Ghost Downloader review
A broad, free downloader for browser-captured media, streams, torrents, and batches.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Ghost Downloader is a free, open-source download manager for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. It is aimed at users who need more than conventional file downloading: browser-based media capture, live-stream recording, torrents, playlists, subtitles, batch operations, and downloads from services including YouTube, Bilibili, GitHub, and Hugging Face. Its browser extension detects media resources on web pages, while the desktop application handles the resulting downloads and browser download takeover.
Its strongest case is breadth across download methods and workflows. HTTP and HTTPS downloads use multi-threading and smart chunking, while support also covers FTP, BitTorrent magnet links and .torrent files, eD2k, HLS/M3U8, and MPEG-DASH. YouTube and Bilibili parsing reaches 4K HDR, and the product includes Aria2-compatible RPC for users who need that ecosystem connection. Playlist, subtitle, batch download, and batch image collection features make it suitable for repeated or multi-item jobs rather than one-off downloads alone.
Ghost Downloader is a good fit for technically oriented users who want a free tool spanning streams, torrents, browser capture, and multiple operating systems. Android users also get background downloads, while Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are supported through the extension workflow. The trade-off is a more focused service parser set than tools built around broader site coverage, with documented parsing centered on YouTube, Bilibili, GitHub, and Hugging Face. Live-stream recording uses .ts output, and broader video output-format support is not specified. Users seeking those particular capabilities should consider Ghost Downloader; users prioritizing extensive site parsing or a wider documented output-format range may prefer an alternative.
Ghost Downloader pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Supports HLS, MPEG-DASH, BitTorrent, eD2k, HTTP, and FTP downloads
- Browser extension detects media resources across Chrome, Edge, and Firefox
- Handles playlists, subtitles, batches, live streams, and Android background downloads
- Where it doesn't
- General site parsing centers on YouTube, Bilibili, GitHub, and Hugging Face
- Documented live-stream recording uses .ts output
- Browser capture sends detected resources to the desktop application
Ghost Downloader fact sheet, pricing and score →
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