YouTube is a real commercial titan. On a good day, the service pulls over 1 billion hours’ worth of views. And there's plenty of good content you’d rather keep and watch offline.
Currently, the situation regarding the best YouTube video downloader Mac is rather shaky. With the recent macOS update, some old champions went offline and new contenders have emerged. To address this, we’ve compiled a brand new rated list of downloaders.
1. You’ll need a YouTube URL to get started.
You can get one either from the address bar, or through "Share" - "Copy to clipboard".
2. Pop it into Airy’s own search bar.
Before you start the download, make sure to change any desired options.
3. Start the download and wait for it.
Soon, you’ll have your video, playlist or whatever else your heart desires.
WinX is a popular third-party alternative for YouTube downloads. It seems that the company has made it their mission to cover as many platforms and formats as possible. This abundance of choice is a double-edged sword. Some say it makes WinX the best YouTube video downloader; others claim that it’s overly confusing. Regardless, it’s a solid, quality-assured product.
Keep in mind that WinX is, essentially, a paid product: the meager trial limit expires quickly, urging you to purchase the license. And 30$ is just a discount price; if you’re unlucky enough, you’ll have to cough up a lofty 45$.
Far from a mundane downloader, Softorino breaks the mold by providing automatic recognition for video thumbnails and tags. Combined with the possibility to instantly transfer files to iPhone/iPod, the program is clearly specialized towards music collectors, and it may be the best YouTube video downloader for this purpose.
Outside of that, there is the normal functionality you’d expect from a YouTube downloader Mac. Softorino will be fine for queuing multiple clips or movies. Sadly, it’s only available on a subscription-based license: a month will cost you $9.95, only slightly less expensive than YouTube premium.
Does Wondershare have wonders to share? Ah, let’s not wander away from our theme. It’s the highest rated Mac YouTube downloader that can be truly used for free. Of course, one should not expect the full functionality from a trial version.
The full app asks for $29.99, and boy do they make it tempting! Among the many limitations of the free version, there are also ads plastered here and there. Thankfully, there are none of the malicious adware variety, just banners. Regardless, this could very well be the best free YouTube downloader for Mac.
While otherwise unnotable, iTube makes a bold move by advertising Netflix recordings as one of its main features. It takes some chops to stand up to a large company like that. It’s right there on their product page, whoah! Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?
It’s an all-around average YouTube downloader for Mac, with some additional capabilities to spice it up. The price tag is not so hot - $24.95 for a yearly subscription, $ 34.95 for a lifetime license. Maybe worth it if you’re just in for a year.
And here comes another entry from Digiarty. While it may seem that way, WinX and MacX are 2 entirely different apps, with WinX also being available for Mac. And for MacX, it’s not a favorable comparison.
But even though it lacks many features in light of its successor, this app is still very solid, has a plenty of conveniences and accessible streaming sites. If WinX ever goes down, it’s got your back for $29.95.
PullTube has a rather limited selection of conversion formats. That lowers its ranking by a bit. But in other regards, it brings a lot of new stuff to the table. Gesture control, video cropping and cutting - all very curious.
While certainly not a contender for the title of best free YouTube downloader, it’s an interesting app that may be more comfortable or novel than many higher positions on this list. And it’s pretty cheap at $14.99. Consider it if you don’t have a problem with MP4 and M4A.
Now we’re really getting to the bottom of this list. 4K is an unremarkable piece of software, earning this spot with its addition of "Smart Mode". It’s an interesting solution to cut out the copy-paste operations without installing or running any additional programs in the background. There are also options to select different subtitles, if it’s of primary concern to you.
There are many alternatives, but if you feel skittish about browser extensions or background-running software, this is a good choice. It’ll cost you 15€, otherwise you can download 30 videos for free on a daily basis.
Unlike all previous competitors, ClipGrab is completely free. It’s only sustained by donations and the goodwill of its developers. Noble! Also, given that it’s licensed under GPL, there is transparency about the code and less risk of malicious injections. It’s completely innocuous.
Feature-wise, it doesn’t stand out too much, and there are no special shortcuts to start downloads in a snap. There’s a built-in YouTube browser, so that’s neat. It’s a decent appetizer before you start reaching for your wallet.
YTD gets more of an honorary mention. Perhaps you’ll notice: we’ve actually put it below a free app. While it’s powerful, the cases where you’d want to splash your cash on this app are very situational.
It works on multiple sites, has a separate converter and a built-in video player (though, who’s gonna use that?). A large plus is the download manager - its fancy, compact UI pleases the eye. It’s only a shame that YTD sells on a subscription basis - $24 for a year, and a whopping $9 for a single month.
Now, we’ve been talking so much about these desktop apps. They are smooth, clean, safe. "Where’s the fun in that?" - asked no one ever. If you want something bold and brash, check out online conversion services.
When your boss is looking over your shoulder, nothing says "I’m productive" better than unspeakable obscenities taking up 3/4ths of your screen space. This is the kind of golden experience only an online downloader can provide.
Use this tool to compare and contrast the best way for you to download YouTube on Mac. These YouTube downloaders all have something to offer, so find the best one for you here!
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Top features
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VideoDuke
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Airy
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WinX YouTube Downloader
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Wondershare YouTube Downloader
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MacX YouTube Downloader
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iTube Studio
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PullTube
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4K YouTube Downloader
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ClipGrab
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YTD Video Downloader for Mac
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Download Videos from YouTube
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Download Videos from YouTube
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Download in different video formats
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Download in different video formats
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Choose Video Resolution
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Choose Video Resolution
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Download HD Video
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Download HD Video
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Browser integration
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Browser integration
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Extraction of Audio from YouTube
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Extraction of Audio from YouTube
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Playlist downloading
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Playlist downloading
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Channel Downloading
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Channel Downloading
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Batch downloading
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Batch downloading
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Private videos download
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Private videos download
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Pause/ Resume Downloading
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Pause/ Resume Downloading
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Download Videos from 1000+ Other Sites
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Download Videos from 1000+ Other Sites
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Help & Support
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Help & Support
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Windows Supported operating systems
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Windows Supported operating systems
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Mac Supported operating systems
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Mac Supported operating systems
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Other than testing them on our trusty MacBook Pro (2015) with Catalina, we’ve also graded the aforementioned apps according to a set of completely objective, totally unbiased criteria. Some highly preferable features include:
Indeed, is it? When looking how to download a YouTube video, it may seem like going to the source is the first thing you should do. But it’s not a one-time purchase: $11.99 isn’t pocket change, and the monthly payments will stack up to regrettably high sums over time.
Add to that the fact that you don’t get to keep the videos as files, and that your access will be revoked once the subscription runs out. A dubious investment at best! If you’re interested in Premium, look at other things it has to offer. The download capability is but a minor bonus. And the article above will easily help you pick out the best YouTube video downloader Mac.
There’s nothing worse than being caught in a traffic jam without data or a public place with unpredictable Wifi connection. That’s why it’s such a blessing to be able to have your favourite music or videos offline and ready to watch, whenever you need them.
There are many ways to download music from YouTube. You can use their official app, Music Premium. This way you pay a monthly fee to get access to all your favourites - offline and downloaded right on your devices.
However, if you’re not interested in paying for this service, you can choose one of the many apps mentioned in this article that lets you download YouTube videos for free.
Downloading YouTube videos on Android is just as simple as downloading videos to your Mac or any other device. You can either choose to go with YouTube Premium for a quick solution, but there are also free YouTube downloaders which are also worth considering - especially if you’re a heavy user:
You’d have to look towards third-party apps and software for that. Fortunately though, there are a wide range of options in this space.
As a side note, downloading YouTube videos to your PC violates YouTube’s terms of service. So keep that in mind before downloading.
Here are some options:
While most of us have constant access to the internet nowadays, these situations may occur:
These are the main concerns, but there may be more. If these situations seem familiar, you’d benefit from a YouTube downloader.
