The Best YouTube Downloaders For Mac To Use In 2020

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YouTube is the most visited video hosting website in the world. It entertains, teaches, advises, and helps people in different moments of their lives. You can watch anything any time on YouTube as long as you are connected to the Internet. If you want to get certain content on your computer, you will need the help of a third-party software.

There are several options out there for downloading and converting video and music content from YouTube. Some work better than others, but how do you decide? Don’t worry. We’ve put them all through their paces and we have our list.

Listed below, from the top down, are our picks, with our pros and cons.

Quick Navigation:


  1. What Are The Best YouTube Downloaders
  2. Top Parameters On Choosing Best YouTube Downloader
  3. What Is YouTube Downloader
  4. How To Identify The Best Mac YouTube Downloader
  5. YouTube Premium? Should You Use The Official Service Or Not
  6. Q&A
  7. Conclusion

What is the best YouTube Downloader for Mac?

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1. Airy
Requirements: 1. OS X 10.9+. 19.63MB free space. Version 3.14.280. (6 May, 2020). 4.9 Rank based on 811+ users, Reviews(885)
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We start our list with the best YouTube downloader for Mac available out there, Airy. With it, you will be able to download and save all YouTube videos that are dear to you. Besides being the best app to download YouTube videos to Mac, Airy also offers you a high-quality player so that you can playback the files downloaded.

Pros

  • Pause and resume downloads
  • Extract MP3 music playlists from YouTube
  • Bulk downloads (several independent download streams at once)

Cons

  • Downloads clips only from YouTube
Airy YouTube downloader for Mac

Advantages of Airy

A complete YouTube downloader for Mac, Airy allows you to save your videos in Full HD or 4K Ultra HD resolutions and the list of features can go on. Using Airy you will be able to pause the download when you wish, choose fro multiple formats like FLV, MP4 or 3GP or save audio only in MP3 if that’s what you want. Even more than that, this YouTube downloader Mac can get you the album art and full playlists from YouTube that you can then listen offline. For the possibility to download videos from a full list of websites like Dailymotion, Vimeo, Facebook or Twitter, give VideoDuke a try.

To sum things up, Airy allows you to:

  1. Download Videos in 4K Ultra HD Resolution.
  2. Save YouTube Videos as MP3 files on your Mac.
  3. Download Entire YouTube Channels.
  4. Grab Private YouTube Videos.
  5. Save YouTube Playlists Altogether.
  6. Pause and Resume Downloads According to Your Necessities.

2. iFunia YouTube Downloader

iFunia YouTube Downloader aims to help you batch download YouTube videos and playlist to MP3 & MP4. But far more than its name defines, this YouTube Downloader also enables you to work your way through 1000+ websites like Break, BBC, Vimeo, LiveLeak, Vine, Instagram, MTV, etc.

It’s definitely a skilled, robust and uncluttered program for downloading Full HD, 2K, 4K, even 8K videos for all your devices. Just grab the video URLs, iFunia YouTube Downloader will identify the links automatically. All you need to do now is to choose output formats, set quality and then start the process. Your videos will be downloaded in a very close second.

Pros

  • Many users satisfied even with the free version

Cons

  • Does not support to bulk downloads and conversions
Best app to download youtube videos

3. MacX YouTube Downloader

MacX YouTube Downloader is not just for videos from YouTube, it can also save videos from Facebook, Dailymotion, Vevo, Vimeo, and lots of other video sharing websites. It can download YouTube videos in different resolutions and formats, and it doesn't matter if those are common YouTube videos or HD videos in 8k/5k/4K Ultra HD, 1080P or 720P.

Unfortunately no app is perfect. Every downloading app can experience problems sometimes, and Macx YouTube Downloader Mac is no exception. E.g. with a slow Internet connection the app doesn't convert some formats and downloading process may last forever.

Pros

  • Fast downloads of videos from YouTube and other online video sites

Cons

  • Clunky interface
Best youtube downloader online

4. Apowersoft Video Downloader

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. You can also save complete YouTube playlists to your Mac.

Apowersoft Video Downloader for Mac is pretty easy to use in general. Despite the interface being a bit generic, it gets the job done.

Pros

  • Nice range of supported formats, protocols and quality
  • Also supports screen captures
  • Web app or desktop app

Cons

  • OK for small files but not so much for large files
  • Paid app after short 3-day trial
Best youtube downloader app

5. YouTubeHunter

This app can download videos from YouTube and other video resources. It has a search field to type in keywords and find videos just like directly on Vimeo or YouTube. Then there is a possibility to sort videos according to most popular, most viewed, popular in HD, recent, etc.

YouTubeHunter allows you to choose whether to download all video or just its audio, which is perfect option for when you only want to download a soundtrack. Generally this app is pretty good, the only thing that could be improved is the location of the download status for each video. It should be on the main screen available right away. And seeing an estimated time for each download would be helpful.

Pros

  • You can download online videos from YouTube, plus Vimeo, DailyMotion, VEVO, and others

Cons

  • Sometimes downloads fail
Best youtube downloader software

6. 5KPlayer

When talking about the best YouTube downloaders, the free 5KPlayer is one that you wouldn’t regret downloading: As a free and full-fledged online video downloader for Mac, this APP works perfectly on macOS High Sierra or earlier to download videos, movies in MP4, MKV, 3GP, H.264 according to your preferences. The supported video resolution range covers from 360p, 720p to 1080p and up to 4K, which means it has ample muscle to download some really high-resolution things favored by the vast majority of movie buffs.

Pros

  • As well as downloads, their 5KPlayer is capable of playing a variety of audio formats

Cons

  • No bulk downloads, only one at at time
Best quality youtube downloader

7. Aimersoft YouTube Downloader

Aimersoft YouTube Downloader is yet another app for downloading from YouTube. Aimersoft Free YouTube Downloader has a simple user interface. Thanks to its One-Click download option, your favorite YouTube videos are very easy to save. And what's really great you can save the entire playlist from YouTube to your Mac within few moments.

Pros

  • Download videos from many sites and then convert the video to many format

Cons

  • Users complain about issues with installation process
Best youtube video downloader for mac

8. Wondershare Free YouTube Downloader

You can use this app to save videos from YouTube to your Mac, convert YouTube videos to your portable device format, and format them for playback on your computer with built-in FLV player. There is a free version of this app, which is stripped-down from a premium package that costs $29.00. The paid version of Wondershare YouTube Downloader for Mac offers better support for various video sharing websites, conversion of tracks to various formats, the ability to extract audio from videos. To download videos you can either use the floating Download button in your Internet browser or paste a YouTube link into the app.

Pros

  • Simple interface, ability to download playlists, choice of resolutions

Cons

  • Have to pay for the full version
Best youtube downloader 2020

9. YTD Video Downloader

YTD Video Downloader for Mac offers an easy-to-understand main menu, with three buttons describing the main features. This app offers all features expected from a downloading app for streaming videos, and some additional ones for video conversion. Some extra options make this tool very handy, like converting videos to different formats or cutting them to various sizes. The app is free, simple, and is a good choice for Mac users who want to download YouTube videos for watching offline.

Pros

  • A 2-in-1 app that includes a video converter and a player

Cons

  • Only one download or conversion at at time
Best youtube downloader mac

10. ClipGrab

ClipGrab can download and convert videos (note that conversion is limited to Intel Macs) and supports a lot of video websites including YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, CollegeHumor, MyVideo, Clipfish, Sevenload, etc. It can also convert downloaded videos to MPEG4, WMV, MP3, OGG Theora, and OGG Vorbis. However, during testing we downloaded a video in FLV format from Vimeo and couldn't select any other formats from drop-down menu so it is possible conversion doesn't work for all formats and websites.

ClipGrab can save HD videos - just make sure HD is selected in the Quality menu. ClipGrab conveniently detects when you copy a link to clipboard and can automatically download it if you want. Downloading process is really fast. There is a downside though - you can't integrate ClipGrab with your web browsers,. However if you copy and paste the links you can add as many as you want to the queue.

Pros

  • YouTube video search

Cons

  • The download speed could be faster
Best hd youtube downloader

11. iTubeDownloader

iTubeDownloader for Mac helps you quickly find and save any video from YouTube in a single interface - it has its own built-in browser and you can copy and paste within same window. When you install iTubeDownloader it creates a folder on your desktop where it will automatically download and save videos. This is a very basic downloading app for YouTube videos and requires a minimal input. iTubeDownloader is free for seven launches.

Pros

  • Download in batches

Cons

  • Does not have speedy download speeds as advertised
iTubeDownloader for Mac

12. Total Video Downloader

Total Video Downloader is aimed to do exactly downloading, downloading that is possible for nearly any video on the Internet. It is super simple yet one of the best we ever used. However as much as it can be better of any of its competitors, it doesn't convert videos to other formats. Total Video Downloader has an interface that basically looks like Internet browser with shortcuts to the most popular video websites, like YouTube, Dailymotion or Vimeo.

When all you need is downloading, then it is a good choice, also very easy to use. But when you need conversion or video optimization or extracting MP3 soundtrack you may consider another app.

Pros

  • The integrated browser allows you to download videos from nearly any video hosting site

Cons

  • Can’t download 1080p video
The best youtube downloader app

13. Savefrom.net

Above, we ran through what we see as the best solutions for YouTube downloaders for the Mac. They are all applications to do the work, and have to be downloaded and installed on your Mac. But what about app-free downloads? Are they possible without even leaving your web browser?

We’ve discovered an easy way to download YouTube content without the aid of an app. All it takes is a simple edit to a video’s URL.

Savefrom.net is a free service that enables direct downloads from YouTube and other sites it supports, including Vimeo, Facebook and Daily Motion.

All it takes is 4 steps:

  1. Navigate to the YouTube content you want to download
  2. Before the ‘YouTube’ but after the ‘www.’ Add ‘ss’
  3. Click enter which will take you to savefrom.net
  4. Choose the format link and the download will begin
Savefrom.net

Top parameters on choosing best YouTube downloader

  • ★ Ability to choose the format and video quality
  • ★ Extract music
  • ★ Pausing/resume downloading
  • ★ Bulk downloading
  • ★ Downloading Channels and playlists
  • ★ User-friendly interface
  • ★ Browser integration support
  • ★ Private YouTube videos download

This was a lineup of the best YouTube downloaders for Mac that you can read through, try out, and make your choice.

What is YouTube downloader?

YouTube downloader is an app performing the digital transfer of video and audio files from YouTube website to a device for further decoding and playback, such as a computer or a tablet. YouTube doesn't offer a native option to download videos from it, but there are online services and applications offering such possibility.

How to Identify the Best YouTube Downloader Mac?

Obviously, the first function of a YouTube downloader is to allow you to download videos from YouTube directly on your computer. However, there are many different types of software and online services that are all competing for the best app to download YouTube videos title. To make things easier for you, we have ruled out the online services and focused only on the downloadable software. And if you want to find out how to identify the best YouTube video downloader, here are the conditions we have applied to the over 20 apps we analysed:

  1. The software should allow you to convert, download and save videos on your computer in one click.
  2. Availability of pre-defined profiles to make it easier for you to convert videos.
  3. It has to provide high-speed functionality.
  4. Is it compatible with iTunes and any other Mac applications?
  5. Does the app come with suggestions on what the best quality is or allows you to choose between multiple resolutions?
  6. The user-interface is friendly and beautifully designed?
  7. Does the app get constant updates to keep it up-to-date with new operating system releases?

YouTube Premium? Should you use the official service or not?

It seems that YouTube does offer a download option, however, it is only available for those that are ready to pay for the services of YouTube Premium. If you are wondering how much is YouTube Premium, learn that it will cost you $11.99 per month. This monthly fee gives you the ability to download videos for 30 days on your phone, watch your favorite videos without ads and play YouTube in the background. However, with a total of $144 spent per year and no possibility for a YouTube Premium free trial, you are forced to pay the YouTube Premium cost in order to see if all these features are worth it.

Is it possible to save YouTube Premium videos to a computer?

The answer is no. You can only save the videos to Android or iOS. And you don’t have the option to transfer them to a computer afterwards either as they come encrypted.

The worst part of them all comes from the fact that after 30 days all your saved videos are automatically deleted. The quality options you have when saving videos are not that many compared to the best YouTube downloader for Mac we presented above. And when to all these you add the fact that you need to pay around $144, it becomes clear that it is not the best way to go for saving YouTube videos offline. Using a dedicated YouTube downloader like Airy makes far more sense when you put them one against each other.

So, are you ready to use the best YouTube video downloaders and convert all your favourite content? As you have noticed, there are a lot of free options out there, however, the best way to download from YouTube remains Airy downloader for the multitude of options and features it offers. If you want a dedicated software for downloading YouTube videos this is the best option for you since it offers the best possible experience.

Q&A

Still confused? Have questions about the best YouTube downloader for the Mac?

We compiled a list of FAQs below. Chances are, your answer is there.

Usually, the downloading process is very easy. Let’s take Airy as an example.

It was at the top of our review list.

  • Download and launch the Airy app.
  • After logging into your account, copy and paste a URL from the YouTube website, select the desired format (you can choose video or music format) and select an available resolution.
  • Click Download, then choose where the file should be saved.
  • Airy takes care of the rest!

There is no difference in downloading on Mac, Macbook or Macbook Air. All devices run on macOS, and these applications are for all macs.

You can use any of the free online downloaders we mentioned above. They don’t have fancy features but the get the main job done — download from YouTube to Mac.

The answers are in this article! We weeded out the weak options for you!

This article covers it. Read above!

Conclusion

We’ve featured our top 12 best YouTube video downloaders for Mac in 2020, of both the paid and free varieties. Now — give us your feedback. What do you think of this list? Did we miss a fast and high-quality tool that you prefer? What’s your secret solution? Leave a comment below to let us know!