YouTube to MP4 converters has been around since the time of YouTube itself. Because YouTube expressly forbids downloading of videos due to a number of reasons, tech nerds came up with awesome solution – convert YouTube videos to MP4 files safely and download them!

Over time, there were hundreds of YouTube to MP4 converters for Mac and Windows available – both free and paid. These converters were able to convert YouTube videos while retaining video and audio quality. Most of them even let you download playlists and channels in all kinds of formats; HD, MP4, MP3, AVI, 3GP, FLV etc. for free.

Although there are dozens of YouTube to MP4 converters out there, just a few of them offer the best quality and are safe to use. In this review, we’ve rounded some of the top safe YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac and Windows. Regardless of your OS, you can easily use these converters to download your favorite movies, TV shows, songs and a lot more.

Best Features of a YouTube to MP4 Converter 

When it comes to choosing a YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac or Windows, there are several key features that you need to look out for. For this review, we selected converters that met the following requirements of an avid video consumer.

1.     Support Multiple Formats

Sometimes you may want to convert a YouTube video into MP3 file or a 3GP file (if you have older phones). A great YouTube to MP4 converter must be able to support multiple file formats and should be able to rip web links into MP4, AVI, MKV, WMV etc. The more formats it supports, the better.

2.     Fast Conversions While Retaining Quality

If a converter takes more than a few minutes to convert your video, it’s of no good. The best YouTube to MP4 converters can convert HD videos in just a few seconds. If you’re converting to an MP3 file, the audio quality should not be below 128kbps.

3.     Multi-Channel Support

Although YouTube is the primary channel for videos, there are other popular platforms with interesting content that you might not find on YouTube (hint: popular TV shows!). This is why you’ll need a converter that can also download videos from other channels such as Dailymotion, Vimeo and even Facebook/Instagram!

4.     Support for Audio Playlists

YouTube has plenty of audio playlists that you’d want to download, but some free YouTube to MP4 converters such as Clip Converter does not support the conversion of audio playlists into MP3 files. If you like to download playlists from YouTube instead of individual songs, you will need to find converters that allows you to do that.

5.     Safe to Use and Contains No Ads

Whether you’re using a browser-based YouTube to MP4 converters like freemake.com or a downloadable software like Softorino, it should be secure and safe to convert and download YouTube videos. Also, there shouldn’t be any ads that could disrupt the conversion and downloading process.

Based on these essential features, we recommend the following 3 YouTube to MP4 converters for Mac and Windows that are easy to use, safe, secure and provides you with multiple options.

Review of the Top 3 Safe YouTube to MP4 converter

1. Softorino YouTube Converter for Mac and Windows  

Softorino YouTube converter is a paid software that it is available for $19.95. It is built for both Mac and Windows. Softorino also offers a 24-hour trial for which you’ll receive an activation code on your email. For this review, we’ve used the 24-hour trial version.

You’re probably wondering why you should pay $19.95 for something that you can get for free?

Well, there are several reasons why Softorino is worth the buck.

Let’s start with some of its core features that highly impressed us.

• Automatic Queuing for Conversion: Unlike other converters where you have to copy/paste a link to the conversion field, Softorino has an automated process. As soon as you copy a link, the software queues the video for conversion. You can keep copying videos and it will keep queuing until you’re ready to download it. This feature is quite smooth and helps you with batch conversions. You can also easily remove and rename any of those videos.
  

• Three Conversion Options: Video, Audio and Ringtone. You can convert videos into multiple resolutions starting from 360p up to Full HD and 4K.  Audios can be converted into MP3 or AAC or you can choose to keep the original format. For ringtone creators, this is a super cool feature – you can convert your favorite YouTube tunes into full-length or 30seconds trimmed ringtones.

• Direct Save to Multiple iOS Devices: You can convert and transfer to your iOS devices directly from the software. 

Overall, the software is quite easy to use and has a pretty decent interface. You don’t have to navigate around to get the job done.  It has a list of supported (around 70) sources from where you can download the videos, which makes it the best tool to convert YouTube to MP4 safely on Mac and Windows.

Pros: 

• Automated queuing of videos allowing for batch conversions.
• A large list of supported sources.
• Supports multiple resolution formats.
• Saves directly to iOS devices including iTunes.

Cons:

• You can’t select individual videos in the queue. If you want to convert one to an MP3 and the other to a ringtone, you’ll have to do it one by one.
• Ringtone trimming is not custom. You’ll have to make do with the full-length or 30-seconds
• Demands high CPU source. This testing was done on a 2017 MacBook Pro, 13-inch model.

If you’ve got high video conversion and downloading needs, you can invest in this software, but the fact that the MacBook Pro fan started going wild when using this resource would make us think twice. Nevertheless, it could just be a MacBook issue, so you can go ahead and try it out for yourself. If you love what you see and it has no visible effect on your CPU resource, go ahead and make the purchase!

>>Get Softorino YouTube Converter to convert YouTube to MP4 safely now.

2. Airy YouTube to MP4 Converter for Mac and Windows 

Airy is a super simple software that is not resource-intensive and does exactly what it’s supposed to do – convert YouTube videos into either MP4 or MP3 format. You can buy Airy as a Personal License for $19.95 or as a family pack for 3 Macs for $39.95.

Some of the features we liked:

• Downloading playlists: You can download your personal playlist and YouTube channels into one single file.
• Multiple format options: You can save videos as MP4, FLV, 3GP or 4k and 8k formats.
• Convert to MP3: Convert a YouTube video into MP3.
• Integration in Browser: Airy can also be integrated into your web browser through a bookmarking option of a video you like.

Overall, Airy is a simple video converter that has no extra flairs or additional options. It has the same price as Softorino. It’s the same price, with fewer features.

Pros: 

• Simple and easy to use interface
• Ability to download playlists and YouTube channels
• Easy integration into browser
• Is not resource-intensive, safe.

Cons:

• No additional MP3 features
• Expensive with limited features
• Trial version does not have 4K, 8K, or HD support

If you’re looking for a no-nonsense YouTube to MP4 converter for Mac or Windows, this is a good, light, easy to use software.

>>Get Airy YouTube to MP4 Converter now

3. Freemake Video Downloader for Windows

If you’re a Windows user and have minimal video download needs, then Freemake.com is an excellent YouTube video converter and downloader that you might want to try.

According to its website, Freemake.com has over 83 million users, is safe to use and is registered with a UK company called Digital Wave Ltd. The company states that the mission is to provide ‘free alternatives to popular paid software. We develop our programs with a new approach trying to prove that free software of a high standard does exist.’

Although the website says, ‘FREE’, you have to pay for certain features and removing watermarks on your videos. They have the Freemake Gold Pack which you can buy for $19 as a one-time payment.  It’s important to note that there is absolutely NO mention of any payment or pricing on the website itself. It may be perceived as false advertising and may put many consumers off.

If you’re willing to overcome the false advertising and pay for the software. The downloader has features such as:

• • Support for More than 10,000 Sites: Be it Facebook, Instagram, DailyMotion or video hosting platforms, the downloader supports it all. You can even download 4K and HD quality video clips from these sites.

• Complete Support for All Kinds of Format: Save your files in any formats you want – be it MP4 for iOS, or Android, for iPhone or PSP, for Amazon Kindle Fire phones or any other, the downloader has it all.
• Do multiple things: The software allows you to do multiple things at a time, including uploading clips to YouTube, embedding video to websites online.

Pros:

• Multiple features other than just downloading videos. You can make custom DVD menus, add subtitles, compress camera records etc.
• Easy to use interface with options to select multiple videos for downloading preferences 

Cons:

• Not available for Mac
• Little known about the original company
• False advertising
  

>>Get Freemake video downloader to download and convert YouTube to MP4 now.

Conclusion

This is the age of video consumption and we often want to save interesting videos we come across various social channels to share them later. There are dozens of paid and free video converters that you can use, however, if you’re looking for multiple features, high-quality output and more user control then a paid YouTube Converter like Softorino is highly recommended. If you’re not a heavy video downloader and just need something for a quick download, then online converters are a better option.

Do make sure though that you download from the official website and check out the trial versions before making a purchase.