Watching YouTube videos without a fast Internet con­nec­tion is possible if you have the right software down­loaded on your device. Keep reading to discover which software for PC and Mac will allow you to download YouTube videos and what you should look out for when choosing and using the software.

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Compare the YouTube down­load­ers

4K Video Down­load­er WinX HD Video Converter Won­der­share Uni­Con­vert­er ClipGrab
Costs Free trial, upgrade from $15 (around £11) Free trial, upgrade from $24.95 (around £19) Free trial, upgrade from $39.99 (around £30) Com­pletely free
YouTube downloads (trial version) 30 a day 5 minutes 1 video Unlimited
Supported formats MPEG4, FLV3, 3GP, WEBM MP4, MKV MP4, WEBM, MP3 MPEG4, WMV (Windows), OGG, MP3 (Audio only)
Other functions - Automatic download on sub­scribed playlists and channels - Convert videos- Record videos- Camera - Convert videos- Edit videos- Record videos and audio- Music Player- Burn DVD
Tip

For music and video content: Learn more about the formats YouTube MP3 and YouTube MP4 in our guides.

YouTube download software in detail

4K Video Down­load­er

A very simple but useful software for down­load­ing YouTube videos is the 4K Video Down­load­er. In the free basic version, the number of daily downloads is limited to 30 and you can choose different video formats and res­ol­u­tions. The download starts by adding the re­spect­ive link or as soon as you have copied a link to your clipboard.

For around 11 pounds, you can unlock ad­di­tion­al features, such new videos published on sub­scribed channels and playlists down­load­ing auto­mat­ic­ally. The number of daily downloads also becomes unlimited.

Image: Screenshot 4K Video Downloader
Select format and quality for your down­loaded YouTube video in 4K Video Down­load­er.

WinX HD Video Converter

The WinX HD Video Converter can also be trialed for free, but only 5 minutes of video material can be converted or down­loaded in the free trial. The tool also supports numerous other platforms. WinX is very simple to use, but the main advantage is the con­ver­sion of video formats.

To enjoy WinX without the time limit and unlock all the features, various sub­scrip­tions are available, starting at around 19 pounds for three months. A lifetime upgrade will cost a one-time payment of around 40 pounds.

Image: Screenshot WinX HD Video Converter
In WinX Converter, available target formats are displayed in a list.

Won­der­share Uni­Con­vert­er

Uni­Con­vert­er from Won­der­share is perhaps the most com­pre­hens­ive software for down­load­ing YouTube videos, however it is very limited in the free basic version on PC and Mac. You can download videos from different platforms, choose between different res­ol­u­tions and formats, convert videos and audio files, as well as compress videos and edit them.

As freeware, only one download possible ⁠— after that you will have to pay for an upgrade. The annual sub­scrip­tion starts at around 30 pounds, a permanent license costs a one-time payment of around 60 pounds. Uni­Con­vert­er is probably the most suitable if you want to download YouTube videos and use all of the pre­vi­ously mentioned ad­di­tion­al features.

Image: Screenshot Wondershare UniConverter
Uni­Con­vert­er auto­mat­ic­ally detects YouTube links in the clipboard and prepares them for download.

ClipGrab

Unlike the three options to download YouTube videos which have been explained so far, the small program ClipGrab is always com­pletely free. Developed and published under a GPL (General Public Lincense), the security of the code is guar­an­teed. The software allows you to search for videos on YouTube or directly copy a URL into it. Then select the target format and quality and start the download. There are no limits with this option!

Image: Screenshot ClipGrab
ClipGrab is com­pletely free and down­load­ing YouTube videos works in­tu­it­ively.

Things to know: Is the YouTube download even legal?

The programs presented above will allow you to download YouTube videos, and often videos from other platforms, and watch them offline at any time. From a purely legal point of view, however, there are a few things to keep in mind, as YouTube prohibits the down­load­ing of content in its terms of use.

However, you may download public domain content. If there is no copyright present in the video, private in­di­vidu­als may download content for their own (non-com­mer­cial) purposes.

Note

Another option to download YouTube content offline is offered by YouTube itself: A premium sub­scrip­tion is available from £11.99 per month.

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