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The best video downloader extensions for Chrome
As much as the video streaming giants would like to pretend we’re always online and perfectly happy with the cloud, there are plenty of times when people want something saved offline — for a trip, say, or to ensure a favorite video doesn’t suddenly vanish. If you’ve got Google Chrome on your desktop or laptop, there are a number of video downloader extensions to choose from (extensions don’t work in the mobile browser, sadly).
The best video downloader extensions for Chrome
We’re only going to recommend four options here, not the least because every extension is aiming towards the same goal. Think of this list more as a set of backup choices — downloaders can easily come and go given their questionable legality. In fact, Google tries to block extensions from downloading from YouTube, though the reality is that it’s not hard to bypass those restrictions.
We suggest following our direct links to get these recommendations rather than searching the Chrome Web Store, unless you specifically want options beyond the ones we’ve listed. A lot of downloaders share identical names, as you can see.
Video Downloader for Chrome
This extension supports sites like Facebook, X, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and Instagram. When you’ve found a video, you just click the extension icon to open download options, including resolutions up to 4K (where available). You can save in different file formats as well.
The extension is free to use, but success isn’t guaranteed. It has to scour a webpage for video file links, and if they’re somehow obscured, you may get a “video not found” message. That’s a potential issue with any downloader, however.
Video Downloader Pro
Video Downloader Pro is free, and said to work with both music and video webpages at a 98% success rate. We’re skeptical of that figure — what criteria are they using? — but the extension has many positive reviews, and supports a range of file formats including ASF, AVI, FLV, MP3, MP4, MPEG, and more.
Video Downloader Plus
Video Downloader Plus is one of the best-reviewed downloaders in the entire Chrome Web Store, and like Video Downloader for Chrome, explicitly supports sites such as Facebook, Instagram, X, Vimeo, and Dailymotion. Save formats include ASF, AVI, FLV, MOV, MP4, MPG, WEBM, and others.
Away from the Chrome Web Store, the extension’s developer claims support for sites like YouTube, Twitch, and Vevo. That would probably make it the lead option on our list if it weren’t for a paywall — while most downloads are free, you’ll have to pony up if you want to download in 4K resolution. Some other features are also paywalled, namely integrated bookmarking and Google Cast support.
HD Video Downloader
Another well-reviewed extension, HD Video Downloader supports Facebook, X, Vimeo, and other “mainstream” websites. It’s free to use without any registration, and you can choose to save in different formats and quality levels. There’s not too much more to say, but as with Video Downloader for Chrome, expect to see a “video not found” error if it can’t locate something to download.