Invidious
Open-source alternative front-end for YouTube that can be self-hosted.
HN commenters like Invidious as an ad-free YouTube frontend and as a backend for other apps like Yattee,123 and for cutting out Shorts and algorithmic doom-scrolling.456 The main caveat raised is that it is a bit slower than YouTube.7
Why people recommend it
Escaping doom-scrolling · 3
Users say it lacks Shorts and helps them avoid feed-surfing and cut YouTube time.
“I switched from using YouTube to invidious mainly because they don't support shorts”
“I've been using invidious for a while now”
Show 1 more
“using libredirect for invidious. my usage went to just a few minutes or 0 per day.”
YouTube frontend · 2
Recommended as an independent YouTube frontend that users can set up themselves.
“An unenforceable option would be to set up an independent youtube frontend. https://invidious.io/”
“I switched from using YouTube to invidious mainly because they don't support shorts”
Backend for apps · 2
Used as the backend for other clients such as Yattee and Cloudtube-based frontends.
“I use invidious as backend.”
“All the Youtube media url deciphering is still done by Invidious”
Ad-free viewing · 1
One user has watched YouTube without ads on Apple hardware for years via Yattee with Invidious.
“I use invidious as backend.”
Caveats and dissent
Slower · 1
One user notes it is a bit slower than using YouTube directly.
“I switched from using YouTube to invidious mainly because they don't support shorts”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
Data: invidious.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 6
“I use invidious as backend.”
“using libredirect for invidious. my usage went to just a few minutes or 0 per day.”
“An unenforceable option would be to set up an independent youtube frontend. https://invidious.io/”
“I switched from using YouTube to invidious mainly because they don't support shorts”
“All the Youtube media url deciphering is still done by Invidious”
“I've been using invidious for a while now”