SkipVids vs Invidious
An open-source YouTube frontend with frequent instance downtime.
| Feature | SkipVids | Invidious |
|---|---|---|
| Ad-free viewing | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| SponsorBlock | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Background play (mobile) | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Picture-in-Picture | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Audio-only mode | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Works on iOS | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Works on Android | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Works on desktop | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Works in browser (no install) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Smart TV casting | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Clickbait thumbnail removal | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Dislike count restoration | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Sleep timer | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Chrome extension | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| No tracking / privacy | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Free tier available | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Invidious Pros
- Free and open source
- Self-hostable
- No Google tracking
Invidious Cons
- Public instances frequently go down
- No SponsorBlock built-in
- No background play on mobile
- No picture-in-picture
- No audio-only mode
- No clickbait thumbnail removal
- No sleep timer
- No smart TV casting
Why SkipVids Wins ★
- Always online — no instance roulette
- SponsorBlock auto-skips sponsors
- Background play on mobile
- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Audio-only mode saves data
- Clickbait thumbnail removal
- Sleep timer
- Cast to smart TVs
- Chrome extension for one-click switching
The Verdict
Invidious is a great open-source project, but relying on public instances means frequent downtime. SkipVids is always available and packed with features Invidious doesn't offer.
Try SkipVids Free →
No install. No sign-up required. Works in any browser.