The top free YouTube downloaders
Reviews and comparisons of the top free YouTube downloaders. Our website gives you all the information you need to know to make an informed decision about these popular apps.
Get all the information you need about legally downloading YouTube videos.
Downloading offline YouTube videos can breach the terms of service of YouTube and copyright law, so please make sure you read all our advice before considering if it’s worth using a free YouTube downloader.
Why download YouTube videos instead of streaming?
What are the benefits of downloading YouTube videos?
There are a number of benefits to downloading YouTube videos and we have listed them below.
Free YouTube Downloaders
There are several free YouTube downloaders, but these come with risks. Downloading YouTube videos is not permitted unless you are using the premium version of YouTube. We do not recommend using free YouTube downloaders as these violate the terms of service of YouTube and can also violate copyright laws. Its always best to get permission from YouTube or the content creators. For more information about the risks, click here.
Top Free YouTube Downloaders
4K DOWNLOAD
A free video downloader trusted by millions. Turn YouTube videos into MP4 and MP3 files easily.
Website: 4kdownload.com
Features
Save full playlists and channels from YouTube in high quality and various video or audio formats. Download your YouTube Mix, Watch Later, Liked videos and private YouTube playlists. Get new videos from favorite YouTube channels downloaded automatically. Download videos in HD 1080p, HD 720p, 4K, and 8K resolution. Enjoy them in high definition on your HD TV, iPad, IPhone, Samsung and other devices. Download annotations and subtitles along with YouTube videos. Save them in SRT format, select from over 50 languages. Get subtitles from not just a single video, but an entire YouTube playlist or even channel.
BY CLICK DOWNLOADER
Download from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vimeo, Dailymotion, YouKu and many more.
Website: byclickdownloader.com
Features
By Click Downloader video downloader software gives you the ultimate video downloading experience. By Click Downloader automatically attaches artist name and title name for every downloaded mp3, supports HD videos, supports downloading very long videos (even longer than 1 hour), supports downloading of YouTube subtitles, download Instagram user photos and much more.
You can download entire playlists or even download all videos of a particular channel by just one click. You don't need to choose videos one by one anymore, go to your favorite playlist or channel and download them in bulk. Download as many videos as you want at the same time. With our Video downloader, you can download dozens of videos at the same time. After the download, track your downloads on a simple and clear user interface.
Sometimes you want to download private YouTube videos or download private Facebook videos. Other YouTube downloaders don't allow that! With YouTube By Click, you can do it.
Download entire YouTube Playlists and channels. Download entire Instagram pages. All at once within 1 click. Download videos in 720p, 1080p, 4K and 8K. Convert to MP3, MP4, AVI, FLV, WMV, 3GP, WEBM, MKV, WAV, AAC and M4A.
The auto-detect popup message is the simplest way to download videos from YouTube. Download the video directly from your web browser. Simply open the video you wish to download, and a small message will appear on the bottom right-hand side of your screen. You can choose whether you want to download a Video or an MP3. One click and the download begins! Supports Chrome, Firefox, IE and Edge
VIDEO HUNTER
A Reliable and High-quality Any Video Downloader for Windows/Mac.
Website: videohunter.net
Features
VideoHunter is an all-featured HD video downloader, providing user-friendly features and speedy performance to download online videos/audios from over 1,000 sites to MP3, MP4 formats, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, SoundCloud, Vlive, Vevo, Dailymotion, Niconico, Bilibili, TED, CNN, and so forth. VideoHunter's provided qualities can reach 1080p, 4K, and even 8K, bringing fantastic offline playback experiences.
You can download HD videos from all popular streaming sites. All videos will be preserved in their original quality without re-encoding. Once you copy and paste the video link to this impeccable HD video downloader, it will parse the link in seconds and provide you with a list of video quality for output. The available quality largely depends on what you’re downloading. Normally, video quality can be achieved to 1080p, 2K, 4K, or even 8K at maximum.
VideoHunter supports to effortlessly download and convert YouTube playlist in one go, which will undoubtedly free your time to a great extent. Not only that, VideoHunter can also download private YouTube videos and unlisted YouTube videos in high quality.
The batch download feature is the easiest way to get multiple videos downloaded simultaneously. This will save you tons of time, as you don’t have to wait for each video to be downloaded successively. Once you successfully get all the URLs parsed, just click the Download button and this online video downloader app will do the rest. All your selected videos will be delivered at the highest possible picture quality with a minimum of fuss.
iTUBE GO
Download full HD/4K/8K videos from YouTube and more than 10,000+ websites at high speed.
Website: itubego.com/4k-youtube-video-downloader64
Features
iTubeGo YouTube Downloader allows you to download videos from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Dailymotion, Vimeo, TikTok, Pornhub, Xvideos, SpankBang, xHamster and other websites. iTubeGo provides various SD and UHD video quality options, including 480p, 720, 1080p, 2K, 4K, 8K etc.
Besides downloading videos, iTubeGo can also extract audio from video and save it as high quality 320kbps MP3 format. It supports mp3 download from most music sites.
iTubeGo Video Downloader fully supports you to download multiple videos at the same time, you can paste a lot of video URLs into the program, iTubeGo has no download limits. Batch download all videos to your computer with one-click.
iTubeGo has a built-in web browser that makes it easier for you to browse video and music sites. You can download videos directly within the website, eliminating the trouble of copying and pasting video URLs.
Easy-to-use YouTube Cutter allows you to get a part of YouTube video for Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other short video sharing.You only need to set the start and end time of the video, click "Cut" to download and convert it into a video file or mp3, m4a audio of the specified length.
Download YouTube playlists, channels, and all videos from user pages in high quality and various formats.
iTubeGo YouTube Downloader automatically detects the playlist url and displays all the videos for download. You can rename the playlist in numerical order or skip the repeated download of the video. Better manage your playlist files.
Say goodbye to movies without subtitles, you can use iTubeGo YouTube Downloader to download YouTube videos with subtitles. Select from over 50 languages in the program reference, check the automatic download of subtitles, you can get SRT subtitle files, and import movies at any time.
iTubeGo Video Converter supports to convert medias from video streaming websites or local computers to the target format. Troubled by incompatible formats? iTubeGo supports more than 20+ audio, video and mobile device formats.
iTubeGo provides a private video mode to protect your video and music downloads in a password-protected folder. Hide your videos to keep them a secret. Hide private videos to prevent prying eyes or miswatching by children. iTubeGo has a private video space. Your videos and concerts are hidden with a private lock to keep safe.
SNAP DOWNLOADER
With SnapDownloader, you can download your favorite videos from online websites with ease.
Website: snapdownloader.com
Features
Download videos in 8K, 4K, QHD, 1080p HD, and other resolutions. With SnapDownloader, you can download and watch your favorite videos at the best quality on any device.
With more than 900 websites supported, our video downloader for PC allows you to download videos from many popular platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, Coub, Vimeo and many more. SnapDownloader is one of the best video downloaders for macOS and Windows PC that supports a large range of websites when compared with other downloaders.
Download and convert your favorite videos to MP4, MP3, AVI, WMA, AAC, and many other output formats. Enjoy listening to audio or watching videos from PC, Smart TV, iPhone, iPad, Android, or any other device.
SnapDownloader comes with an in-built video cutter that lets you trim any online video and download only the portion of the video or audio that you care about. With its intuitive video trimmer interface, cutting online videos is no longer a hassle!
With just the few clicks of a button, you can download your favorite YouTube playlists as well as YouTube channels. You can queue multiple videos for download at once and let them download in the background. With SnapDownloader, you can schedule videos to be downloaded automatically at a specific date and time, a useful feature for users with limited internet bandwidth.
SnapDownloader allows you to extract audio and music from videos. Easily convert videos to music in the best quality
SAVEFROM HELPER
SaveFrom Helper offers the fastest way to download Youtube videos in mp4 and mp3 for free and with no limits. Videos can be downloaded in SQ, HD, FullHD, 2k and 4k - depending on the initial quality of the video you download. Visit website: en.savefrom.net
SSYOUTUBE
Tired of looking for the perfect YouTube mp4 converter to download videos online? We have a FREE solution for you! The Ssyoutube video downloader allows you to download videos or music from Youtube and many other popular websites in MP4 format with just one click! Visit website: ssyoutube.com
DVD VIDEO SOFT
Get all the videos you like for offline watching! Download all the videos you want with the simple and smart downloader! Visit website: dvdvideosoft.com
Interesting YouTube statistics
What are the risks of using a free YouTube downloader?
We don't recommend using any free YouTube downloaders as this would mean we are suggesting that you break YouTube's terms of service. Click here for more information about your legal rights. Before you try a free YouTube downloader, why not consider using YouTube premium? - With YouTube premium, you can download videos for offline viewing and have peace of mind that you are are the right side of the law.
Using YouTube Premium to download videos
YouTube Premium gives you the following benefits:
Ad-free videos & background play
Video Downloads
YouTube Music Premium
Is it legal to download YouTube videos?
The short answer is no if you are using the free YouTube version. You can only download YouTube videos for offline viewing if you use the YouTube premium service. To understand why this is the case, we looked at YouTube's Terms of Service to understand this from their (Google's) perspective. In the "Permissions and Restrictions" section, it states:
The following restrictions apply to your use of the Service. You are not allowed to:
1. access, reproduce, download, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, alter, modify or otherwise use any part of the Service or any Content except: (a) as specifically permitted by the Service; (b) with prior written permission from YouTube and, if applicable, the respective rights holders; or (c) as permitted by applicable law;
2. circumvent, disable, fraudulently engage with, or otherwise interfere with the Service (or attempt to do any of these things), including security-related features or features that: (a) prevent or restrict the copying or other use of Content; or (b) limit the use of the Service or Content;
3. access the Service using any automated means (such as robots, botnets or scrapers) except: (a) in the case of public search engines, in accordance with YouTube’s robots.txt file; (b) with YouTube’s prior written permission; or (c) as permitted by applicable law;
As you can see, Google does not allow you to download videos unless you use their premium YouTube service. The main reason for this position is related to copyright law, as the content uploaded on the YouTube platform can have copyright laws attached. Not even Google, through the YouTube service, is permitted to break these laws. Content providers give YouTube (Google) permission to stream their content through the YouTube platform, and in return, they can earn money (known as monetisation). This means the content creator has given permission to use the video content to Google and not to you specifically. This can be further explained by taking a closer look at the permissions granted by the content creator to YouTube:
Licence to YouTube
By providing Content to the Service, you grant to YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable licence to use that Content (including to reproduce, distribute, modify, display and perform it) for the purpose of operating, promoting, and improving the Service.
Streaming or downloading videos without the YouTube service would allow third parties to bypass YouTube advertising and subscription services. This would violate copyright laws because the content providers did not give explicit permission to distribute their content on another service or platform. In this way, the content providers lose out on revenue generated by their content. The permissions given by content providers to Google only apply when the content is used on the YouTube platform. This means that using third-party software to download YouTube videos violates the agreement. There is no provision for third-party applications to access and download videos in the YouTube terms of service.
How to download YouTube videos
The best way to download YouTube videos is by using the YouTube premium service. The monthly subscription allows you to search for videos and download them by clicking or tapping the "Download" button, which is usually located at the bottom of the video. While this service is not free, it's the most hassle-free method of downloading videos, as this works from within the YouTube application.
See the screenshot below to see how easy it is to download videos directly from YouTube premium:
Once you click the "Download" button, you will see a progress bar indicating the progress of your download, and once this is complete, you can find your downloads by going to the menu and clicking on the "Downloads" button. Your downloaded videos are then available for offline viewing for 30 days after the last active internet connection, after which time they will be automatically deleted.
Why does YouTube restrict downloading of videos?
Many users of YouTube believe that YouTube restricts the downloading of videos, but this is only true for the free version of YouTube. YouTube Premium (which has no advertising) charges a monthly subscription fee, allowing it to pay content providers where no advertisement revenue is possible (like on the free version). This means that YouTube premium users are permitted to download videos for offline viewing without breaching copyright laws. This is, however, not the case for the free version of YouTube, where downloading videos is not permitted.
Do the permissions given by content creators allow me to download YouTube videos?
No, Content creators give the following permissions to YouTube users:
Licence to Other Users
You also grant each other user of the Service a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to access your Content through the Service, and to use that Content (including to reproduce, distribute, modify, display, and perform it) only as enabled by a feature of the Service.
This means that content creators do not give you permission to use their content unless its being used through the YouTube service. They only give you permission to download their content for offline personal viewing if you are subscribed to YouTube premium because this was enabled by YouTube as a feature of the YouTube service.
Can I use YouTube for commercial use?
No, because this violates the terms of service between users, content creators and Google. This question is best answered by taking a closer look at YouTubes Terms of Service. In the "Permissions and Restrictions" section towards the end of the section it states:
The following restrictions apply to your use of the Service. You are not allowed to:
8. run contests on or through the Service that do not comply with YouTube’s contest policies and guidelines;
9. use the Service to view or listen to Content other than for personal, non-commercial use (for example, you may not publicly screen videos or stream music from the Service); or
10. use the Service to: (a) sell any advertising, sponsorships, or promotions placed on, around, or within the Service or Content, other than those allowed in the Advertising on YouTube policies (such as compliant product placements); or (b) sell advertising, sponsorships, or promotions on any page of any website or application that only contains Content from the Service or where Content from the Service is the primary basis for such sales (for example, selling ads on a webpage where YouTube videos are the only content of value).
This means you can only use the videos within the YouTube ecosystem for personal use. This excludes the case where you ask the content provider directly for permission to use their content. The critical aspect here is that YouTube only prohibits commercial use when you are watching the video within their service. Please keep in mind that we are not saying you can then download a YouTube video by some other means and use it. In this case, you would still need permission from the content provider to use the video content.
Can I place advertisements next to YouTube Videos?
You are not permitted to do this. For example, if you create a web page with only a list of YouTube videos and then place advertisements within the video content (modify the content) or around the video content, you would be contravening YouTube's terms of service. You are, however, permitted to show YouTube videos on a web page that has other helpful content alongside the videos. Our takeaway from this restriction is that YouTube does not want websites on the internet that try to mimic its services. Can you imagine the web with hundreds of websites just showing YouTube videos? - Clearly, this is something YouTube would like to avoid.
Can I screen YouTube videos for the public?
No, you are not permitted to do this. YouTube's terms of service state: "You are not allowed to use the service to view or listen to content other than for personal, non-commercial use (for example, you may not publicly screen videos or stream music from the Service)."
Frequently asked questions
You cannot download videos from the free version of YouTube. A video downloader allows you to download YouTube videos directly from the YouTube website and save the files on your computer or mobile device for offline viewing. For example, you can download the videos in a location where you have internet access, then watch them later in a location with no internet access.
The most common feature is that you can convert a video available for streaming, to a video that can be saved on your computer or device as a single offline file. This allows you to watch the video later without being connected to the internet. Other common features include: resolution, encoding format, video size and downloading of playlists.
Some video downloader software can contain viruses or malware which can make them risky to use. Another risk is that you are violating the YouTube's Terms of Service. You can also breach copyright laws as no express permission has been given to you for downloading the creators video. Make sure that you are using a trustworthy website before attempting to install. Look for reviews and comments before trusting the website.
Get the YouTube URL from your web browser, then paste this into the URL entry box on the downloader appplication. You can then click the download button to save the video to your computer or mobile device. Most dowloader applications will also ask you to select a video format such as MP4 or MP3, and you will also need to select the download folder.
YouTube video downloaders typically save videos in these formats: MP4, MK4, AVI, FLV, 3GP, WMV, MOV. Some downloaders also support audio formats such as: MP3 and WAV.
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