Yt-dlp Review: Pros and Cons, How to Use Yt-dlp and Its Alternatives

Have you ever heard of Yt-dlp? Is Yt dlp safe? Are there any alternatives to Yt-dlp? This article will give a comprehensive review towards Yt-dlp. If you want to know more about it, do not miss this Yt-dlp review.

Overview of Yt-dlp

Yt-dlp is a open-source video downloader that allows users to download videos from various websites, including YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion. It supports a wide range of formats, qualities, and resolutions, making it an excellent tool for people who want to save their favorite videos offline.

Since it's open-source software, users can set their preferred video and audio formats, adjust the download speed, and even automate downloads using scripts or batch files. Yt-dlp also supports proxy servers, VPNs, and Tor, which can help protect users' identity and location.

Additionally, Yt-dlp allows users to extract subtitles, thumbnails, and metadata from videos, which can be helpful for content creators.

Pros and Cons of Yt-dlp

If you're looking for a reliable video downloader for YouTube, Yt-dlp is definitely worth considering. This open-source software offers a wide range of features and benefits that make it an excellent choice for downloading videos from YouTube and other websites. However, like all software programs, there are also some drawbacks to using Yt-dlp. Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of Yt-dlp.

To sum up, the advantages of Yt dlp lie in its no cost and powerful download function. But Yt-dlp receives fewer updates than some other video downloading software programs. This may mean that some features and capabilities are not up-to-date or may not work correctly.

How to Install Yt-dlp?

The installation process of Yt-dlp is straightforward, and it can be done on any device with Windows, Linux, or macOS operating systems. To install Yt-dlp on your device, follow these simple steps:

1. First, visit the official website of Yt-dlp, https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp.

2. Click on the green "Code" button on the right side of the page and select "Download ZIP" from the dropdown menu. Once the download is complete, extract the ZIP file to a location of your choice.

3. Open the extracted folder, and you will find a file named "README.md." This file contains all the necessary instructions for installing and using Yt-dlp.

4. Before proceeding with the installation, make sure that you have Python 3 installed on your device. If you don't have it already, you can download it from the official Python website. After installing Python 3, open the command prompt or terminal on your device.

5. Navigate to the Yt-dlp folder using the "cd" command in the terminal.

6. Type the following command in the terminal to install Yt-dlp:

python -m pip install -U yt-dlp

Hit Enter, and the installation process will start. Wait until the process is complete.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Yt-dlp on your device. Now you can start using it to download high-quality videos from Vimeo and other supported websites.

How to Use Yt-dlp to Download Videos?

If you want to know how to use Yt-dlp after installation, follow these simple steps:

1. Find the Video You Want to Download

Go to YouTube and find the video you want to download. Copy the URL of the video from the address bar at the top of your browser.

2. Paste the video URL into Yt-dlp

In Yt-dlp, you can download a video by running `yt-dlp` followed by the URL of the video you want to download. For example:

yt-dlp "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

3. Set the Video Quality and Format

By default, yt-dlp will download the highest quality video. If you want to specify a particular format, you can do so using the `-f` or `--format` option followed by the format code. For example:

yt-dlp -f 22 "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"

4. Start the Download

Finally, click on the "Download" button to start the downloading process. Yt-dlp will begin downloading the video to your computer immediately.

That's all there is to it! It's easy to learn how to use Yt-dlp, isn't it? 

Top 3 Yt-dlp Alternatives

If you're looking for a video downloader that have regular updates and can handle other popular video platforms, here are the top three Yt-dlp alternatives for you to consider:

1. Best Yt-dlp Alternative: Y2Mate DRM Downloader

Compared to Yt-dlp, Y2Mate stands out for simplicity and its extensive support sites. Y2Mate is not only the best Netflix downloader, but also supports downloading videos from 100+ streaming sites. Moreover, thanks to the high-technologies, the downloading speed of Y2Mate is faster than that of most video downloaders.

Y2Mate DRM Downloader

Your best mate to download videos from Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime!

• Download videos in up to 1080p from Netflix, Tiktok and 100+ streaming sites.
• Automatic download and batch download.
• Save subtitles as you like.
• Free trial and free technical support.
• Support Windows and MAC systems.

 Free Trial  Free Trial

Learn More

2. 4K Video Downloader

4K Video Downloader, an impressive Yt-dlp alternative, is known for its simple and user-friendly interface. It allows you to download videos in various formats, including MP4, MKV, and 3GP, and resolutions up to 8K. One of its most significant features is the ability to download entire playlists and channels from YouTube. 4k Video Downloader also has a built-in video converter that lets you convert downloaded videos to different file formats.

3. ClipGrab

ClipGrab is another excellent alternative to Yt-dlp, especially if you're on a budget. It's completely free to use and supports multiple platforms such as Vimeo, and Dailymotion. ClipGrab allows you to download videos in various formats, including MP4, MPEG4, and OGG. It also has a built-in search function that enables you to find and download videos without leaving the app.

Yt-dlp is undoubtedly a great video downloader, but there are other alternatives out there that offer similar or even better features. With options like Y2Mate and ClipGrab, you can choose the best tool that fits your needs and preferences. But currently, ClipGrab does not support MAC computers.

Try Y2Mate out today and see for yourself why it is the best video downloader available!

FAQ about Yt-dlp

Is Yt-dlp Safe?

Yes, YT-DLP is generally considered safe to use. It's an open-source tool widely used for downloading videos from YouTube and other platforms. YT-DLP's source code is publicly available for review on GitHub, helping to ensure transparency and security. 

What is the Difference between YT DL and Yt-dlp?

Both yt-dl and yt-dlp are command-line tools to download videos from YouTube and other video sites. 

Yt-dl (youtube-dl) was the original and more established tool. However, it sometimes suffered from slower updates when dealing with sites that frequently change their video distribution methods.

On the other hand, yt-dlp is a fork of youtube-dl that picked up popularity as it was more actively maintained, provided more frequent updates, and offered some additional features and improvements.

Can I Use Yt-dlp to Download Audio Only Videos?

Yes, you can use yt-dlp to download audio-only files. You specify that you only want the audio by using the "-x" or "--extract-audio" option.

Here is an example command that you would use to download the highest quality available:

yt-dlp --extract-audio --audio-format mp3