YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform with over 2 billion monthly users. It hosts a massive collection of videos on every topic imaginable. Sometimes you may want to download a YouTube video to watch offline or save it permanently. However, YouTube doesn’t allow downloading videos directly.
That’s where YouTube video downloader apps come in. These apps let you download and save YouTube videos to your device storage. Having the video stored locally allows you to watch it without an internet connection. You can also play the videos on devices that don’t support the YouTube app.
Downloading YouTube videos for offline use also lets you avoid buffering issues due to slow internet connection speeds. Additionally, you can transfer the videos to other devices, backup important videos, and even extract the audio portion from YouTube videos. In this article, we have shortlisted the 10 best YouTube video downloader apps for Android and iOS devices.
10 Best YouTube Video Downloader Apps
1. Videoder
Videoder is a full-featured app to search, stream, and download videos from YouTube and 1000+ other sites. It lets you download videos in different resolutions up to 8K. You can choose between MP4 and M4A formats for saving YouTube videos.
The app also allows downloading subtitles, annotations, thumbnail images, and even embedded subtitles. You can batch-download multiple videos and channels. Videos can be downloaded directly to your device or cloud drives like Google Drive and Dropbox.
The videoder has a built-in video converter to extract and convert audio to MP3. It also lets you watch Age Restricted videos, play videos in the background, and download live streams from YouTube Gaming.
Price: Free with ads
Platform: Android
2. Snaptube
Snaptube is a popular video downloader app for Android with over 500 million users worldwide. It can download videos from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and 1000+ other sites.
The app provides various quality options for downloading YouTube videos up to 4K resolution. You can download entire playlists and channels in bulk. Videos are downloaded in MP4 format by default. But you can extract and download audio in M4A format as well.
Snaptube has advanced downloading capabilities. You can pause, resume, or speed up downloading multiple videos simultaneously. It also works as an offline video player and music player once the videos are downloaded.
Some handy additional features are a built-in video converter, offline video sharing, and a private folder to hide videos.
Price: Free with ads
Platform: Android
3. 4K Video Downloader
As the name suggests, 4K Video Downloader is specialized in downloading ultra HD videos from YouTube and other major platforms. It can download YouTube playlists, channels, and subtitles as well. You can choose different video resolutions up to 8K and 60fps.
4K Video Downloader is available as a desktop app for Windows and Mac, with mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. The software is frequently updated with new features for downloading from different streaming services.
It can bypass age-restricted content on YouTube. You can also extract and download audio in M4A format from YouTube videos. The scheduler feature allows scheduling downloads conveniently.
Price: Free trial available, paid plans start from $15
Platform: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
4. aTube Catcher
aTube Catcher is one of the most popular choices to download YouTube videos on Windows PCs. It can download HD videos up to 8K resolution without quality loss. You can save entire playlists or channels using the bulk download option.
Videos are downloaded in MP4 format by default. But you can choose from other formats like AVI, MP3, etc. It provides options to change meta-information and subtitles before downloading. You can merge several videos into one, convert them to different formats, and even burn videos to DVD conveniently.
aTube Catcher allows downloading age-restricted and region-blocked YouTube videos by stripping video signatures. The software is frequently updated by the developers with new features.
Price: Free
Platform: Windows
5. Y2Mate
Y2Mate is a leading YouTube video downloader for desktop and mobile users. The web-based tool can download videos from YouTube and Facebook in HD quality without installing any software.
To download a video, you only need to paste the YouTube video link on the Y2Mate website. It will fetch all available quality options to download. You can save the video in MP4 or extract audio in M4A format. It also provides options to convert YouTube videos to MP3 files.
Y2Mate works seamlessly on all major web browsers. The website is very fast and easy to use even for beginners. It also receives timely updates with features to download videos from new streaming platforms.
Price: Free
Platform: Web-based
6. VideoProc
VideoProc is a versatile downloader as well as a converter, editor, player, and recorder for 1000+ media sites. It can be used to download videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and other 300+ sites.
You can download videos on Windows and Mac devices up to 8K resolution without any quality loss. Videos are saved in MP4, MOV, AVI, and other formats. You can batch download entire YouTube playlists and channels with meta-info included.
Beyond downloading, VideoProc allows editing downloaded videos, recording screens, converting videos, compressing 4K videos, downloading subtitles, etc. within the same interface. The software is also optimized for downloading and converting Facebook and Instagram videos.
Price: Free trial available, paid plans start from $29.95
Platform: Windows, Mac
7. Any Video Converter
Any Video Converter is a desktop app for Windows PCs to download, convert, and edit videos from 1000+ websites. It can download YouTube videos up to 8K UHD and 1080p60fps without any quality loss. You can extract and download audio from videos in MP3, FLAC, and AAC formats.
The app provides 100+ video and audio conversion profiles to choose from. You can download entire playlists and channels from YouTube and other sites. The built-in media server allows the streaming of downloaded videos to mobile devices.
Any Video Converter lets you add special effects, watermarks, and subtitles to downloaded videos. You can also cut, trim, crop, merge, and rotate videos after downloading. It receives frequent updates to work with new video streaming platforms.
Price: Free trial available, paid versions start from $49.95
Platform: Windows
8. AllTube
AllTube is a YouTube video downloader and converter tool for Windows and Android. It lets you search for videos directly within the app and download them in your desired resolution. You can extract and convert YouTube videos to MP3 and other audio formats.
The app allows downloading complete YouTube playlists and channels in one go. Videos can be downloaded to device storage or an external SD card. AllTube has options to convert downloaded videos to compatible formats for different devices.
You can also use AllTube to download videos from RuTube and Vimeo along with YouTube. The Android app is free to use with ads, while the Windows version has free and paid variants.
Price: Free with ads, paid versions from $14.90
Platform: Windows, Android
9. EagleGet
EagleGet is a full-fledged download manager for Windows that can download videos from all major streaming sites including YouTube. It can accelerate download speeds upto 10 times using multilink downloading.
The software can automatically detect downloadable video and audio links from any web page. Pasting the YouTube video URL is enough to grab all available quality options for downloading. You can download entire playlists and channels in original quality.
EagleGet lets you pause and resume downloads conveniently. Downloaded YouTube videos are saved in MP4 format by default. You can also convert videos to MP3 and other audio formats after downloading. The app also works great for downloading large files from cloud drives at maximum speed.
Price: Free
Platform: Windows
10. iTubeGo
iTubeGo is a YouTube video downloader that runs on Windows and macOS. It can download YouTube videos up to 8K UHD quality without any loss. You can use it to download multiple videos in bulk and extract audio in MP3 format.
iTubeGo allows downloading region-blocked and age-restricted YouTube videos by bypassing all restrictions. You can download entire playlists or channels with complete metadata. The app automatically tags downloaded YouTube videos with titles, thumbnails, and other info.
Downloaded videos can also be converted to compatible formats for mobile devices like iPhones, Android phones, etc. The software supports extracting MP3 even from YouTube music playlists. You can save MP3 files conveniently with embedded album cover images.
Price: Free trial available, paid plans from $29.95
Platform: Windows, Mac
How Do YouTube Video Downloader Apps Work?
YouTube video downloader apps work by first identifying and extracting the different video and audio streams that make up a YouTube video.
When you play a video on YouTube, your browser sends a request to YouTube servers. In response, the server streams the audiovisual content in small chunks to your browser.
A downloader app simulates this process by sending requests to YouTube from its server instead of your browser. The app server obtains all available audio and video streams from YouTube.
It then combines and reconstructs these streams into a downloadable video file without any loss in quality. This process may bypass any download restrictions imposed by YouTube.
The reconstructed video file is made available for you to download and save on your device storage. Most apps provide different resolutions, formats, and other options to customize your downloaded video as needed.
Key Advantages of Downloading YouTube Videos
Here are some of the major advantages of using a YouTube video downloader app:
- Watch videos offline without requiring an internet connection
- Play YouTube videos on incompatible devices like older smart TVs, media players, game consoles, etc.
- Save your favorite YouTube videos permanently before they get deleted
- Avoid buffering issues due to slow internet speeds
- Extract and download audio from videos in MP3 format
- Download region-locked or age-restricted YouTube videos
- Download entire playlists or channels for convenient viewing
- Cut, edit, and convert downloaded videos to other formats
- Share downloaded videos easily on social apps and messaging platforms
How to Choose the Best YouTube Video Downloader?
While choosing an app to download YouTube videos, keep the following factors in mind:
- Quality of downloaded videos– The app should allow downloading videos in Full HD, 4K, or higher resolution without any quality loss.
- Download speed– It must offer fast downloading speed by utilizing your full network bandwidth.
- Format options– You should be able to download videos in MP4 format and extract MP3 audio selectively.
- Ad-free experience– Choose an app that avoids excessive ads during the download process.
- User safety– It should not contain any malware or spamware that can harm your device.
- Simple interface– The app must have an easy-to-use interface for beginners.
- Active development– Select a downloader that receives frequent updates for new features and platform support.
- Value for money– If choosing a paid app, it should provide performance and features that justify the pricing.
Conclusion
YouTube doesn’t allow downloading videos from its platform directly. That’s where dedicated video downloader apps come into the picture. These apps can conveniently download YouTube videos on your device for offline viewing.
We have listed the 10 best YouTube video downloader apps available for different platforms. All these apps can download YouTube videos in HD, 4K, and even 8K resolution without any quality loss. You can also use them to extract and download audio from YouTube videos.
Videoder, Snaptube, 4K Video Downloader, and Any Video Converter are some of the top picks suggested above. Try out a suitable app and start downloading your favorite YouTube videos today!
Mustafa Al Mahmud is the founder and owner of Gizmo Concept, a leading technology news and review site. With over 10 years of experience in the tech industry, Mustafa started Gizmo Concept in 2017 to provide honest, in-depth analysis and insights on the latest gadgets, apps, and tech trends. A self-proclaimed “tech geek,” Mustafa first developed a passion for technology as a computer science student at the Hi-Tech Institute of Engineering & Technology. After graduation, he worked at several top tech firms leading product development teams and honing his skills as both an engineer and innovator. However, he always dreamed of having his own platform to share his perspectives on the tech world. With the launch of Gizmo Concept, Mustafa has built an engaged community of tech enthusiasts who look to the site for trusted, informed takes on everything from smartphones to smart homes. Under his leadership, Gizmo Concept has become a top destination for tech reviews, news, and expert commentary. Outside of running Gizmo Concept, Mustafa is an avid traveler who enjoys experiencing new cultures and tech scenes worldwide. He also serves as a tech advisor and angel investor for several startups. Mustafa holds a B.S. in Computer Science from HIET.