We know that YouTube has many videos which deliver wonderful visual experiences & high-quality contents, but how to download YouTube videos offline remains a problem as YouTube does not provide a straightforward download passage. So here in this article, I have handpicked 15 best YouTube video downloader software, both free and paid tools are included. If you are ready, let’s talk about them one by one.
- VideoHunter Pricing: Free trial of 15 days for starter. Free version of unlimited days for registered users. $9.95/month for 1 device. $29.95/year for 2 devices. VideoHunter is a video downloader for the Windows and Mac platforms. It will let you download unlimited videos from more than 1000 websites including YouTube.
- Apowersoft Video Downloader for Mac This app lets you convert videos to other file formats suitable for devices like iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, PSP, Kindle Fire, HTC One, etc. Additionally it lets you download high resolution videos from lots of websites including but not limited to YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook.
Apowersoft Free Video to MP3. Free Video to MP3 is a great site to convert YouTube to MP3 that can instantly grab YouTube video in MP3 format. And it also can grab audio from numerous sites like Veoh, DailyMotion, MySpace, Vevo and many more. An interesting feature of this tool is that it lets users specify desired output formats like MP3, ACC.
Here is the list of 15 best YouTube video download softwarethat still working in 2021.
- 1. Gihosoft TubeGet
- 2. Freemake Video Downloader
- 3. 4K Video Downloader
- 4. YTD Video Downloader
- 5. Kastor All Video Downloader
- 6. Winx YouTube Downloader
- 7. aTube Catcher
- 8. Airy
- 9. ClipGrab
- 10. Clip Converter
- 11. VideoProc
- 12. YouTube By Click
- 13. MassTube
- 14. Softorino YouTube Converter 2
- 15. YouTube Downloader Pro
1. Gihosoft TubeGet
Gihosoft TubeGet is a simple and clean YouTube video download software aiming to download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch & Niconico etc.. For YouTube, it supports to download HD & UHD videos losslessly, such as 1080P, 2K, 4K & 8K resolution, no matter they are in 48/60fps or age-restricted mode. Besides, this downloader can also save all the videos on a playlist or a channel, and the subtitle in the videos can also be extracted at the same time.
TubeGet has both Windows and Mac versions, with a featured one-click-download mode, now you can save YouTube videos to your computer in just one click. It has both free & pro version, the free version allows users to download 5 videos per day. The algorithm of YouTube changes regularly, so Gihosoft TubeGet will upgrade the code accordingly, along with fixing bugs and adding new features. If it shows “failed” when you are parsing a video, update to the latest version as soon as possible.
Pros:
- Support varieties of video websites, such as YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, Vimeo, Niconico & Bilibili etc..
- Download any content in SD and HD format from YouTube, and extract MP3 directly from a video.
- Support to download YouTube built-in, auto-generated & auto-translated subtitle, and the thumbnail can also be grabbed.
2. Freemake Video Downloader
Freemake Video Downloader is born to a video downloader specialist for Windows users, as it’s an all-in-one tool which consists of many useful functions. While downloading, you can also limit the downloading speed to the range you can accept. Moreover, it can transfer videos from YouTube to the cloud once you set Dropbox or Google Drive as your default destination.
Freemake Video Downloader free version has limits, the download speed is limited to 4 MBps, and there is also a watermark at the beginning and the end of video. The logo will go away and the speed will be unlimited if you pay for the premium version. Freemake Video Downloader also develops an one-click download feature, just tap the toggle to set the mode on.
Pros:
- Brief and good-looking interface, meets the basic needs of saving videos from YouTube.
- Provide an one-click downloading mode.
- Support Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista/Server platforms in both 32-bit and 64-bit.
3. 4K Video Downloader
4K Video Downloader is a quite concise and intuitive application without any superfluous function except downloading videos. 4k Video Downloader has a smart mode, once you set it, you can download a video without only one click, guess it will save you a lot of time. Another intriguing feature about 4K video downloader is the multilingual and cross-platform feature, it has Windows, Mac & Linux versions, and supports languages like German, French, Spanish, Japanese and many more.
Most people will consider 4K Video Downloader as a freeware, but it has paid features actually. The paid version allows users to download a YouTube playlist which contains more than 25 videos at a time, or you can subscribe to a YouTube channel to instantly download the latest when the YouTuber upload a new video. But to most people, the free version covers most of what you need.
Pros:
- A smart mode lets users download videos with just one click.
- Support downloading videos in multi-thread.
- Support download YouTube videos as MP4, MKV, MP3, M4A & OGG etc.
4. YTD Video Downloader
To download this videos on you PC, YTD Video Downloader is another good choice. Once you have YTD Video Downloader opened, you will see both the basic version and pro version, and a vivid comparison of them. For the free version, the videos can’t be downloaded at the same time, so you have to sit and wait for a video to be finished until you can do the next one. It’s absolutely a waste of time, but you get what you pay for.
You should keep in mind that if there’s no 1080P option, it means that the highest resolution of the video is lower, and 1080P quality is unavailable for this video. But when it comes to downloading videos in full 1080P HD on PC, YTD can get its job done pretty well – with no extra clicks or any quality loss.
Pros:
- Free to save any video from many hot web sharing sites
- Nice interface and everyone can learn to use it in a few minutes
5. Kastor All Video Downloader
Kastor All Video Downloader must be the most powerful YouTube video download software for Windows 7/8/10 I’ve ever seen, as it has a built-in search engine. You can search for and download any video you like through the tool without even opening the browser. Apart from this, you can preview the video directly before downloading, and it will impress you by its high speed, because it’s no limit.
More than 190 standard websites are available by this software. Besides, Kastor Video Downloader is also compatible with all many adult websites, so it will be a boon for those who want to download and save hot HD videos to MP4 on their own devices. That’s not all, this virus-free application also has a support for plugin, which is totally versatile.
Pros:
- A versatile application with many practical functions combined in it.
- Built-in search engine allows users to search and download directly.
- Preview before download.
6. WinX YouTube Downloader
Speaking of YouTube video downloader tools for PC laptop & desktop users, WinX YouTube Downloader is also one of the best options that can fully satisfy our needs. WinX claims to allow users download videos from 300+ online hosting video sites – including adult sites. The software does what it advertises with simple interface & operation: just copy & paste a YouTube link manually, choose the download resolution and it starts to grab the videos offline.
Different from Gihosoft TubeGet & 4K Video Downloader, WinX has a dynamic analyzer, which helps the software to update the latest code without installing a new package when YouTube algorithm changes. The disadvantage of WinX is that it doesn’t support multi-stream downloads, and can’t save subtitles at the same time.
Pros:
- Support download HD & UHD videos as MP4 even in the free version
- Compatible with many popular video streaming sites
- Simple operation that doesn’t suck
7. aTube Catcher
Watching YouTube videos is really a relax for many people, but taking them offline is another thing. But with the right software, you can easily bypass the restriction and have access to the videos you like, and aTube Catcher is one of them.
aTube Catcher is a virus-free & versatile software that can do a lot of things. Apart from downloading online videos, it can also convert videos to any other popular format you like. Besides, there is a built-in screen recorder in it, with which you can breezily record whatever is happening on your screen.
Pros:
- Support batch download
- Nice screen recorder feature
8. Airy
Airy is one of the safest YouTube video downloader for Windows XP/7/8/10 when it comes to save YouTube HD & UHD videos. All you need to do is copying and pasting the link on the address bar, selecting the ideal video resolution and output location, and you will get the video on your device before long. Airy has both Windows and Mac versions, for more YouTube video downloader for Mac, you can refer to this article: Top 15 YouTube Video Downloader for Mac that Work.
Airy must be a strong advocate of minimalist, as you can tell from its interface. This is an interface without any fluff except the indispensable functions a downloader must have. The bad news about Airy is that the free version can only allow users to download 2 videos to test if it satisfies their needs. If you like it, then you can pay for it, and it gives you the ability to download multiple videos on batch, or download all the videos in a playlist at a time. Anyway, you get what you pay for.
Pros:
- Not contain any virus, malware, even a faint whiff in the air
- Support save playlist videos
- Resume downloads right from where you left it.
9. ClipGrab
Another safe YouTube downloader I’d like to recommend is ClipGrab. ClipGrab is a free software, you have to be careful when installing this app, because it has adware such as Opera browser, try to avoid this. Except this adware, ClipGrab is one of the best video downloader which provides comprehensive YouTube downloading capabilities.
You can directly download YouTube videos with a link copied from YouTube, or you can search for the videos through keywords as it has a built-in browser. And it also has a proxy setting, just input the IP and port, the proxy will be successfully configured. ClipGrab makes it really easy to download not only videos, but also extracts audio from a YouTube video and saves it as MP3 file on your computer.
Pros:
- Allow you to search for YouTube videos from its built-in search bar
- Contain proxy server
- Batch download multiple videos and even resume interrupted downloads
10. Clip Converter
Do you really have to install a desktop software on your computer in order to download YouTube videos? No, an online website would suffice. And Clip Converter is one of them. It’s a web-based application, so you can feel free to utilize it no matter if you are a Windows, Mac, Linux, Android or iOS user, as long as you have a browser.
Clip Converter does exactly what it’s called. It can deal with multiple video resolutions, from 480P to 8K, and it doesn’t require any registration. However, Clip Converter can’t download videos which contain music, especially those videos which have Vevo label, and it doesn’t support to download YouTube 60fps videos in resolution above 1080P. When I try to download a 8K video with 60fps, the size is far smaller than the same video downloaded by Gihosoft TubeGet. The flaws do not detract from the jade’s essential beauty, Clip Converter is still one of the best YouTube downloader in my list.
Pros:
- Compatible with all popular browsers
- Support download YouTube videos in a variety of qualities up to 8K
11. VideoProc
Another piece of safe video downloader for Windows I’d like to introduce is VideoProc, without it the list would be incomplete. VideoProc is an all-in-one software, as it comes with 4 main features: video editor, DVD conversion & backup, video downloader, screen recorder.
Equipped with a powerful video downloader engine, VideoProc has the capability to batch download movies, music, 60fps videos, playlists, closed caption from YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and many other popular video hosting sites, and the resolution can up to 1080P/4K/8K without any hassle.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use yet powerful video downloader for many online video sites.
- Support to download private videos, 4K & 8K videos from YouTube.
- Compatible with all Windows OS such as Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista/Server 2003.
12. YouTube By Click
If you need to download YouTube videos on your old Windows computer, it’s not easy to find the application that compatible with it, and YouTube By Click is one you can’t miss. This software works in both 32-bit and 64-bit platform, it can help you to download videos from a plethora of video sites, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, Dailymotion etc.. As its name suggests, it can download the entire YouTube playlist & channel videos in bulk with just one click at a very fast speed, without the need to choose videos one by one.
The application is available in two versions: A free, feature-limited version and a premium version. The paid version has the ability to download unlimited videos, supports download very long HD & UHD videos (even longer than 1 hour), and extract the subtitles as well if available. Besides, it also has some other features, such as download dozens of videos at the same time, grab the private YouTube & Facebook videos etc..
Pros:
- Support to download entire Instagram pages all at once within 1 click
- Download videos from YouTube in 1080P, 4K and 8K.
- Release a new version regularly to keep it up-to-date
13. MassTube
They are so many videos on YouTube, it’s no surprise that some of those videos may help you a great deal, and you want to take them offline so you can watch without restriction. To download YouTube videos, You can try MassTube without any regret.
MassTube is a lightweight but powerful HD YouTube downloader software, which can quickly rip videos from YouTube. It supports to download YouTube videos in HD 720P, Full HD 1080P, UHD 4K & 8K resolutions, and the video formats can be MP4, WebM, OGG etc.. It’s designed for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 & 10 users, and it’s also Integrated with a history manager.
Pros:
- Compatible with Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 platforms.
- Support to download HD & UHD videos on laptop & desktop
- Download YouTube age-restricted video without login
14. Softorino YouTube Converter 2
With so many HD & compelling videos on YouTube, one must feel a sense of eagerness in heart to keep online YouTube videos offline for playback. To make this eagerness possible, you can try Softorino YouTube Converter 2, a HD portable video download software for Windows & Mac.
Softorino YouTube Converter 2 is an all-in-one software which you download YouTube content as video, audio & ringtone, and transfer them to any Apple device ever created, like MacBook, iPhone & iPad. Apart from YouTube, this tool also works with multiple different websites. Downloading YouTube videos using this application is the easiest task ever, just copy a URL, and you’re ready to download it in one click.
Pros:
- Transfer downloaded videos to iPhone, iPod & iPad with a WiFi
- Support to convert videos from YouTube into ringtones
- Can download 4K/60FPS, subtitle, and playlist/channel from YouTube
15. YouTube Downloader Pro
If a video on YouTube is popular and high-quality, then it deserves to be downloaded offline and saved for further use. To rip videos from YouTube to your computer, the last one I’d like to introduce is YouTube Downloader Pro.
YouTube Downloader Pro is one of the best virus-free software around for quick, fuss-free video downloads & conversions on PC. This tool is quite easy-to-use, with a multithreading accelerator, it can boost your download speeds by up to 500% faster. With a highly customizable feature, you can download UHD 8K & 4K, QHD 2K, FHD 1080P, HD 720P, 360 VR and 3D videos from YouTube if they are available.
Pros:
- Download multiple videos at a time from YouTube in a batch
- Increase download speeds by up to 500%
- Integrate with Internet Explorer and Firefox
The Bottom Line
Now that I’ve showed you top 15 best YouTube video downloader for Windows in 2021, including both free & paid ones. Now I’d like to hear from you. What do you think of this list? Or maybe I missed a fast & high-quality tool. Or you’ve just find a perfect solution to save YouTube videos in an easy way. Either way, leave a comment below to let me know.
Related Articles
Safest Youtube Downloader For Mac
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.YouTube is everywhere. You come here to learn, listen to music, stare at cats, and so much more. But while YouTube is omnipresent, stable WiFi connection is not. Let’s find the best YouTube downloader to save videos for offline watching. Here are our top 12.
4k Video Downloader
Paste the link to a YouTube video and save it on your computer — as easy as that. 4K Video Downloader is a free video downloader with a starter plan that is limited to 30 downloads per day and lets you download one video at a time. But you can pay $12 to unlock more features.
Pros- Good for one-time use. If you need a YouTube downloader app for occasional use, 4K Video Downloader is as uncomplicated as one can imagine.
- 4K support. It’s all in the name — this YT downloader can get you a video in great quality, including 4K. That’s a big perk for a free video downloader!
- Download presets. Always downloading video in the same resolution? Enable Smart Mode and create presets that fit your flow.
- Speed limitations. 4K Video Downloader is slow compared to other downloaders. The free plan doesn’t support simultaneous downloads.
- Limited playlists. You can only download a playlist with up to 10 videos in it if you’re on a free plan. So if you want to download music playlists, it won’t work in most cases.
Elmedia Player
As the name suggests, Elmedia Player is not exactly a YouTube video downloader. It's a media player that lets you watch online videos on your Mac without ads. You don’t have to waste storage on downloads. And you get the video on your computer. For many, this is a win-win.
Pros- Variety of formats. Elmedia Player is a great tool to replace your default media player with, due to a huge number of audio and video formats supported.
- Ad-free video. Grab any link from YouTube, Playmotion, or Vimeo, and play it in Elmedia Player without ads.
- Stream via AirPlay. Take your video content to any big screen, right from the app.
- All-in-one package. While this sounds more like an advantage, a huge list of features might be overwhelming for beginners.
- Limited compatibility. This URL video downloader might not work with some older devices.
Downie
Download YouTube video without opening YouTube. Downie offers the best workflow we’ve seen so far — you can search for videos right in the app, typing your keywords in the built-in browser. Then, save the video on your Mac in a preferred quality and format.
Pros- Permute integration. You can convert your downloads to any format with Permute. If you install Downie via Setapp, you get access to both apps right away.
- Search. The search feature is genius. You don’t have to copy and paste any links. Nor do you stumble upon “can’t download this video” error — Downie’s search shows only the videos that are available for download.
- More than YouTube. Downie can download video and audio from 1200+ sites.
- No preview. You can’t preview the video in the app (before or after downloading).
- No trimming. There’s no possibility to extract part of the video.
Snaptube
Snaptube is a Chinese YouTube video downloader that is super popular on Android. The app is free to use and has a recommendation system — kind of like its own YouTube, suggesting channels and videos for you. So you can download videos as well as discover what else to download based on your history.
Pros- Unlimited downloads. You can download video and audio files of any size and quality, including TV shows, playlists, etc.
- 50+ websites. Snaptube works with YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and many other major platforms where you can download video.
- Bad reputation. In 2019, Snaptube was accused of secretly charging users for premium purchases and serving invisible ads to earn money.
- Poor experience. As our quick trial revealed, the app is glitchy and acting slow (especially with playlist downloads).
- Doesn’t work on Mac. The major downside is that you can’t download YouTube video with Snaptube on macOS.
Pulltube
This is the best YouTube video downloader and editor, in our opinion. Pulltube has every feature an average user will long for — one-click download, subtitles support, customizable format, audio extraction, and trimming mode. To download video, you should paste or drop the link in the app.
Pros- Trim video. No need to waste storage space by downloading a huge movie if you only need one scene. Trim video before downloading.
- Custom format. Extract audio or instantly convert to available video formats.
- Subtitles. You can either download a video with subtitles or get subtitles separately.
- UI imperfections. It’s not instantly obvious where the video is saved to, and you might spend a few minutes to figure out the buttons.
Folx
The fastest YouTube video saver is called Folx. It’s an app that splits your downloads into streams to accelerate the download process. And it works magically! Folx is a dedicated Mac app usually used to download movies and torrent files.
Pros- Unrivaled speed. Downloads can run in up to 20 parallel streams, which gives you a huge speed boost compared to other tools.
- Safe torrent downloader. Instead of searching through suspicious torrent websites, use Folx’s built-in search and downloader.
- Download music. Folx is very handy in terms of saving music playlists from YouTube. It’s quick and supports batch downloads.
- UI imperfections. Although Folx has pretty good filters, it misses batch options — for example, the button for clearing the downloads list.
- Easy to abuse. Folx is safe to use, but some people might use it for illegal torrenting, which is prohibited by the service’s Terms of Use.
AnyTrans
With AnyTrans YouTube downloader, you get an extra benefit — AnyTrans file transferrer. Use AnyTrans to move files across devices and/or download videos from 900+ websites. If you miss iTunes, AnyTrans will soothe your pain, because it essentially has the same capabilities.
Pros- One app, many use cases. Sync files between devices, back up data, move photos from an iPhone you’re planning to sell to a Mac, or download videos.
- iOS and Android. Depending on your device, you can get AnyTrans for iOS or AnyTrans for Android.
- Audio download and custom quality. Choose your preferred format before downloading.
- Lots of options in the UI. To a beginner, AnyTrans will seem overwhelming at first.
- iTunes library trouble. If your Mac runs on macOS with iTunes, you might have trouble syncing your iTunes library with AnyTrans.
Y2mate.com
Looking for YouTube video download online? KeepVid is a popular online solution that bundles together a video and audio downloader, editor, and converter. Plus, it’s versatile when it comes to platforms — you can download Instagram videos, YouTube content, even Netflix movies.
Pros- Free online tool. There’s no limitation on how many videos you can download in a day. Just paste the link and get the video on your Mac.
- Audio extraction. Before downloading, you can modify resolution or choose to download audio only.
- Malware threat. Free downloaders like Y2mate get monetized through ads. Some of those might contain malicious files.
- No video editor. You can’t trim your video or do any advanced editing work.
KeepVid
Another YouTube downloader app you can access online is called Y2mate. There’s no dedicated app unfortunately, but as long as you’re careful and don’t click any pop ups on the website, Y2mate can do the job for you. Still, we recommend it as a one-time solution.
Pros- Quick access. Online YouTube video download tools are convenient because you can just paste the link on the website and get the video. No app installations.
- Pick quality and format. Before downloading, specify quality and file format. You can also extract audio from video.
- Legal issues. It says on the website you can use the tool to get content from Netflix and Apple Music, which is prohibited by these services’ Terms of Use.
- Ads and malware threat. When you try downloading anything from the website, malicious pop ups might show up. Be careful with what you’re clicking.
YT Cutter
Sometimes, you don’t want to rip video from YouTube. You just need a small part of it. YT Cutter is a stellar online service for downloading scenes from YouTube videos. Paste the link, choose the scene, and hit the download button. There are also options to save a scene as GIF, audio, or just extract a screenshot from the video.
Pros- Unique cutting feature. Not all YT video downloaders have good trimming tools, not to mention the precision with which YT Cutter solves the task.
- Preview available. Before downloading the scene, you can preview it on the website.
- Poor format customization. It says on the website you can use the tool to get content from Netflix and Apple Music, which is prohibited by these services’ Terms of Use.
- Glitchy. We’ve tried to download some videos and YT Cutter responded with the “temporarily unavailable” error a few times.
Airy
Airy is a YouTube video downloader from the creators of Folx, Eltima Software. By the way, if you work with media files a lot, we recommend checking out Eltima’s products, they are top quality and many of them are on Setapp. We love Airy’s clean UI and ease of use — just paste the URL, pick resolution, and download your video from YouTube.
Pros- Download playlists. Airy gives you an easy way to download a range of videos or music playlists from YouTube.
- One-click solution. The app is beginner-friendly and super easy to use.
- Price. Unlike its mate, Folx, which is available with Setapp membership, Airy costs $19.95.
- YouTube only. Most YT video downloaders for Mac we’ve mentioned before work with all popular video sites. Airy is limited to YouTube.
aTube Catcher
Not every video can be downloaded, no matter how advanced your downloader is. aTube Catcher tries to fix this problem by combining a video downloader with a screen recorder. This way, you can capture a video if it’s impossible to download it. Note that the app only works on Windows.
Pros- Free. Even though some features are locked, you can use the downloader and screen recorder for free.
- Batch formatting. Download, process, and convert multiple videos and playlists super fast.
- Windows only. You can’t install aTube Catcher on Mac, so if you’re looking for a tool that works on macOS, look into Setapp, it has screen recorders too.
Safe Virus Free Youtube Downloader
While choosing the best free YouTube downloader, focus on your priorities. Do you need a tool with the most extensive file format support? Is 4K quality important? Do you listen to YouTube music a lot? Do you want to be able to batch download files? Truth be told, most of the reviewed URL YT video downloaders don't have it all. However, you can try many of them for the price of one with Setapp, a curated collection of 200+ apps. Or, if you want a free YouTube downloader, try Setapp for 7 days free — it gives you access to Folx, Downie, AnyTrans, and Elmedia Player so you can figure out which one works best for you.
YouTube video downloaders FAQ
What’s the best video downloader? To answer this question, let’s go through a quick FAQ to help you set priorities and make the right decision.
How to use YouTube downloader?
The most common way is “copy and paste the link.” Some tools also offer browser extensions that let you capture videos while you’re browsing the web. Advanced video downloader apps often come with a built-in browser, so you can search for videos right in the app.
Is YouTube downloader legal?
Sure. Most apps with video download features, such as Folx and Pulltube, are safe, it all depends on how you choose to use them. However, there are some safety concerns involved when it comes to online downloaders. They’ve been proven to contain ads that could be infected with malware, so by downloading a video, you might accidentally download a malicious file on your computer.
What is the best YouTube downloader?
Some people argue that the quality of a downloader is determined by its speed and how well it handles different video formats. For sure, these features are important, but we’d say the essential thing is safety. Choose dedicated apps over online services to avoid malware threats. Mac users can additionally rely on CleanMyMac X malware scanner just to be sure they’re safe.
Which is the best YouTube video downloader?
There’s no one-size-fits-all. Someone needs a hyper-fast tool like Folx to download movies. Someone wants an app like Pulltube or YT Cutter to be able to trim videos. We suggest you don’t limit yourself and install Setapp, a productivity suite for Mac and iPhone users. Setapp has Folx, AnyTrans, Downie, Pulltube, and many other reliable apps to choose from.
Where to download YouTube downloader?
Download and install Setapp. This way, you never have to download apps again. Whether you need a YouTube downloader app, a media converter, or a screen recorder, Setapp has lots of tried-and-tested options. Just type the keyword in search and Setapp will suggest the best apps to solve your tasks. Install and uninstall, save to favorites, and connect the apps together to improve your workflow.