How to Download YouTube Videos to Computer for Free in 7 Ways

How Do I Download YouTube Videos to My Computer for Free?

There is no doubt that YouTube is one of the most popular video sites in the world, and it allows users to watch and upload videos of various types. However, users are not allowed to download YouTube videos to a computer on the site unless they are premium members. That has troubled many users who want to download YouTube videos to their computers for offline watching, video editing, or other purposes. 

Then, "How can I download videos from YouTube to my computer for free?" many users asked. Although YouTube disallows its users to save videos from the site, many other ways are available for you to download a YouTube video to a computer. Thus, you can save a YouTube video to your computer as long as you use one of the workable ways below.

How to Download YouTube Videos to a Computer for Free

The ways to download a YouTube video to a computer include using a YouTube downloader, browser extensions, a VLC media player, an online video downloader for YouTube, etc. Read on to learn how to download YouTube videos for free using these ways and learn about their pros and cons. Afterward, choose the one you like best to save videos from YouTube to your computer with simple clicks.

• Method 1. Download with a Free Video Downloader
• Method 2. Download with VLC Media Player-Defunct
• Method 3. Download with a Browser Extension
• Method 4. Download with an Online Website
• Method 5. Download with Command Lines
• Method 6. Download with YouTube-DLG
• Method 7. Download with Stacher

Method 1. Download YouTube videos to PC & Mac for free

• ✅Pros: 100% Free, No Plug-Ins, No Ads
• ❌Cons: You need to download the YouTube video downloader

EaseUS Video Downloader is a video downloader, audio downloader, and video-to-MP3 converter for Windows PCs. Given that many users want to download videos from sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, and more to their computer, the team decided to make an individual application to help people capture online videos. With it, you are not only able to download YouTube videos on your Windows PC but also convert them to MP3 when necessary.

Key features：

• Downloads videos from any popular website, including YouTube, DailyMotion, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
• Allows users to save online videos to audio in MP3 or WAV.
• Enables users to download 4K videos to PC, with multiple options for video quality.
• Supports download videos in MP4 and its original format.

In other words, you can download any video from any site using a URL.

How can you save a YouTube video to your computer for offline viewing:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Video Downloader and choose your desired format and quality.

Step 2. Then copy the YouTube link and click "Paste Link." You'll see the video displayed below.

Step 3. Wait for the download to complete, then click "Open File Location" to locate and check the video.

Disclaimer: Bear in mind that it's illegal to download copyrighted content and use them for commercial intensions without authorization. Before you download videos, you'd better check whether the sources are copyrighted.

As you can see, EaseUS Video Downloader can do more than download videos from YouTube. In addition to being a video downloader, it can also serve as an iOS content manager that enables you to transfer files between an iOS device and a computer or between two iOS devices. Get it now and make it your good helper.

Method 2. Download YouTube videos in laptop free with VLC media player-Defunct

• ✅Pros: 100% Free, No Plug-Ins, No Ads
• ❌Cons: You need to download the YouTube video download tool

VLC is known as a cross-platform media player software and streaming media server. You can not only play streaming videos but also download YouTube videos on a PC with it.

Step 1. Download and install the VLC media player on your PC.

Step 2. Open VLC and go to "Media" > "Open Network Stream..."

Step 3. Copy and paste the URL of the YouTube video you want to download in the box and click "Play".

Step 4. Click "Tools" > "Codec Information".

Step 5. Copy the content in the Location section and paste it into the address bar of a browser.

Step 6. Click "More" > "Download" to save the video to your PC.

As you can see, this is not a direct way to download videos from YouTube. But it's workable. If you happen to have VLC installed on your PC, you can have a try.

Method 3. Download a YouTube video to a computer via a browser extension

• ✅Pros: Convenient to use; Provides multiple download options
• ❌Cons: Some features are paid services; Can't download videos to mobile devices

By adding a YouTube video downloading extension to your browser, there will be a "Download" button under the video you are watching on the YouTube site, which enables you to download the video to your computer. There are many video downloading extensions available. Let's take the Addoncrop, for example:

Step 1. Go to visit https://addoncrop.com/youtube-video-downloader/.

Step 2. The page will detect your browser automatically. Confirm your browser and click "INSTALL VIA CROSSPILOT".

Step 3. Download and install the extension. Afterward, restart the browser.

Step 4. Open the browser and go to YouTube.

Step 5. Play the video you want to download, and you will see a download button under the video.

Step 6. Click the download button to save the YouTube video to your computer directly or click the three dots next to it to choose other qualities available. (If you don't see the download button, click the icon of the YouTube Video and MP3 Downloader from the menu bar of the browser to download the video.)

Method 4. How to download YouTube videos without any software online

• ✅Pros: Convenient to use; Provides multiple download options
• ❌Cons: Has annoying ads

If you don't want to install any software or extension, you may prefer using an online video downloader to download YouTube videos to your computer. Online YouTube video download sites are indeed quite convenient, but it's also undeniable that most of them are not "pure."

For example, you may see many ads on the page, be redirected to another site while clicking "Download," or the online tool may report failure while analyzing the URL of the video. If you don't mind these drawbacks, follow these steps to learn how to download a video from YouTube to your computer.

Step 1. Go to visit the online Y2mate YouTube video downloader.

Step 2. Copy and paste the URL of the YouTube video in the address box and click "Start." 

Step 3. You may be redirected to another webpage, and an ad will keep popping up. Dismiss them and choose to download the video with or without sound and select the quality you prefer to download.

Method 5. How to download YouTube videos for free on PC with command lines

• ✅Pros: Powerful tool works with many types of content on YouTube
• ❌Cons: Complicated to use

yt-dlp is a command-line tool that enables users to download videos from YouTube and numerous other video hosting platforms. As a fork of the now-inactive youtube-dl project, yt-dlp introduces additional features and improvements while maintaining compatibility with the original tool.

How to Use yt-dlp to Download YouTube Videos to Your Computer:

Step 1. Install yt-dlp:

• Windows: Download the latest executable from the yt-dlp releases page and place it in a directory included in your system's PATH. 
• macOS and Linux: Open the terminal and execute the following command to download and set up yt-dlp:
• curl -L https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/latest/download/yt-dlp -o /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp chmod a+rx /usr/local/bin/yt-dlp
• Ensure you have the necessary permissions to write to /usr/local/bin. 

Step 2. Install FFmpeg (Optional but Recommended):

FFmpeg is essential for merging audio and video streams or converting formats. Install it using your system's package manager or by downloading it from the official FFmpeg website. 

Step 3. Download a YouTube Video:

• Open your terminal or command prompt.
• Execute the following command, replacing VIDEO_URL with the URL of the desired YouTube video: yt-dlp VIDEO_URL
• This command downloads the video in the best available quality. 

Step 4. Specify Download Preferences (Optional):

• Choose a Specific Format: To download a particular video format, first list available formats:
• yt-dlp -F VIDEO_URL
• Then, download your chosen format by specifying its format code:
• yt-dlp -f FORMAT_CODE VIDEO_URL
• Extract Audio Only: To download just the audio portion of a video:
• yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 VIDEO_URL
• This command extracts the audio and converts it to MP3 format. 

Method 6. How to download YouTube videos for free to Windows and Mac with YouTube-DLG

• ✅Pros: No technical skills needed; just paste a link and download.
• ❌Cons: Not actively maintained, which may cause issues with some websites.

youtube-dlG, also known as youtube-dl-gui, is a cross-platform graphical user interface (GUI) for the popular command-line video downloader, youtube-dl. This tool simplifies the process of downloading videos from various websites by providing an intuitive interface, making it accessible to users who may not be comfortable using command-line tools.

Steps to download YouTube videos with youtube-dlG:

Step 1. Download and install it from the youtube-dlG site. Launch youtube-dlG.

Step 2. Get the YouTube link from your browser.

Step 3. Enter YouTube URL(s) into the box and click "Add."

Step 4. Select your preferred video settings.

Step 5. Click "Start" button at the bottom right corner and wait for the download to finish. Access the saved file in your chosen folder.

Method 7. How to download YouTube videos to Computer Free with Stacher

• ✅Pros: Easy tool to exploit the powerful yt-dlp.
• ❌Cons: Uses more system resources than yt-dlp alone.

Stacher is a modern graphical user interface (GUI) designed to simplify the use of yt-dlp, a popular command-line video downloader. It offers an intuitive platform for users to download videos from YouTube and numerous other sites without delving into command-line operations.

Step 1. Download and install it from stacher.io. Launch the app on your computer. Stacher will install it automatically.

Step 2. Get the link from YouTube.

Step 3. Insert it into Stacher.

Step 4. Select video format and resolution.

Step 5. Click "Download" to start.

Step 6. Access the downloaded file in the chosen folder.

The Bottom Line

All of the seven methods above will help you to download YouTube videos to your computer. The first three of them need you to download and install software or extensions, while the last one is an online tool with ads. You should have a clear idea of which one is best for you. Carry out it right now to save a YouTube video to your computer for offline watching. 

How to Download YouTube Videos to a Computer FAQ

1. How to download YouTube videos on phone?

If you are a premium member of YouTube, simply open the video, find the download button below it, and select the video quality to save it on your phone. If you are not a member, you can install a mobile app or use an online video downloader.

• Download the TubeMate app and open it.
• Browse the YouTube video you want to download.
• Click on the button icon and select the video quality to download it.

2. How to download YouTube videos without premium?

You can download YouTube videos without premium using free online/offline video downloaders or Chrome extensions.

• Visit an online video downloader website such as Y2Mate, SaveFrom, or KeepVid.
• Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to download.
• Paste the URL into the downloader's input field.
• Select the quality and format you prefer (e.g., MP4, WEBM) and click "Download."

3. How do I download YouTube videos to my computer drive?

To download YouTube videos to your computer drive, you can use various methods, including online video downloaders, browser extensions, or dedicated software.

• Download 4K Video Downloader and copy the YouTube video link.
• Click "Paste Link" in the downloader.
• Choose the format, video quality, and location.
• Click "Download."

4. Can I download a YouTube video to my computer to watch offline?

Yes, you can download a YouTube video to your computer to watch offline using various methods such as online video downloaders, browser extensions, or dedicated software like EaseUS Video Downloader, 4K Video Downloader, or ClipGrab. Simply copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to save, paste it into the downloader, choose your preferred format and quality, and initiate the download.

5. What is the safest YouTube downloader?

The safest YouTube downloader typically involves using reputable software or browser extensions that prioritize user security and privacy. Tools like 4K Video Downloader, EaseUS Video Downloader, and browser extensions such as Video DownloadHelper for Chrome and Firefox are generally considered safe choices.