With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms for sharing photos, videos, and other multimedia content. YouTube, owned by Google, is the undisputed king of online video, with over 2 billion logged-in monthly users. So how do these two stack up against each other when it comes to video? Let’s take a look at the key differences between Facebook video and YouTube.
Video length
One of the biggest differences between Facebook and YouTube is the length of videos that can be uploaded. On Facebook, videos can be up to 4 hours long. However, videos longer than 20 minutes may be broken up into smaller segments. YouTube has no time limit for videos, supportulting in videos that can be many hours long without being broken up.
For most casual video creators, Facebook’s time limit is not restrictive. However, YouTubers who create very long-form content like gameplay videos, podcasts, and documentaries may find YouTube more accommodating. YouTube is better optimized for long videos while Facebook works better for shorter clips meant for quick social sharing.
Video formats
Facebook supports the MP4 and MOV video formats, which are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. YouTube supports MP4, MPEG, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV and 3GP formats, giving it the edge in video format flexibility. YouTube auto-converts any uploaded video into a format compatible with its platform. Overall, YouTubers have more freedom in the video types they can upload without needing to do format conversion beforehand.
Video quality
Facebook compresses and processes videos uploaded to its platform for optimized delivery and streaming. As a result, there is often a decline in video quality compared to the original. YouTube offers higher quality streaming of uploaded videos across resolutions like 720p and 1080p. Professional YouTubers and creators who care deeply about video quality tend to favor YouTube over Facebook.
User base
Both Facebook and YouTube have over 2 billion monthly active users, makulting them highly attractive platforms for sharing content. However, the demographics of the two user bases differ slightly:
- Facebook skews slightly older, with over 40% of its users aged 35 or older.
- YouTube has more teenagers and young adults, with around 60% aged between 18-49.
- YouTube also attracts more male users – over 60% compared to 44% on Facebook.
For creators targeting younger audiences, YouTube may be more effective. Traditional media companies and brands wanting to engage older consumers may prefer Facebook.
Content type
The types of videos commonly uploaded to Facebook and YouTube also vary:
- YouTube has more scripted content like vlogs, tutorials, reviews, lets play videos, and independent films/shorts.
- Facebook leans towards unscripted “in the moment” videos like live streams, stories, and short clips of everyday life.
YouTube’s platform is better optimized for hosting a back catalog of high-quality, evergreen videos. Facebook is about sharing candid videos that capture authentic moments as they happen. These tendencies influence the presentation style and production quality of videos on each platform.
Community
Both YouTube and Facebook enable video creators to build engaged communities around their content. However, there are some platform differences in community-building features:
- YouTube has built-in tools like Community posts and Community tab for creators to engage with subscribers.
- Facebook offers Groups which video publishers can use to interact with their audience.
- YouTube facilitates communication between creators and viewers through video comments.
- Facebook enables conversations around videos through News Feed comments.
While community-building is possible on both, content creators often gravitate towards one platform over the other based on the nature of their content and target audience. YouTube may be better for niche content creators to cultivate a tight-knit community, while Facebook enables community interactions as part of broader social experience.
Copyright rules
YouTube and Facebook both use a mix of automated systems and human reviewers to identify copyright violations in uploaded videos. However, YouTube’s copyright rules tend to be more stringent:
- YouTube may place ads on monetized videos that contain copyrighted content, with revenue going to the copyright holder.
- Facebook takes down videos that infringe copyright, but may not directly monetize them for the copyright owner.
- YouTube has tools for copyright owners to claim ad revenue on videos that use their content.
- Repeated copyright strikes can lead to channel termination on YouTube but not necessarily on Facebook.
For creators who rely heavily on copyrighted materials like movie clips and songs, Facebook offers more flexibility. YouTube requires strict adherence to copyright rules in order for channels to stay in good standing.
Content monetization
In terms of making money from videos, both YouTube and Facebook offer varied monetization options:
- YouTube’s Partner Program lets creators monetize videos through ads, with a substantial portion of revenue share.
- Facebook offers in-stream ads for Pages and the ability to use fan subscriptions or badge commissions.
- Sponsorships and affiliate marketing are additional earning avenues on both platforms.
- YouTube channels must have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours for monetization access. Facebook has no thresholds.
- YouTube provides robust analytics on earnings, RPM, CPM and other metrics. Facebook has limited monetization analytics.
For video creators focused on making direct income from their content, YouTube’s monetization program is far more developed compared to Facebook’s options. However, Facebook enables more creators to start earning from day one without complex eligibility criteria.
Live streaming
Both Facebook and YouTube offer robust platforms for live streaming content to engaged audiences in real time:
- Facebook Live is tightly integrated with the broader Facebook platform, makulting going live incredibly easy.
- YouTube Live provides live streaming capabilities directly on YouTube channels and is optimized for long-form broadcasts.
- Facebook Live videos can later be downloaded and reused as native videos on a Page or Profile.
- YouTube Live videos are seamlessly saved on the channel for viewers to replay after a stream ends.
- Facebook Live supports interactive features like adding reactions and joining a stream in progress.
- YouTube Live has integrated Super Chats for fans to pay to pin comments during a live stream.
For social media influencers who want to easily broadcast quick live streams natively on their social platforms, Facebook Live is the better choice. YouTubers who want to create produced, episodic live shows are likely better served by YouTube Live’s feature-set.
Discoverability
When it comes to having their videos found by new viewers, YouTube and Facebook take different approaches:
- YouTube relies heavily on its search and recommendation engines to suggest relevant videos to users.
- Facebook video mostly surfaces through the News Feed algorithm and across users’ social graph.
- Effective SEO through titles, descriptions, tags and captions is critical for being discoverable on YouTube.
- Generating engagement and reactions helps surface Facebook videos beyond just followers.
- YouTube provides suggested top-performing search keywords to optimize video metadata.
- Facebook offers limited data on what text causes a video to be searchable.
In general, YouTube makes it easier to understand how to increase a video’s visibility and impressions through search. Facebook discoverability depends more on less controllable social sharing and News Feed placement.
Analytics
YouTube and Facebook both provide video creators with insights into their content’s performance. However, YouTube offers much more robust analytics:
- YouTube Analytics shows views, comments, shares, demographics, traffic sources, search performance, and revenue data.
- Facebook Insights for videos focuses mainly on views, shares, comments and basic demographic info.
- YouTube Analytics has graphs and metrics for comparing video, playlist and channel performance over time.
- Facebook has very minimal analytics for tracking video metrics over time.
- YouTube enables exporting detailed Analytics data to Excel for further analysis.
- Facebook Insights does not support data exports.
For serious video creators looking to grow their audience and finetune their content approach, YouTube provides far richer analytics resources compared to Facebook.
Creator support
YouTube and Facebook offer content creators various forms of support resources and programs:
- YouTube provides a Creator Academy with video courses on content strategy and platform best practices.
- Facebook offers a variety of training programs and resources through its Blueprint website.
- YouTube has a Partner Managers program that provides one-on-one help to top creators.
- Facebook provides direct support to Pages through a dedicated Representatives program.
- YouTube Space locations around the world give qualified creators access to production facilities.
- Facebook does not currently offer any physical creative spaces.
When it comes to learning how to build and monetize a channel, YouTube has traditionally invested more in creator support resources compared to Facebook. However, Facebook is catching up through recent programs like the Facebook Creator Studio.
Overall experience
For video creators trying to choose between YouTube and Facebook, some key points on the overall experience of each platform:
- YouTube is designed exclusively for hosting and sharing videos, so the entire experience is video-centric.
- Facebook is built as a social platform where video is still secondary to News Feed, Stories, Groups and other content.
- Most successful YouTubers treat video creation and uploading as their primary activity.
- On Facebook, video is just one of many types of content used by influencers and brands.
- YouTube culture is rooted in creators “broadcasting” polished content to engaged “subscribers.”
- Facebook culture emphasizes friends and family sharing candid video updates as part of broader socializing.
The culture and overall vibe of each platform stems from these different approaches to video. Aspiring YouTubers should consider YouTube the place to build a personal broadcasting channel. Facebook is better for video dabblers using video to enhance their social platform presence.
Verdict: YouTube vs. Facebook video
When comparing YouTube vs. Facebook on core video hosting metrics like video length limits, formats, quality, monetization, analytics, and creator support, YouTube comes out ahead. The platform is simply better optimized for serving a wide variety of high-quality, long-form video content. YouTubers have access to robust tools for optimizing videos, measuring performance, and makulting money from their channels.
However, Facebook holds its own when it comes to quick social sharing of more raw, unscripted video content. The real-time, conversational nature of Facebook lends itself well to uploading short clips to instantly share moments with friends. For influencers already active on Facebook, it makes sense to also leverage video capabilities as part of their social media strategy.
In most cases, the best option is for video creators to leverage both platforms:
- Maintain a highly-optimized YouTube channel with evergreen content that builds a loyal audience.
- Repurpose top-performing YouTube videos on Facebook to increase reach and engagement.
- Use Facebook Live to give followers candid, behind-the-scenes looks that feel native to the platform.
Instead of treating YouTube and Facebook as an either/or choice, using both platforms synergistically gives video creators the best opportunity to grow their brand and following.
FAQ comparison
What are the video length limits on Facebook vs. YouTube?
Facebook allows videos up to 4 hours long but may break up videos longer than 20 minutes into segments. YouTube has no time limit for video uploads and seamlessly supports videos of any length.
What video file formats work on Facebook vs. YouTube?
Facebook supports MP4 and MOV formats. YouTube supports MP4 along with MPEG, AVI, WMV, FLV, and 3GP formats.
Does video quality degrade on Facebook vs. YouTube?
Yes, Facebook compresses and processes videos in ways that can decrease visual quality compared to the original. YouTube provides higher quality streaming across resolutions like 720p and 1080p.
Who uses Facebook vs. YouTube more?
Facebook skews slightly older with more users over 35. YouTube is more popular with teens and younger adults. YouTube also has more male users compared to Facebook.
What types of videos are most common on each platform?
YouTube has more scripted vlogs, tutorials and independent films. Facebook trends towards candid, raw videos capturing everyday moments and live streams.
Which is better for building an audience community?
YouTube provides built-in community features like Community posts and subscriber communication. Facebook enables community interaction through Groups tied to video Pages.
What are the copyright rules for each platform?
YouTube has stricter copyright rules and penalties for violations. Facebook is more flexible with sharing copyrighted materials but may still take down videos if the owner objects.
How do creators make money on each platform?
YouTube offers robust ad revenue sharing through its Partner Program. Facebook provides more limited monetization through ads and user subscriptions.
Which platform has better analytics?
YouTube Analytics offers much more detailed performance data with metrics on views, traffic, demographics, and revenue. Facebook Insights provides high-level engagement stats only.
What creator support resources are offered?
YouTube provides Creator Academy courses plus one-on-one help for top creators. Facebook offers online training through Blueprint as well as direct support via Pages.
The verdict
While Facebook offers a path for social media influencers to tap into video, YouTube remains the premier destination for creators focused on building a dedicated video content channel. The culture, features, and overall experience of YouTube are tailored specifically to serve the needs of serious video publishers looking to maximize their audience and monetization.