FreeTube is an open-source desktop YouTube client for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It uses a built-in local extractor or the Invidious API to fetch content, blocks ads by default, and stores subscriptions, history, and playlists entirely on your device.
FreeTube
Official website freetubeapp.io
Our take
FreeTube is the cleanest desktop option for watching YouTube without feeding Google’s ad profile: no cookies, no JavaScript fingerprinting, all your data stays local. The two-extractor design is a genuine resilience win, since you can switch between the local API and Invidious if one breaks. The honest catch is that your IP address is still visible to YouTube or whichever Invidious instance you use, so pair it with a VPN or Tor if IP exposure matters to your threat model. Desktop-only users who watch a lot of YouTube and want a proper native experience should reach for this first.
GitHub at a glance
FreeTubeApp/FreeTube
Stars
21,271
+ 12 this week
Last commit
1d ago
healthy
License
AGPL-3.0
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Invidious Desktop: FreeTube . For Windows, Mac and Linux.
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FreeTube license, in plain English
AGPL-3.0 Strong copyleft · network
Free to use, even commercially. Changes must be published under the same license, and running a modified version as a network service counts as distributing it.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Patent use
- Private use
Requires
- Disclose source
- Network use is distribution
- Same license
- State changes
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: The network clause is the point. Anyone who runs a modified version as a hosted service has to publish those changes, so the code handling your data stays inspectable. This is why privacy-first projects reach for AGPL.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.