FreeTube

FreeTube is an open-source and cross-platform desktop YouTube client built with privacy and user control as its core goals. Instead of relying on the official YouTube API, FreeTube uses its own extractor or community-friendly alternatives to fetch video data, which lets users watch YouTube content without advertisements and prevents Google from tracking them through cookies or JavaScript while browsing or viewing videos. Subscriptions, playlists, viewing history, and other user data are stored locally on the user’s machine rather than on remote servers, giving users full ownership over their content preferences and histories. The app provides many features similar to the official YouTube experience — such as subscribing to channels, exploring trending content, and organizing playlists — while also offering privacy-centric options like using Tor or external proxies and hiding elements via distraction-free settings.