Best Video Downloaders for Mac in 2026: Downie and the Top Alternatives

Streaming is convenient until you're on a flight, a patchy hotel connection or a train through a tunnel. That's when a good video downloader earns its place on your Mac. It saves a lecture, a tutorial or your own uploaded content as a regular file you can watch offline, edit or archive.

The Mac App Store won't help you here. Apple doesn't allow apps that download YouTube videos, so the best options are sold directly by their developers.

This guide compares the four video downloaders most Mac users consider in 2026: Downie, 4K Video Downloader Plus, Pulltube and the free command-line tool yt-dlp. It covers pricing, macOS and Apple Silicon compatibility, features, and how to use them responsibly.

This guide is part of our Best Mac Utility Apps collection.

Quick Picks

  • Best overall for Mac: Downie. It's native, simple, updated frequently and supports 1,000+ sites.

  • Best free option: 4K Video Downloader Plus (Starter plan).

  • Best for trimming clips before downloading: Pulltube.

  • Best for power users and automation: yt-dlp (free and open source).

  • Best for converting after download: Permute, from the same developer as Downie.

Key Takeaways

  • Downie 4.13.1 costs $19.99 one-time, or comes with a Setapp subscription. It requires macOS 13 or later, and macOS 15 or later is recommended.

  • 4K Video Downloader Plus has a free plan with limits. Paid plans start at $15/year, and there's a $25 lifetime license. It requires macOS 12 or later.

  • Pulltube offers a fully functional 7-day trial. One license covers 2 Macs, and it runs on macOS 11 or later.

  • yt-dlp is free and open source, but it runs in Terminal.

  • None of these apps download DRM-protected content, such as Netflix, Disney+ or Apple TV+.

What Is a Video Downloader for Mac?

A video downloader is an app that saves online video or audio from websites to your Mac as a regular file, usually MP4, MKV or MP3. You paste or drag in a link, choose the quality, and the app handles the rest. That includes merging separate video and audio streams, which sites like YouTube serve independently for high resolutions.

Good downloaders also offer:

  • Quality selection: from 720p up to 4K or 8K where available

  • Audio-only extraction: for podcasts, lectures or music you're allowed to save

  • Subtitles: as separate SRT files or embedded in the video

  • Playlists: queue many videos at once

  • Browser extensions: send the current page to the app in one click

  • Post-processing: automatically convert to iPhone- or iPad-friendly MP4

Is It Legal to Download Online Videos on Mac?

This depends on what you download and where you live, so it's worth understanding before choosing an app.

  • Generally fine: your own uploads, videos with a download option from the creator, Creative Commons or public-domain content, and material you have explicit permission to save.

  • Check the platform's terms: YouTube's Terms of Service restrict downloading content unless YouTube provides a download option, such as offline viewing with YouTube Premium. Other sites have their own rules.

  • Not supported by any app here: DRM-protected streaming services. Downloaders that respect copyright, including all four in this guide, don't bypass DRM.

  • Never redistribute content you don't own.

Best Video Downloaders for Mac at a Glance

Downie

  • Best for: most Mac users

  • Price: $19.99 one-time (or Setapp $9.99/month)

  • Sites: 1,000+

  • Max quality: up to 4K on YouTube

  • Minimum macOS: 13 (15+ recommended)

  • Apple Silicon and Intel: yes

  • Browser extensions: yes

4K Video Downloader Plus

  • Best for: free downloads and playlists

  • Price: free Starter plan; $15/year; $25 lifetime; Pro $45

  • Sites: popular sites (YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, SoundCloud and more)

  • Max quality: up to 8K

  • Minimum macOS: 12

  • Apple Silicon: yes

Pulltube

  • Best for: trimming clips and a clean interface

  • Price: paid license with a 7-day free trial (2 Macs per license)

  • Sites: 1,000+

  • Max quality: up to 8K

  • Minimum macOS: 11

  • Browser extensions: Safari, Chrome and Firefox

yt-dlp

  • Best for: power users and scripting

  • Price: free (open source)

  • Sites: thousands

  • Max quality: best available

  • Minimum macOS: 10.15 (standalone binary)

  • Interface: command line only

1. Downie: Best Overall Video Downloader for Mac

Downie by Charlie Monroe Software is the video downloader most Mac users end up with, because it feels like a proper Mac app rather than a port. You drag a link onto its window or Dock icon, or send it from the browser extension, and Downie detects the site and starts downloading.

Key Features

  • 1,000+ supported sites, including YouTube, Vimeo, Bilibili and Youku, with new sites added regularly

  • YouTube downloads up to 4K

  • Post-processing: automatically convert to MP4 for iPhone and iPad, or keep audio only

  • User-Guided Extraction: helps you grab media from sites Downie doesn't support out of the box

  • Browser extensions for sending links in one click

  • iCloud history sync across your Macs

  • Frequent updates: usually every one to two weeks, which matters because video sites change often

Pricing and License

  • Downie license: $19.99 one-time

  • Setapp: $9.99/month (includes 200+ other apps)

  • Downie + Permute bundle: $26.99

  • Students: discount on request

For personal use, one license can be installed on all your own devices, with a limit of 3 activations. Deactivate Downie before reinstalling macOS or selling a Mac. Prices are listed in USD but based on EUR, so they may look slightly different at checkout.

macOS Requirements (Important Update)

With Downie 4.13, released in September 2026, the requirements changed:

  • Requires macOS 13 Ventura or later

  • macOS 15 Sequoia or later is recommended

  • The developer says support for macOS 13 and 14 is now deprecated, and macOS 15 or later will be required next year

  • Compatible with macOS 27

  • Runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs

If your Mac is stuck on macOS 11 or 12, older builds still work but won't receive updates. New license codes may not activate older releases, so check with the developer before buying.

Downie + Permute

Permute is Charlie Monroe's media converter, and it's often bought alongside Downie. Permute 4 requires macOS 26 and Apple Silicon. If you're on macOS 13–15 or an Intel Mac, the developer offers a bundle with Permute 3 instead, with a free upgrade to Permute 4 once you move to macOS 26.

Pros: Clean native interface, very frequent site updates, affordable one-time license, works on Intel and Apple Silicon.
Cons: Not on the Mac App Store, older macOS versions are being phased out, no built-in trimming before download.

2. 4K Video Downloader Plus: Best Free Option

4K Video Downloader Plus is a cross-platform app for Mac, Windows and Linux. Its Starter plan is free permanently, with no trial timer and no card required, although the number of downloads is limited.

Key Features

  • Downloads in 720p, 1080p, 4K and 8K

  • Playlists and channels in one click, with optional auto-download of new uploads

  • Subtitles in SRT format, in 50+ languages

  • Smart Mode saves your preferred format and quality

  • In-app browser for private videos you already have access to (premium feature)

  • AI audio processing to isolate voice or remove background music

Pricing

  • Starter: free, basic features, limited quantity

  • Lite: $15/year, personal use

  • Personal: $25 lifetime, personal use

  • Pro: $45 lifetime (sale price, normally $60), all features and commercial use

  • A 7-day trial of premium features is also available

Compatibility: macOS 12 or newer.

Pros: Genuinely free tier, strong playlist and channel tools, 8K support
Cons: Not a native Mac app, and the most useful features sit behind paid plans

MacOSpace also lists the same developer's 4K YouTube to MP3 for audio-only use.

3. Pulltube: Best for Trimming and Clean Design

Pulltube by MyMixApps has one standout feature: Trim Mode. You can cut just the part of a video you need before downloading.

Key Features

  • 1,000+ supported sites

  • Downloads up to 8K, 4K, HD and 60fps

  • Supports HEVC (H.265), VP9 and AV1 codecs

  • Trim video and audio before download

  • Subtitles, including YouTube auto-generated ones

  • Safari, Chrome and Firefox extensions, plus a "download later" list

  • Converts to MP3 and M4A

License: fully functional 7-day free trial, with no billing details required. One license covers 2 Macs. Check the developer's site for current pricing.

Compatibility: macOS 11 or later, listed by the developer as Tahoe compatible.

Pros: Saves time and storage by trimming first, beautiful interface, supports older macOS
Cons: Smaller developer, and the license covers 2 Macs

4. yt-dlp: Best Free Tool for Power Users

yt-dlp is a free, open-source command-line downloader supporting thousands of sites. It runs in Terminal, with no app window.

Key Features

  • Completely free (Unlicense)

  • Fine-grained format and quality selection

  • Playlists, subtitles, chapters, metadata and thumbnails

  • Download only specific sections or chapters

  • Scriptable and automatable

Installing on Mac

  • Standalone binary: download the file named yt-dlp_macos (a Universal binary for macOS 10.15 and later) from the official GitHub releases page.

  • Homebrew: run this command in Terminal:

brew install yt-dlp

  • Also install ffmpeg, which merges high-quality video and audio:

brew install ffmpeg

  • Full YouTube support also needs a JavaScript runtime. The project recommends Deno.

Basic usage: type yt-dlp, a space, then the video link in quotes.

Tip: Sites change often. The project recommends the nightly channel for regular users. Update with:

yt-dlp --update-to nightly

Pros: Free, powerful, widely supported and updated very often
Cons: Command line only, needs extra setup. Download it only from the official GitHub page.

Best Video Downloader by Mac User Type

  • Students and educators: Pulltube, for trimming lecture clips, or Downie, for simple downloads of permitted course material.

  • Content creators: Downie + Permute, for downloading and converting your own uploads. See our best Mac apps for content creators.

  • Casual users: 4K Video Downloader Plus Starter, which is free and enough for occasional downloads.

  • Intel Mac owners: Downie still supports Intel Macs on macOS 13+, and yt-dlp's Universal binary works on Intel.

  • Older macOS (11–12): Pulltube (macOS 11+) or 4K Video Downloader Plus (macOS 12+).

  • Power users: yt-dlp, for scripting and batch jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best video downloader for Mac?
For most people, Downie. It's native, frequently updated, supports 1,000+ sites and costs $19.99 once. 4K Video Downloader Plus is the best free option, and yt-dlp is best for power users.

Is Downie free?
No. Downie includes a free trial, then costs $19.99 as a one-time license, or comes with a Setapp subscription.

Does Downie work on Intel Macs?
Yes. Downie runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 13 or later.

What macOS version does Downie 4 need?
Downie 4.13 requires macOS 13 Ventura or later, and macOS 15 or later is recommended. The developer plans to require macOS 15 or later next year.

Why isn't Downie on the Mac App Store?
Apple doesn't allow apps that download YouTube videos on the App Store, so Downie is sold directly by its developer.

Can Downie download YouTube videos in 4K?
Yes. Downie supports YouTube downloads up to 4K resolution.

Can Downie download private Vimeo videos?
Downie's User-Guided Extraction can help with some content that isn't supported automatically. Results depend on the site and your access rights. DRM-protected video can't be downloaded.

Can I download Netflix or Disney+ videos on Mac?
No. These services use DRM, and the downloaders in this guide don't bypass it. Use the official apps' offline features where available.

What is the best free YouTube downloader for Mac?
4K Video Downloader Plus (Starter) for a normal app, or yt-dlp if you're comfortable with Terminal. Check YouTube's terms before downloading.

Is yt-dlp safe?
It's open source and widely used. Download it only from the official GitHub releases page or Homebrew.

Conclusion

The best video downloader for your Mac depends on how you'll use it:

  • Downie is the best all-round choice: native, reliable and affordable. Just check that your Mac runs macOS 13 or later.

  • 4K Video Downloader Plus is the best way to start for free.

  • Pulltube is ideal if you need clips rather than full videos, or you run an older macOS.

  • yt-dlp gives power users unmatched control at no cost.

Whichever you choose, install it from an official source, keep it updated, and only download content you have the right to save.

Explore Downie 4 for Mac on MacOSpace, and see our Best Mac Utility Apps guide for more essential tools.

Last updated: October 2026. Versions, prices and requirements verified from official developer websites.