YDL GUI

Windows · Mac · Linux · Extension

Freedom report

Three barsScore 7.5

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

YDL GUI is a free, MIT-licensed desktop interface for yt-dlp on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Users can paste a link, select quality, and download without opening a terminal. It supports YouTube, Bilibili, Twitter/X, Twitch, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, SoundCloud, and more than 1,000 sites. Downloads can be video, audio-only, or video-only, with formats including MP4, MKV, WebM, MP3, AAC, and FLAC. Playlist, subtitle, and batch downloads are available. Queues can be paused, resumed, or canceled, with controls for concurrent downloads and fragment threads. Tools include thumbnail downloads, subtitle extraction, live-chat archiving, and a yt-dlp plugin manager. Processing options cover trimming, re-encoding, embedded subtitles and metadata, SponsorBlock, proxies, and speed limiting. A Chrome and Edge extension sends URLs and cookies through a local protocol handler.

Who it is for

It suits desktop users who want graphical downloads from many video and audio sites without terminal commands. It also fits people needing playlists, subtitles, batch queues, or media processing controls.

What is good

Supports more than 1,000 websites
Windows, macOS, and Linux installers
Playlist, subtitle, and batch downloads
Video and audio format choices
Queues support pause, resume, and cancel

What to know first

Browser extension requires the desktop app running
Deno is optional for full YouTube format support
Latest listed release is version 1.0.0

Verdict

YDL GUI provides a broad yt-dlp feature set through a desktop interface, with extensive source and format support. The browser extension depends on the installed app, and some YouTube format support requires optional Deno.

YDL GUI plans and pricing

All plans

YDL GUI Free MIT-licensed desktop app github.com · 12 Oct 2026

Compared on video downloaders

Supported sources: YouTube, Bilibili, Twitter/X, Twitch, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, SoundCloud, and 1000+ sites
Output formats: MP4, MKV, WebM, MP3, AAC, FLAC, and more
Playlist downloads: Yes
Subtitle downloads: Yes
Batch downloads: Yes
Device platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Best YDL GUI alternatives

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The record

Purpose: YDL GUI is a desktop graphical interface for yt-dlp that downloads videos from YouTube, Bilibili, Twitter/X, and 1,000+ websites.
Setup: The README says users can paste a link, choose a quality, and start a download without using a terminal.
Download controls: The app supports video, audio-only, or video-only downloads, queues with pause, resume, and cancel controls, and configurable concurrent downloads and fragment threading.
Additional tools: Its toolbox includes thumbnail downloads, subtitle extraction in SRT, VTT, ASS, or LRC formats, live chat archiving, and a yt-dlp plugin manager.
Processing options: The README lists clip trimming, output re-encoding, embedding subtitles and metadata, SponsorBlock integration, proxy support, and a speed limiter.
Browser integration: The companion Chrome and Edge extension can send a page URL and required cookies to the desktop app through a local protocol handler.
Cookie handling: The README states that extension cookies are processed locally and passed to the app without being uploaded.
Platforms: The README lists Windows .exe installers, macOS .dmg files, and Linux AppImage, .deb, and .rpm releases.
Dependencies: The first-launch instructions say yt-dlp is fetched from the app settings and Deno can optionally be installed for full YouTube format support.
Automation: An installed app can be opened from scripts with a URL, cookies, download directory, and yt-dlp or Deno path supplied as session inputs.
License: The repository identifies the software as MIT licensed.
Release: The releases page marks version 1.0.0 as the latest release and lists installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Getting started: The README says to paste a link, choose a quality, and click download without using a terminal.
Tools: Its toolbox includes thumbnail downloading, subtitle extraction in SRT/VTT/ASS/LRC, live chat archiving, and a yt-dlp plugin manager.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Video Downloaders in 2026#29 of 137

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Sources

github.com/imsyy/yt-dlp-gui· checked 12 Oct 2026
github.com/imsyy/yt-dlp-gui/releases· checked 12 Oct 2026