Feedvault
Manifesto

YouTube without the algorithm.

Your subscriptions are a list you chose. Treat them like one.

YouTube's Subscriptions tab already lists subscribed uploads most recent. Feedvault is for people who want those channels grouped by topic, with likely Shorts filtered from a separate Feed.

Create your account The argument
The thesis

YouTube is useful. Recommendations are a separate choice.

YouTube hosts lectures, tutorials, talks, demonstrations, recipes, and repair guides alongside Shorts and entertainment. Which formats help you depends on what you came to watch.

Recommendations on Home and Up Next can help with discovery, but can distract when you only want to catch up with channels you chose. YouTube describes those as recommendation surfaces.

YouTube says its Subscriptions tab already lists subscribed uploads by most recent. That is useful for catching up, but it does not group channels by topic or filter likely Shorts from your own viewing list.

If you prefer a separate way to choose videos, use a Feed with the controls you need. Feedvault groups channels and filters likely Shorts in its own interface; opening a video still takes you to YouTube.

Four control points

What "YouTube without the algorithm" actually means

These are four separate controls. YouTube Subscriptions already lists recent uploads; Feedvault adds topic groups and likely-Shorts filtering within its Feeds. Cleaning up YouTube's watch page requires a separate control.

1. Chronological order

Videos sorted by publish date — newest first, oldest last. YouTube Subscriptions is recent-first too; Feedvault offers the same basic ordering within separate topic Feeds.

2. Only channels you chose

Nothing seeded in. No "based on your watch history." No surprise creators slipped into the feed because the algorithm thinks you'll engage. The set is closed and you control it.

3. Decide how to handle Shorts

Feedvault filters likely Shorts from its Feeds using duration and aspect ratio. It excludes videos up to 120 seconds; for 121–180 seconds, square, vertical, or unknown aspect ratios are excluded while known landscape videos can appear. Unknown durations stay hidden pending metadata. This is not a perfect Shorts label, and YouTube's own pages are unchanged.

4. No recommendations sidebar

Feedvault's Feed has no "Up Next" sidebar or autoplay. Clicking a video opens youtube.com, where YouTube's normal recommendations and autoplay controls apply; an extension can handle that surface.

Choose your surface

Different surfaces, different controls

The important distinction is where a control applies. No single setting below changes every part of YouTube.

YouTube Subscriptions

Shows recent uploads from channels you follow. YouTube describes the list as most-recent-first; it is not the same as Home recommendations.

Home, Up Next, and the Shorts player

These are recommendation surfaces. "Not interested" feedback can tune suggestions, but it is not a sitewide Shorts filter.

Feedvault Feeds

A separate recent-first list that groups chosen channels by topic and filters likely Shorts using duration and aspect ratio. It does not change YouTube's own interface.

What we built

Feedvault adds topic groups and likely-Shorts filtering to a recent-first feed

We did not try to change YouTube's interface. We built a parallel web surface for choosing what to watch: selected channels grouped into Feeds and ordered by publish date. Feedvault filters likely Shorts inside its Feeds, but YouTube's watch page remains outside Feedvault.

Channels go into Feeds. Feeds are chronological, and each Feed gets an emoji icon. The Feed filters likely Shorts using duration and aspect ratio; it does not alter YouTube itself.

Standout videos go into Studies — collections of individual saved videos with free-text notes. Your research notebook for YouTube. Save by URL, save by clicking the save icon on a video card in a Feed, write a note, move on.

There is no "For You" or "Trending" section inside the Feed. There is the list of channels you chose and the videos you saved. Publish time determines the Feed order. Opening a video continues on YouTube.

Create your account See Pricing
FAQ

Common questions

Can you actually use YouTube without the algorithm?

You can avoid Home recommendation ranking while choosing what to watch by using a chronological surface such as Feedvault. Feedvault shows uploads from channels you selected in publish-date order. It filters likely Shorts from its own Feeds, while clicking a video still opens YouTube's normal watch page.

What does "YouTube without algorithm" actually mean?

For Feedvault, it means that Feeds contain channels you selected and are ordered by publish date rather than predicted engagement. It does not mean every YouTube feature disappears: its Shorts filter is a heuristic, and YouTube recommendations return when you open a video on youtube.com.

Why does the YouTube algorithm feel worse over time?

YouTube uses recommendations on Home, Up Next, and the Shorts player, while its Subscriptions tab lists subscribed uploads by most recent. Feedvault adds topic groups and likely-Shorts filtering in a separate Feed; it does not change YouTube's own pages.

Is this just for tech people?

No. People following many channels for any reason may want more control over topic groups and formats. YouTube Subscriptions already lists recent uploads; Feedvault adds those extra controls in a separate Feed.

Does Feedvault use machine learning to rank my feed?

No. Feedvault does not use engagement-based ranking. Visible videos from channels you added appear by publish date, newest first.

Can I still find new channels without the algorithm?

Yes — through word of mouth, RSS, podcasts, friends, or YouTube search. Feedvault makes it easy to add channels you find elsewhere by URL or name. What it does not do is shove channels at you.

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