It‘s hard to believe, but just over a decade ago, few could have predicted that online video would become the juggernaut it is today, posing a serious challenge to the dominance of broadcast TV. Pundits had long claimed this revolution was around the corner, but it took the perfect storm of widespread broadband internet access, a wealth of content, and a stable, user-friendly platform to finally make it a reality. That platform was YouTube.
Since its acquisition by Google in 2006, YouTube has grown to completely dominate the online video space, boasting over 2 billion monthly active users who watch over a billion hours of video every day. From viral memes to in-depth tutorials, YouTube has democratized video creation and distribution in an unprecedented way.
However, YouTube does have one key limitation – you need a high-speed internet connection to use it. In a mobile-first world of data caps and spotty connections, you can‘t always stream what you want, when you want. That‘s where YouTube video downloaders come in.
Why Download YouTube Videos?
There are many reasons you might want to download YouTube videos to your computer or mobile device:
- Offline viewing: Whether you‘re on a long flight or have a limited data plan, downloading lets you watch videos without an internet connection.
- Archiving: Don‘t risk your favorite videos disappearing if they get taken down or the creator deletes their channel. Downloading ensures you have a permanent copy.
- Remixing and editing: Many creators download YouTube videos to use as source material for video essays, memes, or other transformative works.
- Convenience: With the videos on your device, you can watch on your own schedule, skip ads, and not worry about buffering.
However, it‘s important to note that downloading videos may be against YouTube‘s terms of service, and there are potential copyright issues to consider. We‘ll cover this more later, but for now suffice it to say you should only download videos you have the rights for, and for personal, non-commercial use.
What Makes a Great YouTube Video Downloader?
With so many YouTube downloaders available for PC, how do you choose the right one? Here are the key features and factors I looked for when evaluating the options:
- Download quality: The best downloaders can grab YouTube videos in up to 4K resolution, giving you flexibility in balancing file size and visual quality.
- Format options: In addition to standard MP4 format, good downloader apps support formats like AVI, MOV, and MKV, as well as the ability to extract just the audio as MP3 or WAV files.
- Batch downloads: Avoid tedium by downloading entire playlists or queuing up multiple videos at once.
- Conversion and compression: To make videos playable on any device and minimize storage use, look for built-in tools to convert formats and adjust resolution/quality.
- Ease of use: The ideal YouTube downloader has a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy to find the video you want and select your output settings.
Of course, price, platform availability, and extra features like built-in editors and screen recorders also factored into my picks. With those criteria in mind, let‘s unveil the winners.
The Best YouTube Video Downloaders
Best Paid Option: Wondershare AllMyTube
For power users who want total flexibility and control over their YouTube downloads, Wondershare AllMyTube is the total package. This premium Windows and Mac app lets you download videos not only from YouTube, but thousands of other sites like Facebook, Vimeo, and Instagram.
Using AllMyTube is simple – just copy a YouTube video or playlist URL, click Download, and choose your quality and format options (up to 4K resolution and a dozen formats including MP4, WebM, and 3GP). You can queue up multiple downloads, schedule them for later, or set up the app to automatically grab new videos from your favorite channels.
Where AllMyTube really shines is its built-in conversion tools. You can compress videos to a smaller file size, change the format and resolution, or use device-specific presets to optimize for iPhone, Android, and game consoles. There‘s also a basic video editor for trimming clips or extracting audio.
Other handy features include a screen recorder for capturing web videos that can‘t be downloaded directly, a playlist manager, and the ability to transfer videos directly to your phone over USB. The interface is slick and well-designed, and you can try all the features with a free trial before buying a license.
Pricing: $19.99/year or $29.99 for a lifetime license
Best Free Option: 4K Video Downloader
Don‘t let the name fool you – this free, open-source program is a powerful yet streamlined YouTube downloader. Available for Windows, Mac and Linux, 4K Video Downloader lets you grab videos in practically any format and resolution available, up to 4K quality.
Using 4K Video Downloader couldn‘t be simpler – just copy a YouTube video URL from your browser, click Paste Link, and select your format and quality. The video downloads to the destination folder of your choice. You can also "subscribe" to YouTube channels to automatically download new videos as they‘re posted.
While there aren‘t many bells and whistles, 4K Video Downloader has some handy options like the ability to extract subtitles, choose start and end times to download partial clips, and export just the audio. You can download up to 30 videos in a playlist simultaneously.
The free version of 4K Video Downloader is perfect for most users, but there‘s an affordable $15 upgrade that adds more sites, playlist and channel support, and faster speeds.
Pricing: Free, $15 for lifetime license
Best for Mac: Folx
Mac users wanting a native YouTube downloader that looks and feels like a macOS app should check out Folx. This polished download manager supports grabbing videos from YouTube and various other sites in resolutions up to 4K.
With Folx‘s clean, uncluttered interface, you can quickly search for videos, see a thumbnail preview, and select your download quality and format. While you can‘t queue multiple videos, the download speeds are blazing fast, even over a slow connection in my experience.
What sets Folx apart is its unique tagging and organization system. You can apply custom tags, colors and ratings to your downloaded videos, making it easy to sort your library. There‘s also a built-in player with basic playback controls.
The free version of Folx includes all the core YouTube downloading features, while the $19.95 Pro upgrade adds support for downloading music, resuming broken downloads, and scheduling downloads overnight.
Pricing: Free, $19.95 for lifetime license
Other YouTube Downloaders to Consider
While the above picks are the cream of the crop, there are several other solid YouTube downloader apps worth mentioning:
- iTubeGo: This highly-rated program offers a 4K video downloader, converter, and editor for a reasonable annual license fee.
- Airy: If you just want a barebones downloader with no extra features, Airy‘s minimalist interface for Mac and Windows makes it a breeze to use.
- ByClick Downloader: This feature-packed app has nifty tools like a built-in proxy for accessing region-blocked videos and a private mode for adult sites.
Using YouTube Downloaders Legally and Ethically
Now that you know how to download any YouTube video to watch offline, a word of caution. Downloading videos from YouTube is, generally speaking, against the site‘s terms of service. There are also potential copyright issues to be aware of, since videos are intellectual property owned by their creators.
However, these rules have some wiggle room. If you‘re downloading videos in the public domain, or ones you created yourself, there‘s no issue at all. And in general, if you‘re downloading for purely personal, non-commercial use, it‘s unlikely to ruffle any feathers.
Where you can run into trouble is if you republish or redistribute someone else‘s copyrighted video without permission. So download away for your own personal media library, but don‘t upload those files or try to monetize them yourself.
It‘s also good Internet citizenship to "pay it forward" to creators you enjoy by watching their videos on YouTube with ads enabled, buying their merchandise, or supporting them on Patreon. That‘s how they‘re able to keep making the content worth downloading in the first place!
The Future of Online Video (and Video Downloaders)
While YouTube continues to reign supreme in online video, it‘s facing stiff competition from upstarts like TikTok, Twitch, and Facebook Video. Creators have more options than ever for where to publish, and the lines between streaming and social media are blurring.
One thing is certain – our appetite for online video isn‘t going away anytime soon. Cisco predicts that by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic. And as 4K and even 8K video become more widespread, we‘ll only demand more flexible ways to consume that content across all our devices.
So while the YouTube downloaders of the future may support an expanded range of sites and formats, they‘ll definitely still have their place in a cord-cutting world. Whether you‘re downloading to build up an offline library or just to have a backup in case your favorite video essay disappears, these handy programs are here to stay.
The Bottom Line
YouTube has revolutionized how we create and consume video content, but you don‘t have to be shackled to their app or website to enjoy your favorite videos. With a reliable YouTube video downloader for PC, you can build an offline library to watch anytime, anywhere.
For the ultimate flexibility and features, grab the paid version of Wondershare AllMyTube, which lets you download from thousands of sites, convert and compress videos in a snap, and manage your whole library. Budget-conscious users and those who just need an easy downloader should go for the free and open-source 4K Video Downloader. And Mac owners will feel at home with Folx‘s native look and lightning speeds.
Whichever downloader you choose, just be sure to use it responsibly, support your favorite creators, and enjoy your new offline video freedom. Happy downloading!