Out of tens of hundreds of free YouTube downloaders for Mac, which one really deserves a spot on your Mac? Which one can download YouTube videos muisc on Mac free in a blazing fast speed? Which one is the best of the best?

1. Youtube Mp4 Downloader Mac
2. The Fastest Free Youtube Downloader Mac
3. How To Convert Youtube To Mp4

Mp4 Downloader For Mac free download - MP4 Downloader Pro, MP4 Youtube Video Downloader, Mac Video Downloader, and many more programs. Key features: The program has a professional-looking interface. It is perfect for downloading videos from YouTube and other sites such as Facebook, Vevo, Dailymotion, and Vimeo.

Based on experience, tests and comparisons, below top 10 free YouTube downloaders for Mac are trustworthy tools to save YouTube videos MP4/MP3, HD, 4K, HDR, etc on Mac. Read the reviews and get the one you like most.

Note: There are no online Mac YouTube downloaders as they are dying choices and often from malicious websites. Also, they have limited output formats and resolutions, and will reduce the output quality during downloading.

[Warning!] YouTube music & copyright-protected contents are not supported for download.

Top 10 YouTube Downloaders for Mac

1. MacX Video Converter Pro

MacX Video Converter Pro is a universal 4K UHD video processing software that can be applied to convert, edit, download and resize videos at No.1 fast speed. Acting as a YouTube downloader on Mac, it assures you to download YouTube files in any format including MP3 MP4 with original quality at GPU Hardware Accelerated 5X faster speed than its rivals, and also convert the media files to any formats for any devices including iPhone, iPad, Huawei, Xiaomi, PS4, Xbox One, etc. You are also allowed to edit your YouTube videos.

Pros:

• Able to download YouTube videos, audio, TV shows, movies, etc. in 4K, Full HD 1080p/720p or so on Mac.
• Convert YouTube videos to any formats like MP4 MP3 for any devices.
• Supported input/output video formats: AV1, HEVC, MP4, MOV, HEVC, H.264, MPEG4, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, MTS, M2TS, TS, AVCHD, MOD, etc.
• Supported input/output audio formats: MP3, AAC, AC3, FLAC, iPhone ringtone, etc.
• Download contents from 1000+ video sharing sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Dailymotion, Vevo, Myspace and many more.
• Further edit YouTube videos with crop, cut, merge, rotate, split, subtitle, special effects, YouTube to GIF, watermark, denoise, deshake, etc. features.

Cons:

• Can’t batch download YouTube on Mac, you can add only one media source each time to download.
• Need to update YouTube URL analysis engine to ensure successful video downloads.

2. 5KPlayer

Though born to be a 4K video player, 5KPlayer can also be used as a YouTube downloader for Mac computer. The embedded YouTube module of this tool allows you to directly paste YouTube video URL and then download in a few clicks. It is a quite comprehensive tool that combines YouTube videos audio download, YouTube media playback and stream into one unit, thus you can enjoy the downloaded files directly or in a bigger manner without any other help.

Pros:

• Download videos from 300+ sites including YouTube, Dailymotion, Vevo, etc.
• Analyze any YouTube contents: movies and videos in 3D/4K/HDR/HD/360°3GPP, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG4, MPEGPS, WebM and WMV from uploaders.
• Directly play the downloaded YouTube videos on Mac in any format.
• AirPlay YouTube from iPhone iPad to Mac, and cast YouTube contents from Mac to smart TV.

Cons:

• Can’t convert downloaded YouTube videos to other formats.
• Need frequent updates for successful YouTube download on Mac.
• Not compatible with macOS Big Sur as of now.

3. ClipGrab

ClipGrab is free open-source program used to download and convert online videos. When using it as a Mac YouTube downloader, it can save your energy by automatically grabbing the video through video URL and then download it. Software review site softoxi.com states that '[ClipGrab] has a beautifully designed graphical user interface' and 'stands out immediately for its look, feel and performance'.

Pros:

• Provide an integrated search function for YouTube to easily find YouTube videos.
• Download YouTube to MPEG4, WMV, OGG Vorbis, OGG Theora, or original format.
• Support video downloads from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, etc.
• Download high definition, standard definition and low definition version of videos easily.

Cons:

• Flagged as malware by some security software.
• Limited output formats, only support resolution up to HD.
• Downloaded 4K/8K videos come with decreased output quality.
• Extra program may be downloaded when installing ClipGrab.

4. DVDVideosoft YouTube Download

DVDVideosoft YouTube Download is the new handy application both for free YouTube videos downloading and conversion on Mac. It's simply an excellent tool for saving your favorite video clips or even lessons from YouTube at 1.5-2x faster speed. Adobe illustrator cs 5.1 serial number for mac. Since it has been present on the market for over ten years, this free YouTube downloader for Mac has gained over 158 million downloads as of now.

Pros:

• Batch download videos in original YouTube quality including HD and 4K.
• Customize output name easily.
• Save operation history.
• Transfer downloaded YouTube videos to iTunes automatically.

Cons:

• Limited output formats: only choose between MP4, MKV, WebM.
• Interface lags at times.
• Toolbar comes with bloatware.
• Unable to choose output video quality.

5. MacX YouTube Downloader

MacX YouTube Downloader mainly targets YouTube videos download on Mac, so as to let users download all types of YouTube contents including MP3 MP4 easily to save them into personal collection. Thanks to the well embedded hyper-threading technology, people can save online videos within seconds at a very fast speed. It's 100% free and clean, so no worries about ads, virus, spam, plugins, malware, spyware, etc.

Pros:

• Download any YouTube contents: movies, TV shows, MVs, funny videos, tutorials, workout videos, gameplays, cartoons, etc. one by one or in playlist.
• Analyze any types of YouTube contents: 8K 4320p, 4K 2160p, 2K, 1080p or 720p HD, 360-degree, VR180, 3D and HDR.
• Various output choices: Keep the original codec or format, or just download to MP4, WebM, FLV, 3GP or whatever that better suits your device like iPhone, PS4, Xbox One S, etc.
• Compatible with macOS big Sur, and iMac Pro, iMac 5K/4K, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac Pro/mini.

Cons:

• Unable to convert downloaded YouTube videos on Mac.
• The built-in video player is for downloaded video preview.
• No GPU hardware acceleration tech to help speed up video downloading process.

6. YTD Video Downloader for Mac

YTD Video Downloader for Mac is a speedy, easy-to-use tool for saving streaming videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and so on. Its intuitive interface is easy to use without any instruction and help complete downloads quickly and easily. To save time, you can directly download videos in bulk.

Pros:

• Download & convert entire playlist and channels in MP4, MKV, M4A and AVI.
• Integrate video player to watch videos directly.
• Support a variety of languages.

Cons:

• Limited sites support, you can only download videos from 15 websites.
• Limited output formats, only support resolution up to HD.
• Limited download numbers, only upgrade to pro version you can download unlimited videos from YouTube.

7. 4K Video Downloader

As the name implies, this Mac YouTube downloader is capable of downloading 4K videos and it is the truth. If you've seen a video on YouTube and want the ability to save it to your Mac computer so you can watch it whenever you like, you're going to want to give this software a look. What makes it prominent is it can save full playlists and channels in high quality and with various video audio formats available. You can also keep the subtitles and annotations along with the downloaded YouTube videos with the help of this software.

Pros:

• Able to download a single YouTube video, as well as YouTube playlists and channels.
• Support over 50 languages.
• Extract YouTube subtitles.
• Download videos in HD 1080p/720p, 4K, 8K, 3D in MP4/MKV/FLV/3GP, 360-degree, etc.

Cons:

• Though it supports most famous websites, it can only download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, SoundCloud, Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, DailyMotion, Likee, Tumblr and Twitch.
• Need to upgrade to pro version to download unlimited videos and private contents without advertisements.
• The free version only let you download 30 single videos per day, download 10 videos in a playlist and 5 videos per channel each time.

8. Airy for Mac

Airy YouTube downloader can easily save YouTube video right to your Mac computer. It runs on Mac OS X 10.7 or above, and macOS Big Sur is fully supported. Like any other Mac YouTube downloaders, Airy lets you simply copy and paste the URLs and then download. You can download single videos, playlists and whole channels, and manage the download at your own pace. With it, you can enjoy the YouTube videos when there is no internet connection at hand.

Pros:

• Download entire playlists and channels with subtitles.
• Extract audio from videos to build audio playlist.
• Support Ultra HD videos in 4K and 8K resolutions.
• Has browser integration available for any web platform.

Cons:

• Free version provides two free downloads of YouTube videos.
• Audio files are saved at 256Kbps.
• $19.95 is required for a license key to use all the features to the full extent.

9. Wondershare Free YouTube Downloader for Mac

You can use this downloader as an IE, Firefox, or Safari YouTube downloader to save videos from YouTube to your Mac, convert YouTube videos to your portable devices, and format them for playback on your computer with built-in FLV player. You can download HTML5, HD, HQ and 4K videos from YouTube and playlist with a 3X faster speed. However, the free version of WonderShare Mac YouTube Downloader has limited functions that you have to pay $29 for its pro version AllTube to have full features.

Pros:

• Download YouTube SD, HD and 4K videos one by one or in playlist.
• Wirelessly transfer videos through WiFi to play on portable devices.
• The built-in player can play downloaded YouTube and existing FLV, MP4 and WebM videos directly.
• 3 scheduler options: Auto Shutdown, Enter Sleep Mode and Exit Program. You can also set the time period for downloading.

Cons:

• May catch virus and adware during installation.
• Can't download videos from other sites like Vimeo, Facebook, VEVO, Metacafe, Dailymotion, etc.
• Can't directly download audio files.
• Free version only download 5 playlist.
• Only compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) to 10.9 (Mavericks).

10. YouTubeHunter

Likewise, this Mac video downloader can download videos from YouTube and many other websites including Vimeo, VEVO, DailyMotion, etc. The most shinning feature of it is the built-in search function which allows you to enter the keywords and then find the videos directly on YouTube or Vimeo. You can preview the found clips from the tool’s interface and decide which one to download and convert.

Pros:

• 15X faster speed to capture YouTube videos.
• Keep subtitles along with the downloaded videos.
• 'Add to iTunes' feature to copy your YouTube videos to iPhone iPad iPod.
• Built-in search tool to find videos you want to download on Mac directly.
• Batch processing to download multiple clips at the same time.

Cons:

• There might be adware or malware during the process.
• You can choose only between two output formats.
• You can’t access to advanced output settings: frame rate, bit rate or audio quality level.
• It is a freemium that you need to upgrade to the full version for more features.

Summary: Among the 10 Mac YouTube downloaders, each one of them has its own merits and dismerits. If you have a lot of time, you can try them one by one to find out the best one you need. If you need the direct answer, MacX Video Converter Pro wins out with its fast speed, stability, needless of third party help, and you can download YouTube videos to Mac free without worries about virus, malware.

Step-by-step Guide to Download YouTube Video Clips MP4 MP3 on Mac

Here we use MacX Video Converter Pro to show you how-to.

Step 1. Click the download button on this page to free download MacX Video Converter Pro, install and launch it on your Mac.

Step 2. Click the 'add URL' button to pop up the video URL parsing box.

Step 3. Find the video clip you want to download on YouTube and copy the URL. Return to MacX Video Converter Pro interface and click on 'Paste & Analyze' input the YouTube video URL. Then, click 'Analyze' to start parsing the video URL.

Step 4. After that, choose the video format, resolution and file size you prefer from the drop down menu, and click 'OK'.

Step 5. Choose an output folder on your Mac to save the downloaded video.

Step 6. Click 'Download Now' to start downloading YouTube videos.

Notice: MacXDVD Software doesn't advocate any reproduce, distribute, transmit, broadcast or sell any content for any other purposes without prior written permission of YouTube or the respective licensors of the content. Please refer to YouTube terms of service before doing so.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the best YouTube downloader for Mac?

Actually, what satisfies your needs is the best choice. If you need a Mac YouTube downloader which owns all the features including choosing video formats, setting video quality, extracting music from YouTube, batch download, downloading playlists and channels, pausing/resuming YouTube downloading and downloading private YouTube vuideos, you are out of luck to get one. But if you only have one of the above needs, the top 10 YouTube downloaders for Mac can give you an ideal choice.

2. How do I download a YouTube video to my Mac?

Simply copy the YouTube video URL, input it to your Mac YouTube downloader and then hit Download button to download videos.

Besides the desktop software, there are also online Mac YouTube downloaders like Keepvid and open-source software like VLC to help get YouTube videos on Mac. However, none of them is better than desktop software due to safety and stability issues.

3. How do I download audio from YouTube to my Mac?

Some YouTube downloaders like 5KPlayer allow you to directly download MP3 from the YouTube URL, and some like WinX YouTube Downloader let you extract sound from YouTube MP4 video.

4. Is it legal to Download YouTube contents?

Especially in the United States, copyright law indicates that it is not legal to download YouTube music and YouTube copy-protected videos, movies, TV series, sports clips, etc. However, you are unlikely to be prosecuted for download some YouTube clips, but this is also the risk you take. Of course, you are safe to download your own videos in your personal channel.

MP4 is one of the most common yet popular formats. As we all know MP4 is widely supported by many popular portable devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod, Xbox, etc. If we want to play YouTube on those digital players, we had better convert YouTube to MP4 on Mac at first.

As the biggest social media website in the world, YouTube offers hundreds of videos for you to watch, but it never allows you to download directly, so you feel it a little obstacle to watch your favorite YouTube videos on portable devices or players.

What’s the best YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac that can combine downloading and converting in one? This article would introduce the best video converter software as well as 7 online tools helping you convert YouTube to MP4 Mac free online.

The Most Powerful YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac

Cisdem Video Converter for Mac is a professional toolbox for video conversion, video download, DVD ripping, etc. It's equipped with an easy-to-use and user-friendly interface, enabling you to smoothly batch convert & download videos, edit videos & add special effects, preset output parameters, and get high-quality results. You can get all the features from this tool.

System requirement: support macOS 10.10 or later, including Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, and macOS Big Sur.

Best YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac

• Download videos from over 1000 popular sites, YouTube included
• Download YouTube videos in 480p, 720p, 1080p, 4k, or higher quality
• Convert YouTube to MP4, AVI, MKV, WAV, and other 300+ formats & devices
• Simultaneously download or Convert 5, 10, 20, or any numbers of YouTube videos
• Edit & enhance downloaded YouTube videos with real-time preview
• Rip DVD disc to MP4, MP3, or any digital media formats

Free Download

How to Use the Safe YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac

Step 1. Run the software

Download Cisdem Video Converter for Mac. After installation, run it.

Click on the main dashboard to switch to the download interface. (as shown in the picture)

Step 2. Copy URL and start to download

Search a YouTube video you wish to download and copy its URL. Then go back to the Cisdem Video Converter, and paste the link into the media URL box at the bottom. Click to start the YouTube video download.

The software is able to perform batch YouTube downloads. So you add multiple links to the list to proceed.

Step 3. Convert YouTube to MP4 on Mac

Generally, the downloaded YouTube video should be in MP4 format. If you need to convert it to other file formats or convert the local YouTube to MP4, drag the video to the 'convert' section. You can feel free to choose out format, and trim, crop, rotate your YouTube video there.

Related: YouTubeInMP4 | YouTubeInMP3

Top 7 Tools to Convert YouTube to MP4 Mac Online

When it comes to ripping video from YouTube on Mac, there are two common ways. One way is to use professional desktop software like the one mentioned above, which is recommended due to benefits like high speed, a long list of supported websites, various output formats, support for HD content, and useful extra features. Another way is to do it online, which will be covered in this part.

Such tools share some common advantages and work in a similar, if not the same way. At the same time, they may also have their own additional features or options. Any YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac listed below is safe and easy to use for Mac users.

#1. SaveFrom.net

SaveFrom is one of the best online YouTube video converter tools that lets you convert YouTube to MP4 Mac. It allows you to fetch and download videos online quickly. You can convert the downloaded YouTube videos to several media formats, like MP4, 3GP, MP3, so that you can enjoy them on the MP4 or MP3 players.

Pros

1. Provide fast conversion and download
2. Support most popular media websites like Vimeo, YouTube, Dailymotion, etc.
3. Available in multiple languages
4. Available as a browser extension

Cons

1. Limited output formats for video conversion
2. No sound in downloaded 1080p (or higher) videos

#2. FLVto.biz

FLVTO is the name of music-file conversion software, developed by the Russian-based firm Hotger, the online tool is too limited in its output formats. You can only download and convert YouTube to MP4, MP3, and AVI.

One interesting thing, it offers some videos as “Most Watched Today” below, if you are interested in them, have a watch.

Note: This service also provides a desktop version. If you install it on your Mac, you will have access to more conversion formats such as WAV, AAC, MOV, WMV, and WMA.

Pros

1. Easy to use with few working steps
2. Offer an option to send a converted MP4 to Dropbox
3. Provide an official step-by-step instruction on how to use it
4. Available various languages

Youtube Mp4 Downloader Mac

#3. SaveVideo.tube

Note: OnlineVideoConverter used to be third on this list. However, it stopped support for YouTube, as shown in the screenshot below. In this 2020 update, I replace it with another great YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac.

With this YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac online, your favorite video is just a click away. In addition, it can also work with a few other video sharing websites. Once it finishes analyzing the video URL you’ve entered, it will list all the formats and video resolutions available for conversion and download. It’s convenient. It will also offer brief information like video title, duration, and thumbnail.

You can save the video by clicking the Download Video button or one of the Download buttons listed below. With the latter, make sure that you right-click the button and select Save Link As.

Pros

1. Support a variety of platforms including YouTube
2. Provide multiple conversion formats like MP4 and WebM
3. Support SD and HD content, such as 720p, 1080p, and 4K

Cons

1. Limited conversion formats when compared to some other converters

#4. KeepVid

KeepVid enables you to convert YouTube to MP4 Mac free online with the minimum of hassle. It also offers a free version and commercial version app for your desktop. The Lifetime License for one Mac price is at $29. There are lots of definitions for the output you can choose. But it only supports download YouTube to MP4, M4A, 3GP, WEBM, MP3, ever Download its SRT subtitles.

Pros

1. Offer online version, free app, commercial app for downloading and conversion
2. Define output quality

#5. Clipconverter.cc

Clip Converter is an easy-to-use YouTube to MP4 HD converter for Mac. When you click the Continue button, it will start detecting media files available. When the process is finished, you will be presented with a list of available quality levels ranging from SD to HD, such as 480p, 720p, 1080p/60fps, 2K 1440p, and 4K 2160p. In addition to MP4, it also supports 3GP, AVI, MOV, and MKV as video conversion formats.

It's also worth mentioning the cutter feature. It lets you convert part of YouTube video to MP4 or another desired format.

Pros

1. Convert and save content from many popular websites
2. Support a number of conversion formats, including audio ones
3. Allow you to choose from a variety of video resolutions, high or low
4. Let you convert specific part of a YouTube video

#6. SaveTheVideo.com

Coming with a simple design, SaveTheVideo.com will help you download YouTube, Vimeo, NH Nieuws, Twitch, etc. at fast speed. In addition to converting YouTube to MP4 Mac online, it supports some other output formats, such as H.264, MKV, MP3, OGG, and more.

Pros

1. Download, convert and cut YouTube videos
2. Merge two different formats
3. Offer plenty of websites for video download

#7. oDownloader.com

oDownloader.com is an international online YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac. It supports over 20 languages on the page. The free service can handle videos from Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Vimeo, Instagram, and Soundcloud. It lets you save MP4 video, video without sound, or merely audio.

Pros

1. Show you the complete instructions
2. No prior registration required
3. Support 1080p (video) and 320 kpbs (audio)

From the above reviews, you can acquire the top 7 free tools to convert YouTube to MP4 Mac free online. They are the best of their kind. But some things are missing when compared to their desktop alternatives.

• Can’t support wider output formats
• No output preferences setting
• Lack of advanced and personalized features like edit, trim, create special effects for the downloaded videos
• No batch conversion

The Fastest Free Youtube Downloader Mac

Conclusion

How To Convert Youtube To Mp4

Each YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac featured above does a good job of converting YouTube videos. In my opinion, go with Cisdem Video Converter for Mac. It allows you to download YouTube videos to whatever formats (preserving the original quality) and can do others upper-level media processing. More importantly, it's safer than online tools.