Top 10 Best Free Video Downloader for Mac/PC 2026

Downloading videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and other sites is quite common, whether for offline playback on iPhones, iPads, or sharing.

There are tons of free video downloaders for Mac and Windows. Some apps are desktop-based while others are web-based. Do they use intelligent video parsing algorithms and multi-threaded download technology?

I've tested and hand-picked the 10 best free video downloaders for Mac or PC to you. No fluff, just honest pros and cons to help you choose.

 

Reviews on the Best Free Video Downloader for Mac/PC

Most tools below were tested on a Mac and also run on PC. Exceptions: Freemake Video Downloader (better on Windows) and Downlodr (only supports Apple Silicon Macs and proved unstable on our Mac via Rosetta 2). In case you are looking for tools specifically for Windows, read the article: 8 Best Video Downloaders for PC.

1. ClipGrab (Mac, Windows)

Test version: 3.9.16 (Mac version, released on December 28, 2025)

Compatibility: macOS 10.15 Catalina and newer; Windows 10 or higher

ClipGrab is an acclaimed best free video downloader working MacBook that uses yt-dlp as its backend engine. As a donationware, its source code is free for inspection, modification, and redistribution.

It offers a user-friendly interface with a built-in YouTube search option, allowing you to search for YouTube videos by keywords and download without leaving the app.

In my testing, ClipGrab successfully downloaded original-quality videos and extracted audio from supported sites, including YouTube Facebook, X, etc. It also supports exporting files to MPEG4, WMV, OGG, or MP3. If you are ripping music, it even lets you manually add ID3 metadata tags to your MP3s.

But ClipGrab doesn't support batch, playlist, and live streams downloading. Additionally, the installer bundles adware (InstallCore), a potentially unwanted program. While I have not observed any actual harm from it, caution is advised during installation.

2. Stacher (Mac, Windows)

Test version: 7.1.9 (Mac version, released on May 12, 2026)

Compatibility: macOS 12 (Monterey) or later; Windows 10 or 11

Stacher is a highly modern, open-source macOS video downloader app. It dynamically displays real-time download speeds, ETAs, and file statuses. In hands-on tests, the software can single 4K video and playlist from YouTube, X, Reddit, and many other sites. It features a unique browser cookie-sharing tool, enabling it to bypass authorization walls and download age-restricted or private videos.

When the app tries to download heavy 8K streams over 1GB regularly triggers connection drops that cause the progress bar to crash into a red "Error - See Log" failure.

3. Downlodr (Mac, Windows)

Test version: 1.10.2 (Windows version, released on December 15, 2025)

Compatibility: Modern Macs with Apple Silicon; Windows 10 or 11

Downlodr is a clean, open-source free video downloader for Mac designed to provide an ad-free experience. It features a beautifully organized grid layout that instantly displays file sizes, speed, source platform, and more. You can also use its plugin system to add FFmpeg or Adapter, which lets you convert downloads into different formats.

Hands-on performance trials confirm that Downlodr excels at high-capacity multi-tasking. It can download from most mainstream video sites.

But when fetching standard YouTube videos, the background script frequently encounters multiplexing errors. And Downlodr lacks custom audio extraction features to pull MP3 tracks.

4. QDownloader.cc (web tool)

Compatibility: All browsers on any device

QDownloader.cc is a free online video downloader & converter with the ability to grab videos from a handful of video hosting sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It can directly convert videos from websites to MP4 and MP3 on Mac.

Users from non-English-speaking countries can switch to 18 additional languages on the page. Aside from the online version, it delivers a browser extension, which lets you drag and drop the "Download video" button into your browser as a bookmark.

5. Keepv.id (web tool)

Compatibility: All browsers on any device

KeepVid is one of the best free video downloader for Mac that allows you to download all types of videos online from YouTube, Facebook, Twitch.tv, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and many more. The downloaded videos will be saved in MP4, MP3, M4A, or WebM format. Without superfluous interfaces, novices can get started by copying & pasting the URL into the textbox.

It confidently lists hundreds of other online video downloaders, claiming that it is the safer and more powerful alternative. But the truth is that online video downloaders are not 100% safe. They may be banned or pop up harmful ads.

Moreover, I used Keepv.id and QDownloader.cc to download the same video on my Mac, and I noticed that the former had significantly lower volume.

6. GETOF.NET (web tool)

Compatibility: All browsers on any device

GETOF.NET is a free online video downloader for Mac computer that downloads your favorite videos and music from around 50+ social networks or streaming websites. It's straightforward, no ads and registration required. Simply parse the URL and scroll down to find all the available download options.

It excels at processing YouTube videos and offers various quality levels. It is possible to save audio as M4A, MP3, and WebM (Opus), and to save videos as MP4 and WebM (HTML5 video). On the other hand, if your YouTube video goes beyond 1080p and you prefer to download it at its native resolution, you will have to exclude the audio. If not, the highest video quality you can download is 720p.

7. MacX YouTube Downloader (Mac)

Test version: 5.4.1 released on May 8, 2026

Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher

MacX YouTube Downloader is an intuitive app that focuses on video downloading. It’s fully compatible with 300+ major video hosting sites, like YouTube, Dailymotion, Break, Twitch, Vimeo, and more. It empowers you to download unlimited videos simultaneously in MP4, WebM, and M4A formats. Despite having the option to set FLV or 3GP as the default format, it is not actually possible to save videos as such.

This best free video downloader can only get videos of 1080p or lower, not up to 4K resolution. I have tested the download of 4K videos several times. When downloading a 2.17GB 4K video, the progress bar stopped automatically at 10.6%. I thought the video might be too big, so I tried another 4K video that was just 477.9MB. It was finally downloaded properly, but when it was played, black screens kept coming up.

8. Freemake Video Downloader (Mac, Windows)

Test version: 5.0.0.17 (Windows version, released on October 17, 2025)

Compatibility: macOS 10.15 or later; Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7

Freemake provides a popular video downloader for free that works on Mac. It supports downloading videos, playlists, and channels in HD, MP4, MP3, AVI, 3GP, FLV, etc. An extensive list of sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Vevo, Hulu, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and Vkontakte are supported. The software has a self-explanatory UI. Any first-time user can quickly figure out how to use it.

The free package comes with a few restrictions, such as only being able to download up to 50 videos, 3 minutes as the maximum length for each video, no conversion to MP3, putting Freemake logo on your video, failing to catch 4k videos, etc.

9. 4K Video Downloader Plus (macOS, Windows)

Test version: 26.1.1.0355 (Mac version, released on April 27, 2026)

Compatibility: macOS 10.12 or later; 64-bit Windows 11 and Windows 10

4K Video Downloader is a reliable freeware that downloads videos, playlists, channels, and subtitles from YouTube, Vimeo, etc. This best free video downloader for Mac lets you manually set the output formats as MP4, FLV, MKV, MP3, OGG, M4A.

You just copy the URLs of the target movies and, click the button “Paste Links”. But if you want to download more than 25 YouTube playlist videos or download the channel, you have to buy the serial number and get perpetual permissions.

10. Free YouTube Download (Mac, Windows)

Test version: 4.5.13 released on March 20, 2026

Compatibility: macOS 12 or above; Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and XP (SP3)

Free YouTube Download, powered by dvdvideosoft.com, is a handy free video downloader for Mac. Named after its primary purpose, it provides a simple method for grabbing YouTube videos. You can download YouTube shorts, playlists, and other videos as MP4, MOV, AVI, or MP3. It supports V9 and AVC encoding, delivering high-resolution video streams.

DVDVideoSoft Free YouTube Download, however, does not support bulk downloads. Merely one video can be downloaded at a time. And the free version can only save videos in MP4 format.

A Brief Summary

It's challenging to find free video downloaders for Mac that really work. My test of 10 of them met my basic requirements while also revealing the free ones have certain restriction, such as:

• Can't download 4k or 1080p videos
• Bulk video downloads are unavailable
• Can't convert downloaded videos to the format you want
• An inefficient download speed
• Possible crashes
• …

 

The Best Video Downloader for Mac or PC: Paid But No Limits

Cisdem VideoPaw is a one-stop and professional toolbox for Mac or Windows users to download & convert & edit & compress & record videos, rip discs, etc. With this all-in-one app, you can grab TV episodes, movies, music videos, CNN news, NBA videos, and other online video clips at the fastest speed. It supports batch video downloads up to 8k. Additionally, it lets you convert downloaded media files to MKV, WMV, MOV, FLAC, MP3, or any format, and do simple editing to them.

Free Download macOS 10.15 or later Free Download Windows 10 or later

Benefits of Cisdem best Mac video downloader:

• Support the download from 10000+ popular sites, like YouTube, Bandcamp, Reddit, Facebook, Tumblr, DailyMotion, Blip, Veoh, AOL, Vimeo, etc.
• Help to download video playlists in one go
• Download any video quickly with original quality

• Convert video and audio for playback on all your devices

• Trim video into clips, merge videos, add effects to video, etc.
• Rip DVD and Blu-ray movies to digital formats
• No risk of ads, buffering, or virus attacks

Quick Steps to Download Video from Website Mac or PC Using Cisdem VideoPaw:

Step 1. Then run it and head to the "Video Downloader" module.

Step 2. Copy the URL.

Go to the video streaming sites that the software supports. Find the video you desire to download and copy its URL.

Step 3. Paste the Link.

Return to the best video downloader for Mac/PC, and paste the URL to the download bar. Press Enter to analyze the link.

Step 4. Download online video.

Choose the format and quality option, and click on the "Download" button to start the video download.

Tip: If you need to add several video URLs at once to the download list, you can navigate to "File > Add URLs..." at the top bar, copy-n-paste URLs and click "OK".

Cisdem VideoPaw provides you with a free trial version for taking a test. Upon launching the free trial, a small box will appear. Click “Evaluate”, and download the online video for free. But the free version of this best video downloader Mac/PC merely converts 5 minutes per file and merely downloads 3 videos.

Come to activate its commercial version which is priced at $49.99. After purchase, you will be able to enjoy video conversion, downloading, compression, editing, and disc ripping functions in one application.

 

Conclusion

After getting acquainted with the various options of the best free video downloaders for Mac/PC as well as the paid ones, we can easily distinguish their benefits and drawbacks. With our overview, you should have a clearer picture of which best video downloader suits most of your needs. It is evident from the article that there are many video downloader apps, such as 4K Video Downloader, that claim to be free, but in fact, they require a fee to access many valuable features.