Cobalt review
A flexible, free downloader for public links, with broad source coverage and developer access.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Cobalt is an open-source media downloader for people who want to save video, audio, photos, or GIFs from supported public links. Its web app provides a straightforward link-based workflow, while the API and self-hosted processing instance make it more relevant to developers building downloader tools or services. Named sources include YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Vimeo, Reddit, SoundCloud, Twitch Clips, and several other social, video, and media platforms.
The free, open-source model is central to Cobalt's appeal. It can be accessed through the web, integrated through an API, or run as a self-hosted service. The published feature set includes local processing where available, live media tunneling, anonymous processing, and controls for filenames and metadata. These options suit users who want more control over how media is handled than a basic browser download page typically provides. Service availability can vary by instance and service status, and the API documentation describes its service list as not final.
Cobalt also stands out through output and media controls. Users can select video quality up to 8K, choose YouTube codecs and containers, download subtitles when available, and convert audio to MP3, OGG, WAV, or Opus. Supported output types also include MP4, WebM, MKV, and GIF. Pick Cobalt if you need an open-source downloader with web access, developer tooling, broad named-site coverage, and self-hosting options. Choose another tool if you need a fixed service experience or prefer not to manage an API or processing instance.
Cobalt pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Downloads video, audio, photos, and GIFs from many named services
- Supports quality selection up to 8K plus multiple audio formats
- Offers an API, self-hosting, subtitles, metadata, and local processing
- Where it doesn't
- Supported-service availability can vary by instance and service status
- The API service list is described as not final
- Advanced workflows require self-hosting or API configuration
Cobalt fact sheet, pricing and score →
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