PeerTube vs Tube
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
PeerTube
Decentralized federated video hosting with P2P streaming
VS
Tube
Youtube-like, video Sharing App
| Feature | PeerTube | Tube |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,331 | — |
| First released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Replaces | YouTube, Vimeo | Dailymotion, Vimeo, YouTube |
What are PeerTube and Tube?
PeerTube
PeerTube is a free, decentralized video hosting platform built on ActivityPub and WebTorrent. Instances can federate with each other, and peer-to-peer streaming reduces bandwidth load on the server.
- ActivityPub federation
- P2P WebTorrent streaming
- Live streaming support
- Plugin system
Tube
Youtube-like, video Sharing App.
PeerTube vs Tube: key differences
Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for PeerTube versus MIT for Tube. Tube is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for PeerTube. PeerTube is the more established project (first released 2018), while Tube arrived in 2023. PeerTube lists first-class Docker deployment; Tube does not.
Why pick each one
Choose PeerTube if…
- Reduces bandwidth via P2P
- Federates with the Fediverse
Watch out for
- Complex installation
- Requires significant resources
Choose Tube if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is PeerTube or Tube better?
Neither is universally better. PeerTube has the larger community, while Tube is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are PeerTube and Tube free and open-source?
Yes. PeerTube is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tube under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PeerTube and Tube with Docker?
PeerTube: yes. Tube: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, PeerTube or Tube?
Tube has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for PeerTube. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.