Purffle / PurffleGrab / Guides / Best YouTube downloaders
The best YouTube downloaders, compared honestly.
yt-dlp, 4K Video Downloader Plus, Stacher, Parabolic, PurffleGrab and online converters — what each is good at, and how to choose.
The short version
There's no single best YouTube downloader, only the best one for how you work. Almost all of them, ours included, run on the same open-source engine, yt-dlp, so the real differences are the app around it: price, limits, extras like Spotify or channel follows, and how quickly it recovers when YouTube changes something.
Disclosure: we make PurffleGrab. We've tried to describe the others fairly; their prices and features change, so check their sites before you decide.
The options, side by side
| Tool | Platforms | Price | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| PurffleGrab | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free 67 a month; passes from $1.49 | Desktop app on yt-dlp with Spotify playlists, channel follows, a resumable queue and a player. Not code-signed yet. We make it, so weigh this entry accordingly. |
| yt-dlp | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | The command-line engine most downloaders are built on, including ours. Unbeatable if you're comfortable in a terminal; no Spotify support or GUI of its own. |
| 4K Video Downloader Plus | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free tier with limits; paid licences | Long-running, polished, with signed installers. The free tier is limited and the main plans are paid. See our comparison. |
| Stacher | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free | A graphical front-end for yt-dlp that exposes many of its options. Good if you want yt-dlp's power with a window. |
| Parabolic | Linux, Windows | Free, open source | A clean open-source yt-dlp front-end, popular on GNOME desktops. |
| Online converters | Any browser | Free, ad-supported | No install, fine for a one-off. Usually ads and pop-ups, lower quality and one video at a time. See why people move off them. |
How to pick
- You live in the terminal: yt-dlp on its own.
- You want YouTube and Spotify in one app: PurffleGrab.
- You want a free window on top of yt-dlp: Stacher, or Parabolic on Linux.
- You want the most established paid app: 4K Video Downloader Plus.
- You need one file, once, on a borrowed computer: an online converter, carefully.
What to check in any downloader
- Does it update its engine? The number one reason downloads fail is an outdated engine.
- Real quality. Does 1080p mean the original stream, or a re-encode?
- Playlists and resume. Can it finish a 200-video playlist after a restart?
- What "lifetime" covers. Future major versions, or only the current one?
- No bundled extras. The installer should install the app and nothing else.
Questions
What is the best free YouTube downloader for PC?
If you're comfortable with a command line, yt-dlp. If you want an app, pick by what matters to you: PurffleGrab for Spotify plus YouTube with a free monthly allowance, Stacher or Parabolic for a free yt-dlp front-end, or 4K Video Downloader Plus for a long-established paid app.
Which YouTube downloader is safest?
Use a desktop app from its official site, check the checksum or scan the installer on VirusTotal, and avoid converter sites that ask you to allow notifications or run extra downloads.
Why do YouTube downloaders stop working?
YouTube changes its site regularly. Tools built on yt-dlp recover fastest because yt-dlp is updated within days. Make sure your downloader updates its engine.
Use it for media you have the right to save
Downloading can breach a site's terms of service and may infringe copyright where you live. Clearly fine: your own uploads, Creative Commons and public-domain material, and content you're licensed to keep offline.