YouTube is a common website for video-sharing that lets users view, comment and upload any video. The video can be viewed from desktop computers, smartphones, cell phones, and laptops.
You can use YouTube video downloaders to download various types of video including MP3 and MP4. These are devices that are easy to use and support a high and low-quality resolution that suits your needs.
Unfortunately, we don’t always fly with us on the Internet. Therefore, being able to download YouTube videos is incredibly important for those who are addicted to YouTube. I’ll cover 10 of the best free YouTube downloaders in this post.
But before I get stuck in, here are some reasons why you might want to download a video on YouTube.
Slow Internet connection: It may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s a perfect way to get around slow internet connections. You can run it in the background instead of stuttering your video when doing other tasks. You may also choose to download an entire playlist for later streaming with certain YouTube downloaders.
Offline viewing: This is where downloaders at YouTube work best. Being able to watch YouTube videos without a connection is a lifesaver as I fly a lot on planes and out of the service areas. I usually download my chosen YouTube videos that I would like to watch a couple of days before I get on the plane.
Backup of your own content: I have uploaded a video to YouTube several times, and then removed the original copy on my machine. Now I keep backups for all my new ones, but I don’t have any copies for the older one I uploaded. The ones you don’t have a copy of can be backed up by using a YouTube downloader.
Top 10 Best Free YouTube Downloaders
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to just learn what this software does! The heading is very self-explanatory. Free YouTube Downloader is a sleek app built for only one purpose: to download videos.
- Allows batch downloading
- Allows the user to select the video quality
- Converts videos into other formats if you want
Overall, this choice is by far the favorite from the list we used. This has consistently offered us the quickest loading rates, ease of use, lots of features and the ability to pick video quality, not to mention this. Can’t go crazy!
Pros
The downloader is simple; just paste the URL. If the option to auto-download is activated the app downloads the video on its own. Batch uploading is also available by default and does not require any rewards or credits charged. It’s available for both Mac and PC too.
Cons
It was pretty hard to blame after using Free YouTube Download. It fulfilled all of my very big needs. What I’d prefer is a more modern user interface. But overall it’s a brilliant device and it easily deserves my spot number one.
2. 4K Video Downloader
Looking for YouTube downloads that are easy, ad & worry-free? 4 K Video Downloader is one of the best options out there, providing robust download capabilities for YouTube. The most ornamented features include:
- Supports a wide variety of websites apart from YouTube
- Downloads entire playlists
- Supports 4K & 360-degree videos
Pros
Just fantastic, all the 4 K Video Downloader takes is the URL of the file, and you can download the file with a single click from there. The downloader supports multi-stream downloading which accelerates downloads while eliminating any chance of blocking the IP address.
Cons
No free meal, doesn’t it? Right. The downloader is available free of charge but its features are limited. The most important of these drawbacks is the inability of the edition to download playlists of more than 24 videos. Besides that, the free version doesn’t place you in a tight spot with the source website of the film, the content or the loading speed of it.
3. WinX YouTube Downloader
Most people looking to make YouTube videos work offline are not searching for tech that is overloaded or fancy. They just have to do the research.
YouTube Downloader WinX is one of the best free downloaders on YouTube today. It is capable of:
- Download videos from 300 + websites except for YouTube
- Download 8K quality videos
- Convert videos into such formats as FLV, 3GP, etc.
Pros
The downloader can download the video at any of the available resolutions, while also supporting batch downloads. Additionally, it’s absolutely free so it’s impossible to miss out on any feature.
Cons
That said, the gui seems a little old, and the downloader lacks some of the more advanced features including multi-stream downloads.
4. Any Video Converter Free
Don’t be misled by the name of the app, as it has the ability to do much more than you would expect. Any Video Converter is a downloader for YouTube which is able to:
- Images are downloaded from various video websites
- Adjusting videos through an embedded video editor
- Converting the images to various formats
Pros
This is one of the best free YouTube downloaders available on her profile, but its restricted features in the free edition put it on hold. The gui is dynamic and, once a download has begun, needs minimal intervention. You can edit the video until finished and save it in a number of formats.
Cons
The installer for the free version comes with adware like ByteFence and Yahoo applications so be sure to decline that. Additionally, batch downloads can’t be started unless you purchase the premium version. Such two inconveniences prevent the downloader from going up on the list.
5. ISkySoft Video Downloader
One of the best free downloaders for YouTube is the ISkySoft Video Downloader which is an easy but successful app. It’s illustrated with features like:
- Can download both video and audio from 100s of websites
- Can download entire YouTube playlists
- Can convert videos in over 153 formats
Pros
The basic YouTube downloader is available for both Windows & Mac and lets you download and convert YouTube video files. You can also extract audio from video-only if you like.
Cons
Of course, the downloader is free to try but some of its features do not work before you pay. One example is batch downloads & conversions. You’ll only be able to carry out simple YouTube download tasks with the free version, none of the fancy stuff!
6. FastestTube
Would you really need a full program to import YouTube videos installed on your computer? No, an extension to the Web browser will be enough. FastestTube is an extension to the web browser that downloads videos without any external software installed on your computer.
Pros
The extension runs on common browsers like Internet Explorer, Chrome & Firefox. You can download videos in a variety of quality as high as 1080p, while simultaneously enabling / disabled features such as annotations, auto-play, and advertisements. It makes the app powerful and removes all the hassle of opening a separate video transfer program.
Cons
Seeing that Google doesn’t really want you streaming YouTube videos for free, you’ll need to download and install the extension from the FastestTube website. For some users looking for a quick fix, this may be unnecessary.
7. Freemake Video Downloader
If you look at it as a fully free app, it is really one of the best free downloaders available on YouTube. The app captures videos from websites like Facebook, Dailymotion, Vimeo, etc, not just for YouTube.
- Simple copy/paste mechanism
- Convert videos into multiple formats
- Extract audio from video files
Pros
The video downloader comes with an elegant interface, featuring a one-click feature that makes it a cake-walk to download videos. For uploading, extracting & converting, you can set up the application setting once, and from there, rely on a single click for the entire process. Without a glitch, you can import the video file into any of the available qualities.
Cons
The program appears to get bogged down when simultaneously initiating several downloads but retains its fluidity for the most part.
8. ClipGrab
ClipGrab is designed to simplify the uploading of videos, enabling you to navigate your way through sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc. It is one of the best free downloaders for YouTube out there and has nearly every feature you want.
- The interface is all set for novice users
- Comes with an inbuilt search-bar for videos
- Can download videos in any format/quality
Pros
To start with, ClipGrab lets you search from its search-bar for a picture. Which means you have absolutely no need to open your tab. When you find the video you’ve been searching for, pick the standard & format and start downloading is all you need to do.
You can also paste URLs into the clipboard of the app to import videos if you like. The downloader also provides you with an option to download an audio-only file edition, which is perfect for a music enthusiast.
Cons
The installer comes with an adware such as add-ons like Yahoo & ByteFence; be sure to avoid these. Moreover, when conducting a video search, you will need to be extremely accurate, as the results contain only 12 entries.
9. All Video Downloader
All the Video Downloader operates on a theory similar to ClipGrab. It helps you to search and import a video from the website without opening a separate web browser. Besides YouTube, the search engine for the application includes sites like Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc.
- Built on simple & fluid interface
- Allows batch downloading
- Allows video conversion
Pros
The entire process is extremely simple, making this program highly attractive for beginner users. You may also customize the program to remove audio on your own, to import videos. You can also cover video files in a number of formats, and display them later on a separate computer.
Cons
The download function of the batch is, however, a little restricted. Just two videos can be downloaded and only four converted at any given time.
10. aTube Catcher
ATube Catcher is a YouTube Downloader that helps you to convert files into various video formats, in addition to their usual service. A short overview of the apps is:
- Batch downloading
- Batch conversion for viewing in PC, Mac or Mobile
- Top speed availability
Pros
ATube Catcher is really one of the best free downloaders for YouTube, as it provides top-notch download capabilities. Upon acquiring the video connection, you can pick a variety of file formats to import in. Not all of that. You can also capture videos on the computer, and if you like, burn them to a CD / DVD.
Cons
Yet here, the story is not over. The installer attempts to slip into adware on you, which is not installed if you refuse the bid, of course.
How To Use a Free YouTube Downloader?
There are literally hundreds of ways to go about it when it comes to uploading YouTube videos. You can use the premium version of YouTube which comes at a charge, of course, or you can opt for a device like a video downloader.
These apps and online tools are a perfect way to copy the video into a directory and easily download it (providing you have complied with the terms and conditions of YouTubes).
If you have the connection of your choice, simply paste it into your preferred downloader. From there the video format such as Mp4 (most common), MWV and so on can be easily selected. We suggest Mp4 as a lossless compression and are nice wise in storage.
Simply click download after you have followed the steps and your video will start importing to your computer. That can take several minutes, depending on the size of the video.
Conclusion
You can also check out our fantastic guide on the best Android YouTube downloaders to find out more about downloaders. If you’re a fan of Apple computers, then you’ll be pleased to learn that I’ve written a guide for Mac computers about the best YouTube downloaders. If you would like to see some other lists, please let me know!
Also, see How to Download YouTube MP4 Videos to PC
