YTD Downloader, also called YTD Video Downloader, is a desktop application for Windows and macOS. It retrieves online video and audio from a web address and stores it as a local file. An integrated converter changes the file format afterwards. Eightpoint Interactive develops the application and offers a free, ad-supported edition alongside paid Lite, Pro and Ultimate subscriptions that raise its limits.
Starting from a link
YTD Downloader works from the page address of a video rather than from a browser extension. The user copies the URL from the browser’s address bar, clicks Paste URL in the program and then Download. No account is required for this step. The application reads more than 50 sites, among them YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch and SoundCloud.
A drop-down menu sets the download quality before the transfer begins. If the user makes no changes, the program picks the best quality available. The program stores files in their original format in the folder shown next to the Save to label. This folder defaults to My Documents; the user can change it with the folder icon. Only the media stream is retrieved: subtitles are not included, except as a separate captions feature in the Ultimate plan.
While a file transfers, YTD keeps it as a temporary .tmp file that becomes the finished file on completion. On an unstable connection, downloads can pause and errors may appear. The Mac version can pause and resume transfers manually. It automatically resumes and retries them when the connection fails.
Converting to other formats
The Convert tab turns a downloaded clip into a different container or an audio-only file. Supported targets include MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV and 3GP for video, and MP3, M4A, AAC and WAV for audio. Choosing MP3 opens a Choose Quality dialog before the conversion runs. Advanced options adjust the output volume or convert only part of a clip, and device presets such as iPhone Video prepare files for portable players.
On a Mac, YTD Video Downloader leans toward formats macOS plays natively, such as MOV for video and AAC or MP3 for audio. Progress for each job appears in the Activity tab, where a right-click on an entry also renames the resulting file.
Playlists and channels
Besides single videos, the paid editions accept a playlist or channel address and process its entries as a batch. They download the entries and can optionally convert the whole set to a format such as MP4, MKV, M4A or MP3. The free edition handles individual videos only.
Free and subscription editions
The editions differ in throughput, resolution and how many of the batch and conversion functions they unlock:
| Free | Lite | Pro | Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum resolution | 1080p | 1080p | 4K | 8K |
| Simultaneous downloads | 1 | 1 | 3 | Unlimited |
| Playlists and channels | None | 1 per session | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Conversions | None | 3 per session | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Captions and subtitles | No | No | No | Yes |
| Speed | Capped low | Capped | Capped higher | Uncapped |
| Advertising | Yes | No | No | No |
A paid YTD Downloader licence is tied to one computer at a time. The program interface is available in English and around 25 other languages. The developer states that it does not keep a history of the URLs users enter. It also states that the application is not affiliated with YouTube, Google or Meta. The developer says the application is meant for personal use in line with each platform’s terms and creators’ rights.
