The best free place to host video when you want people to find it, but you trade control: YouTube can run ads on your videos and its player keeps viewers inside YouTube.
What it is
YouTube hosts video for free with no storage or bandwidth limits, search and recommendation reach, live streaming, Shorts, captions, chapters and channel analytics in YouTube Studio. Videos can be public, unlisted or private (private videos are shared with specific Google accounts), and embeds can use privacy-enhanced mode. By default uploads can be up to 15 minutes; verified accounts can upload up to 256 GB or 12 hours per video. Creators share ad revenue through the YouTube Partner Program once the channel meets its eligibility thresholds. YouTube's help center says it may also place ads on videos from channels that are not in the Partner Program. Checked November 13, 2026 on YouTube Help.
Best for
- Public video where discovery matters
- Creators building an audience
- Free hosting of tutorials and product videos
What we like
- Free, with no storage or bandwidth limits
- Search and recommendation reach no paid host can match
- Live streaming, Shorts, captions and chapters built in
- Ad revenue sharing through the Partner Program
What to watch
- YouTube may run ads on your videos even if you are not in the Partner Program
- Embedded player shows YouTube branding and suggests more videos, pulling viewers off your site
- No in-player lead forms, CTAs or per-viewer analytics for marketing
- Private sharing needs viewers' Google accounts; Content ID claims can block or monetize videos
Where YouTube ranks
Alternatives and head-to-heads
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