A curated, opinion-light comparison of user-facing apps for downloading video and audio from YouTube and 2000+ other sites. Most entries are powered by yt-dlp under the hood.
Methodology
Scope: cross-platform desktop GUIs only. Windows-only apps, Android-only apps, browser extensions, web-based tools, and self-hosted-only stacks are excluded — a separate comparison is the right place for those.
Inclusion criteria: (1) open source under an OSI-approved license or significant Reddit / AlternativeTo presence; (2) active in the last 12 months; (3) a desktop GUI for the end user (not a CLI wrapped in a one-off script); (4) builds for at least two of {Windows, macOS, Linux}.
Data sources: each project’s README, official docs, public source code, and direct install testing on Windows 11, macOS 14 (Apple Silicon), and Ubuntu 24.04. Star counts are as of 2026-05-01. The Arroxy row was refreshed 2026-05-14 to reflect features added since (auto-retry, metadata + thumbnail embed, proxy, cookies.txt import, ClearURLs auto-clean, system tray, queue persistence across restarts). Refreshed 2026-05-19 to add proprietary paid/freemium alternatives in a separate section below the open-source board. Apps ship — corrections welcome via GitHub issue.
Pick by use case
- I just want to grab a YouTube video occasionally → ytDownloader, YTSage, Parabolic, Arroxy
- Polished Linux / GNOME native → Parabolic, varia
- Available on Winget / Scoop / Homebrew → ytDownloader, NeoDLP, varia, media-downloader, Arroxy
- Auto-download new videos from channels you follow → youwee
- Tiny native binary, low RAM → Sunder, NeoDLP, comine, Pulsar, omniget, Parabolic
- Streaming music player, not a file downloader → Sunder
- Download torrents alongside video → varia, omniget, comine, Aither-Download-Manager
- Streaming services (Spotify / Tidal / Qobuz / Deezer) → mediaharbor, vibedownloader-desktop
- E-learning courses (Udemy / Hotmart / Teachable) → omniget
- Subtitle authoring + AI summaries → youwee
- Image-board galleries → GDownloader, comine
- Also runs on Android → comine
- Install via
pip→ YTSage, yt-channel-downloader, ytget-gui
The board
Every cross-platform desktop GUI on the list, ranked by total features and annotated with what makes each one stand out. The score breakdown shows sub-totals across the six feature categories (Sources / Downloads / Quality / Subtitles / Auth / Automation) detailed in the matrix below.
| # | Project | Stack | Platforms | License | Distribution | Score | Headline traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | youwee | Tauri | MIT | GitHub | 21 · S2 D5 Q4 Su3 A4 Au3 | RSS auto · Whisper subs · AI summary · cookie-free | |
| 2 | Arroxy | Electron | MIT | Winget · Scoop · Homebrew · Flatpak | 20 · S2 D4 Q5 Su3 A4 Au2 | 4-mode subs · metadata + thumbnail embed · auto-retry · proxy · cookies.txt · ClearURLs auto-clean · system tray · clipboard watch | |
| 3 | GDownloader | Java/Swing | GPL-3.0 | GitHub | 18 · S4 D4 Q4 Su1 A3 Au2 | clipboard-first · 3 downloaders (yt-dlp + gallery-dl + spotDL) · HW transcoding | |
| 4 | yt-dlp-gui (imsyy) | Tauri | MIT | GitHub | 18 · S2 D6 Q3 Su3 A4 Au0 | bilingual subs merge · HDR aware · cookie-free | |
| 5 | neodlp | Tauri | MIT | Winget · Homebrew · Flathub | 17 · S2 D4 Q4 Su1 A5 Au1 | bundled bgutil-pot · 5/5 auth options · browser extension | |
| 6 | Parabolic | .NET native | MIT | Flathub · GitHub | 16 · S2 D5 Q3 Su4 A1 Au1 | 4-mode subs · GTK4 + WinUI native · batch URL list | |
| 7 | YTSage | Python/PySide6 | MIT | PyPI · GitHub | 16 · S1 D6 Q2 Su2 A5 Au0 | pip-installable · EBU R128 audio · HDR aware · cookie-free | |
| 8 | comine | Tauri | GPL-3.0 | GitHub | 15 · S4 D5 Q1 Su1 A2 Au2 | Android target · Discord RPC · multi-backend | |
| 9 | ytget-gui | Python/PyQt | MIT | PyPI · GitHub | 14 · S1 D5 Q4 Su1 A3 Au0 | pip-installable · retry config · 5/7 download options | |
| 10 | ytDownloader | Electron | GPL-3.0 | Scoop · Winget · Chocolatey | 13 · S2 D4 Q3 Su1 A3 Au0 | built-in video compressor · Scoop · Winget · Chocolatey | |
| 11 | varia | Python/GTK | MPL-2.0 | Flathub · AUR · Snap | 13 · S3 D4 Q0 Su0 A3 Au3 | download scheduler · sleep-on-completion · GTK native | |
| 12 | Aither-Download-Manager | Tauri | none | GitHub | 13 · S3 D4 Q2 Su0 A2 Au2 | in-page browser overlay · 16 UI languages | |
| 13 | streamfetch | Electron | MIT | GitHub | 12 · S2 D5 Q2 Su0 A2 Au1 | turbo mode · clip studio | |
| 14 | mediaharbor | Electron | GPL-3.0 | MS Store · GitHub | 12 · S2 D4 Q3 Su1 A2 Au0 | native Tidal / Qobuz / Deezer clients · built-in player | |
| 15 | Pulsar | Tauri | GPL-3.0 | Flathub · GitHub | 12 · S2 D3 Q2 Su2 A2 Au1 | preset system · video converter mode | |
| 16 | omniget | Tauri | GPL-3.0 | GitHub | 10 · S4 D4 Q0 Su0 A0 Au2 | plugin marketplace · P2P transfer · course downloads | |
| 17 | cosmo-downloader | Electron | custom | GitHub | 10 · S2 D3 Q2 Su0 A2 Au1 | granular codec / bitrate UI | |
| 18 | vibedownloader-desktop | Electron | custom | GitHub | 10 · S3 D3 Q2 Su0 A1 Au1 | lossless Spotify FLAC via proxy | |
| 19 | avrix-downloader | Python/PyQt | none | GitHub | 9 · S1 D3 Q3 Su1 A0 Au1 | sidecar subs · resume on restart | |
| 20 | yt-channel-downloader | Python/PyQt | MIT | PyPI · GitHub | 8 · S2 D3 Q1 Su0 A2 Au0 | channel-first UI · size & ETA preview | |
| 21 | yt-grabber | Electron | MIT | GitHub | 8 · S2 D4 Q2 Su0 A0 Au0 | GIF generation · 8 themes | |
| 22 | YouStealD | C++/Qt | MIT | GitHub | 8 · S1 D4 Q0 Su0 A2 Au1 | C++/Qt native · channel webhooks | |
| 23 | arcdlp | Electron | MIT | GitHub | 7 · S2 D3 Q0 Su0 A2 Au0 | Instagram saved collections · cookie-mint window | |
| 24 | ytdlp-gui (aliencaocao) | Python/Tkinter | none | GitHub | 7 · S2 D4 Q0 Su0 A1 Au0 | single-file executable | |
| 25 | media-downloader | Python/PyQt | GPL-3.0 | Flathub · Winget | 7 · S2 D2 Q2 Su1 A0 Au0 | PGP-verified yt-dlp updates | |
| 26 | Sunder | Tauri | AGPL-3.0 | AUR · GitHub | 7 · S1 D2 Q1 Su1 A0 Au2 | streaming music player · 10-band EQ | |
| 27 | YouTube-Downloader | Python/Tkinter | none | GitHub | 6 · S1 D3 Q2 Su0 A0 Au0 | YouTube search built in | |
| 28 | FastDownloader | Electron | GPL-3.0 | AUR · GitHub | 6 · S2 D2 Q0 Su0 A1 Au1 | YouTube Premium · YT Music conversion | |
| 29 | pytube-downloader | Python/Tkinter | MIT | GitHub | 5 · S1 D3 Q0 Su0 A0 Au1 | Windows toast notifications | |
| 30 | VidGrabber | Python/Tkinter | MIT | GitHub | 4 · S1 D2 Q1 Su0 A0 Au0 | ||
| 31 | YT-Forge | Electron | MIT | GitHub | 4 · S1 D2 Q1 Su0 A0 Au0 | ||
| 32 | MusicYT-Downloader | Electron | MIT | GitHub | 4 · S1 D1 Q2 Su0 A0 Au0 | ||
| 33 | ezytdl | Electron | GPL-3.0 | GitHub | 3 · S2 D1 Q0 Su0 A0 Au0 | Python bridge for fast yt-dlp startup | |
| 34 | VidDownloader | Flutter | MIT | GitHub | 3 · S1 D2 Q0 Su0 A0 Au0 | Flutter UI |
Capabilities matrix
Single wide matrix — every feature, every project, on one row each. Same row order as The board above so you can cross-reference top to bottom. The matrix scrolls horizontally on narrow screens.
| # | Project | Sources | Downloads | Quality of life | Subtitles | Authentication | Automation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 1000+ sites | Torrents | Music services | Galleries | Courses | Audio-only | Format picker | HDR | Trim | Playlists | URL list | Speed limit | SponsorBlock | Metadata embed | Thumbnail embed | Auto-retry | Resume on restart | Save separate | Embed in container | Format choice | Post-edit | Cookies from browser | cookies.txt | Proxy | Custom args | Cookie-free anti-bot | Browser extension | Clipboard watch | Channel / RSS auto | Scheduler | System tray | Global hotkey | ||
| 1 | youwee | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Arroxy | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||
| 3 | GDownloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | yt-dlp-gui (imsyy) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | neodlp | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Parabolic | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | YTSage | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | comine | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | ytget-gui | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | ytDownloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | varia | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | Aither-Download-Manager | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | streamfetch | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | mediaharbor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | Pulsar | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | omniget | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | cosmo-downloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | vibedownloader-desktop | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | avrix-downloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | yt-channel-downloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | yt-grabber | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | YouStealD | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | arcdlp | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 | ytdlp-gui (aliencaocao) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25 | media-downloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26 | Sunder | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27 | YouTube-Downloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28 | FastDownloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29 | pytube-downloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 | VidGrabber | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 31 | YT-Forge | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 32 | MusicYT-Downloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 33 | ezytdl | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 34 | VidDownloader | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Where Arroxy stands out
Arroxy sits at #2 on the board after youwee, and the gap is one feature wide. It isn’t trying to win on raw feature count — it’s trying to be the most polished app for the common case: paste a URL, pick a quality, get a clean file with subtitles, metadata, and a thumbnail embedded.
What that translates to on the matrix above:
- 4-mode subtitle handling (off · embed soft · burn-in · separate file), with manual or auto-generated captions
- Metadata + thumbnail embedding — your library shows correct titles and cover art
- First-class auth: cookies-from-browser,
cookies.txt, proxy, plus PO-token minting so YouTube anti-bot works without a logged-in cookie jar - Auto-retry at two layers — yt-dlp
--retries 20 --fragment-retries 20for transient network blips, plus a queue-levelretry-resetso failed jobs can be one-clicked back into the pipeline - ClearURLs auto-clean — strips
utm_*,fbclid,gclid, YouTubesi/pptracking params and unwrapsyoutube.com/redirectlinks before fetching. No other app on this list does this client-side. - 21-language UI with system-locale auto-detect
- Distributed everywhere: Winget, Scoop, Homebrew, Flathub, AppImage, NSIS, DMG, portable — auto-updates work on all of them
- All four desktop OSes from one Electron build, type-safe end-to-end (TypeScript main + renderer)
If your day-to-day need is “grab a video, keep it organized, leak no metadata,” Arroxy is hard to match. youwee still wins for RSS auto-subscribe, Whisper-based subtitle authoring, and AI summaries; if those are your workflow, pick youwee.
Proprietary paid / freemium alternatives worth knowing
The board above is open-source, cross-platform-only by methodology. The most-asked-about proprietary alternatives sit outside that scope but show up in the same Reddit threads and AlternativeTo lists. Each links to a dedicated Arroxy-vs comparison.
| Project | Platforms | Pricing | Engine | Open source | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4K Video Downloader | Windows + macOS + Linux | Free (30/day cap) · Plus $15–45 | Proprietary | No | Covered in this table |
| Downie | macOS only | $19.99 one-time · Setapp $9.99/mo | Proprietary | No | Covered in this table |
| Pulltube | macOS only | $19.99 · Setapp $9.99/mo | Proprietary | No | Covered in this table |
| MediaHuman YouTube Downloader | Windows + macOS + Linux | Free (caps) · Premium $29.99 | Proprietary | No | Covered in this table |
| ByClick Downloader | Windows (Mac mentioned) | Free (caps) · Premium (verify) | Proprietary | No | Covered in this table |
| VideoProc Converter AI | Windows + macOS | $54.95 lifetime · $34.95/yr · $79.95 family | Proprietary | No | Covered in this table |
| Stacher | Windows + macOS + Linux | Free tier · paid pro | yt-dlp wrapper | No (closed source) | Covered in this table |
| yt-dlp.app | See site | See site | yt-dlp wrapper | See site | Covered in this table |
| JDownloader 2 | Windows + macOS + Linux + NAS | Free | Proprietary core | License not stated as single SPDX | Covered in this table |
These aren’t ranked because they don’t share the same feature axes as the open-source board (the proprietary apps don’t publish enough internals to score against the same rubric, and several are platform-restricted). The vs-posts compare each one against Arroxy with the same depth as the board’s scoring would.
If you came to this roundup from a “best YouTube downloader” Reddit thread or a “[X] alternative” search, the proprietary table above is probably where you start. If you came here from “best open-source yt-dlp GUI,” the board is where you start.