Download Youtube Videos Free Mac

Part 1: Introduction

Do you want to download YouTube videos free for watching offline while traveling or staying at home? Wanna adding YouTube music videos when you edit videos? Are you finding the best way to solve how to download YouTube videos on Mac? YouTube downloader for Mac can help you solve these problems easily in few clicks. This article from Vidus reviews the top 10 best YouTube downloader Mac tools to solve how to download YouTube videos on Mac.

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. Choose target output. From format profile, scroll down to select MP4- 1920×1080 as output format and video quality. Finally, click the arrow-down icon, and the software will start working. A free YouTube downloader for Mac users to download YouTube videos and the built-in FLV player lets you watch downloaded YouTube videos conveniently.

Part 2: FAQs about YouTube Downloader for Mac?

Youtube

1. Should I use the official YouTube Premium service?

YouTube offers a download option - YouTube Premium, however you to pay to use it. It costs you $11.99 per month to download videos for 30 days on your phone, watch your YouTube videos without ads. It expensive that you need to spend $144 per year to download YouTube videos. So, we recommend you use YouTube downloader Mac to download YouTube videos free.

2. Is it legal to download YouTube videos free with YouTube downloader Mac?

Technically, it’s illegal to download YouTube videos free as YouTube’s terms expressly prohibit downloading YouTube videos. By definition, you cannot download YouTube videos for offline viewing, but this is only a definition. Unless you want to download the video and post the video else, there‘s nothing don’t worry about. Actually, you can download YouTube videos with YouTube downloader for Mac as long as you don’t use the videos for commercial use.

3. What are the main parameters on choosing the best YouTube downloader for Mac?

Download YouTube videos HD quality

Ability to choose the format and quality

Download YouTube videos to audio

Bulk downloading

Downloading Channels and playlists

Simple and quick to use

Pausing and resume downloading

No ads or popups

Part: 3: 10 Best YouTube Downloader Mac

1. Y2mate YouTube Downloader Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: Online

Features:

Y2mate is the best free online YouTube downloader for Mac to solve how to download YouTube videos on Mac easily. You don’t need to install any software on Mac to download YouTube videos to audio and video. Besides, you can choose the resolution according to needs.

Pros:

Choose video resolution and format

Download YouTube videos to audio online

No registration required to download video

Cons:

Batch downloads are not supported

2. MacX YouTube Downloader for Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: Software

Features:

MacX YouTube Downloader is a clean and focused video downloader, which is simple and easy to use without any bundled plugins. You can easily solve how to download a YouTube video Mac with the free YouTube downloader for Mac.

Pros:

Simple and safe to use

Download videos to MP4 HD videos

Multiple Videos can be downloaded

Cons:

Can't extract audio in MP3 format

Best

3. YTD YouTube Downloader Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: Software

Features:

YTD YouTube Downloader Mac can solve how to download YouTube videos on Mac easily with few clicks. You can download video, audio, playlists for watching later. Besides, the best YouTube downloader for Mac supports to download video playlist and channels.

Pros:

Download entire playlist with YTD Downloader

Unlimited Download to videos at Ultra-fast speed

Download high-quality HD videos

Cons:

Doesn't work sometimes

4. YTMP3 YouTube Downloader Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: Online

Features:

YTMP3 is another best online, free YouTube downloader for Mac to solve how to download a YouTube video, Mac. The online downloader supports to download videos to Mac from 1000+sites, including Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, Twitter, and more.

Pros:

Unlimited downloads and always free

Download videos to MP3 and MP4 from 1000 sites

No pron ads

Cons:

Only support MP3 and MP4 format

5. Airy YouTube Downloader for Mac

Price: Free;

Personal License: $19.95/Lifetime

Family Pack (for 3 Macs): $39.95/Lifetime

Team License $29.95/Lifetime

Compatibility: Software

Download Youtube Videos Free Mac Online

Features:

Airy YouTube downloader for Mac is the best free YouTube downloader Mac software to download YouTube videos free into different formats. The best YouTube downloader for Mac is minimal and easy to use.

Pros:

Batch downloading for playlists and multiple videos

Support HD, 4K, and 8K HD video formats

Simple and easy to download YouTube videos free

Cons:

Download 2 files in the free plan

6. ClipGrab YouTube Downloader Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: Software

Features:

ClipGrab YouTube Downloader Mac is a powerful downloader app to solve how to download a YouTube video Mac. The free YouTube downloader for Mac allows you to download HD high-quality content easily and securely. The best YouTube downloader for Mac also supports to download videos from other sites like Dailymotion, Vimeo, Facebook, and others.

Pros:

Download videos in high quality

Customize the settings

Simple and easy to download videos on Mac

Cons:

Download speeding is slow

7. Avc YouTube Downloader Mac

Price: Free; $49.95/Lifetime

Compatibility: Software

Features:

AVC YouTube downloader for Mac supports lots of video formats, making it simple to download video and audio on any device. Besides, you can download videos from different websites with this YouTube downloader Mac.

Pros:

Download YouTube video to audio

Choose resolution according to needs

Edit video with YouTube downloader Mac

Cons:

The free version installs additional software

8. ClipConverter YouTube Downloader for Mac

Download Youtube Videos Free Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: Online

Features:

ClipConverter YouTube Downloader for Mac is the best online, free website to download YoUTube videos to MP3 and MP4. It is the simplest way to solve how to download a YouTube video Mac. You can also save videos from 1000+ sites including Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and more with the free YouTube downloader for Mac.

Pros:

Download YouTube videos online

Simple and easy to download videos

Support different video formats

Cons:

Download videos slowly sometimes

9. Apowsoft Video Downloader Mac

Price: Free

Compatibility: Software

Features:

Apowersoft Video Downloader for Mac is specially designed for Mac users to download videos from lots of video websites, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, Liveleak, and more. Using this YouTube downloader for Mac, you are download all videos in any format, including MP4, WMV, FLV, 3GP, MOV, WebM, and more.

Pros :

Download video to all to all popular formats

Download the entire YouTube playlist on Mac

Download high-quality video HD

Cons:

Video playback with audio is not in sync

10. 4K Video Downloader for Mac

Price: Free; $25/Lifetime for 3 computers

Compatibility: Software

Features:

4K Video Downloader for Mac is the best free online YouTube Downloader to solve the problem of how to download YouTube videos on Mac. You can easily download YouTube videos to audio and video with the free YouTube downloader for Mac.

Pros:

Simple and easy to download videos

Choose resolution according to needs

Download YouTube video to audio

Cons:

Limited audio and video format

Part 4: Comparison

Name

Price

Compatibility

Pros

Cons

1

Y2mate

Free

Online

Choose video resolution and format

Download YouTube videos to audio online

No registration required to download video

Batch downloads are not supported

2

MacX

Free

Software

Simple and safe to use

Download videos to MP4 HD videos

Multiple Videos can be downloaded

Can't extract audio in MP3 format

3

YTD

Free

Software

Download entire playlist with YTD Downloader

Unlimited Download to videos at Ultra-fast speed

Download high-quality HD videos

Doesn’t work sometimes

4

YTMP3

Free

Online

Unlimited downloads and always free

Download videos to MP3 and MP4 from 1000 sites

No pron ads

Only support MP3 and MP4 format

5

Airy

Free;

Personal License: $19.95/Lifetime

Family Pack: $39.95/Lifetime

Team License $29.95/Lifetime

Software

Batch downloading for playlists and multiple videos

Support HD, 4K, and 8K HD video formats

Simple and easy to download YouTube videos free

Download 2 files in free plan

6

ClipGrab

Free

Software

Download videos in high quality

Customize the settings

Simple and easy to download videos on Mac

Download speeding is slow

7

AVC

Free

Blindscanner 2 15 keygen serial. $49.95/Lifetime

Software

Download YouTube video to audio

Choose resolution according to needs

Edit video with YouTube downloader Mac

The free version installs additional software

8

ClipConverter

Free

Online

Download YouTube videos online

Simple and easy to download videos

Support different video formats

Download videos slowly sometimes

9

Apowsoft

Free

Software

Download video to all to all popular formats

Download the entire YouTube playlist on Mac

Download high-quality video HD

Video playback with audio is not in sync

10

4K Downloader

Free

Software

Simple and easy to download videos

Choose resolution according to needs

Download YouTube video to audio

Limited audio and video format


Part 5: Conclusion

All the best YouTube downloader for Mac reviewed here to do a good job when it comes to downloading YouTube videos on Mac. There best YouTube downloader for Mac tool can solve how to download YouTube videos on Mac easily. You can choose one according to your needs to download videos. In the end, you have to try yourself to see which youtube downloader mac works great for you. If you want to know how to download a YouTube video on windows, please review it to download YouTube videos free.

If you want to learn how to download YouTube videos on phone, please click Best YouTube Downloader App Review.

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.

Download Youtube Videos Free Mac

[Warning!] YouTube music & copyright-protected contents are not supported for download.

Top 10 YouTube Downloaders for Mac

1. MacX Video Converter Pro

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:

  • 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.

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:

Download Playlist From Youtube Mac

  • 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

Youtube Download Video For 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'.

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

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.

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.

Download Youtube Videos Free Mac

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.

4. Is it legal to Download YouTube contents?

Youtube Downloader For Mac Os X Yosemite

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.