Best Free YouTube Video Download Tools (Ranked)

Are you looking for the best free YouTube video download tools to enjoy YouTube videos offline? Many YouTube lovers are all over looking for a way they can download YouTube videos free of charge. In this way, you are not alone.

Fortunately, we are going to show you how to download YouTube videos for free using some of the most popular, and free YouTube download tools in the market today. You can then save downloaded videos to your local device, whether it’s on your PC, or mobile device.

1. Can you Download YouTube Videos Free of Charge?

Yes, you can download YouTube videos free. But why do you need to download them offline? There are a few instances watching YouTube videos offline is the only viable way to enjoy them.

• When on a slow internet connection, you will frequently encounter that irritating buffering icon on your screen. You need a suitable cheap or free YouTube download solution to address this problem. Once downloaded, you can watch the videos without interruptions.
• If you are traveling to a place without internet, or want to watch YouTube videos to beat the boredom on a long bus, train, or airplane trip.
• Are you tired of irritating and frequent YouTube adverts when watching your favorite shows online? The best way to avoid these ads is by Downloading YouTube videos and watching them offline using a free YouTube video downloader.

After you realize the reasons why you need to download a YouTube video, now stick with us to get the ways of downloading videos from YouTube and save them to your computer or mobile device.

2. Download YouTube Videos for Free Using YouTube's App

In order to download YouTube videos free, you need to download and install YouTube native app to your mobile device. To do this, follow these steps;

1. Go to your device’s Play Store or App Store when using Android or iOS respectively.
2. Search, install and open the YouTube app on your device.
3. Make sure you are logged in to your YouTube (Google) account.
4. Search for and play the video of your choice.
5. Check whether it is available for download and if yes, do the necessary.

Ensure that you keep login in to ensure that the app retains your downloaded videos. You can download as many videos as your mobile device allows.

2.1 Free YouTube Download App Limitations

The YouTube app on your mobile device allows you to download YouTube videos free to your device. However, it presents some download limitations that prevent you from enjoying the best viewing experience that you would wish. These limitations include the following;

1. Free YouTube download is only available on mobile apps, not on any other device.
2. Though the amount of content you can download depends on the storage size of your device, you will not be able to download any videos if you have only 5% storage space on your device.
3. Downloaded content can only be stored and played using the YouTube native app.
4. After downloading, you need to refresh your downloads by connecting to the internet within 48 hours. This makes it possible for the YouTube app to check whether the video you downloaded is still available or if any changes have been made to it.
5. You need a premium YouTube membership in order to get 30 days to refresh your downloads.
6. Not all videos are available for download. Some videos have their download button disabled.

To overcome all these YouTube download limitations, you need a premium YouTube video downloader or a free YouTube download app.

3. Download YouTube Videos for Free Using Third-Party YouTube Downloader

There are a number of good third-party YouTube downloaders out there that you can use to download YouTube movies and watch them offline. However, you may find that it is always difficult to pinpoint the best ones. This is because different YouTube movies free download tools offer different features and to certain levels. Fortunately, we have crafted a wonderful list of paid and free YouTube video downloaders for you to grab your choice now!

3.1 Free YouTube downloaders for Windows

1. StreamFab YouTube Downloader

StreamFab YouTube Downloader is the most popular software to download and save YouTube videos on your device to watch offline. The software comes in two versions, StreamFab YouTube Downloader and StreamFab YouTube Downloader Pro, meaning that you can download YouTube videos free as well as affordably. With more than 100 million downloads, more than 80 million active users across the globe, and more than 50 annual updates, you may ask why is this software so popular?

StreamFab YouTube Downloader Features

Some of the features that make StreamFab YouTube Downloader a darling to YouTube users include the following;

• Ability to save downloaded videos in their original formats. In addition to saving downloaded videos on any device and folder, the ability to save in original formats ensures that you can play the videos using whatever device or media player that you wish. As for the audios, the software captures them in MP3 format.
• In addition to YouTube, you can download streaming videos from any site. This is important because many YouTube lovers also like other streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo among others. With StreamFab YouTube downloader, you are sure to download from all these.
• Background download and playback feature. You can play your favorite movies and shows in the background as you download videos.
• You can download your videos and audio in the highest quality. StreamFab YouTube Downloader allows up to 8K video quality and 320 kbps music quality.
• Ability to download an entire playlist, complete with metadata and in lightning, 10 times turbo speed.

How to Download YouTube Videos Free Using StreamFab Downloader

1. Download, install and open StreamFab YouTube Downloader on your device.
2. Click on the YouTube icon from the YouTube section.

1. Select and play your favorite video or music you want to download.
2. Click the download button.

1. Or you can simply copy the link of a YouTube video, and paste it in the software. Normally, if you have the downloader on your device, the paste page will appear automatically after you copy a YouTube link. And then just set the video/audio quality according to your preference.

StreamFab YouTube Video Downloader is easy to use and does not need any prior or special knowledge or experience. You are set from the word to go.

2. iTubeGo YouTube Downloader

iTubeGo YouTube Downloader is another exciting software that you can use to download YouTube audios, videos, playlists, and entire channels with just one click. Additionally, you can use this software to convert YouTube videos to mp4, mp3, MOV, Avi, m4a, and many other formats and save them on your device. However, you can use this downloader as a free YouTube download app for only three downloads and one playlist. You need the paid version in order to enjoy all other features.

iTubeGo YouTube Downloader Features

Some of the features that make the paid version of the iTubeGo downloader popular include the following;

• Ability to download in addition to YouTube, from other more than 1,000 streaming sites.
• Easy to use.
• Comes with a fast video download speed.
• Ability to download multiple videos in bulk.
• Come with a built-in browser.
• Ability to cut YouTube videos.
• Ability to download subtitles in separate SRT files.
• Possibility to password-protect your files.

In addition to the features above, iTubeGo also provides users with a choice for devices. Whether using mobile device or PC, you can convert and save YouTube downloads without losing quality.

How to Download YouTube free Using iTubeGo

1. Copy the YouTube video URL.
2. Choose your preferred quality and format.
3. Paste the URL and click download.

iTubeGo understands that some YouTube video links may be blocked and therefore cannot be downloaded.

3. 4K Video Downloader

4K Video Downloader is a free YouTube download app that use to download videos across platforms on your PC, Mac, and Linux. You can use it to download single videos, playlists, entire channels, and subtitles from streaming platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Netflix, and many others in addition to YouTube.

4K Video Downloader Features

• Supports 3D and 360-degree video.
• Ability to make your videos private.
• Downloads subtitles.
• Ability to download videos in 4K,1080p, or 720p quality.
• Supports all popular video streaming sites.
• In-app proxy setup that allows you to bypass download restrictions set by service providers, school, or workplace firewalls.
• Comes with a smart mode feature that makes it easier and faster to download videos.

4K video Downloader only allows you to download videos in bulk for a fee. Although a good free YouTube download software, StreamFab YouTube Downloader allows more flexibility.

Steps to Download YouTube Using 4K Video Downloader

Downloading YouTube using 4K Video Downloader is easy and straightforward;

1. Copy the YouTube video link.
2. Paste the link on the free YouTube download app.
3. Download.

4. YTD Video Downloader

YTD Video Downloader is another popular tool that you can use to download YouTube video free of charge. It comes in two versions; free and paid pro versions. It is best used when downloading videos, audio, and playlist to watch offline as well as converting videos to MP3 and MP4.

YTD Video Downloader Features

This tool has several exciting features that include the following;

• Supports all popular video streaming sites including Facebook, Vimeo, TikTok, and others in addition to YouTube.
• Fast for free YouTube download.
• Ability to download entire playlists and channels.
• In-built video player.

YTD Video downloader has ads and is only available for Windows while StreamFab YouTube Downloader covers all devices.

How to Download YouTube Videos for Free Using YTD Video Downloader

1. Download and install the YTD app.
2. Copy-paste the YouTube video URL.
3. Select quality and storage destination.
4. Download.

5. Convert2MP3

This is a free online tool that lets you download YouTube videos for free without much stress. Simply copy and paste your video link and that’s all.

Steps to download a YouTube video using Convert2MP3

• Visit YouTube, play the video you wish to download and copy the current link on your browser address bar
• Open www.convert2MP3.com and paste the link in the provided space
• Click on the MP3 button beside and select a format for your video
• Select a preferred resolution/quality for your video from the option below
• Now, click on the convert button and wait for the video to download

Note: You’d have to click “allow” on the pop-ups that will show once your video starts downloading. Also, with this method, you can actually download a video from YouTube to your phone for free.

3.2 Free YouTube downloaders for Mac

1. ClipGrab for Mac

This free full version YouTube downloader for Mac is an easy-to-use and quick tool to download the videos on popular video-sharing websites like YouTube, Vimeo, Sevenload, etc., and convert them into video formats suitable for Mac machines.

Features

• Free, easy, and fast YouTube video downloader that works independently and not browser supported.
• It allows you to download videos in HD quality and also offers the option of auto download.
• It can convert YouTube videos to popular formats like MP3, MP4, WMV, and OGG.

2. YouTube Hunter

This is a free video downloader and converter that can find and download videos from all popular online channels like YouTube, VEVO, Vimeo, DailyMotion, etc. It offers quick and fast download of all the YouTube videos you like on Mac and other OS quickly.

Features

• This free YouTube downloader for Mac software saves the original name of the video file that is there on the web pages of the downloaded videos.
• It supports multiple downloads at one time and offers a faster download speed than a real time playing.
• The downloaded videos will be automatically converted to a format that you can easily view on your Mac devices.
• There is also the option to convert the audio of the video files on YouTube into mp3 files.

3. Aimersoft YouTube Downloader for Mac

This is a user-friendly online video converter that helps in quickly and efficiently converting your favorite YouTube videos to suit the Mac PCs. It is a free YouTube downloader for Mac that allows you to download any kind of YouTube video files on your Mac without any hesitation. It will automatically detect the videos on YouTube that are opened using the popular web browsers and hence you can download the YouTube videos you like with just a click.

Features

• Can download YouTube videos, 3 times faster than other online YouTube video downloaders.
• Supports the option to download YouTube videos in batches.
• Can turn the Mac to sleep mode or shut down mode once the download is complete.
• Can convert YouTube videos to any format of your choice to use on computers and other popular handheld devices.
• Ability to extract the audio contents alone from the YouTube videos and save it as an MP3 file.

4. Airy YouTube downloader for Mac

Looking to save your favorite YouTube videos on your Mac? Try out the Airy YouTube video downloader for Mac for free to play these videos at anytime and anywhere on your Mac devices. You do not have to have any internet connection to watch the downloaded YouTube videos.

Features

• This free YouTube downloader for Mac can extract the audio files from the YouTube videos and save the track in MP3 or other audio formats you prefer.
• It can save YouTube channels and playlists on your Mac easily.
• The video converter offers you the option to see the quality of videos you would like to download and also choose the required format for the downloaded videos.
• It can be easily integrated with all popular web browsers for quick YouTube video downloads.

5. 5KPlayer for Mac

This is very popular software that can download the YouTube videos you watch on your Mac devices and convert them into suitable Mac video formats with ease. This tool is a free download YouTube converter to mp3 for Mac that works perfectly on Mac OS. It offers free and full-fledged online video downloading and conversion options.

Features

• Converts the YouTube video files into the MP3 file format and other audio formats.
• It also serves as an HD video player that doubles up as a downloader and converter as well as the video player tool.

4. Download Youtube Videos Free to Computer using a browser Add-On

Savefromnetoffers a browser add-on that gives you instant access to download YouTube directly to your computer at a very fast speed. The step below shows how you can download YouTube videos direct to your PC local storage.

How to download videos from Youtube free using savefromnet add-on

• Visit https://en.savefrom.net and download the plugin for your browser
• Now, log on to YouTube and play any video of your choice. You will see a download button very close to the “Thumbs up and Thumbs Down” icons.
• Click on this download button to save the video to your PC

To explore more video options before the actual download, you can choose to go to the official Savefromnet website and paste your video link; there you’ll be able to select from a wide range of video resolutions available for your video plus other features too.

Conclusion

These are the best free YouTube Video Downloaders you can rely on to download unlimited YouTube videos at any time without paying a dime. All these YouTube video download methods listed here can be used by anyone irrespective of their IT knowledge level.

StreamFab YouTube Video Downloader is the best YouTube free download tool of all. This is because it has all the features that every YouTube video lover looks for in a free YouTube video download app, that also downloads from other streaming sites.