TechRadar Verdict
Simply superb. 4K Video Downloader does everything you could possibly want it to, and there are no catches. Download any video with ease – free.
Pros
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Downloads 4K and 360-degree videos.
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Downloads from YouTube, Vimeo, DailyMotion and more
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Available for Windows, macOS and Linux
Cons
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Limits on playlist downloads
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In this age of streaming, programs like the 4K Video Downloader prove that our lives do not have to be so dependent on being online. These days, media consumption has become so tied to having a network connection. But, being online is a slippery slope, and it’s understandable to want to go offline for a little bit without having your comforts taken away.
Plus, it’s not all the time that we can have that robust connection required for streaming. When we’re on a plane, when we’re travelling or camping, or when there’s an outage in the area, streaming isn’t possible. This is why a lot of streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix are offering the ability to download movies and episodes.
With YouTube, however, you won’t have such luck. The very idea behind YouTube is that visitors to the site – or users of the mobile app – watch videos online. This might be what Google wants, but it's not in line with what many people want. Or even need.
Luckily, there are numerous YouTube downloader apps and free YouTube to MP3 converters out there that will help you to do just that. 4K Video Downloader is one such tool. It lets you download any video from YouTube with a minimum of fuss – subtitles included if you want. But, unlike many of its rivals that only let you download in Full HD max, this one lets you do so at the highest possible quality. So, if any video in ultra HD quality can be downloaded at that same 4K resolution.
We're looking at the free version here, and this does mean that there are few – and we mean a few – limitations. While it's possible to download playlists, you're limited to those with 24 videos or fewer. You also can’t download playlists with subtitles, or subscribe to and download from YouTube channels.
To do any of these things, you'll need a 4K Video Downloader subscription which will normally cost £15.95 (about US$20, AU$30), but is currently discounted to £7.95 (about US$10, AU$15). However, this paid subscription is only appropriate for folks who practically live on YouTube. Chances are the free version will suit most people just fine.
If you need to make any adjustments to your downloaded videos, take a look at our guide to the best video editing software and the best free video editing software.
User experience
There's more than one way to download videos you want to keep, but the simplest is to paste links into 4K Video Downloader. You can then specify the quality you’d like to save videos at – or opt to just keep the audio – and the file format you'd like to use.
To speed things up, you can activate Smart Mode so that all videos are downloaded automatically using the same settings. You can also import links saved in CSV files to save time downloading large numbers of files.
Extra settings include the option to limit download speed if required, and a basic download accelerator to maximise performance. Impressive stuff all round.
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