was disappointing and really poorly implemented compared to Google. There is no way to win", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780334544, "item_id": 48770909, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770909", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "For everybody else... The UX sucks.", "excerpt": "I am both here, and on Reddit, and also on YouTube. I can be in many places at the same time because this is all made of light and there are lots of interesting places to go. I'll probably find myself on Reels before too long. I'm not on PeerTube because I cannot find content that is interesting on PeerTube, which again is the crux of my argument. https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube > PeerTube is a free, decentral", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Own video platform", "summary": "Lets people or projects host their own video site independently instead of relying on big platforms.", "quotes": [{"id": 780321248, "item_id": 48770078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770078", "by": "ndriscoll", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think it's pretty clear that it's software for running your own video sharing platform?", "excerpt": "> An alternative to Big Tech's video platforms > PeerTube is a tool for sharing online videos developed by Framasoft, a french non-profit. > PeerTube allows you to create your own video platform, in complete independence. I think it's pretty clear that it's software for running your own video sharing platform? Sure, people are used to monopolies and consolidation now, but surely you can wrap you head around the idea ", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780386720, "item_id": 48774170, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48774170", "by": "ndriscoll", "date": "2026-07-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "It's an alternative to youtube for people who just want to share videos", "excerpt": "You are not \"on peertube\" because there's no such thing as a peertube to be on. What I'm trying to convey is that your words literally don't make sense. There is no \"everybody else\" for the UX to suck for. You're complaining that it doesn't try to be the opposite of what it is. If you're interested in Debian, you go to Debian's peertube which is part of Debian's website, where the Debian foundation hosts their videos", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted video sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 772299810, "item_id": 48268738, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48268738", "by": "toomuchtodo", "date": "2026-05-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I maintain a Dropbox account, Apple Shared Albums, and a private Peertube instance for sharing this media.", "excerpt": "SSDs are vulnerable to rot. I recommend multiple copies on spinning disk at a minimum. For photos of historical family significance, consider uploading to familysearch.org as part of a family tree; this system is maintained by the LDS Church (Mormons) with a billion dollar trust contributing to their technology apparatus. Their longevity is likely longer than personal systems. M-DISC sounds reasonable for the use cas", "context": "", "use_case": "sharing family media", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Archiving Family Photos?"}]}, {"label": "Big Tech alternative", "summary": "Recommended as an alternative to YouTube and Twitch.", "quotes": [{"id": 753746161, "item_id": 47109135, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47109135", "by": "amatecha", "date": "2026-02-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "YouTube -> PeerTube", "excerpt": "I almost clarified that - Google Search is definitely part of that very centralized, corporate-owned web I was referring to. Like what you're describing is exactly what I'm talking about. But there are more and more niche obscure corners of the internet that you don't easily find, where good stuff is happening. People are still using IRC, Hotline, KDX, Gopher, and then there's newer stuff like Gemini ( https://gemini", "context": "", "use_case": "video hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Facebook is absolutely cooked"}, {"id": 760822321, "item_id": 47551395, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47551395", "by": "QuiDortDine", "date": "2026-03-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Check out Owncast and Peertube for alternatives.", "excerpt": "Kind reminder that Twitch is owned by Amazon, which is a monster of a company. Check out Owncast and Peertube for alternatives.", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform alternative", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: TwitchRoulette \u2013 Find live streamers who need views the most"}, {"id": 737414912, "item_id": 46088432, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46088432", "by": "ArtemZ", "date": "2025-11-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos", "excerpt": "Peertube? It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos and things I want to save from youtube. I feel like it lacks traction due to how convenient and popular youtube is...but at the same time with more and more ad and the war on ad blockers things can change.", "context": "", "use_case": "hosting family videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why aren't there any \"YouTube competitors?\""}]}, {"label": "No ads", "summary": "Commenters value that there is no ad insertion.", "quotes": [{"id": 780292608, "item_id": 48768288, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48768288", "by": "Animats", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "No ad insertion, which is why I use PeerTube.", "excerpt": "There are four functions here: - Discovery (as in search) - Monetization (as in ads) - Hosting (as in storage) - Playout (as in data distribution) PeerTube only performs the fourth, and maybe the third. It's not a flooding distribution system like BitTorrent. It's just a way for a large number of people to play the same video without overloading a modest hosting server. Playout load is distributed amongst the watcher", "context": "hosts rendering test videos", "use_case": "hosting tech demo videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 737414912, "item_id": 46088432, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46088432", "by": "ArtemZ", "date": "2025-11-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos", "excerpt": "Peertube? It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos and things I want to save from youtube. I feel like it lacks traction due to how convenient and popular youtube is...but at the same time with more and more ad and the war on ad blockers things can change.", "context": "", "use_case": "hosting family videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why aren't there any \"YouTube competitors?\""}]}, {"label": "Easy publishing", "summary": "One commenter found publishing through an existing instance and embedding videos a really good experience.", "quotes": [{"id": 780223424, "item_id": 48763964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48763964", "by": "raphinou", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It was a really good experience, so I'll continue that way.", "excerpt": "I am currently recording tutorial videos for an open source project. It's produced fully with Foss software (on Linux, obs, kdenlive) and about an open source project, so I wanted to host it with peertube (though YouTube might be used later on for its network effect, it was easier to publish with peertube as yt required an video of me and my ID). It's going fine until now. I don't host peertube myself though, I use a", "context": "recording tutorials for an open source project", "use_case": "hosting tutorial videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}, {"label": "Shared playout load", "summary": "Playout load is spread across viewers' browsers, so a modest server can serve many viewers.", "quotes": [{"id": 780292608, "item_id": 48768288, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48768288", "by": "Animats", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "No ad insertion, which is why I use PeerTube.", "excerpt": "There are four functions here: - Discovery (as in search) - Monetization (as in ads) - Hosting (as in storage) - Playout (as in data distribution) PeerTube only performs the fourth, and maybe the third. It's not a flooding distribution system like BitTorrent. It's just a way for a large number of people to play the same video without overloading a modest hosting server. Playout load is distributed amongst the watcher", "context": "hosts rendering test videos", "use_case": "hosting tech demo videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Content discovery", "summary": "Finding interesting videos is described as difficult compared with YouTube.", "quotes": [{"id": 780309184, "item_id": 48769324, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769324", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it is not an alternative to YouTube because it's very difficult to discover content", "excerpt": "I agree with you, but I was speaking to PeerTube's own claim that it is an alternative to YouTube, rather than the narrow use case you're describing. For the vast majority of the people on the planet, it is not an alternative to YouTube because it's very difficult to discover content. When I go to YouTube, I can find videos immediately. If I want to find videos via PeerTube, it's a journey. It's the same journey that", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780334544, "item_id": 48770909, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770909", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "For everybody else... The UX sucks.", "excerpt": "I am both here, and on Reddit, and also on YouTube. I can be in many places at the same time because this is all made of light and there are lots of interesting places to go. I'll probably find myself on Reels before too long. I'm not on PeerTube because I cannot find content that is interesting on PeerTube, which again is the crux of my argument. https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube > PeerTube is a free, decentral", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}, {"label": "UX and polish", "summary": "Some users report lag, broken features and poor UX.", "quotes": [{"id": 780280688, "item_id": 48767543, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48767543", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "PeerTube's software was disappointing and really poorly implemented compared to Google.", "excerpt": "I used it a few months ago but there was lag and things not working. I keep on saying we need to eliminate Google for real. I mean it too. But the services NEED TO BE FLAWLESS if you want to have a chance against Google. I don't understand why people don't seem to understand it. Software can often be better. PeerTube's software was disappointing and really poorly implemented compared to Google. There is no way to win", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780334544, "item_id": 48770909, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770909", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "For everybody else... The UX sucks.", "excerpt": "I am both here, and on Reddit, and also on YouTube. I can be in many places at the same time because this is all made of light and there are lots of interesting places to go. I'll probably find myself on Reels before too long. I'm not on PeerTube because I cannot find content that is interesting on PeerTube, which again is the crux of my argument. https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube > PeerTube is a free, decentral", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}, {"label": "No monetization", "summary": "It offers no built-in way for creators to earn money.", "quotes": [{"id": 780238832, "item_id": 48764927, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48764927", "by": "WarmWash", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "compare", "quote": "What does Peertube pay?", "excerpt": "Creators get 60% of youtube's ad revenue from youtube. What does Peertube pay? There is your answer. If people want good stuff, there needs to be money flowing to the source of it. The internet desperately needs to shed this \"everything good is totally free\" mindset, because what is actually manifests as is \"I love taking without the requirement of giving\".", "context": "", "use_case": "video hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780292608, "item_id": 48768288, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48768288", "by": "Animats", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "No ad insertion, which is why I use PeerTube.", "excerpt": "There are four functions here: - Discovery (as in search) - Monetization (as in ads) - Hosting (as in storage) - Playout (as in data distribution) PeerTube only performs the fourth, and maybe the third. It's not a flooding distribution system like BitTorrent. It's just a way for a large number of people to play the same video without overloading a modest hosting server. Playout load is distributed amongst the watcher", "context": "hosts rendering test videos", "use_case": "hosting tech demo videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}]}], "who": [{"by": "Animats", "context": "hosts rendering test videos", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48768288", "date": "2026-07-02"}, {"by": "raphinou", "context": "recording tutorials for an open source project", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48763964", "date": "2026-07-02"}], "tags": ["self-hostable", "for family videos", "for open source projects", "for embedding videos on your site"], "use_cases": ["video platform", "video hosting", "self-hosted video sharing", "self-hosted video platform", "hosting tech demo videos", "hosting tutorial videos"], "compared": [{"slug": "youtube", "name": "YouTube", "co": 10, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48759634", "title": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform", "mentions": 8}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48268326", "title": "Ask HN: Archiving Family Photos?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47549160", "title": "Show HN: TwitchRoulette \u2013 Find live streamers who need views the most", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47091748", "title": "Facebook is absolutely cooked", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46088384", "title": "Why aren't there any \"YouTube competitors?\"", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 3, "compare": 1, "warn": 2}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 780386720, "item_id": 48774170, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48774170", "by": "ndriscoll", "date": "2026-07-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "It's an alternative to youtube for people who just want to share videos", "excerpt": "You are not \"on peertube\" because there's no such thing as a peertube to be on. What I'm trying to convey is that your words literally don't make sense. There is no \"everybody else\" for the UX to suck for. You're complaining that it doesn't try to be the opposite of what it is. If you're interested in Debian, you go to Debian's peertube which is part of Debian's website, where the Debian foundation hosts their videos", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted video sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780334544, "item_id": 48770909, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770909", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "For everybody else... The UX sucks.", "excerpt": "I am both here, and on Reddit, and also on YouTube. I can be in many places at the same time because this is all made of light and there are lots of interesting places to go. I'll probably find myself on Reels before too long. I'm not on PeerTube because I cannot find content that is interesting on PeerTube, which again is the crux of my argument. https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube > PeerTube is a free, decentral", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780321248, "item_id": 48770078, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48770078", "by": "ndriscoll", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I think it's pretty clear that it's software for running your own video sharing platform?", "excerpt": "> An alternative to Big Tech's video platforms > PeerTube is a tool for sharing online videos developed by Framasoft, a french non-profit. > PeerTube allows you to create your own video platform, in complete independence. I think it's pretty clear that it's software for running your own video sharing platform? Sure, people are used to monopolies and consolidation now, but surely you can wrap you head around the idea ", "context": "", "use_case": "self-hosted video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780309184, "item_id": 48769324, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769324", "by": "jesse_dot_id", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "it is not an alternative to YouTube because it's very difficult to discover content", "excerpt": "I agree with you, but I was speaking to PeerTube's own claim that it is an alternative to YouTube, rather than the narrow use case you're describing. For the vast majority of the people on the planet, it is not an alternative to YouTube because it's very difficult to discover content. When I go to YouTube, I can find videos immediately. If I want to find videos via PeerTube, it's a journey. It's the same journey that", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780292608, "item_id": 48768288, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48768288", "by": "Animats", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "No ad insertion, which is why I use PeerTube.", "excerpt": "There are four functions here: - Discovery (as in search) - Monetization (as in ads) - Hosting (as in storage) - Playout (as in data distribution) PeerTube only performs the fourth, and maybe the third. It's not a flooding distribution system like BitTorrent. It's just a way for a large number of people to play the same video without overloading a modest hosting server. Playout load is distributed amongst the watcher", "context": "hosts rendering test videos", "use_case": "hosting tech demo videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780280688, "item_id": 48767543, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48767543", "by": "shevy-java", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "warn", "quote": "PeerTube's software was disappointing and really poorly implemented compared to Google.", "excerpt": "I used it a few months ago but there was lag and things not working. I keep on saying we need to eliminate Google for real. I mean it too. But the services NEED TO BE FLAWLESS if you want to have a chance against Google. I don't understand why people don't seem to understand it. Software can often be better. PeerTube's software was disappointing and really poorly implemented compared to Google. There is no way to win", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780238832, "item_id": 48764927, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48764927", "by": "WarmWash", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "compare", "quote": "What does Peertube pay?", "excerpt": "Creators get 60% of youtube's ad revenue from youtube. What does Peertube pay? There is your answer. If people want good stuff, there needs to be money flowing to the source of it. The internet desperately needs to shed this \"everything good is totally free\" mindset, because what is actually manifests as is \"I love taking without the requirement of giving\".", "context": "", "use_case": "video hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 780223424, "item_id": 48763964, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48763964", "by": "raphinou", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It was a really good experience, so I'll continue that way.", "excerpt": "I am currently recording tutorial videos for an open source project. It's produced fully with Foss software (on Linux, obs, kdenlive) and about an open source project, so I wanted to host it with peertube (though YouTube might be used later on for its network effect, it was easier to publish with peertube as yt required an video of me and my ID). It's going fine until now. I don't host peertube myself though, I use a", "context": "recording tutorials for an open source project", "use_case": "hosting tutorial videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "PeerTube is a free, decentralized and federated video platform"}, {"id": 772299810, "item_id": 48268738, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48268738", "by": "toomuchtodo", "date": "2026-05-25", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I maintain a Dropbox account, Apple Shared Albums, and a private Peertube instance for sharing this media.", "excerpt": "SSDs are vulnerable to rot. I recommend multiple copies on spinning disk at a minimum. For photos of historical family significance, consider uploading to familysearch.org as part of a family tree; this system is maintained by the LDS Church (Mormons) with a billion dollar trust contributing to their technology apparatus. Their longevity is likely longer than personal systems. M-DISC sounds reasonable for the use cas", "context": "", "use_case": "sharing family media", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Archiving Family Photos?"}, {"id": 760822321, "item_id": 47551395, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47551395", "by": "QuiDortDine", "date": "2026-03-27", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Check out Owncast and Peertube for alternatives.", "excerpt": "Kind reminder that Twitch is owned by Amazon, which is a monster of a company. Check out Owncast and Peertube for alternatives.", "context": "", "use_case": "video platform alternative", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: TwitchRoulette \u2013 Find live streamers who need views the most"}, {"id": 753746161, "item_id": 47109135, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47109135", "by": "amatecha", "date": "2026-02-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "YouTube -> PeerTube", "excerpt": "I almost clarified that - Google Search is definitely part of that very centralized, corporate-owned web I was referring to. Like what you're describing is exactly what I'm talking about. But there are more and more niche obscure corners of the internet that you don't easily find, where good stuff is happening. People are still using IRC, Hotline, KDX, Gopher, and then there's newer stuff like Gemini ( https://gemini", "context": "", "use_case": "video hosting", "switched_from": "", "story": "Facebook is absolutely cooked"}, {"id": 737414912, "item_id": 46088432, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46088432", "by": "ArtemZ", "date": "2025-11-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos", "excerpt": "Peertube? It is such a great piece of software and I use it locally to host family videos and things I want to save from youtube. I feel like it lacks traction due to how convenient and popular youtube is...but at the same time with more and more ad and the war on ad blockers things can change.", "context": "", "use_case": "hosting family videos", "switched_from": "", "story": "Why aren't there any \"YouTube competitors?\""}]}