Twenty YouTube video-download websites were reachable when Ubetoo checked them on August 26, 2026. This corner of the web changes quickly: domains close, familiar names reappear on mirrors, and a landing page can survive when its converter no longer works. YT5S returned a freshly dated Last-Modified header, while IFPI reported in 2025 that y2mate.com, yt1s.com and other named sites had been shut down.
This is a research-led comparison, not a recommendation to copy somebody else’s work. We opened each public landing page from Germany and read its feature, pricing, privacy and copyright claims. We did not submit a video URL, run a conversion, install an extension or download a file. “Available” means the named interface responded; it does not certify functionality, file safety or legality in every country.
There is also a platform rule separate from copyright. YouTube’s Terms of Service restrict downloading or reproducing content unless the service expressly authorizes it or YouTube and the relevant rights holder give permission. Owning a video, receiving permission, or working with genuinely public-domain material can answer the copyright question, but it does not automatically erase the platform-contract question. Check both before using any third-party service.
How these 20 websites were assessed
The ranking rewards a clear operator or project history, published terms and privacy information, realistic limits, a visible rights policy and minimal pressure to install software. It penalizes unexplained redirects, opaque ownership, contradictory marketing, aggressive advertising reports and brand/domain ambiguity. Features and quality figures below are the sites’ own claims unless explicitly described as independently verified.
A normal HTTPS connection earned no safety points by itself. Recent Malwarebytes research into deceptive download pages showed why: JavaScript can send a click somewhere other than the destination a page appears to show. That investigation was not about every service below, but it is a useful warning against treating a padlock, a polished interface or the word “safe” as an audit.
The top 20 YouTube video download websites
1. Cobalt
Cobalt has the strongest transparency record in this group. Its public code lists YouTube video, audio and metadata support, while its site publishes privacy, ethics and self-hosting information. The project says it has no ads, trackers or paywall and processes without retaining requested media on disk. The important limitation is reliability: Cobalt’s own update history shows that YouTube support on its main instance has disappeared and returned as YouTube changed access controls. The interface was live, but we did not certify its current YouTube backend.
2. noTube
noTube publishes unusually specific limits. Its FAQ lists MP3, MP4, MP4 HD, 3GP, FLV and M4A, a 4GB ceiling, 192kbps standard MP3 and 720p standard MP4, with higher-quality options and faster queues attached to an optional Plus tier. It says no account is required, files are not stored, and copyrighted videos are filtered. Its supported-sites page marked YouTube as available on both web and app during our check. Those are operator claims, but the disclosures are more useful than an unexplained “unlimited” promise.
3. ClipConverter
ClipConverter offered one of the broadest visible format panels: MP3, M4A and AAC for audio, plus MP4, 3GP, AVI, MOV, MKV and WebM for video, with trim and encoding controls. The service presents itself as free and links terms, privacy information, an imprint and contact addresses. Its about page says it filters copyrighted material and is intended for freely available video. The interface was reachable, but the combination of conversion controls and server processing means readers should still treat privacy and output claims as unverified until independently audited.
4. PasteDownload
PasteDownload was live after its older YouTube path redirected to a newer page. It advertises MP4, WebM and MP3, public-video handling, no registration and qualities from 144p to 4K. Its limitations section says private, age-restricted, members-only and sign-in-gated videos are excluded, and that live streams are unsupported while live. That specificity is useful. The page says it is free with no hidden costs and does not retain files or personal information, but those privacy assertions are self-reported rather than the result of a technical audit.
5. TubeRipper
TubeRipper redirected to a localized interface and advertised MP3, MP4, FLAC, WAV, OGG, M4A, WebM and 3GP without registration or subscription fees. A rights notice beside the input asks users to confirm permission. Its broad “unlimited” and high-quality claims were not tested, and its operator identity is less visible than Cobalt’s. The site did, however, expose terms and privacy references and clearly identify what it says it can process.
6. Dirpy
Dirpy presented MP3, M4A, MP4 and WebM conversion, with a stated three-hour MP4 limit and a 20-hour MP3 limit. It describes itself as free, registration-free and ad-free, yet the same rendered page included a message asking readers to visit an advertisement while waiting. That contradiction does not prove malicious behavior, but it lowers confidence in the marketing. A donation model is visible, and the page says it does not collect user information; neither claim was independently verified.
7. CnvMP3
CnvMP3 advertised MP3 and MP4 output, audio bitrates through 320kbps, video through 1080p, trimming and support for several social platforms. It says the browser service is free, ad-free, donation-supported and does not collect user data. Its own duration language was inconsistent during the check: one notice gave shorter MP4 and MP3 limits, while later copy described longer support. Treat the stricter number as the practical ceiling unless the operator clarifies it.
8. CatchVideo
CatchVideo had a functioning public search/link interface for YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo and other sources. It says it does not host or convert videos on its servers and that many copyrighted or music videos cannot be fetched. The page is candid about pop-ups—there was even a control labeled to disable download pop-ups—and it promotes browser add-ons and a Windows helper. That makes it more transparent than a page hiding its ad model, but extensions and installers create permissions and supply-chain risks that the basic website does not.
9. YouTubeMP4
YouTubeMP4 redirected to a rotating localized path and advertised MP4, WebM and M4A through a browser interface, with no fee or extra installation. Its FAQ admits that some videos fail when YouTube blocks the service’s servers, which is more credible than promising universal access. Terms and privacy links were present. The site also makes expansive quality claims in different sections, so readers should not assume every listed resolution is available for every source.
10. QDownloader
QDownloader advertised MP4, 3GP and WebM, 1080p where available, no registration and no download limit. The page was marked as modified in June 2026 and included a terms notice telling users not to download copyrighted content. Its claims of supporting hundreds of sites and being “100% safe” are marketing assertions, not independent findings. We found terms language on the inspected page but no equally obvious privacy link in its static response.
11. Downr
Downr loaded as a JavaScript web app with terms, privacy and donation links. Its own YouTube guide says the web service is generally limited to lower resolution, while higher-definition processing is routed through a Chrome extension that needs permission to inspect visited URLs. Downr says it does not harvest user data and invites donations to keep the site ad-free. The extra browser permission is a material trade-off, so the web interface and extension should not be treated as the same risk profile.
12. YTMP3
YTMP3 is where ytmp3.nu redirected during this check. Its FAQ is comparatively precise: MP3 output is fixed at 192kbps, MP4 at 360p, MP3 jobs can run up to 240 minutes, MP4 jobs up to 30 minutes, and a daily limit applies. It says the service is free and needs no account, and it publishes terms, a FAQ and a contact form. The redirect illustrates why a familiar brand name is not enough to establish who operates a current domain.
13. Y2mate.in
Y2mate.in advertised MP4, MP3, M4A and WebM, no registration, unlimited conversions, video up to 8K and audio up to 320kbps. It offered a terms link but less visible privacy or company disclosure than higher-ranked services. None of its performance claims were tested. This domain should not be confused with y2mate.com, which IFPI said was shut down in October 2025.
14. YT5S
YT5S was freshly reachable, with origin metadata showing a last modification at 02:56 GMT on August 26. It advertised MP4 from 360p through 4K and MP3 at 128 or 320kbps, with no charge, app or advertising. Yet the rendered page also contained an “online download service error” message, a reminder that published options do not guarantee successful processing. Privacy and terms references were present in the fetched page; ownership remained unclear.
15. Y2Down
Y2Down redirected to a current page advertising separate MP4, 4K, MP3, WAV and playlist tools. It states that downloads are free and unlimited and displays a warning against copyrighted material. Its fresh server metadata and detailed format menu establish that the service is actively published, not that every claim is accurate. Phrases such as “military-grade encryption” appeared without a supporting technical report, so they should be read as marketing rather than proof of security.
16. Y2Meta
Y2Meta returned HTTP 200 but exposed very little explanatory text or policy detail in the static page. Promotional pages associated with the brand advertise MP3 and MP4, mobile compatibility and high-resolution video, while independent search results still identify the domain as a YouTube converter. The lack of clear operator, pricing, terms and privacy information on the page we could inspect is the central finding. Availability is not transparency.
17. SaveFrom.net
SaveFrom.net redirected to an English localized page advertising free downloads in several formats and resolutions. Terms, privacy and contact links were visible. The brand has also been a repeated target of rights-holder complaints and regional blocks; a 2026 Canadian case concerned similarly named copycat domains rather than savefrom.net itself, an important distinction documented in TorrentFreak’s report on the order. Access therefore varies by location, and shared branding does not prove shared ownership.
18. SSYouTube
SSYouTube redirected to en.ssyoutube.com and advertised free MP4 and MP3 conversion. Privacy, terms and contact pages were linked, but transparent business ownership was not. A MalwareTips aggregation reported mixed signals: a valid encrypted connection and clean checks on some resources alongside concerns about redirects, permissions and limited operator disclosure. That is not a finding that the domain contains malware; it is a reason not to treat the site’s “safe and fast” wording as verification.
19. 9Convert
The active 9Convert-branded page advertised MP4, 3GP, WebM, M4A and MP3, broad site support and resolutions through 4K. It linked privacy and terms pages and presented itself as free. The identity problem is substantial: IFPI’s 2025 statement named 9convert.com among sites closed in Vietnam. The live 9convert.cc page may be a successor or an unrelated user of the name; we found no evidence strong enough to resolve that.
20. Loader.to
Loader.to redirected to an English interface advertising audio formats from MP3 to FLAC and video through 8K, including playlist and subtitle handling. Terms, copyright and DMCA links appeared, but no privacy link was visible in the fetched footer. A current Gridinsoft assessment flags the domain as suspicious. Security vendors can be wrong and their scores change, but the combination of that warning, opaque ownership and expansive claims puts Loader.to last here.
The legal line is about the source and the method
The safest cases are videos you uploaded yourself, material for which the rights holder has given you explicit download permission, and works genuinely in the public domain—provided the method also complies with YouTube’s terms. YouTube’s own help page says creators can download videos they uploaded through YouTube Studio or Google Takeout, while Premium provides encrypted offline playback inside YouTube rather than a general-purpose media file.
Copyright exceptions such as fair use are contextual, jurisdiction-specific defenses, not a universal “personal use” exemption. In the United States, the Copyright Office’s DMCA overview also explains that Section 1201 separately regulates circumvention of technological protection measures and provides only defined exemptions. Other countries apply different rules. A site’s claim that personal use is automatically legal should therefore carry little weight.
The enforcement history is not theoretical. IFPI says y2mate.com, yt1s.com, 9convert.com and other domains were closed after a 2025 action, while a Canadian Federal Court order in 2026 targeted certain Y2Mate, YTMP3 and SaveFrom-branded copycats. Those events do not prove that every similarly named domain has the same operator or legal status. They do explain why brand names migrate and why a list like this needs domain-level dates.
Privacy and security signals to read critically
No converter needs a Google password to process a public link. A request to sign in to YouTube, upload cookies, install an executable, grant browser notifications or add a high-permission extension changes the risk materially. Close the page rather than treating that request as a normal part of conversion. A generated MP4 or MP3 is also a different proposition from an EXE, APK, ZIP or “codec” installer.
Policy links help only when they are specific. Look for an identifiable operator, retention period, contact route, governing law, advertising disclosure and a clear explanation of whether processing happens locally, in memory or on a server. “No logs,” “ad-free” and “100% safe” remain unverified statements unless an independent audit supports them. The most honest conclusion from this check is not that one site is risk-free, but that some give readers substantially more evidence with which to judge them.
Bottom line
All 20 pages responded during the August 26 check, but they are not equivalent. Cobalt and noTube disclose more about code, privacy or limits; lower-ranked brands carry domain ambiguity, regional blocking or redirect warnings. Use this as a dated map—not permission to download, a functionality guarantee or a substitute for YouTube’s official options.