There are definitely better front-end alternatives to YouTube. But… they contribute nothing to the people who make the content that you want to use those front-ends for. I pay for YouTube premium, but I still sometimes use other methods for consuming it. So, take this for what it’s worth: by all means, use the free alternatives, etc. But the whole “don’t pay for it if it is free” is shortsighted.
It is when a free alternative which offers more features and is easier to set up exists.
There are definitely better front-end alternatives to YouTube. But… they contribute nothing to the people who make the content that you want to use those front-ends for. I pay for YouTube premium, but I still sometimes use other methods for consuming it. So, take this for what it’s worth: by all means, use the free alternatives, etc. But the whole “don’t pay for it if it is free” is shortsighted.