Side by side

fzf vs yt-dlp

Both stand on command line tools. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

yt-dlp offers extensive source and format support for users who are comfortable with command-line software. Full YouTube support requires yt-dlp-ejs, and the project warns users to trust plugin authors before loading their code.

Visit yt-dlp

The facts

	fzf	yt-dlp
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac, Windows	Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Free or on request
Plans published	None	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	github.com
On command line tools	#21 of 27	#17 of 27

fzf: what it does well

yt-dlp: what it does well

Supports thousands of sites
Downloads playlists, subtitles, and batches
Offers a wide range of audio and video formats
Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
Can select timestamps or chapters

What to know first

Full YouTube support requires yt-dlp-ejs
Command-line tool rather than a listed graphical app
Plugins are unchecked and should only come from trusted authors

Alternatives to fzf Alternatives to yt-dlp The whole list