Before kicking this article off, we have to say there are many people who have no idea that YouTube videos can be downloaded.
There’s no shame in that, of course, but you’ll be surprised how easy it is to download and save videos to your devices from the popular video-sharing platform.
On the other hand, there are those who do know that you can download YouTube videos, but haven’t found much success or found the right tool to use yet. The following text is dedicated those who fall into either camp, and anyone else who wants to watch YouTube videos wherever they are.
The YouTube audio and video downloading apps have been present for many years and have helped a lot of people with their projects and saved countless others from the frustration of internet issues. Be that as it may, some restrictions are present – we are still talking about free apps and YouTube content.
Why Use a YouTube Downloader?
So, what are the advantages of using YouTube downloader apps?
First of all, the quite obvious and main advantage – you can download YouTube videos on your PC or phone and have them stored in your memory at any time. That means it’s possible to watch what you like when you are offline (in a plane or other transportation, camping, etc.) or simply don’t want to use your mobile data.
You can even download albums and playlists and create a particular playlist for your needs or taste. Downloading large music mixes is also possible with some YouTube downloaders, which can be quite useful for the gym, jogging, car music, etc.
Other advantages include:
- Switching between media formats. For example, if you need an audio file only, you can take audio from the clip and save it as an mp3 file. This is how you save space and trouble with other programs and apps.
- Using YouTube content for PowerPoint Presentations, short videos, Vines, etc. Many a presentation has benefitted from the inclusion of a well-placed YouTube clip, so why not follow suit and add some humor and character to your presentations?
- All of this is (mostly) free! That’s right, no need to reach into your wallet to get YouTube videos on your phone and other devices!
With free downloaders, there are certain restrictions, as mentioned. YouTube copyrights must be taken seriously and any illegal activity may result in penalties. So be sure to read the terms of service of both YouTube and YouTube downloader app first before doing any business.
The list of free YouTube downloaders is constantly changing and/or expanding. Some older apps no longer work, so a lot of the time the newer apps will be better options. This list will hopefully help you to find your best free YouTube downloader.
Our Picks for the Best YouTube Downloaders
Which YouTube downloader is the best? Well, this is one of those questions that are impossible to answer, like ‘What is the best car in the world’? Or ‘Who is the best sports athlete of all time’?
There are many parameters to be taken into consideration here since different people prefer different things. So for that reason, our numerical order does not necessarily mean quality order.
But here are some of the factors we considered in our selections:
- Speed
- Editing Features
- Simplicity of Use
- Ability to Download Multiple Videos
Also, do consider that most downloaders differ based on the device and operating system they function with. For example, some Windows Youtube downloaders are not compatible with Mac OS.
Without further ado, let’s begin.
1. Airy YouTube Downloader
A fantastic app that does the job perfectly – Airy YouTube Downloader is one of the most popular and most recommended downloaders to save videos. One of the reasons why it is so popular is compatibility with both Windows and Mac operating systems. Whether you prefer one or another, you will love this app.
The interface is incredibly easy to use. Simply copy the link from YouTube and click Download.
And that’s it!
Although it is possible to choose any resolution quality, the video file format is limited to outdated 3GP, not-so-perfect FLV, and, luckily, a standard mp4 format. If it were not for mp4, this app probably wouldn’t have featured on this list.
Of course, like with many downloaders, conversion to mp3 audio-only file is possible as well.
The catch with Airy is that you can use it for free only for a while, that is until the trial period is over. If you buy it, you will enjoy one of the most popular downloaders. If not – choose your downloads carefully.
What we like:
- Easy and user-friendly interface.
- Two downloads at the time are possible with the free version.
- Videos of any resolution can be downloaded.
- High-quality video and audio downloads.
- Can be a browser add-on!
What we don’t like:
- The limited trial period for the free version.
- Limited file formats.
2. 4K Video Downloader
As the name suggests, a 4K video downloader can get you top quality 4K videos and not only from YouTube, but from many more sites as well – simply this feature is worthy of a personal number one spot, but there’s more.
Apart from being able to download any video quality, you can download 360-degree videos as well. Other than that, 30 videos per day can be downloaded with a free version of this app (or 10 videos per playlist, 5 per channel). It’s not unlimited daily download capacity like some YouTube downloaders have, but 30 top-quality videos per day we find to be quite sufficient.
What we like:
- 4K resolution videos.
- 360-degree videos.
- Downloadable playlists.
- Compatible with multiple sites.
What we don’t like:
- The free version has a daily and playlist videos download limit.
- Ads are present with a free version.
- One download at the time.
3. VideoProc
This app is one of the newest apps for video downloading purposes. Despite being relatively new, the publisher provides constant updates to make it even better. And it is fantastic already!
Being new means being ready to fight the competition, and VideoProc does that with fantastic features. With standard downloading possibilities (format and quality options, audio converter, etc.), Video Proc provides video editing as well. You can edit, polish, resize, transcode, enhance videos for further use. All of the editing processes have minimal to no impact on video quality changes.
Another fantastic addition is that you can download videos from almost anywhere – Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube, of course, and many others! We love new stuff, don’t we?
Since it is relatively new, not many people have used it so far, but the number is ever-increasing. Besides, VideoProc is available for both Mac and Windows, which makes it widely accessible.
What we like:
- Constant updates.
- Possible video downloads from hundreds of sites.
- Great video and audio quality.
- Fantastic video editing possibilities.
- Both Mac and Windows compatibility.
What we don’t like:
- The free version has a limited trial period.
4. Free YouTube Download
Overall, this YouTube downloader is quite simple but great. It is incredibly easy to work with, download speed is fast, and there are many more advantages.
For example, you can bulk download videos – that means you can create a full list of videos to be downloaded. This feature is quite useful for it saves a lot of time (no need to wait for the first download to be completed, simply add more videos at the same time), it provides a distinguishable list of already added videos (so you don’t have to remember what to download later), and so on,
While it was always available for both Mac and Windows, Free YouTube Download has added Android and iPhone apps to its arsenal as well. Constant updates make this app quite good and popular.
What we like:
- Available for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android.
- User-friendly interface with good download speed.
- Bulk download and list of added videos provided.
- No free trial period.
What we don’t like:
- Recently, format and quality choice options have been limited to premium accounts only. This means that free users can download videos in their original YouTube quality and format only, while paid accounts can choose.
- Some users have reported a speed decrease with a free version, but that should be fixed with the latest update.
5. NotMP3 Free Video Downloader
Now, this is a downloader Windows users are proud of – I say Windows, for it is available to this operating system only. If you have a Microsoft PC, then you are in luck!
NotMP3 Free Video Downloader should be the number one choice for Windows users.
Even though all of the features are completely free, there are no issues with it whatsoever!
With this free youtube video downloader there are no ads, no premium restrictions, no free trial periods, nothing! Simply download the app and start downloading videos even more easily.
Secondly, NotMP3 Free Video Downloader is compatible with numerous sites, not only YouTube – basically, you can download almost any video on the Internet that you come across.
Thirdly, video quality does not drop upon download. If the video is available in 2K for example, you can download it in 2K (or less, if file size matters to you).
Another cool option is the possibility to download both video and an additional mp3 file at the same time.
The only drawback is the lack of format options. So far a user can only choose mp4 videos and mp3 audio formats. But we find that okay since those two are used for most of our needs.
What we like:
- No premium restrictions – fully free app!
- Unlimited downloads.
- Same video quality download.
- Multiple site compatibility.
- Both audio and video downloads at the same time.
What we don’t like:
- MP4 and MP3 formats only.
- Just for Windows, no other operating systems.
6. FastestTube
Unlike many YouTube downloaders that are present only as an app (or as a website), Fastest Tube is a browser add on that allows you to download videos directly from YouTube. The developers have listened to some people’s prayers for years – that YouTube should have a download option right below the video – and with Fastest Tube, this is exactly what you get!
Upon installing this add-on, there will be an additional “Download” option below the YouTube video, right next to Share and Add to options. Simply click on Download and choose the quality and format of the file to be downloaded. The video quality will not drop, and you can even shut down video adds (God knows how many of those are present on YouTube today), annotations, and so on.
One of the main drawbacks of this extension is the installation process. You may need to disable your Antivirus and add it to your browser as a ‘suspicious malware’, but this is only natural for extensions of this type.
Since it is compatible with Opera, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (which is dying out), there is no need to worry about being Mac or Windows user. But it also means that there are no mobile phone apps either.
What we like:
- Direct and fast YouTube download with no additional apps.
- No paid premium accounts – benefits such as no adds option, unlimited download, etc. Everything is free.
- High-quality video downloads.
- Applicable to the most popular browsers (Windows and Mac compatibility).
What we don’t like:
- Suspicious installation.
- No mobile phone apps.
- YouTube videos only.
7. ClipGrab
ClipGrab downloader provides more or less the same features as other previously mentioned downloaders, with the exception of its search engine.
While the majority of downloaders use a copy/paste system (user simply copies the video link and pastes it in the app search engine and the app therefore automatically finds the video), ClipGrab has another option, apart from copy/paste, of course.
There is a keyword search engine included as well. Type in the words that you remember from the video title or description, and ClipGrab will find all related videos to your inquiry. This way the user never has to open the browser at all! The maximum number of keywords that could be used is five, so used them carefully. Although useful and innovative, this search engine can sometimes be faulty and show no results at all.
Be that as it may, ClipGrab is still a very powerful downloader. It is compatible with many sites, like Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, etc. The video quality is the same as on its original platform and you can choose from many file formats. There is also a huge list of different interface language possibilities that might be useful for elderly people (or rather people of all ages) who can’t speak English very well.
You can even make a list and download several files at once. There is a download history that is often quite useful, especially when downloading many videos with similar content and names.
Be sure to carefully install it, though. There are lots of unnecessary additional installations included, like Yahoo search and others. So don’t just hit that ‘next’ button, but uncheck things you don’t need (and trust us, you don’t need those).
What we like:
- Video search made easier with two different ways – keyword and copy/paste search.
- Multiple sites compatibility, not only YouTube.
- High-quality video downloads.
- The bulk download is possible with lists and download history – an incredibly useful feature.
- Available on both Mac and Windows operating systems.
- Completely free app.
What we don’t like:
- Makes a mess if you install everything it offers in the setup wizard.
- The keyword search engine should be updated, but we expect it will be the case soon.
- No phone apps – limited to PC use.
8. Freemake Video Downloader
Freemake Video Downloader looks quite cool – its interface is colorful and fun (unlike with most free downloaders). Maybe this is the reason why the app is a bit slow to load and respond, but if you have time (and we suppose you do since you are about to download videos from YouTube) then this should not be a problem.
Although cool, this app is more suitable for audio downloads than for videos. Why?
Because if you want to download a video with a free account, there will be a Freemake Video Downloader logo embedded into your video. It is not the worst logo and the video could be watched with that logo over it without any problems, but it is still an unnecessary issue. If you are okay with that, then feel free to download videos like that, we don’t mind.
One more problem that can bother a person is constant premium account offers. These pop-ups will occur before almost any action, but sometimes that’s the price we have to pay for using cool apps for free.
What we like:
- Interesting and fun interface.
- Simple copy/paste downloading process.
- Many formats and quality options are included.
What we don’t like:
- Again, premium accounts are needed for full pleasure.
- Annoying ads.
9. Allavsoft YouTube Downloader
There is another downloader similar in interesting interface with Freemake Video Downloader, and that is the Allavsoft YouTube downloader.
As wonderful as it is, the colorful design is actually not the best feature of this downloader. Allavsoft YouTube downloader boasts numerous features, all quite useful and fun.
First of all, like many downloaders from our list, the Allavsoft YouTube downloader is cooperating with hundreds of websites. If you come across some video that is not on YouTube, don’t worry, Allavsoft YouTube downloader will probably ease your woes.
Secondly, video quality is not an issue, since this app can download 4K videos with ease. Since both Mac and Windows support the Allavsoft YouTube downloader, there are also numerous video formats to choose from. Speaking of OS support, Allavsoft YouTube downloader has add-ons for Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, making every process even easier.
Naturally, a converter is included, and therefore it is possible to download audio files only if needed.
One of the cool features that we have mentioned is a built-in player that can play videos or songs that you have already downloaded. This saves a lot of time when bulk downloading. Get one video, play it, and let the app download more stuff in the background.
Another very cool addition is a ‘breakpoint resume’ – this basically means that if God forbid something happens (like connection malfunction or power outage), the video will continue downloading from the breaking point! A lot of time can be saved if you have many files to download.
One problem though – this app is not completely free. You can use the trial period (all features are included) and do as much as you can. You can also pay for a month and get the money back if feeling dissatisfied. But no more than this.
What we like:
- The colorful and interesting interface makes usage of this app quite fun.
- High-quality videos and many file formats to choose from.
- Mac and Windows compatibility.
- A built-in player is there to make the downloading time fly by faster.
- Good add-ons for most commonly used Internet browsers.
- Incredibly useful ‘breakpoint resume’ feature!
What we don’t like:
- Free version available only with trial period.
- No mobile phone support.
10. WinX Youtube Downloader
With the WinX YouTube Downloader you can download videos straight from the source.
This website allows you to convert videos from YouTube and other platforms such as Facebook and DailyMotion into formats you can watch wherever you are without a connection to the internet.
It’s an intuitive program that’s easy to get to grips with, even for the beginner, which makes it a top pick for those who aren’t familiar with online tools and resources of this nature.
The process couldn’t be more straightforward – simply copy the URL of the video you find on YouTube, paste it into the program, and then click ‘Download’ and the program will do the rest for you.
Just like magic, within a few minutes, you’ll have your video ready to play offline on your device. You even get a choice of which format to download the video into, which can be useful for the more experienced internet users looking for a particular file type.
The program is free to use, and the latest version is from November 20th 2020.
What we like:
- Intuitive interface makes it easy for all to use
- Free to use
- Provides a variety of download options in various file types
What we don’t like:
- Some users have claimed that recent updates have made the program less reliable
Related: Best YouTube Starter Kit
Notable Mentions: YouTube Downloader and Converter Websites
You may have already come across some websites that act as YouTube downloaders during your research.
The reason why these websites are mentioned as an afterthought is simple – they’re unreliable.
An app is certain to work properly, but sites can vanish or change overnight. We have used them, of course, but from our experience, we’ve experienced many failed downloads (for unexplained reasons), conversion problems, and ads — oh God — so many ads!
But there are also plenty of reasons why websites can be more attractive at times:
- No installation required
- Downloading from another PC that has no downloader app
- Quick download from your browser
We give credit where credit is due.
Here’s a list of the YouTube downloader websites that we’ve found useful. Try these sites, and hopefully they’ll serve you well:
- YTD (YouTube Video Downloader)
- HD Video Converter Factory
- Tubegeter
- Vidpaw
- Y2mate
- S-Converter
- 2save.net
- VideoDownload.in
As mentioned before, they are susceptible to change or they can simply vanish from the Internet, so it is recommended to try more than one.
Related: How to Become a YouTuber
Free Quiz: Find Your Ideal Gear Setup in 1 Minute or Less 📷
Frequently Asked Questions About Downloading YouTube Videos
We will now dedicate a few lines to some of the commonly-asked questions we’ve encountered in this field.
What is the best YouTube downloader app?
There is no easy answer to this question but based on speed, editing features, simplicity of use, and the ability to download multiple videos at once, we would recommend Airy YouTube Downloader.
It can also be used as a browser add-on. If you prefer just a website instead of an app, consider Y2Mate or YTD (YouTube Video Downloader).
Is there a YouTube downloader that works?
Of course there is, and from this list above we think it is quite obvious.
There are literally dozens, or even hundreds of great YouTube downloaders today, and the big majority of them work flawlessly. YouTube downloaders have been upgraded constantly due to their high demands. Older apps are getting some serious improvements, while newer apps include fantastic features to compete in this already saturated market.
Every YouTube downloader works, the challenge is finding the best free youtube downloader for your needs (or opting for a premium option, if you have the funds).
How can I download paid YouTube videos for free?
The same way everybody does – with YouTube downloader apps and sites. There are a plethora of free YouTube downloaders; simply find one and download videos.
You need to bear in mind that not every downloader is compatible with every PC or mobile phone. Find the one for your technological property and enjoy free downloads.
You can check out our list of the best free youtube downloader apps for further help.
Reminder: Please, follow the YouTube terms of service before downloading paid YouTube content.
Related: What Camera Do the Best YouTubers Use?
A Final Word from Run Gun Shoot
Which one do you find to be the best free youtube downloader from the list?
If you haven’t used any of these, please, try them, you won’t regret it. And, by the way, what do you have to lose? Certainly not money – they’re all free!
