Gorilla is designed to be a simple, safe alternative to YouTube Kids, but it's important to understand its limitations and the tradeoffs you're making by choosing self-hosting over a managed service.
What it means: Gorilla generates a static website at build time, not in real-time.
Limitation: New videos from your selected channels won't appear until you rebuild and redeploy the site.
Workaround: Hit the "Add More Videos" button in Gorilla when you want more.
Workaround: Set up automated rebuilds (daily, weekly, or on-demand) using CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions. This keeps content fresh without manual intervention.
What it means: YouTube provides 10,000 quota units per day on the free tier.
Limitation: If you exceed this limit (e.g., by adding 100+ channels or rebuilding many times per day), you'll hit API rate limits or incur costs.
Workaround: Most families use 10-30 channels and rebuild infrequently, staying well within limits. If needed, you can request a quota increase from Google.
What it means: Children can only watch videos from channels you've pre-approved.
Limitation: They can't search for new content or discover new creators on their own.
This is by design: Gorilla prioritizes safety and control over discovery. If your child wants a new channel, you add it during the next rebuild.
What it means: Videos are embedded from YouTube using their player.
Limitation: If YouTube removes or restricts a video, it won't play in Gorilla. You're subject to YouTube's availability and policies. You still need an Internet connection. It's a website, after all.
Tradeoff: The alternative (downloading videos) would require significant storage and violate YouTube's Terms of Service.
What it means: The countdown timer runs in the browser using JavaScript and localStorage.
Limitation: A tech-savvy child could potentially bypass the timer by clearing browser storage or using developer tools.
Workaround: For younger children, this isn't an issue. For older kids, you can use browser restrictions or parental control software as an additional layer.
What it means: Gorilla displays videos only—no comments, likes, or social interactions.
Limitation: Children can't see or participate in community discussions.
This is by design: Removing social features reduces exposure to inappropriate comments and online interactions.
What it means: By default, users can only start and stop videos. Users can tab to the disabled video player controls and still do things like click the channel link or adjust settings.
Limitation: More controls means more ways your kids might break out of your microsite.
Tradeoff: The expectation is that most users will be on iPads, so the keyboard is harder to bring up.
What it means: YouTube's embedded player behaves differently depending on the device, browser, and even the specific video being played.
Limitation: YouTube really wants users to enter their ecosystem. Despite Gorilla's best efforts to limit interactions, some clicks or taps may still break users out to the YouTube app or website. We even overlay the toolbars on the embedded videos so the common pathways are removed. The viewing experience can vary based on factors outside of Gorilla's control.
Workaround: Encourage your kids to use your Gorilla site exclusively. Delete the YouTube apps from their devices, use browser restrictions, and gently reinforce the rules about staying within your curated site. Parental guidance remains the most effective safeguard.
Tradeoff: Unlike YouTube Kids, there's no one else maintaining the service for you.
You're responsible for deploying, updating, and troubleshooting your Gorilla instance. The documentation helps, but you need basic technical skills.
Tradeoff: You must manually select and add channels—there's no algorithm to suggest content.
This requires more upfront work but gives you complete control. You know exactly what your children can watch.
Psst...this is a feature!
Tradeoff: Initial setup takes about 30 minutes vs. instant with YouTube Kids.
You need to create accounts, configure API keys, select channels, and deploy. It's not difficult, but it takes time.
On the contrary, I have lost track of the number of times my kids have asked me to add something to YouTube Kids, which requires me to remember how to get into their secret login mode, enter my very long Google Account password, only to find that the creator they are looking for is not available.
Tradeoff: Videos stream from YouTube—no offline viewing.
Unlike some apps that allow downloads, Gorilla requires an active internet connection to play videos. This keeps storage requirements minimal but limits offline use.
Tradeoff: While Gorilla is free, you may eventually outgrow free hosting tiers.
Most families stay within free limits (Netlify: 100GB/month bandwidth). Heavy users may need to upgrade (~$10-20/month).
Despite these limitations, Gorilla excels at what it's designed for:
You choose every channel. No algorithms, no surprises, no inappropriate content slipping through.
Your children's viewing habits stay with you. No data collection, no third-party analytics (aside from Google).
Screen time management included. Set limits, enforce boundaries, no extra software needed.
Free or near-free to run. No subscriptions, no monthly fees, no surprise charges.
Gorilla is a great choice if you:
Gorilla may not be ideal if you:
If you understand the limitations and tradeoffs, let's move forward with setting up Gorilla!