Top 15 Best YouTube Downloaders on Mac

With a whopping 2.6 billion active monthly users, YouTube is one of the most popular and successful streaming platforms in the online world. From movies and songs to audiobooks and podcasts, you can find everything to watch and listen to on YouTube.

However, since most YouTube videos aren’t available for offline viewing regardless of whether or not you own a YouTube Premium account, most users are now interested in finding out what is the best YouTube downloader for Mac.

Don’t know which YouTube downloader is the best for your particular needs? Don’t worry! We’ve compiled a list of all the YouTube Downloaders for Mac, how they work, and their respective pros and cons to help you make up your mind.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive right in.

Our Top Choice: Softorino YouTube Converter PRO [SYC PRO]

Created by Softorino, Softorino YouTube Converter PRO [SYC PRO] has been explicitly designed for Mac users. The desktop tool offers user-friendliness and time efficiency while providing budget-friendliness for users.

• Here’s what makes SYC PRO our top choice:

• iOS- and macOS-friendly video and audio formats

• Great output quality

• Three-in-one downloader, converter, and transfer software

• Smart clipboard monitoring system

• Bulk downloads

• Completely ad-free

• Time and cost efficient

How Does It Work?

Step 1. Download and install the Software

Head to Softorino’s official website and download and install SYC PRO. When you launch the app for the first time, you will be asked to share your email address to initiate the free trial period. Once you enter your email address, you’ll receive the trial key in your email inbox to activate the trial and experience all the premium features of SYC PRO.

Step 2. Copy the Links to Your Favorite YouTube Videos

Once your trial period has begun, find your desired YouTube video on your Mac’s browser and copy its URL. You’ll notice that the copied URL is automatically pasted into SYC PRO’s window. You can copy as many links as you like as the tool supports batch conversions.

Step 3. Download, Convert, and Transfer

Now, you can finally select the relevant formats for the YouTube files. You can convert YouTube videos to MP3, or AAC, or choose a resolution for iOS-compatible video formats. The available resolutions for video format are 360p to 2160p. 

Once you’ve selected the audio or video format for the YouTube downloader, you can then select the destination of the output files. Users have the option to save the converted files on their Mac, iPhone, iPod, Music Library, or under the Favorites section in SYC PRO.

Once done, press the download button at the bottom of the SYC PRO window.

Note: If you want to transfer the converted YouTube videos to another iOS device, you will be required to first connect the device using its USB cable and turn on the Wi-Fi connectivity options from the settings menu for wireless transfers.

SYC PRO Pros and Cons

Pros

SYC PRO comes with a free 24-hour trial period with all premium features unlocked. Its paid license comes with budget-friendly payment plans. It supports wireless transfers to other iOS devices, such as iPhones and iPods and the converted files are iOS-friendly. You can convert YouTube videos to MP3, AAC, and MP4 and the output files’ quality will be as good as the original video. 

SYC PRO’s design incorporates simplicity, making it super user-friendly. The entire download, conversion, and transfer process takes a minimal amount of time as the tool will automatically detect the copied URLs and paste them into the SYC PRO window.

Cons

SYC PRO is only compatible with Mac, but you can download SYC2 for Windows PCs.

Other YouTube Downloaders for Mac

1. YTD Video Downloader

YTD is a great multi-purpose tool that is compatible with several streaming platforms. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Multi-purpose tool that works with several platforms

✅ Offers good quality output files

✅ Comes with a free trial version

❌ Doesn’t offer a lot of output formats

❌ Not versatile

❌ Extremely expensive in the long run

1. ClipGrab Open Downloader

ClipGrab is a free YouTube downloader and because it is licensed under GPL, it is more reliable than some of the other such tools available in the market. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Free for all

✅ Relatively more reliable

❌ Presents several issues when dealing with YouTube videos

❌ Not user-friendly 

❌ No automatic URL detections

❌ Can’t create queues for batch conversions

1. HitPaw YouTube Video Downloader

HitPaw is another free for all YouTube downloader and it offers several video and audio formats. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Offers several formats to choose from

✅ Free of cost

❌ It will not work on macOS

❌ Doesn’t automatically convert to iOS-friendly audio or video formats

1. Free YouTube Download

As its name suggests, Free YouTube Download is free software that is also simple to use and free from any distractions. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ It is free of cost

✅ The tool is simple to use

❌ No automatic detection of copied URL links

❌ It doesn’t include a lot of useful features

❌ There’s a limited time duration

1. MacX YouTube Downloader

While MacX does support downloads from various streaming platforms, it lacks several useful features for Mac users. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Compatible with various streaming platforms

❌ Doesn’t include a lot of useful features

❌ There aren’t a lot of format options

1. Wondershare YouTube Downloader

Wondershare YouTube Downloader works well with both Mac and Windows PCs and is completely free for both computers. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ It is simple to use and quite functional

❌ Super expensive for the features offered

❌ Several intrusive ads

❌ The free version doesn’t include all the premium features

1. WinX HD Video Converter

WinX is a good YouTube downloader and it is also compatible with various streaming platforms. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Offers several output formats

✅ There are many useful features

❌ Comes at an extremely steep price

❌ Has a busy and non-user-friendly interface

1. 4K Video Downloader

The 4K Video Downloader has a Smart Mode which eliminates the copy-paste function and offers the option to download subtitles. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ It has a Smart Mode

✅ Offers a limited free use period

❌ The paid version comes with more paywalls

❌ Not a great tool

1. Pulltube YouTube Downloader for Mac

Pulltube YouTube Downloader for Mac is compatible with numerous streaming platforms. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Comes with a built-in media converter

✅ Easy to use and offers a lot of functions

✅ You can add a browser extension for this tool

❌ Not a lot of options for output formats

1. Downie

Downie is an online video downloader that is compatible with various streaming platforms and it also comes with an in-built search browser. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Compatible with various streaming platforms

✅ The tool has a built-in browser

❌ You will need Setapp service membership

❌ Inconvenient quality control

1. iTubeGo YouTube Downloader

iTubeGo YouTube Downloader is a good-quality tool that supports several streaming platforms and output formats. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Compatible with various streaming platforms

❌ It is not cost-efficient

1. YT Saver Video Downloader

YT Saver Video Downloader is compatible with various streaming platforms and both Mac and Windows PCs. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Easy to use and supports several streaming platforms

✅ Comes with a built-in browser

❌ Only downloads 3 YouTube videos and 1 playlist with its trial version

❌ It is not as cost-efficient 

1. Airy Video Downloader

While Airy Video Downloader is a good option because it offers several features including the app’s ability to make queues, it can only download videos from YouTube. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Offers various features

✅ You can make download queues using this video downloader

❌ Only compatible with YouTube

❌ You can’t use the converter feature separately

1. ClipConverter.CC

ClipConverter.CC provides users with several options for quality and video formats. Here’s its quick overview:

✅ Supports several video formats and quality

❌ Presents several intrusive ads

❌ Not as user-friendly

Things to Consider When Choosing a YouTube Downloader for Mac

• Ability to detect copied YouTube URLs.
• Ability to automatically convert files into iOS-friendly video and audio formats.
• Should allow download and conversions as well as transfers to other iOS devices.
• Completely ad-free and easy to use.
• Should support bulk conversions and queued downloads.
• The tool should be cost- and time-efficient.
• It should incorporate several useful features.
• The output quality should match the quality of YouTube videos.
• The free trial should include all the premium features for you to test.

Why Not Invest in YouTube Premium?

❌ Hefty investment in the long run.

❌ You can’t save the files on your Mac or other iOS devices.

❌ Offline access to videos will be revoked when you cancel subscription.

FAQs

Josh Brown

CEO at Softorino

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