YouTube ReVanced vs YouTube Vanced: Complete Comparison Guide 2025

The End of an Era: Vanced's March 2022 Shutdown

On March 13, 2022, the YouTube Vanced project came to an unexpected end when the team received a cease and desist letter from Google. After serving millions of users for several years, Vanced was forced to shut down due to trademark concerns and Google's objection to the project's branding approach.

What Led to Vanced's Legal Issues?

The primary issue wasn't the functionality itself, but rather how Vanced presented itself. The project used YouTube's official branding, accepted donations, and distributed ready-to-install APK files that directly competed with YouTube Premium. This created a legal vulnerability that Google eventually acted upon.

Specific Legal Concerns:

• Use of "YouTube" in the project name and branding
• Distribution of modified YouTube APKs with Google's code
• Accepting donations while using copyrighted materials
• Direct competition with YouTube Premium subscriptions

ReVanced's Different Approach

When ReVanced emerged in mid-2022, the development team learned from Vanced's mistakes. Instead of distributing pre-built APKs, ReVanced provides patches that users apply to their own legally obtained YouTube APK files. This approach sidesteps many of the legal issues that plagued Vanced.

Technical Differences: Patches vs. Pre-built APKs

Real-World Performance Differences

1. Active Development and Updates

Based on testing with both applications on various Android devices, ReVanced shows notable improvements in several areas. The most significant difference is update frequency - while the last Vanced update was version 17.03.38 in March 2022, ReVanced consistently releases patches following YouTube updates, with recent versions supporting YouTube 19.46.42 and newer.

Memory Usage and Performance

Testing on mid-range Android devices reveals that ReVanced's patch-based approach results in lower memory overhead compared to Vanced's hardcoded modifications. ReVanced typically uses 15-20MB less RAM during video playback, which is particularly noticeable on devices with 4GB RAM or less.

Ad Blocking Effectiveness

While both block standard video ads effectively, ReVanced's dynamic patching system adapts better to YouTube's anti-adblock measures. When YouTube introduced server-side ad injection in late 2023, ReVanced patches were updated within days, while Vanced users had no recourse.

Feature Availability Differences

ReVanced includes Return YouTube Dislike integration, which Vanced never supported. This feature retrieves dislike data from the Return YouTube Dislike API, showing dislike counts that YouTube removed in November 2021. Additionally, ReVanced supports newer YouTube features like Shorts customization and ambient mode tweaks.

Installation Process Comparison

Vanced Installation (Historical)

Vanced used a centralized manager app that downloaded pre-built APK files from their servers. The process was straightforward but created a single point of failure and legal vulnerability.

ReVanced Installation Process

ReVanced Manager downloads the original YouTube APK from APKMirror or users can provide their own, then applies selected patches locally on the device. This approach means no modified APKs are distributed, and users maintain control over which features to enable.

Current Status and Development Activity

Vanced's Final State

The last functional Vanced version (17.03.38) stopped working reliably by late 2022 due to YouTube API changes. Many users experienced playback issues, login problems, and missing content as YouTube's backend evolved beyond Vanced's capabilities.

ReVanced's Active Development

ReVanced maintains active development with regular patch releases. Recent updates in September 2025 included fixes for YouTube's server-side ad detection and improvements to SponsorBlock integration. The project's GitHub repository shows consistent commit activity and community contributions.

Why Migration from Vanced Became Necessary

No Android 13/14 optimizations

Occasional crashes and stability issues

YouTube ReVanced Advantages

• Compatible with latest YouTube versions
• Optimized for modern Android versions
• Regular compatibility updates
• Improved stability and performance

Migration Guide: From Vanced to ReVanced

Step 1: Backup Vanced Data (Optional)

Export your subscriptions and playlists from YouTube Vanced to avoid losing your data during the transition to ReVanced.

Step 2: Uninstall YouTube Vanced

Remove YouTube Vanced and Vanced MicroG from your device to prevent conflicts with ReVanced installation.

Step 3: Install ReVanced

Download ReVanced Manager and follow our complete installation guide to set up YouTube ReVanced on your device.

Step 4: Restore Data and Configure

Sign in to your Google account, restore subscriptions, and configure ReVanced settings according to your preferences.

Common Questions: ReVanced vs Vanced

Is ReVanced as good as Vanced?

YouTube ReVanced is not just as good as Vanced - it's significantly better. ReVanced offers all Vanced features plus additional improvements, active development, security updates, and new features like Return YouTube Dislike.

Can I still use YouTube Vanced?

While existing Vanced installations may still work, we strongly recommend switching to ReVanced. Vanced lacks security updates and may stop working as YouTube makes API changes.

Is ReVanced safer than Vanced?

Yes, ReVanced is significantly safer due to active development, regular security updates, open-source transparency, and modern security practices that outdated Vanced installations can't provide.

Conclusion: ReVanced is the Clear Winner

While YouTube Vanced was groundbreaking in its time, YouTube ReVanced represents the evolution of YouTube alternatives. With active development, enhanced security, new features, and regular updates, ReVanced is unquestionably the superior choice for anyone seeking an ad-free YouTube experience in 2025.

The choice between ReVanced vs Vanced is clear: ReVanced offers everything Vanced provided and much more, with the added benefits of ongoing support and future-proofing. Make the switch to YouTube ReVanced today and experience the best YouTube alternative available.