Sometimes services will try to force you to sign up for an account by blocking access to content with annoying popups. They might also break without JavaScript enabled. These frontends can allow you to get around these restrictions.
If you choose to self-host these frontends, it is important that you have other people using your instance as well in order for you to blend in. You should be careful with where and how you are hosting, as other peoples' usage will be linked to your hosting.
When you are using an instance run by someone else, make sure to read the privacy policy of that specific instance. They can be modified by their owners and therefore may not reflect the default policy. Some instances have [Tor](tor.md) .onion addresses which may grant some privacy as long as your search queries don't contain PII.
**FreeTube** is a free and open-source desktop application for [YouTube](https://youtube.com). When using FreeTube, your subscription list and playlists are saved locally on your device.
By default, FreeTube blocks all YouTube advertisements. In addition, FreeTube optionally integrates with [SponsorBlock](https://sponsor.ajay.app) to help you skip sponsored video segments.
When using FreeTube, your IP address may still be known to YouTube, [Invidious](https://instances.invidious.io) or [SponsorBlock](https://sponsor.ajay.app) depending on your configuration. Consider using a [VPN](vpn.md) or [Tor](tor.md) if your [threat model](basics/threat-modeling.md) requires hiding your IP address.
**Yattee** is a free and open-source privacy oriented video player for iOS, tvOS and macOS for [YouTube](https://youtube.com). When using Yattee, your subscription list are saved locally on your device.
You will need to take a few [extra steps](https://gonzoknows.com/posts/Yattee) before you can use Yattee to watch YouTube, due to App Store restrictions.
When using Yattee, your IP address may still be known to YouTube, [Invidious](https://instances.invidious.io), [Piped](https://github.com/TeamPiped/Piped/wiki/Instances) or [SponsorBlock](https://sponsor.ajay.app) depending on your configuration. Consider using a [VPN](vpn.md) or [Tor](tor.md) if your [threat model](basics/threat-modeling.md) requires hiding your IP address.
By default, Yattee blocks all YouTube advertisements. In addition, Yattee optionally integrates with [SponsorBlock](https://sponsor.ajay.app) to help you skip sponsored video segments.
**LibreTube** is a free and open-source Android application for [YouTube](https://youtube.com) which uses the [Piped](#piped) API.
LibreTube allows you to store your subscription list and playlists locally on your Android device, or to an account on your Piped instance of choice, which allows you to access them seamlessly on other devices as well.
When using LibreTube, your IP address will be visible to the [Piped](https://github.com/TeamPiped/Piped/wiki/Instances) instance you choose and/or [SponsorBlock](https://sponsor.ajay.app) depending on your configuration. Consider using a [VPN](vpn.md) or [Tor](tor.md) if your [threat model](basics/threat-modeling.md) requires hiding your IP address.
By default, LibreTube blocks all YouTube advertisements. Additionally, Libretube uses [SponsorBlock](https://sponsor.ajay.app) to help you skip sponsored video segments. You are able to fully configure the types of segments that SponsorBlock will skip, or disable it completely. There is also a button on the video player itself to disable it for a specific video if desired.
**NewPipe** is a free and open-source Android application for [YouTube](https://youtube.com), [SoundCloud](https://soundcloud.com), [media.ccc.de](https://media.ccc.de), [Bandcamp](https://bandcamp.com), and [PeerTube](https://joinpeertube.org) (1).
When using NewPipe, your IP address will be visible to the video providers used. Consider using a [VPN](vpn.md) or [Tor](tor.md) if your [threat model](basics/threat-modeling.md) requires hiding your IP address.
Invidious does not proxy video streams by default. Videos watched through Invidious will still make direct connections to Google's servers (e.g. `googlevideo.com`); however, some instances support video proxying—simply enable *Proxy videos* within the instances' settings or add `&local=true` to the URL.
Invidious is useful if you want to disable JavaScript in your browser, such as [Tor Browser](tor.md#tor-browser) on the Safest security level. It does not provide privacy by itself, and we don’t recommend logging into any accounts.
Piped is useful if you want to use [SponsorBlock](https://sponsor.ajay.app) without installing an extension or to access age-restricted content without an account. It does not provide privacy by itself, and we don’t recommend logging into any accounts.
**Please note we are not affiliated with any of the projects we recommend.** In addition to [our standard criteria](about/criteria.md), we have developed a clear set of requirements to allow us to provide objective recommendations. We suggest you familiarize yourself with this list before choosing to use a project, and conduct your own research to ensure it's the right choice for you.
<pclass="admonition-title">This section is new</p>
We are working on establishing defined criteria for every section of our site, and this may be subject to change. If you have any questions about our criteria, please [ask on our forum](https://discuss.privacyguides.net/latest) and don't assume we didn't consider something when making our recommendations if it is not listed here. There are many factors considered and discussed when we recommend a project, and documenting every single one is a work-in-progress.
