Out of tens of hundreds of free YouTube downloaders for Mac, which one really deserves a spot on your Mac? Which one can download YouTube videos muisc on Mac free in a blazing fast speed? Which one is the best of the best?
Based on experience, tests and comparisons, below top 10 free YouTube downloaders for Mac are trustworthy tools to save YouTube videos MP4/MP3, HD, 4K, HDR, etc on Mac. Read the reviews and get the one you like most.
Note: There are no online Mac YouTube downloaders as they are dying choices and often from malicious websites. Also, they have limited output formats and resolutions, and will reduce the output quality during downloading.
[Warning!] YouTube music & copyright-protected contents are not supported for download.
The free video downloader is 100% safe and free for Mac users to download videos in 8K/4K, 1080p/720p HD at record speed and save video clips, playlists, channels, music, movies, TV shows, gameplays, cartoons, etc from Facebook, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and 300+ other sites. If your MP4 or MP3 downloader app can't download YouTube videos on Mac, there are several possible solutions. Check your connection, for example. But the easiest way is to get a new, better app that works. Airy for Mac and Windows is very stable and it gets constant updates. Download any YouTube playlist in mp3 for free. Thumbnail Title. Mac, Linux, Android or IPhone. Our youtube to mp3 playlist converter is the best online.
Top 10 YouTube Downloaders for Mac
1. MacX Video Converter Pro
Free YouTube to MP3 Converter (Y to MP3) One of the most popular YouTube to MP3 converter.
MacX Video Converter Pro is a universal 4K UHD video processing software that can be applied to convert, edit, download and resize videos at No.1 fast speed. Acting as a YouTube downloader on Mac, it assures you to download YouTube files in any format including MP3 MP4 with original quality at GPU Hardware Accelerated 5X faster speed than its rivals, and also convert the media files to any formats for any devices including iPhone, iPad, Huawei, Xiaomi, PS4, Xbox One, etc. You are also allowed to edit your YouTube videos.
Pros:
- Able to download YouTube videos, audio, TV shows, movies, etc. in 4K, Full HD 1080p/720p or so on Mac.
- Convert YouTube videos to any formats like MP4 MP3 for any devices.
- Supported input/output video formats: AV1, HEVC, MP4, MOV, HEVC, H.264, MPEG4, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, MTS, M2TS, TS, AVCHD, MOD, etc.
- Supported input/output audio formats: MP3, AAC, AC3, FLAC, iPhone ringtone, etc.
- Download contents from 1000+ video sharing sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Dailymotion, Vevo, Myspace and many more.
- Further edit YouTube videos with crop, cut, merge, rotate, split, subtitle, special effects, YouTube to GIF, watermark, denoise, deshake, etc. features.
Cons:
- Can’t batch download YouTube on Mac, you can add only one media source each time to download.
- Need to update YouTube URL analysis engine to ensure successful video downloads.
2. 5KPlayer
Though born to be a 4K video player, 5KPlayer can also be used as a YouTube downloader for Mac computer. The embedded YouTube module of this tool allows you to directly paste YouTube video URL and then download in a few clicks. It is a quite comprehensive tool that combines YouTube videos audio download, YouTube media playback and stream into one unit, thus you can enjoy the downloaded files directly or in a bigger manner without any other help.
Pros:
- Download videos from 300+ sites including YouTube, Dailymotion, Vevo, etc.
- Analyze any YouTube contents: movies and videos in 3D/4K/HDR/HD/360°3GPP, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG4, MPEGPS, WebM and WMV from uploaders.
- Directly play the downloaded YouTube videos on Mac in any format.
- AirPlay YouTube from iPhone iPad to Mac, and cast YouTube contents from Mac to smart TV.
Cons:
- Can’t convert downloaded YouTube videos to other formats.
- Need frequent updates for successful YouTube download on Mac.
- Not compatible with macOS Big Sur as of now.
3. ClipGrab
ClipGrab is free open-source program used to download and convert online videos. When using it as a Mac YouTube downloader, it can save your energy by automatically grabbing the video through video URL and then download it. Software review site softoxi.com states that '[ClipGrab] has a beautifully designed graphical user interface' and 'stands out immediately for its look, feel and performance'.
Pros:
- Provide an integrated search function for YouTube to easily find YouTube videos.
- Download YouTube to MPEG4, WMV, OGG Vorbis, OGG Theora, or original format.
- Support video downloads from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, etc.
- Download high definition, standard definition and low definition version of videos easily.
Cons:
- Flagged as malware by some security software.
- Limited output formats, only support resolution up to HD.
- Downloaded 4K/8K videos come with decreased output quality.
- Extra program may be downloaded when installing ClipGrab.
4. DVDVideosoft YouTube Download
DVDVideosoft YouTube Download is the new handy application both for free YouTube videos downloading and conversion on Mac. It's simply an excellent tool for saving your favorite video clips or even lessons from YouTube at 1.5-2x faster speed. Since it has been present on the market for over ten years, this free YouTube downloader for Mac has gained over 158 million downloads as of now.
Pros:
- Batch download videos in original YouTube quality including HD and 4K.
- Customize output name easily.
- Save operation history.
- Transfer downloaded YouTube videos to iTunes automatically.
Cons:
- Limited output formats: only choose between MP4, MKV, WebM.
- Interface lags at times.
- Toolbar comes with bloatware.
- Unable to choose output video quality.
5. MacX YouTube Downloader
MacX YouTube Downloader mainly targets YouTube videos download on Mac, so as to let users download all types of YouTube contents including MP3 MP4 easily to save them into personal collection. Thanks to the well embedded hyper-threading technology, people can save online videos within seconds at a very fast speed. It's 100% free and clean, so no worries about ads, virus, spam, plugins, malware, spyware, etc.
Pros:
- Download any YouTube contents: movies, TV shows, MVs, funny videos, tutorials, workout videos, gameplays, cartoons, etc. one by one or in playlist.
- Analyze any types of YouTube contents: 8K 4320p, 4K 2160p, 2K, 1080p or 720p HD, 360-degree, VR180, 3D and HDR.
- Various output choices: Keep the original codec or format, or just download to MP4, WebM, FLV, 3GP or whatever that better suits your device like iPhone, PS4, Xbox One S, etc.
- Compatible with macOS big Sur, and iMac Pro, iMac 5K/4K, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac Pro/mini.
Cons:
- Unable to convert downloaded YouTube videos on Mac.
- The built-in video player is for downloaded video preview.
- No GPU hardware acceleration tech to help speed up video downloading process.
6. YTD Video Downloader for Mac
YTD Video Downloader for Mac is a speedy, easy-to-use tool for saving streaming videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and so on. Its intuitive interface is easy to use without any instruction and help complete downloads quickly and easily. To save time, you can directly download videos in bulk.
Pros:
- Download & convert entire playlist and channels in MP4, MKV, M4A and AVI.
- Integrate video player to watch videos directly.
- Support a variety of languages.
Cons:
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- Limited sites support, you can only download videos from 15 websites.
- Limited output formats, only support resolution up to HD.
- Limited download numbers, only upgrade to pro version you can download unlimited videos from YouTube.
7. 4K Video Downloader
As the name implies, this Mac YouTube downloader is capable of downloading 4K videos and it is the truth. If you've seen a video on YouTube and want the ability to save it to your Mac computer so you can watch it whenever you like, you're going to want to give this software a look. What makes it prominent is it can save full playlists and channels in high quality and with various video audio formats available. You can also keep the subtitles and annotations along with the downloaded YouTube videos with the help of this software.
Pros:
- Able to download a single YouTube video, as well as YouTube playlists and channels.
- Support over 50 languages.
- Extract YouTube subtitles.
- Download videos in HD 1080p/720p, 4K, 8K, 3D in MP4/MKV/FLV/3GP, 360-degree, etc.
Cons:
- Though it supports most famous websites, it can only download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, SoundCloud, Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, DailyMotion, Likee, Tumblr and Twitch.
- Need to upgrade to pro version to download unlimited videos and private contents without advertisements.
- The free version only let you download 30 single videos per day, download 10 videos in a playlist and 5 videos per channel each time.
8. Airy for Mac
Airy YouTube downloader can easily save YouTube video right to your Mac computer. It runs on Mac OS X 10.7 or above, and macOS Big Sur is fully supported. Like any other Mac YouTube downloaders, Airy lets you simply copy and paste the URLs and then download. You can download single videos, playlists and whole channels, and manage the download at your own pace. With it, you can enjoy the YouTube videos when there is no internet connection at hand.
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Pros:
- Download entire playlists and channels with subtitles.
- Extract audio from videos to build audio playlist.
- Support Ultra HD videos in 4K and 8K resolutions.
- Has browser integration available for any web platform.
Cons:
- Free version provides two free downloads of YouTube videos.
- Audio files are saved at 256Kbps.
- $19.95 is required for a license key to use all the features to the full extent.
9. Wondershare Free YouTube Downloader for Mac
You can use this downloader as an IE, Firefox, or Safari YouTube downloader to save videos from YouTube to your Mac, convert YouTube videos to your portable devices, and format them for playback on your computer with built-in FLV player. You can download HTML5, HD, HQ and 4K videos from YouTube and playlist with a 3X faster speed. However, the free version of WonderShare Mac YouTube Downloader has limited functions that you have to pay $29 for its pro version AllTube to have full features.
Pros:
- Download YouTube SD, HD and 4K videos one by one or in playlist.
- Wirelessly transfer videos through WiFi to play on portable devices.
- The built-in player can play downloaded YouTube and existing FLV, MP4 and WebM videos directly.
- 3 scheduler options: Auto Shutdown, Enter Sleep Mode and Exit Program. You can also set the time period for downloading.
Cons:
- May catch virus and adware during installation.
- Can't download videos from other sites like Vimeo, Facebook, VEVO, Metacafe, Dailymotion, etc.
- Can't directly download audio files.
- Free version only download 5 playlist.
- Only compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) to 10.9 (Mavericks).
10. YouTubeHunter
Likewise, this Mac video downloader can download videos from YouTube and many other websites including Vimeo, VEVO, DailyMotion, etc. The most shinning feature of it is the built-in search function which allows you to enter the keywords and then find the videos directly on YouTube or Vimeo. You can preview the found clips from the tool’s interface and decide which one to download and convert.
Pros:
- 15X faster speed to capture YouTube videos.
- Keep subtitles along with the downloaded videos.
- 'Add to iTunes' feature to copy your YouTube videos to iPhone iPad iPod.
- Built-in search tool to find videos you want to download on Mac directly.
- Batch processing to download multiple clips at the same time.
Cons:
- There might be adware or malware during the process.
- You can choose only between two output formats.
- You can’t access to advanced output settings: frame rate, bit rate or audio quality level.
- It is a freemium that you need to upgrade to the full version for more features.
Summary: Among the 10 Mac YouTube downloaders, each one of them has its own merits and dismerits. If you have a lot of time, you can try them one by one to find out the best one you need. If you need the direct answer, MacX Video Converter Pro wins out with its fast speed, stability, needless of third party help, and you can download YouTube videos to Mac free without worries about virus, malware.
Step-by-step Guide to Download YouTube Video Clips MP4 MP3 on Mac
Here we use MacX Video Converter Pro to show you how-to.
Step 1. Click the download button on this page to free download MacX Video Converter Pro, install and launch it on your Mac.
Step 2. Click the 'add URL' button to pop up the video URL parsing box.
Step 3. Find the video clip you want to download on YouTube and copy the URL. Return to MacX Video Converter Pro interface and click on 'Paste & Analyze' input the YouTube video URL. Then, click 'Analyze' to start parsing the video URL.
Step 4. After that, choose the video format, resolution and file size you prefer from the drop down menu, and click 'OK'.
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Step 5. Choose an output folder on your Mac to save the downloaded video.
Step 6. Click 'Download Now' to start downloading YouTube videos.
Notice: MacXDVD Software doesn't advocate any reproduce, distribute, transmit, broadcast or sell any content for any other purposes without prior written permission of YouTube or the respective licensors of the content. Please refer to YouTube terms of service before doing so.
Frequently Asked Questions
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1. What is the best YouTube downloader for Mac?
Actually, what satisfies your needs is the best choice. If you need a Mac YouTube downloader which owns all the features including choosing video formats, setting video quality, extracting music from YouTube, batch download, downloading playlists and channels, pausing/resuming YouTube downloading and downloading private YouTube vuideos, you are out of luck to get one. But if you only have one of the above needs, the top 10 YouTube downloaders for Mac can give you an ideal choice.
2. How do I download a YouTube video to my Mac?
Simply copy the YouTube video URL, input it to your Mac YouTube downloader and then hit Download button to download videos.
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Besides the desktop software, there are also online Mac YouTube downloaders like Keepvid and open-source software like VLC to help get YouTube videos on Mac. However, none of them is better than desktop software due to safety and stability issues.
3. How do I download audio from YouTube to my Mac?
Some YouTube downloaders like 5KPlayer allow you to directly download MP3 from the YouTube URL, and some like WinX YouTube Downloader let you extract sound from YouTube MP4 video.
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4. Is it legal to Download YouTube contents?
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Especially in the United States, copyright law indicates that it is not legal to download YouTube music and YouTube copy-protected videos, movies, TV series, sports clips, etc. However, you are unlikely to be prosecuted for download some YouTube clips, but this is also the risk you take. Of course, you are safe to download your own videos in your personal channel.