PeerTube

PeerTube is a free, decentralized, and federated video platform built as an open-source alternative to YouTube, Dailymotion, and Vimeo. Instead of one company hosting every video, PeerTube runs as a network of independently operated, interoperable instances that federate with each other over ActivityPub, so viewers can follow creators across instances without vendor lock-in. The project is developed by the French nonprofit Framasoft.

Key features

• Federated instances: Each PeerTube instance is independently owned, and instances federate over ActivityPub so content and follows work across the network.
• Live streaming: Stream live video from your favorite broadcasting client, including support for permanent streams.
• Peer-to-peer delivery: Viewers share video load with each other over WebRTC, and instances can cache one another's videos for redundancy.
• Cross-platform following: Follow channels from PeerTube itself, from other Fediverse apps like Mastodon and Pleroma, or through plain RSS, without needing an account on the video's origin instance.
• Customizable interface: Both individual users and instance administrators can adjust colors and behavior, or swap in a different web client entirely.
• No ads or recommendation algorithm: PeerTube has no advertising; creators can instead add a support button linking to donation accounts.

How it works

Every PeerTube instance is a self-contained video host that also speaks ActivityPub, the same federation protocol used by Mastodon. A video uploaded to one instance can be discovered, followed, and commented on from any federated instance or compatible Fediverse app, and viewers help distribute the bandwidth load through WebRTC-based peer sharing.

Self-hosting and deployment

Running an instance means installing PeerTube on your own server, following the production installation guide, with community packages available for platforms like YunoHost and Docker. There is no fixed hardware minimum; the project's FAQ addresses sizing based on expected traffic. PeerTube also publishes a full REST API (OpenAPI 3.0.0 schema) and ActivityPub documentation for building on top of an instance.

Project and community

PeerTube is developed by Framasoft, a French nonprofit, and is funded partly through donations rather than advertising revenue. Several demonstration instances are available to try before running your own, including a stable instance, a nightly build, and a release-candidate instance for testing upcoming versions. Contributing doesn't require programming: the project accepts feedback, bug reports, translation work, and documentation contributions through its community forum and a Matrix channel that's bridged to Discord.

Documentation is split by audience: separate guides cover using an account as a viewer or creator, administering an instance, and using the command-line tools for importing or uploading videos in bulk. A short explainer video, itself hosted on PeerTube, walks through what the platform is and how the federation model works for anyone new to the Fediverse.