How I Download YouTube Videos for Free: 2 Ways, Including My Favorite

By Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• ClipGrab and WinX/MacX are the best free tools for YouTube downloads.
• YouTube Premium offers legal, ad-free downloads tied to your account.
• Be mindful of copyright laws and only download videos that are allowed.

If you’ve ever wanted to download a YouTube video to watch later — say, for a flight or somewhere with terrible Wi-Fi — you’ve probably noticed that Google doesn’t make it easy. YouTube’s own app limits offline viewing to select videos and paying Premium subscribers. Still, there are ways to download videos for free. The challenge is figuring out which option is actually worth using.

Also: This simple YouTube TV trick can knock $80 off your bill – here’s how

After years of working in multimedia, I’ve had to locally save countless YouTube videos. I now have one go-to tool, and my colleague David Gewirtz has suggested another, but there are plenty of options out there that come highly recommended. Either way, here are two methods that are free and trusted, so you won’t have to wade through sketchy pop-ups and questionable links, or pay a cent.

I’ll also cover YouTube Premium, the official paid method for downloading videos, so you should find at least one option that works.

How to Easily Download YouTube Videos for Free

What you’ll need: Editors at ZDNET, including me, have been using ClipGrab for years. It’s a free program available for Mac, Windows, and Linux users. The developer describes it as open source, though the source code is only available for Linux.

Another Free Option

ClipGrab is my top choice for easy, straightforward YouTube video downloading. I regularly use it to grab videos, including my own uploads when I need a local copy. After more than a decade of use, I haven’t run into any issues with it.

Also: 10 open-source apps I always recommend Windows user to try – and they’re free

But if you want an alternative, ZDNET’s David Gewirtz uses the WinX/MacX apps. Made by Digiarty Software (known for its DVD-ripping tools), WinX Video Converter (for Windows) and MacX Video Converter (for MacOS) are freemium video conversion programs.

How to Use WinX or MacX to Download YouTube Videos for Free

What makes them interesting here is that the free trial includes an unlimited YouTube downloader you can use indefinitely — if you don’t mind dismissing the occasional prompt to upgrade.

1. Install the software: Download the trial of WinX Video Converter Deluxe (Windows) or MacX Video Converter Pro (Mac) from the official site. Once installed, launch the app.

2. Paste a YouTube link: In the app’s toolbar, click the “YouTube URL” button. The app will switch to a download screen, where you can click a link icon at the top, then paste your video’s URL, and click Analyze. After a few seconds, you’ll see a list of available resolutions and formats (for example, 1080p MP4, 720p WebM), along with file sizes.

3. Download the video: Choose your preferred resolution and format from the list, then click OK or Download. The video will download quickly. Aside from YouTube, WinX/MacX supports hundreds of other sites — Facebook, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and more.

If you decide to upgrade to the paid version, you’ll unlock a full suite of video tools to convert, compress, trim, crop, and even add subtitles. The paid options start at $19.95. But you don’t need to pay anything if your main goal is simply downloading videos.

The Official Paid Option

Let’s talk about Google’s official way to download YouTube videos: YouTube Premium. I’ve been a subscriber for years and love the blissful absence of ads, picture-in-picture mode on mobile, the ability to keep a video playing in the background while using other apps, access to YouTube Music Premium, and all the other perks — including downloading videos for offline viewing.

In the US, an individual YouTube Premium plan is $13.99 per month. There’s also a Family Plan for up to six users at $22.99 per month, and a Student Plan at $7.99 per month. It’s not cheap, but for heavy YouTube users, it can be worth it.

How to Use YouTube Premium to Download Videos

Since this is an official feature, it’s completely legal and sanctioned by YouTube.

1. Log in with your Premium account: Once you’ve subscribed to YouTube Premium, sign in to YouTube on your device (mobile app or web browser) with your account. Once logged in, look for a video you want to save.

2. Tap Download: When you’ve found a video, click or tap the Download button. On desktop, you will now see a down arrow below videos, usually to the right of the Share arrow icon. In the mobile app, the Download option appears in the video options menu (three-dot menu).

3. Choose your quality: The first time you download, YouTube will ask what quality you want to save by default (such as 720p or 360p). Higher resolutions take more storage and might not be available for all videos. Once you confirm, the video will begin downloading. A progress indicator might appear (on mobile, it’s a loading circle).

4. Find your downloaded videos: After the download completes, you can find the video in the Downloads section of YouTube. In the mobile app, tap Library > Downloads. On desktop, click your profile picture menu and go to Downloads (or go to youtube.com/feed/downloads while logged in). All videos you’ve downloaded for offline viewing will be listed there.

You can watch your downloaded videos without an internet connection, but you’ll need to go online at least once every 30 days for YouTube to verify your Premium status. Otherwise, your downloads will expire. Your downloads are also tied to YouTube. So, if you were hoping to get an MP4 file to edit or share outside of YouTube, you’re out of luck with this method.

Also: Gemini can now watch YouTube for you – skip the video, get the highlights

Basically, you’re not given an easy way to turn your YouTube downloads into usable video files on a desktop or from iOS devices. However, if you’re an Android user with an SD card slot, you can change the YouTube app’s settings to save videos directly to your SD card. In the YouTube app, tap your profile pic > Settings > Downloads, and you’ll see the option to use an SD card.

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