# FreeTube

28 Hacker News commenters recommended FreeTube and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 10 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A free YouTube desktop client with built-in ad and sponsor blocking, advanced search, and no Google account needed. Critics say its interface is weak on mobile and some videos load slowly.

## Why people recommend it

- Blocks ads and sponsored segments (5 comments): "Advanced search works. Also auto-skipped sponsored content, thumbnails directly from video content, no google account to use it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47657896)) "Much better experience, with integrated adblock, sponsorskip, and dearrow" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46324279)) "I use freetube for Linux and Tubular for android, so no ads at all." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46189582))
- Keeps subscriptions and RSS feeds (4 comments): "Even something like rss list of those channels with something like freetube could be good as well" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47308000)) "let you keep a subscription list, even if you watch the videos elsewhere" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47656108)) "freetube which had rss really easy to work with" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46459620))
- No Google account or login (3 comments): "Advanced search works. Also auto-skipped sponsored content, thumbnails directly from video content, no google account to use it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47657896)) "They don't work quite as well in my experience, but you don't have Daddy Google breathing down your neck." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46889047)) "no login, no algorithm, no ads, no sponsored content" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50318659))
- Strong desktop client (3 comments): "The same arrangement works on my main desktop, but i mostly use FreeTube there as well." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47022874)) "I use freetube for Linux and Tubular for android, so no ads at all." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46189582)) "a fantastic desktop client" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47020523))

## What people warn about

- Interface not designed for mobile (2 comments): "the UI isnt great for small screens really but you would probably have any eaiser time transferring the settings and subs between devices" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49869350)) "the freetube UI is not really designed for mobile" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47024321))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [NewPipe](https://hackerapproved.com/p/newpipe.md): 113 recommend
- [SmartTube](https://hackerapproved.com/p/smarttube.md): 41 recommend
- [Grayjay](https://hackerapproved.com/p/grayjay.md): 16 recommend
- [YouTube ReVanced](https://hackerapproved.com/p/youtube-revanced.md): 14 recommend
- [Tubular](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tubular.md): 11 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "FreeTube", https://hackerapproved.com/p/freetube/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).