Downie 4
A native macOS video downloader from Charlie Monroe Software that grabs streams from YouTube, Vimeo, and more than a thousand other sites when you paste a URL or send a link from your browser.
Typical Mac workflow
You copy a video page address into Downie or use the Safari, Chrome, or Firefox extension to push the tab directly into the queue. The app analyzes the page, lists available quality options including 4K where the host provides it, and downloads the file to a folder you choose. Post-processing can convert outputs to iPhone-friendly MP4, strip audio-only tracks for podcasts, or hand results to Permute for further conversion.
When a site is not on the supported list, User-Guided Extraction opens a built-in browser so you navigate to the player and let Downie detect the stream. Download history can sync across Macs via iCloud to avoid duplicate grabs. The developer ships frequent maintenance builds because streaming sites change delivery methods often; recent work has focused on YouTube SABR streaming, HLS manifest parsing, and per-site extractor updates.
Licensing and version 4.12.10
Downie sells as a direct download for about $19.99 with a permanent license, free trial, and up to three activations; it is not distributed on the Mac App Store because Apple prohibits YouTube download utilities there. Setapp and bundle pricing with Permute are also available. macOS 11 or later is required, with macOS 13+ strongly recommended on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Version 4.12.10, released 11 July 2026, improves several major sites, adjusts YouTube SABR rollout, and fixes AV1-in-MP4 selection when Force MP4 Downloads is enabled.
