Best free YouTube downloader app of 2024 (2024)

We list the best free YouTube downloader apps, to make it simple and easy to rip content directly from YouTube for offline use.

The best free YouTube downloader apps are the perfect tool for anyone who wants to watch videos offline or save them for personal use - and, most importantly, doesn't want to pay for YouTube Premium.

With that in mind, we've compiled this short list of easy-to-use apps that can help you get the most out of YouTube without needing you to open your wallet. These tools let you download and save your favorite videos free of charge, using whatever file formats you like.

The process of downloading a video from YouTube is actually surprisingly easy - it mainly involves taking the video's URL, and then simply using one of the tools below. But if you only want the audio, we do have a free YouTube to MP3 converter guide instead.

Currently, our top choice for downloading videos from YouTube is the 4K Video Downloader, which can do the job without leaving a watermark, compared to other apps. However, there are other apps that you can look into that do the same job, which we've highlighted below.

The best free YouTube downloader app of 2024 in full:

Best overall

4K Video Downloader is the best free YouTube downloader around for quick, fuss-free YouTube downloads. It's simple to use, highly customizable, and doesn't include any bundled extra software.

To grab a video (or a whole playlist, provided it's not longer than 24 videos), simply copy its URL from your web browser, click 'Paste URL' and select an output format, quality, and location.

There's a great choice of formats – both video and audio – including MP4 and MP3. You can download captions for individual videos, and there's even support for 3D and 360-degree videos too.

Delving into the properties lets you tweak options like multi-stream downloads (increasing the number of streams will speed up downloads, but increases the risk of YouTube blocking your IP address) and set up a proxy connection.

It's worth noting that you'll need to shell out some cash if you want to use this tool's premium features, which include unlimited videos, large playlist downloads, private video downloads, and no ads. If you just want the free version of the tool, though, it's still a powerful and functional option - provided you don't mind a few ads.

Read our full review: 4K Video Downloader.

• ^ Back to the top

Best for special effects

At first glance, Any Video Converter Free is one of the best free YouTube downloaders out there. The only drawback is that this free version limits you to download a single video at a time, but if you're looking for a free solution, this is something you may decide you're happy to put up with.

There are lots of video formats to choose from, and there's even a basic video editor built into this YouTube downloader. This can be used to crop a video you download, add simple effects such as color adjustment, and add overlay text.

The whole process is quick and easy. Any Video Converter's interface may not be to everyone's liking, but that's really nitpicking; this is a fantastic free YouTube downloader in all other respects. Watch out for the bundled ByteFence and Yahoo software during installation, and you're good to go.

Read our full review: Any Video Converter Free.

• ^ Back to the top

Best basic

There are no prizes for guessing what Free YouTube Download does. This is a very simple, tightly focused free YouTube downloader that does away with distractions to get the job done well. Paste in a URL from YouTube and you can download the video in just a couple of clicks – or no clicks at all if you enable the Auto Download option.

You can download several videos at once if you need to, and you can convert them to several different formats on the fly. Just which formats are available to you will depend on the quality of the original video, but AVI, MP4, iPhone/iPod and MKV should be available in most cases. It's also possible to convert to audio-only MP3 if you don’t need the footage as well.

There's only one real drawback, but it's a biggie – you can only use Free YouTube Download to grab clips that are less than three minutes long. That rules out most music videos for a start, and is a real shame.

Read our full review: Free YouTube Download.

• ^ Back to the top

Best comprehensive

Although the name suggests that this is just a YouTube downloader, aTube Catcher can actually save videos from most of the big video hosting sites.

First, however, a word of warning: sneaky adware abounds during the installation. When you're offered the first app, make sure to hit Cancel, and for the second one click Decline – then you'll be free to enjoy aTube Catcher without any unwanted surprises.

Downloaded videos can be converted automatically to a number of popular formats, so you can tailor them for their intended use, or whatever device you intend to watch them on. If you're looking to download a large number of videos, you can download them all at once, maxing out your bandwidth – something not available in all of the best free YouTube downloaders on this list.

This free YouTube downloader offers plenty of added extras too, such as the ability to record any on-screen video, video merging, and disc burning.

Read our full review: aTube Catcher.

• ^ Back to the top

FAQs

How we test

We test the best free YouTube downloader apps by see how reliable the service is, both in terms of availability, download quality, and also ease of use. We also look to see if there are any other useful options and tools to make the download and any conversion of the files more accessible.

Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.

Get in touch

• Want to find out about commercial or marketing opportunities? Click here
• Out of date info, errors, complaints or broken links? Give us a nudge
• Got a suggestion for a product or service provider? Message us directly

• You've reached the end of the page. Jump back up to the top ^