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Head-to-head · Video Downloaders

yt-dlp vs MeTube

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score yt-dlp #1 in Video Downloaders 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit yt-dlp
MeTube #5 in Video Downloaders 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit MeTube

yt-dlp leads on 0 checks, MeTube on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreyt-dlp · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth

yt-dlp scores higher on our rubric for video downloaders: 9.4 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #5.

yt-dlp is the better fit for power users needing maximum downloader control. MeTube is the better fit for self-hosters needing subscriptions and automation.

  • yt-dlp fits best

    Power users needing maximum downloader control

  • MeTube fits best

    Self-hosters needing subscriptions and automation

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Side by side

Feature yt-dlp 9.4/10 Visit ↗ MeTube 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.7
Ranking #1 in Video Downloaders #5 in Video Downloaders
Best for Power users needing maximum downloader control Self-hosters needing subscriptions and automation
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Web, Chrome extension
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features yt-dlp 3/3 · MeTube 3/3
Playlist downloads ✓ ✓
Subtitle downloads ✓ ✓
Batch downloads ✓ ✓
Specs
Maximum video quality Not checked yet 4k
Supported sources YouTube, Bilibili, Dailymotion, Facebook, Vimeo, TikTok, Twitch, and many other extractors YouTube; dozens of other sites supported through yt-dlp
Output formats avi, flv, mkv, mov, mp4, webm, aac, aiff, alac, flac, m4a, mka, mp3, ogg, opus, vorbis, wav MP4, M4A, MP3, Opus, WAV, FLAC, SRT, TXT, VTT, TTML, SBV, SCC, DFXP, JPG
Device platforms Windows, macOS, Linux web, Android, iOS, Chrome extension
Our review
Pros
  • Extracts audio and video from thousands of supported sites
  • Supports playlists, subtitles, batch files, and metadata
  • Offers extensive format selection and configurable post-processing
  • Downloads video, audio, captions, and thumbnails up to 2160p
  • Automates channel and playlist downloads with subscriptions and queues
  • Supports Docker, browser access, and companion extensions and shortcuts
Cons
  • Command-line design requires comfort with terminals or scripts
  • Maximum quality depends on formats available from each source site
  • Not designed as a hosted web service
  • Core deployment is self-hosted rather than a hosted service
  • Actual maximum quality depends on the source media
  • Advanced downloads rely on yt-dlp options, cookies, and proxy configuration
Our verdict

yt-dlp is an open-source command-line application for downloading audio and video from thousands of websites. It is intended for users who are comfortable with terminals, scripts, or command-line automation and want detailed control over…

Read the review →

MeTube is a free, open-source, self-hosted web interface for yt-dlp. It is aimed at people who want browser-based downloads from YouTube and many other yt-dlp-supported sites, with support for individual URLs, playlists, and channels. The…

Read the review →
  1. yt-dlpVideo Downloaders 9.4Free plan
  2. MeTubeVideo Downloaders 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • yt-dlp — where it wins

    • Extracts audio and video from thousands of supported sites
    • Supports playlists, subtitles, batch files, and metadata
    • Offers extensive format selection and configurable post-processing

    Where it doesn't

    • Command-line design requires comfort with terminals or scripts
    • Maximum quality depends on formats available from each source site
    • Not designed as a hosted web service

  • MeTube — where it wins

    • Downloads video, audio, captions, and thumbnails up to 2160p
    • Automates channel and playlist downloads with subscriptions and queues
    • Supports Docker, browser access, and companion extensions and shortcuts

    Where it doesn't

    • Core deployment is self-hosted rather than a hosted service
    • Actual maximum quality depends on the source media
    • Advanced downloads rely on yt-dlp options, cookies, and proxy configuration
  • yt-dlp9.4/10 · Free plan

    Maximum control for users comfortable with command-line downloading and automation.

    Visit yt-dlpFull verdict →
  • MeTube8.7/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source downloader for subscriptions, queues, and self-hosted automation.

    Visit MeTubeFull verdict →

More comparisons

All video downloaders comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update