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YouTube video downloader: which tools still work, and how to use them

Picking a YouTube video downloader is mostly about picking one that will still work next month - this is the platform that fights downloading hardest, and the place where tools break most often. This page groups the options that hold up by How you use it and Features, and answers the three questions that come up most: why a 4K file has no sound, why online tools are hit and miss, and what to do when one stops working.

  • Data checked September 2026
  • We don't provide downloads

Three YouTube limits worth understanding before you pick a tool

These three points decide which tools work and which are doomed to be flaky. They are worth reading before any recommendation.

1. Above 1080p, video and audio are separate tracks

YouTube delivers with DASH, so the high-resolution video track and the audio track are stored separately. To end up with a 4K file that has sound, you have to download both streams and merge them, which needs FFmpeg. Online tools do not want to carry that muxing cost on every request, so what they hand you is usually an already-muxed lower-resolution file, or a 4K video track with no audio. That is the entire explanation for the download that arrives with no sound.

2. Playback links carry a signature that expires

The media URL contains a time-limited signature parameter, and the algorithm behind it changes on no fixed schedule. A tool has to keep updating its parsing logic to keep working. so how actively a tool is maintained matters more than its feature list: yt-dlp ships releases roughly every week and usually recovers within days of a break; an online site that has not been touched in a year can simply be dead for good.

3. Datacenter IPs get an extra bot check

YouTube applies stricter bot checks to requests coming out of server farms. Every online tool exits through a datacenter IP, which makes their success rate on YouTube unstable by design. Commercial services push back by buying residential proxy pools; a non-commercial project such as Cobalt.tools has no such budget, so availability comes and goes in cycles.

The conclusion is blunt: on YouTube, prefer a tool that runs on your own machine using your own residential IP. Keep online tools as a temporary fallback.

Every YouTube video downloader in our list

See the full ranking
栏目分类
全部 YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest X/ Twitter Facebook Linkedln Reddit Vimeo Bilibili VK Dailymotion
How to use
全部 Online Browser extension Desktop app Mobile app CLI API
Features
全部 Bulk download 4K and up Audio only No watermark Subtitles Open source
Current 6 tools
  • 9/10

    Stacher

    A GUI for yt-dlp, free and happy with batches. Supported sites: whatever yt-dlp handles, 1,800+.

    Bulk download4K and upAudio onlySubtitlesDesktop app
    See details
  • 8.6/10

    SaveFrom.net

    Long-running online tool with both a web and an extension mode. Supported sites: YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and 12 in tota

    4K and upAudio onlyOnlineBrowser extension
    See details
  • 7.3/10

    CR TubeGet

    Traditional desktop client that claims 2000+ sites. Supported sites: claims 2000+, though only the mainstream ones held

    Bulk download4K and upAudio onlyDesktop app
    See details
  • 8.9/10

    Cobalt.tools

    Open-source online tool, no ads and no redirect hops. Supported sites: X, TikTok, Instagram and 18 in total.

    4K and upAudio onlyNo watermarkOpen sourceOnlineAPI
    See details
  • 9.1/10

    4K Video Downloader Plus

    Paid desktop client, the least fussy way to run batch jobs. Supported sites: YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and 20+ more.

    Bulk download4K and upAudio onlySubtitlesDesktop app
    See details
  • 9.4/10

    yt-dlp

    Open-source command line, the ceiling for site coverage. Supported sites: 1,800+.

    Bulk download4K and upAudio onlyNo watermarkSubtitlesOpen sourceCLIAPI
    See details

YouTube downloads: common questions

Is it legal to download YouTube videos?

Saving a public video to your own machine to watch offline falls, in most countries, inside the private copying exception and is usually tolerated. Re-uploading, redistributing or using it commercially is infringement, and working around a paywall or a members-only limit is outright illegal in plenty of places.

Separately, YouTube's own Terms of Service explicitly prohibit unauthorised downloading, and Premium offline caching is the compliant route. Your local law is what counts - see Terms of use.

Why does my 4K download have no sound?

Because you only got the video track and nothing merged the audio back in. Two usual causes: you used an online tool, which does not mux server-side, or you used yt-dlp without FFmpeg installed.

The fix: install FFmpeg and make sure it is on your PATH, or switch to a tool that bundles it, such as Stacher, 4K Video Downloader Plus, Seal. More in Best for 4K/8K.

Why did a tool that worked yesterday stop working today?

YouTube changed the signature algorithm on its playback links, or added a new check. The tool has to update its parsing logic before it can recover.

Order of operations: update the tool first (for yt-dlp that is yt-dlp -U; for Stacher and Seal, update the bundled engine in settings). If the latest build still fails, check the project's issue list to see whether someone has already reported it. Background in this news post.

How do I download a whole playlist or channel?

Only desktop apps and the command line manage this:

  • yt-dlp: hand it the playlist or channel URL, and with --download-archive it will only pull what is new.
  • Stacher: expand the list in the GUI and tick what you want.
  • 4K Video Downloader Plus: Subscriptions fetches new uploads on a schedule (paid feature).

Online tools and most extensions cannot do it. More in Best for bulk.

What should I use if I only want the audio (MP3)?

yt-dlp with -x --audio-format mp3 is the most reliable. For maximum audio quality add --audio-quality 0 to the command. For a GUI use Stacher, and on a phone use Seal (which also writes cover art and metadata).

The online option 9Convert has the shortest flow but plenty of ads. For a side-by-side, see Which one if you just want audio.

Can I download a video with its subtitles?

Yes. yt-dlp with --write-subs exports SRT/VTT, and auto-generated captions come out with --write-auto-subs. 4K Video Downloader Plus can burn subtitles straight into the video file, which is where it is more convenient than the open-source options.

Stacher exports subtitles but cannot embed them. Online tools basically never handle subtitles at all.

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Everything here is info only, meant for your own lawful use. Follow your local laws and each platform's ToS: don't grab or re-share copyrighted or paid content, and don't work around DRM or any other tech protection. VideoDownloaderHub doesn't host media files and doesn't proxy download requests, and we make no promises about whether a third-party tool is available, safe, or legal where you live. Details in our Terms of use and Privacy policy.
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