Last updated on 2025-03-27, by Lumi

5 Best Ways to Download Videos from URL/Link

When you see a video you like on an online platform, you should immediately download it locally to your device in case it may be gone later. For example, if you’re using an online video site like YouTube, the video is at risk of being taken down by the original author. If you’re using a streaming platform like HBO Max, you’ll never be able to watch the video again once your subscription expires.

So you might be thinking, can’t I just download Instagram videos, download YouTube videos, download Facebook videos, or download TikTok videos within these platforms? Unfortunately, not only do platforms nowadays add a lot of download restrictions, but they also only allow you to watch offline content within that platform.

How to download YouTube videos with no limitations? You’ll have to try new ways out, such as using a third-party video downloader or recording your screen while playing a video. In this article, we will recommend 5 related tools to you, and you can decide which one to choose based on their performance to help you download YouTube videos on Mac or Windows.

Part 1: Can You Download Videos from URL/Link

Let’s start with the answer: of course, it’s possible.

While many online video platforms have built-in video download and offline viewing features, you can usually find the download button in the bottom right corner of the video playback window and click on it to get the video. But as we mentioned in the previous article, the platforms have a lot of restrictions on video downloads. You may be asked to subscribe to a more expensive membership and the number of downloads you can enjoy per month is not much. Videos saved offline can also only be viewed within the platform, and once you stop your subscription, you can no longer access them. And some of the videos don’t support downloads. That’s why you may need to figure out how to download videos from website link.

So, let’s see what the solution is.

You can look for some third-party video downloading software, online platforms, or browser plugins. Such tools are generally compatible with the current mainstream video platforms, and you just need to paste the video URL to it or launch these tools on the webpage where the video is playing, and they will parse out the resource for you and provide a download button. There is also an alternative way to directly capture the video being played using screen recording software and then save the recording file. What we’re about to present can be roughly categorized into these two categories.

Part 2: 5 Solutions to Download Videos from URL/Link

Solution 1: Leawo Free Screen Recorder (free, Windows-only)

Let’s first look at the most versatile way to download videos. Any video that you can play on a page can be saved on your computer by recording it. With this method, you can ignore any compatibility issues. The recommended tool in this section is Leawo Free Screen Recorder, which allows you to record footage from your screen or webcam and sound from your system or microphone freely. The output quality is up to HD 4K and no watermarks are added. Leawo Free Screen Recorder is very good at recording gameplay and webinars and capturing video without lag. You can also take screenshots of the moments or mark them on the screen at any time while recording.

Leawo Free Screen Recorder has many built-in user-friendly buttons that allow you to preset the recording start time, region, duration, audio source, etc., and automatically shut down the computer when recording is complete. If you want to add a narration or a comment to the recorded episode, you can use the narration add function provided by the tool. You can also set various recording shortcuts if you have your habits.

Here is how to record playing videos with Leawo Free Screen Recorder.

Step 1: Download and install Leawo Free Screen Recorder. Launch it and choose Record Screen. Play the video you want to save.

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• Leawo Free Screen Recorder

  – Support Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11.
  – Provide various doodle and annotation tools for free.
  – Support to record online class, PowerPoint presentation, and zoom meeting.
  – Smoothly record gameplay in high quality, including large 3D games.
  – Add background music or voiceover to video.
  – Integrate more advanced functions like real-time drawing, scheduled recording, shortcut controls, etc.

  Free Download

Step 2: Back to Leawo Free Screen Recorder and select the recording area in the drop-down menu under Record Screen.

Step 3: Choose System Sound as the sound source. Then click REC to start recording.

Solution 2: CleverGet All-In-One (paid, with free trial)

Using a downloader is a more direct method than recording your screen. You can try to download such universal software as CleverGet All-In-One, which is compatible with more than 1,000 video sites and covers popular platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, HBO Max, Twitter, Amazon, Hulu, Disney Plus, and so on. It supports outputting videos up to 8K definition and provides formats including MP4, MKV, and WEBM. When the video you want to download has multiple versions of audio tracks and subtitles, you can freely choose which one to save or save the subtitles as a separate SUP or SRT file.

If you want to download YouTube videos or download TikTok videos, just paste the video link into CleverGet All-In-One or play the target video in the program’s built-in browser, and it will start to automatically parse the source and pop up the output options window. If you need to download YouTube videos in bulk, you can set it so that CleverGet All-In-One will download all the contents of a certain playlist or channel. Don’t worry about ads. It will filter out such content 100% for you. CleverGet All-In-One is offering a trial that allows users to download the first three videos for free.

Here is how to download videos from the link with CleverGet All-In-One.

Step 1: Get CleverGet All-In-One on your computer. Then launch it.

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• CleverGet All-in-One

  – Download online videos from 1000+ sites at up to 8K resolution.
  – Download live-stream videos from various platforms without extractors.
  – Batch download several videos from your target playlists or channels.
  – Allow users to choose output resolution and formats for unlimited watching.
  – Download selected audio tracks and subtitles, or save subtitles as SRT.
  – Remove ads and pop-ups from downloaded videos for smooth watching.

  DownloadDownload

Step 2: Paste the video URL to the address bar within CleverGet All-In-One, and press Enter.

If you are downloading videos from online video websites like YouTube, TikTok, etc., CleverGet All-In-One will parse the source automatically and display a Download window.

If you are downloading videos from premium streaming platforms like Amazon or HBO Max, you will see a blue download icon on the video page. Click on it, and CleverGet All-In-One will start parsing the chosen video. Then, you will launch the Download window.

Step 3: Finish the download settings on the Download window. Finally, click Download.

Solution 3: SaveTheVideo Online Video Downloader (free)

Besides desktop software, some online platforms also support downloading videos from websites, such as SaveTheVideo. It is compatible with Twitter, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc., and it is completely free to use. You just need to paste the video link into the search bar provided by the platform and press Start, and SaveTheVideo will automatically convert the target video to MP4, WEBM, M4A, MP3, and other formats. Although it’s just an online platform with very minimal features, SaveTheVideo also provides a simple video cropper. You can trim out unwanted parts by setting the start and end times.

Here is how to download Videos from the website URL with SaveTheVideo.

Step 1: Open SaveTheVideo online video downloader with your browser.

Step 2: Copy and paste the URL of your target video into the search bar offered by SaveTheVideo. Then click Start.

Step 3: A Download window will appear. Select the output format and resolution under Select Format. Finally, click Download MP4.

Solution 4: Keepvid YouTube Downloader (free)

Keepvid YouTube Downloader is a very easy-to-use online video downloader, and although it only has YouTube in its name, it actually supports downloading videos from other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and more. The way to invoke it is again by pasting the video link into the search bar. It supports saving videos in MP4 format, and you also have the option to keep only the audio. Keepvid YouTube Downloader is now 100% free, not to mention there won’t be any limit on the number of downloads. Apart from laptops, you can also use this online downloader on your mobile devices.

Here is how to download videos with Keepvid YouTube Downloader.

Step 1: Visit the Keepvid YouTube Downloader website.

Step 2: Paste the video URL into the search box. Then click Go.

Solution 5. Video Downloader PLUS (free)

One tool that is very similar in nature to an online video downloader that is also worth trying is a browser plugin. Usually you just need to add it to your browser and then open the video URL using your browser, and it will parse out the resources available on the current page and show you the download button. The plugin we recommend trying is Video Downloader PLUS, a free video downloader developed specifically for Chrome users. It supports a lot of video sites, is easy to start, has fast download speeds, and even supports batch downloads. The only downside, though, is that it’s currently unavailable on YouTube.

Here is how to download videos with Video Downloader PLUS.

Step 1: Install Video Downloader PLUS from the Chrome web store.

Step 2: Open your target video by entering the website link into Chrome. Go to the top-right corner and click Extension > Video Downloader PLUS to launch it.

Step 3: Video Downloader PLUS will parse the video and show a Video List window. Find the one you want to download, and click the Download button next to it.

To help you quickly see the similarities and differences between these five methods, we will show a comparison table here.

Part 3: Conclusion

This article describes 5 ways you can download videos from website links, including using a video recorder, desktop software, two online downloaders, and a browser plugin. Of the five methods, online downloaders and browser plug-ins are quick to mobilize but are relatively single-function and support limited platforms. If you’re looking for the most comprehensive tool, we recommend CleverGet All-In-One, which is compatible with more than 1,000 websites. Of course, you can also just use Leawo Free Screen Recorder to record the video being played, so you no longer have to check if a certain website is in the list of supported platforms for the app.