They only allow you to download a single video at a time, and you can forget about saving whole playlists. Online video converters typically don't give you much (if any) choice about the video file either, in terms of quality or expert format.

Many such sites also feature ads of a NSFW variety, or display thumbnails of recently downloaded videos, which may not be appropriate.

First of all, they're slower due to the limitations of the remote server and your data connection. There are many sites that you can use to download YouTube videos, but we don't recommend them due to their disadvantages over desktop software. What's the difference between Online YouTube downloaders and desktop apps? Read our full review: aTube Catcher Is it legal to downloaded YouTube videos?īefore you use a free YouTube downloader, bear in mind that using third-party apps to download videos is against YouTube's terms of service, which say you can only stream videos directly from its servers.ĭownloading videos is also potentially a copyright infringement unless you own the video yourself, have permission from the copyright holder, or it's in the public domain. This free YouTube downloader offers plenty of added extras too, such as the ability to record any on-screen video, video merging, and disc burning. If you're looking to download a large number of videos, you can download them all at once, maxing out your bandwidth – something not available in all of the best free YouTube downloaders on this list. When you're offered the first app, make sure to hit Cancel, and for the second one click Decline – then you'll be free to enjoy aTube Catcher without any unwanted surprises.ĭownloaded videos can be converted automatically to a number of popular formats, so you can tailor them for their intended use, or whatever device you intend to watch them on. Although the name suggests that this is just a YouTube downloader, aTube Catcher (opens in new tab) can actually save videos from most of the big video hosting sites.įirst, however, a word of warning: sneaky adware abounds during the installation.

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