Free Mac apps
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Two free and safe YouTube downloaders for Mac

By Mark Rogers

There are a number of free Mac apps that allow you to download videos from YouTube, but finding the right one can be a challenge.

Fortunately, we’ve navigated through the shark-infested waters and have found two Mac apps that are not only free but also safe.

A search on Google using the keywords “youtube downloader mac” brings up a list of promising candidates, but a closer look reveals that you should be careful about what you install on your Mac.

At least four of the links lead to a site where you can find YTD Video Downloader for Mac. Avoid this one at all costs. It will install adware on your computer from a company called Spigot — and you’ll start seeing extra ads popping into your browser. It will also make Yahoo your default search engine.

They do give a warning of sorts during the installation process — and even make it seem like a good thing. Still, many people may overlook this. If you do get stuck with adware, the solution is usually to go to your web browser’s extensions and delete anything that looks suspicious.

Surprisingly, this is listed as one of the top downloads at Download.com, which is owned by CNET. This is unfortunate because there was a time when this site had a reputation for being trustworthy.

Another one to avoid, if you happen to come across it, is MacX YouTube Downloader. It was removed from MacUpdate’s listings after complaints from the site’s members.

A couple of other candidates are Any Video Converter and iSkysoft Free Video Downloader. Both of these will adequately do the job of downloading a video, but their main purpose is to upsell you to a paid version that does things such as conversion to other formats.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but you should be careful about what you’re getting into.

So are there any free Mac apps for downloading YouTube videos that have no strings attached?

There are two we can recommend: MacTubes and iTubeDownloader. Both allow you to easily search for a video and download it.

With MacTubes, you can create playlists and keep your downloads organized in categories. With iTubeDownloader, the interface is similar to that of a web browser with the addition of a download button.

Of the two, MacTubes is simple and unassuming, and the Japanese developer asks for nothing in return on his website. By contrast, iTubeDownloader’s developer has quite the snazzy website that really works at convincing you to use the app. It appears, though, that all he asks is a donation — and the app will nag you for one.

You might wonder why there is so much shady software associated with downloading YouTube videos. The reason can be found in the YouTube terms of service. In section 5B it states: “You shall not download any Content unless you see a ‘download’ or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content.”

So if you do install a program infested with adware, it’s going to be hard to complain since YouTube didn’t want you to do it in the first place. Proceed with caution.