The YouTube downloader practical guide: desktop application vs online video downloader

What to choose between a desktop application and an online downloader?

There are two categories of video downloaders: online video downloaders and PC executables that you install on your computer. Each of them has its own pros and cons, and we'll be pointing them below.

Online video downloaders advantages

• Free. Most of the websites that provide video downloading services are free.
• Work on every device. They rely on browsers only, and they work on Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android mobile phones.
• No installation is required.

Online video downloaders disadvantages

• Limited download length. Usually, there is a maximum length of the video that can be downloaded. While this limit is enough for most of your daily tasks, you might sometimes need a longer video to download.
• Can't download playlists. You can't automate playlists downloading in batches like the desktop applications.
• Can inject ads, push notifications, or malware. Online video downloaders are free, so they usually rely on ads to cover their bandwidth costs. You should be careful about the ads you click. You might get subscribed to annoying push services Ads, or get malware installed.
• Can track your recording activity.

Desktop YouTube downloader advantages

• Batch video downloading. You can download and convert multiple YouTube videos at once (like playlists or channels). Many Video Downloaders don't have a limit, and you can save as many media files as you need saving you a lot of time.
• No one tracks your downloads. When using installed downloading software, all the downloading tasks are processed on your local machine and not on a remote server. This means that no one can track your activity.
• Ability to pause and resume downloads. You can pause, resume, and delete the downloading queue.
• There is no length limit on the downloaded video.
• Record live streams. You can record live streams and live webcams.
• Higher download speed by using multiple simultaneous download threads.

Desktop downloader disadvantages

• Not all apps are free, but many have a trial version so you can try it.
• Some of them will download and install additional software on your computer.

How to download YouTube videos?

You need to follow the same steps for Both online and desktop video downloaders:

1. Copy the video URL
2. Paste it into the application or the online downloader.
3. Click the download button and wait for the conversion to finish.

How to choose the BEST YouTube MP3&MP4 downloader?

Features. The features should have the most significant weight when choosing your YouTube Video Downloader:

• Download YouTube Playlists and Channels
• Download videos up to 8K quality: the quality of the video should match the website's best available.
• Batch downloads: add to queue multiple videos and let them download in the background.
• Audio MP3 extract: allows you to extract high-quality MP3 lossless or WAV after downloading the video.
• High speed downloading: having multiple download treads or splitting one download into multiple segments for higher speed.

Price. Price is the second filter when choosing a video downloader. While some of them are free, many require a subscription.

AV flags. This is not actually a reason that many people take into consideration. Many YouTube Downloaders are flagged by antiviruses based on their reputation. While most of them are false-positive, it's better to perform a VirusTotal scan before installing or buying a subscription-based YouTube Downloader.

Conclusion

While choosing the best YouTube downloader, focus on the features. Are you not able to install new software on your PC? Go for an online downloader. Do you need a tool with the most extended file format support? Do you want to be able to batch download files? Is downloading speed important for you? Truth be told, most of the online video downloaders don't have it all. Your best option is a desktop YouTube downloader.

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