You may hate funny cat videos or game reviews, but the chances are you still use YouTube. A mammoth of video content, YouTube is a go-to spot for many. In fact, the platform has over 1 billion users which is one-third of all internet users. Huge.

Or, maybe your daily companions are Vimeo and Twitch. One way or another, video content is a part of your digital life. The question is how to utilize it.

In this article, we compare top YouTube downloaders for Mac and explain how you can legally save video to Mac to watch it anytime and anywhere.

Best YouTube downloaders

You can enable 'Subtitles/CC' in this video Today I will show you how to download videos from YouTube. Downloading videos from YouTube is easy and all you.
With Any Video Converter. Any Video Converter is one of the YouTube video downloaders for Mac.

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Get a huge set of top tools to download videos from Youtube. Most helpful utilities in one pack, give it a go!

Let us warn you in advance, all YouTube download tools reviewed in this article are worth a try. To help you narrow down the choice, check the nice-to-have assets every safe YouTube downloader should have:

Works with all major video streaming platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion.
Allows to save mp4 content and, optionally, convert to different formats.
Has support for audio output — allowing you to save music from videos.
Downloads entire playlists or channels in batch.
Caters for both professional and everyday use.
Guarantees data security, not collecting any of your personal information.

For sure, these are not one-size-fits-all qualities. You may need to batch download playlists, or this might be a totally useless feature for you. We made sure the reviewed tools satisfy the key needs — like security and integration with video streaming platforms. The rest is up to you and your priorities.

Quick navigation:

It’s not easy to step into the jungle of video downloaders and instantly pick the right fit – impossible if you’re new to Mac. There’s help, though.

How to download from YouTube

Whether to capture a few movies for an upcoming flight or save favorite clips to rewatch, Mac owners love to save content. The most basic tool should teach you how to download YouTube videos directly from URL. The problem is that it’s complicated to find an efficient free YouTube downloader. Not to mention they could be used for copyright infringement.

To legally save content from YouTube and video streaming services to Mac, as well as download music from videos, you can use third-party apps. As long as you’re not earning money from downloads or breach copyright, they are safe to use.

Download streaming video

Streaming content is a huge chunk of your internet traffic. Think Vimeo, Twitch, YouTube, Dailymotion, and other platforms where you can watch video displayed in real time. Relying on online streaming stymies your watching experience in many ways – from limited data usage to network issues. Plus Wi-Fi often fails you at the most crucial moments. Therefore, you need a reliable tool that helps you capture YouTube video.

If you’re wondering how to watch favorite YouTube videos offline without breaking any laws, let us help you.

Choose the video and copy the URL (the app has in-build video search on YouTube/Vimeo/Dailymotion).
Paste the link into the app and wait for the app to finish the download.
Choose/customize the output format and storage location.
When using third-party tools, be careful about YouTube blocking downloads. If you comply with YouTube’s Terms of Service, you should be fine.

Download and save video from YouTube in mp4

Whether it’s native YouTube Premium or a third-party application, the tools you use to download mp4 from YouTube will by default save video files in mp4. There are different options on tweaking formats, though:

Retrieve only audio from your video file — tools like Downie and Folx will work for it.
Download video in mp4 with Elmedia Player.
Use Downie + Permute to download and convert to different formats — from FLV to MKV to AVI. The two work well together and are both available with Setapp subscription.
Customize the output before downloading and convert a poor-quality YouTube video to mp4 HD.

Grab YouTube video with YouTube Premium

Since recently, you can’t download YouTube video anymore. That’s because the service created a native tool for the job.

So if you ask YouTube for the best YouTube downloader, it will probably suggest you use YouTube Premium, a native paid subscription service to save content. For the monthly cost of $11.99, it allows you to keep YouTube videos on iPhone and Android devices. Here’s how it works:

Open the video in your YouTube mobile app.
Click on the download button below the video player.
Customize the quality of the output.
Once the video is downloaded, you’ll see the “download complete” icon below the player.

The app will automatically save YouTube videos you download to the Library or Account tab.

Top YouTube downloaders compared

Below you’ll find a small collection of best Youtube downloaders that we recommend you look into. Use the apps to play, manage, and automatically save videos.

Best of all, you can use the full toolkit of apps reviewed in this article for a flat fee. Have a look at the full collection. You’ll find extensive descriptions of every YouTube downloader below.

Features		Pulltube	Downie	Folx	Elmedia Player	AnyTrans
yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Multi-threaded and batch downloads		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Customize video quality / 4K and HD video support		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Convert video to audio and other formats		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Extract audio from video		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Download from YouTube, Vimeo, and any other websites		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
3D and 360 degree video support		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Schedule downloads		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Customize speed		no	no	yes	no	no
Browser extension		no	yes	yes	no	no
Built-in search		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Built-in video and audio editing		yes	no	no	yes	no
Save to external storage, cloud, and other devices		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Totally free with Setapp subscription
Totally free with Setapp subscription							Price	$14.99 for Standart License	$19.99 if purchased separately $26.99 Downie + Permute converter	$19.95 Folx Pro license

How To Download Save Youtube Video Mac