Notes 
Piped is an open-source, self-hostable web frontend for YouTube that makes no connections to Google servers during playback. It supports SponsorBlock, playlists, subscriptions, and a public JSON API, and runs as a federated multi-instance network.
Reviewed by Marco Wollank
Piped
piped.video 2 ratings so far*
Rate Piped: No account needed
Threat level
Hardened
A hardened pick. Worth the effort once you have chosen to shrink your footprint on purpose. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
Piped stands out among YouTube frontends for its SponsorBlock integration without a browser extension and its ability to proxy streams so no Google request leaves your browser. The trade-off is that it requires JavaScript to function and you need an account on a specific Piped instance to sync subscriptions, which shifts trust to that instance operator. YouTube’s periodic API countermeasures can break stream extraction across all instances at once. Best for users who want a full web-based YouTube replacement and are comfortable picking and vetting a reliable instance.
GitHub at a glance
TeamPiped/Piped AGPL-3.0 activejdearrowhacktoberfestipfsjavanewpipeprivacysponsorblockvideosvuejsyoutube
Stars
10,308
+13 this week
Forks
897
69 watching
Last commit
4d ago
healthy
Star history
Issues
80% closed
295
open
1,208
closed
+3 / -0
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
20 commits, active 13 of 26 weeks
214 contributors since Nov 2020
Languages
- Vue 86.3%
- JavaScript 12.5%
- HTML 0.4%
- Other 0.8%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 22, 2026.
Website at a glance
piped.video
C score 55
Basic website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested 2d ago
Inspect this site yourself
Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.
Piped alternatives
LibRedirect Automatically redirects requests from popular websites to alternative and privacy friendly frontends. Uses random instances by default. You can modify this and add custom…
FreeTube 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.
NewPipe NewPipe is a libre Android app for streaming content from YouTube, SoundCloud, PeerTube, Bandcamp, and media.ccc.de without Google Play Services, accounts, or ads. It stores subscriptions and playlists locally and is available on F-Droid.
LibreTube LibreTube is an open-source Android YouTube client that routes requests through the Piped API instead of Google directly. It supports SponsorBlock, ReturnYouTubeDislike, DeArrow, subscriptions, playlists, and background playback, with a Material 3 interface.
Invidious Desktop: FreeTube . For Windows, Mac and Linux.
libremdb All requests go through the backend; client never talks to IMDb. List of Instances .
Piped 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.
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