YouTube is an essential part of everyday online life. Here we watch news, tutorials, vlogs, reviews, and live streams — but increasingly, there are… ads. And not only at the beginning of a video. In the middle, after a few minutes, before the end — even while watching YouTube Shorts. Not to mention sponsored segments in the videos themselves. No wonder many of you write to us and look for a way to get rid of them.
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An official solution exists, but it’s not free
One of the cleanest options is the official YouTube Premium, which removes all ads (including banners) and also unlocks YouTube Music, background playback, and offline downloads. But in Slovakia, its price is rather high — €7.99 per month for an individual subscription, €4.99 in student mode, and €15.99 for a family plan for up to 5 people.
In a time when videos are literally packed with sponsored links, many people simply don’t want to pay another monthly fee just to watch uninterrupted.
On desktop, the situation is a lot easier — most users can get by with an extension like uBlock Origin, which handles YouTube ads without any problems.
But on mobile it’s a different story — especially if you use the official YouTube app. It doesn’t allow any kind of ad blocking, and if you’re not willing to pay for Premium, tough luck.
Here are our recommendations—we tested the 4 apps
That’s why we decided to bring you an overview of the best alternative apps for YouTube without ads — available mainly for Android, but with one tip for desktop as well. For testing, we picked the most commonly recommended options from the community: NewPipe, CleanTube, FreeTube and ReVanced. Each of these apps has its own specifics, pros, and cons.
Some work completely without a Google account, others offer the ability to comment and view watch history, and some are designed specifically for desktop. In the article, we’ll introduce them, compare their features, and at the end tell you which one we think is currently the best choice for you.
Table of contents:
- NewPipe: Ad-free and without a Google account
- CleanTube: Straight from Google Play, but with limitations
- FreeTube: A convenient solution for private YouTube viewing on desktop
- YouTube ReVanced: The ultimate ad-free client with premium features
- Conclusion: Which app is best for you?
NewPipe: Ad-free and without a Google account
If you care most about maximum simplicity, privacy, and light usage, the NewPipe app is definitely one of the most interesting ways to enjoy YouTube (and more) without ads. Its main philosophy is to offer users a clean, lightweight experience without tracking, ad trackers, and unnecessary extras — completely free and with no connection to Google.
NewPipe is an open-source app that you can download as a .apk file either from their official website or via the F-Droid platform, where you’ll find several community-driven and free apps. Installation is easy — just enable downloading and installing from unknown sources in your mobile browser, and you’re ready to go.
The app is extremely data- and battery-friendly, launches quickly, and thanks to that it also runs on weaker devices. Besides YouTube, it supports other platforms too, such as PeerTube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, and media.ccc.de, making it a more universal tool for watching and listening to content without ads.
The interface won’t wow you
The NewPipe user interface is functional, but its look is reminiscent of older Android versions — simply put, design isn’t its strong suit. There’s no option to log in to a Google account, which means you don’t have access to your subscriptions, history, or playlists from your official profile.
Instead, you can create your own subscription groups and manage your favorite channels directly in the app. You can view comments, but without logging in you can’t comment or reply.
On the other hand, NewPipe supports background playback, which you’ll appreciate especially when listening to music or podcasts. It also works in a popup window (popup mode), and you’ll find a basic playback history here too, as well as the option to download videos and music directly to your device.
Quality for the sake of simplicity
If you’re looking for an app that you can simply install and instantly use to get YouTube without ads and without needing to sign in, NewPipe is a very solid choice.
Another plus is the developer community, which keeps improving and maintaining the app. Still, don’t expect miracles — this is a minimalist tool with limited functionality and a design from the last decade.
Overall rating: 7/10
CleanTube: Straight from Google Play, but with limitations
If you’re looking for a YouTube app without ads that you can install directly from Google Play without needing to download .apk files and mess with your phone settings, CleanTube may seem like the ideal choice at first glance. And indeed, the fact that the app works without ads while also being available in the official Google store is in a way surprising — and interesting at the same time.
Login and comments, but an old interface and a clumsy player
CleanTube lets you log in to your Google account, which automatically syncs your history, subscriptions, and playlists. That gives you all the content you’re used to having at hand. The app also shows comments under videos, and if you’re logged in, you can comment directly too — a big plus compared to some other alternatives.
However, the issue comes with the actual user experience. The app interface is extremely outdated, and in places it feels like a web browser from the Android 4.4 era. Also, background playback is available, but it doesn’t work with the Android media widget—so you don’t get the classic playback controls in the notification panel. That’s a huge downside, especially for those who like to multitask.
The app can skip ads, but it often happens that playback stutters or responds slowly. Overall smoothness and user comfort are well below average. As for features, CleanTube also offers video popup mode — in a pop-up window — which is practical, but even this feature isn’t entirely bug-free. The easy installation and account login are nice, but unfortunately that’s where the list of positives ends.
If you’re looking for a YouTube app without ads that runs stably and offers a modern interface, CleanTube will probably disappoint you. Its biggest advantage is being on Google Play and the ability to log in, but in terms of functionality it’s currently the weakest link in our comparison.
Overall rating: 5/10
FreeTube: A convenient solution for private YouTube viewing on desktop
If you’re a fan of watching videos on your computer, but at the same time you’re bothered by constant tracking of your habits, ad algorithms, and dependence on a Google account, FreeTube could be exactly what you’re looking for.
This open-source app for Windows, macOS and Linux offers a clean interface with no distractions and a strong focus on maximum privacy. We also wrote a separate article about FreeTube some time ago.
No ads, no tracking, and your own archive
FreeTube works as a desktop YouTube client that doesn’t use the official YouTube API services, but instead pulls data through scraping technology or the Invidious API. That means your viewing is completely offline – no syncing, no data uploads, no tracking.
All your favorite channels, watch history, and created playlists are stored locally. No login is needed, and you can still easily build your own content feed.
The app doesn’t allow you to sign in to a Google account, but channel subscriptions work locally, so you can mark favorite channels directly in the app and sort them by topics or categories.
Comments are shown, but without signing in to Google you can’t add them — which is understandable given the project’s philosophy. As a desktop app, FreeTube has the advantage that background video playback is a given and works reliably.
Ideal for privacy, but only for a computer
We tested FreeTube in an Ubuntu environment on a Chromebook, where it ran smoothly, reliably, and without any need for complicated configuration. The whole interface is clear, clean, and modern — definitely not a dated UI that would put you off.
On the contrary, its minimalist style and clutter-free functionality make FreeTube a very appealing desktop alternative. It’s important to realize, though, that this is strictly a computer solution, so for mobile devices you’ll need to turn to other alternatives.
If all you want is ad blocking without major compromises, on desktop it may make more sense to use the regular YouTube in a web browser with an installed adblocker.
You’ll get a more modern interface, quicker access to all services, and convenient integration with your Google account. FreeTube is therefore mainly for those who want to keep their YouTube under maximum control – without tracking and without compromising privacy.
Overall rating: 8/10
YouTube ReVanced: The ultimate ad-free client with premium features
If you’ve been looking for an app that not only blocks YouTube ads but also offers a full-featured interface with extra functions, YouTube ReVanced is probably your holy grail.
It’s not a classic app you download from Google Play or F-Droid, but the result of a community project that “patches” the official YouTube app and turns it into something much better – no ads, background playback, popup window mode, and even automatic sponsor skipping.
ReVanced is the open-source successor to the well-known Vanced project, which Google shut down. It’s not a standalone app, but a modified (patched) version of the original YouTube app.
The whole process works like this: you download ReVanced Manager – an app that serves as a patching tool. Then you also download the recommended version of the official YouTube APK (for example, the latest 20.12.46) and “fix” it using the manager. The result is a modified version of YouTube with added features and no ads.
For non-root devices, you also need to install the ReVanced MicroG (GmsCore) app, which lets you sign in to your Google account. Installation takes a few minutes, but we recommend following the official guide—it’s detailed and works without any issues.
A premium interface with features that YouTube Premium can only dream of.
As soon as you launch the app, you’ll be greeted by the familiar YouTube interface—in the good sense. It’s almost identical to the original, but in the background it runs a much smarter engine. After signing in via GmsCore, you get access to all your history, subscriptions, and comments, and the app works exactly like the official version.
But that’s just the beginning. In addition to reliable ad blocking, ReVanced also offers:
- background playback that works the same way (including the media widget in the notification bar)
- a popup window that you can move anywhere you want,
- automatic skipping of video intros or sponsored segments, which works insanely well—similar to intro-skip on Netflix.
And all of it is configurable. In the settings, you can adjust playback, quality selection, subtitles, animations, and more details to fit your preferences. In this respect, it’s the most comprehensive solution for every demanding viewer.
ReVanced is definitely not for complete beginners—the installation takes a bit of time, knowledge, and willingness to work with .apk files outside of Google Play. But if you can get past that hurdle, you’ll get YouTube that even beats the official Premium subscription.
Overall, it’s the best ad-free YouTube watching app we’ve tested. The modern design, lots of smart features, and the focus on privacy and control make ReVanced the clear favorite for anyone who takes YouTube seriously.
Overall rating: 9.5/10
Conclusion: Which app is the right one for you?
Each of the tested apps has something to offer. NewPipe stands out for its simplicity and anonymity, CleanTube runs directly from Google Play, FreeTube is ideal for desktop users who want privacy, and ReVanced is the clear king. With the richest feature set and design like the official YouTube—just without the annoying ads.
If you just want quick access to YouTube videos without ads on your smartphone, you can’t go wrong with NewPipe. But if you’re looking for the best experience with advanced options, ReVanced is the clear choice.
Did you like this guide? We’ve got another one, where we’ll show you how to make your old Android smartphone faster!
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