Unfortunately the internet doesn’t always travel with us. So for YouTubers, editors and people far and wide, being able to download YouTube videos is hugely valuable.
Whether you’re editing, organizing or backing up your video files, you need a trusted and reliable software converter. In this article, I will cover 2024’s 10 Best YouTube Downloaders that are FREE!
But before I dive in, here are some reasons why you might want to download a YouTube video.
- Slow internet connection
- Offline viewing
- Backing up your own content
Is It Illegal To Download YouTube Videos?
When you’re using a free YouTube downloader, you should be cautious about the type of content you download. While it’s legal, safe, and perfectly fine to view or stream videos and content from this popular platform, it goes against their terms of service to download from the site.
This is because most streaming content or videos are copyright protected.
It’s also illegal to download YouTube video content with the intent to resell, upload on other channels, or repurpose to create other new content.
You should only download videos when you have the permission from the copyright owner of the content. Reading YouTube’s terms of service notes that downloading content without permission is explicitly prohibited.
Disclaimer: Some of these software options contain affiliate links which means I may earn a commission if you purchase a product from this list. This comes at no extra cost to you.
Top 10 Best Free YouTube Downloaders in 2024
1. Wondershare UniConverter
This downloadable converter makes it into my list of the best YouTube to MP3 converters because of its sleek interface and feature studded functionality.
In 2024, you need a good YouTube Downloader to get your files fast, easy and ready for editing software. It’s a reliable option that will last you a LONG time.
You can convert and compress videos in over 1000 formats, including MP4, MOV and many more.
I always use this when I’m editing so I can manipulate the files inside my editing software.
PROS
- Super easy to use with one-click downloads.
- The conversion speed is super fast (30x faster speed without quality loss), and you can select many audio and video formats for yourself.
- It supports dozens of other video sharing websites, so it’s got you covered for good.
- You can edit videos within the app.
CONS
- There are some software limitations with the free version. The paid version allows for full access.
The product is a great solution for downloading YouTube videos.
2. 4K Video Downloader
Looking for simple, ad- & worry-free YouTube downloads? 4K Video Downloader is one of the safest bets out there and provides comprehensive YouTube downloading capabilities. Its most decorated features include:
- Supports a wide variety of websites in addition to YouTube
- Downloads entire play lists
- Supports 4K & 360-degree videos
Pros
Simply superb, all that 4K Video Downloader requires is the video’s URL, and from there on out, you can download the video with a single click. The downloader supports multi-stream downloading that speeds up downloads while eliminating any risk of getting the IP address blocked. Easily worthy of the #1 choice!
Cons
There’s no free meal, right? Right. While the downloader is available for free, its features are limited. The most major ones of these limitations is the version’s inability to download playlists with more than 24 videos. Apart from this, the free version doesn’t put you in a tight spot with the video’s source website, the quality, or its download speed.
3. CleverGet
You don’t really need to be a rocket scientist to know what this program does! The title is pretty self-explanatory. CleverGet is a quick way to get YouTube videos downloaded fast.
It can batch download video, subtitles, and music files from YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, Soundcloud, Udemy, Twitter, Facebook, Dailymotion, etc. It supports directly download to MP4, MP3, AVI, WAV, MOV etc any video or audio formats.
CleverGet supports adding multiple video URLs and batch downloading and converting multiple videos at a time.
- Allows batch downloading
- Allows user to select the video quality
- Converts videos into other formats if you want
Overall, this is a good option for a YouTube to MP4/MP3 Video Downloader. It’s extremely easy to use and download youtube videos.
There is a built-in video player in CleverGet for us to preview and playback the downloaded video files.
Pros
- Batch downloading is available
- Easy interface
- Simple downloader for YouTube
- Download 8K Videos
Cons
- There are limited features in the FREE version.
4. NotMP3 Free Video Downloader
NotMP3 Free Video Downloader is one of the best free YouTube downloaders there is. It is completely free, easy to use and doesn’t come with spam, ads or bundled offers. You can download unlimited videos from 1000’s of sites, and you can do this in bulk.
- Ability to download both video & audio
- Can download entire YouTube playlists
- Unlimited downloads
Pros
The simple video downloader lets you download video & convert MP4 to MP3 files from YouTube. The software even allows you to download 8K videos with ease. The software is completely free and has a pretty decent download speed.
Cons
The downloader is only available for Windows at the moment. Mac users won’t be able to use the software.
5. FastestTube
Do you really need an entire software program installed on your computer in order to download YouTube videos? No, a web-browser extension would suffice. FastestTube is a web browser extension that downloads videos without requiring any additional software installed on your computer.
Pros
The extension works with popular browsers such as Internet Explorer, Chrome & Firefox. You may download videos in a variety of qualities as high as 1080p, while at the same time enabling/disabling additions such as annotations, auto-play and ads. This makes the interface solid, and removes all the hassle of opening up a separate software for downloading videos.
Cons
As Google doesn’t really like you to download YouTube videos for free, you’ll have to download the extension from FastestTube’s website and install it from thereon. This might be undesirable for some users who are looking for a quick-fix.
6. Freemake Video Downloader
If you look at it as an entirely free software, it really is one of the best free YouTube downloaders available. Not just for YouTube, the application grabs videos from websites such as Facebook, Dailymotion, Vimeo, etc.
- Simple copy/paste mechanism
- Convert videos into multiple formats
- Extract audio from video files
Pros
The video downloader comes with an intuitive interface, sporting a one-click mode which makes downloading videos a cake-walk. You can set-up the application’s setting once, for downloading, extracting & converting, and from thereon, rely on a single click for the whole operation to take place. You can download the video file in any of the available qualities without a glitch.
Cons
The application tends to get bogged down when multiple downloads are initiated at the same time, but for the most part, maintains its fluidity.
7. ClipGrab
ClipGrab has been designed to ease in the process of downloading videos, letting you work your way through sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc. This is one of the best free YouTube downloaders out there, and has almost every bit of functionality you want.
- The interface is all set for novice users
- Comes with an inbuilt search-bar for videos
- Can download videos in any format/quality
Pros
For starters, ClipGrab lets you search for a video from its search-bar. This means you don’t have to open your browser at all. Once you find the video you were looking for, all you need to do is select the quality & format, and start downloading.
If you want, you can also paste URLs into the software’s clipboard to download videos. The downloader also gives you an option to download audio-only version of files, which is great for a music enthusiast.
Cons
The installer comes with adware such as Yahoo & ByteFence add-ons; be sure to avoid these. In addition, you’ll need to be really specific while carrying out a video search as the results only contain 12 entries.
8. All Video Downloader
All Video Downloader works on a similar principle as ClipGrab. It lets you search for a video from within the application, and download them without opening a separate web browser. Apart from YouTube, the application’s search engine includes sites such as Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc.
- Built on simple & fluid interface
- Allows batch downloading
- Allows video conversion
Pros
The entire operation is highly simple, which makes this software desirable for beginner users. In addition, to downloading videos, you can also configure the application to extract audio on its own. Moreover, you can covert video files in a variety of formats as well and watch them on a separate device later.
Cons
The batch download feature is a little limited though. You can only download two videos and only convert four at any given time.
9. VideoDuke MAC Video Downloader
VideoDuke tops our (and several others) list of the best YouTube downloaders for MAC Computers due to its comprehensive feature-set and ease of use. The video downloader allows online videos to be saved onto your MAC with just a couple of clicks. From thereon, you can stream them without worrying about the quality of your internet connection.
Pros
VideoDuke would allow you to choose the resolution and format for the video, e.g. MP4, 3GP, FLV, etc. If it’s a song you’re after, you can even extract it into MP3. However, VideoDuke can help you with Full HD and 8K videos as well if the need arises.
Cons
All the features, sleek interface and simple usage does come with a price tag. The DEMO version only allows you to download 2 videos.
This software is currently only available for MAC.
10. VideoProc
Built-in simple yet powerful video downloading software, VideoProc can meet almost all your video downloading needs from YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc. It’s the optimal choice for those who need a lightweight, fast and stable video software to download, convert, edit any 4K/large-videos. Being a video downloader, it stands out with the following features:
- Download online videos, music, playlists & channels from 1000+ sites.
- Allow select quality and download 4K/1080P/720P/ latest AVI videos.
- Support batch downloading; Search and save video with Subtitles.
- Download, convert, edit video at one-stop. Record YouTube live video.
Pros:
Easy-to-use, fast speed, lightweight; enables proxy server to download videos and music anywhere; Totally free when download videos; Full GPU accelerated video toolkit to edit, convert, download, record and more. Support wide range of online sites.
Cons:
Work for Windows and Mac, but no mobile version.
Features To Look Out For In Video Downloaders
Not all video downloaders are created equal. Some are simpler in function while others offer quite a few advanced features. Here’s a quick look at some of the best general features to look for when you’re seeking out the best video download application.
Compress Videos
Compressing videos can be quite a challenge, especially if you don’t want to sacrifice video and audio quality while you’re streamlining your file size. Some advanced video downloader apps allow you to specify the encoder rate, resolution, and output size of videos you’d like to compress.
Why would anyone compress a video, you ask? Well, this is mostly for the sake of space. Students often need to download a lot of educational content from YouTube channels. This educational content can be challenging to store on a simple flash drive or hard drive if the files are too large.
Compressing videos can help you fit a lot more on the same memory stick and eases data transfer and transportation between devices and locations.
Format Conversion
Some video converters allow you to choose from popular formats so you can tailor the content to suit your device. You can, for example, download music videos in MP4 format so you can play the content on a laptop, or you can convert it to MP3 audio files and listen to it on a simple old-fashioned car radio.
Video Merging
Video merging involves joining two or more single video files into one. Simpler downloaders will only allow you to merge videos of the same frame rate and size, while others will enable you to merge files of different video formats, frame rates, sizes, and audio rates. Video merging is usually a function that’s needed by vloggers, content creators, and software editors.
Limit The Download Speed and Time
A lot of data providers try to limit the number of users who download during the daytime because too many users can affect the download and upload speed of networks. You can save a lot of money on downloads by downloading after 12 am because a lot of network providers offer discounted rates or even free data packages during this time frame.
Premium version YouTube downloaders do allow you to set the download time and the download speed so you can get your content downloaded at a much more affordable price.
User-Friendly Interface
Not all of us are computer gurus. If downloading your favorite videos takes too long or is too challenging, then it might be time to look for a third-party app that’s easier to use. Simpler or basic download apps have a streamlined downloading process.
With a simple or basic video downloader app, you can simply copy and paste the video link into the site video converter and it will automatically download and convert the file for you. These video downloaders might not offer the most advanced features, but they’re terrific for quick individual video downloading.
How To Use a Free YouTube Downloader
When it comes to downloading YouTube videos, there are literally dozens of ways of going about it. You could use the YouTube premium version, which of course comes at a price, or you could opt for a tool such as a video downloader.
These software and online tools are a great way to copy in a link and simply download the video (providing that you have adhered to YouTubes terms and conditions).
Once you have the link of your choice, you simply paste it into the downloader of your choice.
From there you can easily select the video format such as MP4 (most common), MOV and so on.
After following the steps, simply click download and your video will start to import onto your computer. Depending on the size of the video, this can take several minutes.
Conclusion
To learn more about downloaders, you can also check out our great guide on the best YouTube downloaders for Android. If you are a fan of Apple computers, you will then be happy to know that I have written a guide on the best YouTube downloaders for Mac computers. If there are any other lists you would like to see, please let me know!
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