How to Rip a DVD: 8 Best Tools With Step-by-Step Guide

Looking to rip DVDs to portable digital videos for viewing across devices? This article covers how to rip a DVD in 8 of the best and easiest ways. Our team tested each tool and provides a brief overview, step-by-step instructions, and a balanced list of pros and cons for each approach.

Snapshot of 8 Best Methods to Rip DVDs

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How to Rip DVD? Check The Top 8 Ways!

Ripping DVDs is meaningful since it can make your DVD-watching experience flexible and device-independent. This section walks you through 8 commonly used methods for how to rip DVDs, with software introduction, tutorials, recommended presets, and when to choose each tool.

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When choosing products to review, we consider popularity and overall reputation. We consult user reviews from major platforms and include user feedback on official forums in our evaluations. Our team personally tests each product, comparing key features, formats, and conversion quality.

1. How to Rip a DVD with DVDFab DVD Ripper

DVDFab DVD Ripper lets you rip protected DVDs (disc, ISO, or folder) on Windows and macOS. It supports GPU-accelerated encoding on compatible hardware and can handle any old or advanced copy protections (e.g., APS, CSS, DADC, region codes). During DVD ripping, you can fine-tune codec, bitrate, frame rate, resolution, subtitles, and audio tracks, and use the built-in editor for cropping, trimming, and watermarks. It can rip a DVD to 1000+ popular formats (e.g., MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, MP3, AAC), with 260+ device profiles for smooth playback on phones, tablets, TVs, and media servers.

• OS: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 & macOS 10.10 - 15.x
• Rating: 4.6/5

Tutorial: How to Rip DVDs with DVDFab DVD Ripper [Video Included]

Step 1: Download and install DVDFab 13.

Step 2: Run DVDFab and load your DVD source.

Open DVDFab, select Ripper Module, insert your desired DVD into the optical drive, and the program will automatically load the DVD. You can also click "+" or "Add Source" button to add your source files. If you want to rip DVD ISO images or folders, drag and drop files onto the interface is simpler.

Step 3: Select output format and customize your video.

While selecting the "Profile Selection Box" select the output profile format from the built-in profile library. You can rip DVD to MP4, MKV, MP3, AVI and many other digital formats.

Next, customize the video with audio, subtitles, chapters, and other advanced settings depending on your needs. If the disc contains multiple audio tracks in different languages, simply select the one you prefer; the same goes for subtitles. You can even click the subtitles dropdown menu and choose "Add External Subtitles" to add your own subtitles.

You can also DIY your DVDs using the built-in editing tools (scissors and pencil icons on the right), which offers customization options such as cropping, applying effects, adding text or image watermarks, inserting subtitles, and adjusting audio or playback speed.

Step 4: Rip DVD.

Next, click "folder icon > select directory" to save the output video. Then, click the "Start" option to rip DVDs.

For a quick visual recap of the steps above, the official tutorial video below covers everything.

DVDFab DVD Ripper also offers a lifetime-free but simplified version - DVDFab HD Decrypter - that can rip most encrypted DVD and Blu-rays to MP4&MKV format only. Both versions are installed in one DVDFab package for your easy use.

2. How to Rip a DVD for Free with HandBrake

HandBrake is a well-known free and open-source program to rip a DVD on multiple OS versions with ultimate customizations. With extensive format selection options and wide codec support, this free tool will let you have a high-quality DVD-ripping experience in a hassle-free manner. It offers extensive video filter options like Deblock, Denoise, Colorspace, etc, with a video preview option.

• OS: Windows 10/11, Mac & Linux 
• Rating: 3.5/5

Tutorial: Rip Video from DVD with HandBrake

Step 1: Download and install the HandBrake software on your Windows or Mac system from the HandBrake official website. Then launch the HandBrake.

Step 2: Next, insert the DVD you want to rip into your computer. From the "Source Selection" panel, select your inserted DVD. Then, from the drop-down menu, select the titles of the DVD you want to rip. You can also choose the range of chapters you want to rip in the "Range" box.

Step 3: For further customization, you can choose quality presets based on your needs. In the "Format" dropdown, select your output format. On the main interface you'll also find the "Filters", "Video", and "Audio" sections, where you can adjust image effects, audio/video quality, and subtitle options as required.

Step 4: Click "Browse" and select the destination where you would like to save the ripped DVDs. Then click the "Start Encode" option next to the play button at the upper section of the window. Following the progress bar, you can monitor the required timing of the ripping process.

3. How to Rip a DVD with VLC

VLC is a free, open-source, cross-platform media player that can also perform basic DVD ripping. It plays discs, files, and streams, and includes a simple Convert/Save workflow to transcode DVD content to formats like MP4 or MKV. You can preview output and adjust essentials such as codec, bitrate, resolution, and audio tracks. One limitation is that it cannot decrypt protected DVDs.

• OS: All versions of Windows, Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, Linux/Unix
• Rating: 4.4/5

Tutorial: How to Rip DVDs with VLC

Step 1: After opening the VLC media player on your system, head to the "Media" > "Convert / Save" > select the "Disc Tab".

Step 2: Go to the "Disc Selection" > select the DVD option > then select DVD Drive location > select "Convert / Save" at the below of the screen.

Step 3: Under the Profile section select the codec and other parameters that you want to use for ripping. Generally, we choose "Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4)".

Step 4: Next, select the "Browse" option > destination & Filename > then click "Save" > then hit the "Start" option to begin the ripping process. That's how to rip DVDs with VLC.

4. How to Use MakeMKV to Rip a DVD

MakeMKV rips DVDs without re-encoding to MKV format, preserving the original video, audio tracks, chapters, subtitles, and metadata. The resulting files play on many modern devices and players (or can be remuxed if needed). It can handle some copy-protection schemes, and no additional software is required for conversion or decryption.

• OS: Windows XP or later, x86 or x64 & x64 or ARM64 Mac OS X 10.7 or later
• Rating: 4.5/5

Tutorial: Rip a DVD with MakeMKV

Step 1: Launch the MakeMKV software on your Windows or Mac, and insert the DVD to be ripped into the optical drive. Then open MakeMKV > select the optical drive option to let the tool read the DVD.

Step 2: After loading the DVD, the tool will show the loaded DVD content as a tree structure. Then customize the output profile, including the titles, audio tracks, and other options.

Step 3: Click the yellow file folder > select the directory for your output file > click MakeMKV, and the encrypted DVD will be ripped. You can monitor the ripping process with a progress bar.

5. How to Rip DVDs Using MacX DVD Ripper

MacX DVD Ripper is a macOS app that can convert DVD to digital formats. It bypasses common protections (CSS, region codes, etc.) and converts disc/ISO/folder to a wide range of outputs like MP4/H.264 or HEVC, MOV, MKV, and device presets for iPhone/iPad/Android. It also taps hardware acceleration for fast ripping. On top of that, it includes practical editing tools—crop to remove black bars or adjust the frame, trim clips to the exact duration you need, and even add subtitles—so you can fine-tune the rip before you export. 

• OS: Mac OS X 10.6 and higher and Windows 7 or later.
• Rating: 4.5/5

Tutorial: Extract video from DVDs with MacX DVD Ripper

Step 1: Insert your desired DVD into your Mac and then launch the MacX DVD Ripper on your computer. Select "Disc" in the top left corner to load the imported DVD content. If you plan to rip a DVD image or a DVD folder, choose the corresponding "Image" or "Folder" module to proceed.

Step 2: Once the DVD file is analyzed, you can select your required format for the output profile. For further customization, you can try editing adjustments such as cropping, trimming, adding watermarks, etc. On the right-side panel, you can enable Intel or NVIDIA GPU acceleration. If your original DVD is interlaced video, tick "Advanced De-interlace Accelerator" to make the video much clearer.

Step 3: Choose the "output folder" where you want to save the ripped files. Then click "Run" to start the ripping process immediately. That's how to rip a DVD on macOS. If ripping keeps failing, try checking "Safe Mode Conversion" on the main panel before you start rip DVDs.

6. How to Rip DVD Using Leawo DVD Ripper

Leawo DVD Ripper is also a fascinating tool to rip DVD. While supporting 180+ file format support including Mp4, MKV, MOV, AAC, MP3 etc., it offers various functions like video editing, format conversion, downloading, etc. This multi-purpose tool is a one-stop shop for a seamless DVD-ripping experience. It allows you to merge DVD clips into one clip.

• OS: Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 & macOS 10.13/10.14.../13/14
• Rating: 4/5

Tutorial: How to Extract Video from DVD with Leawo DVD Ripper

Step 1: Launch Leawo on your PC, switch to "Convert", then click "Add UHD/Blu-ray/DVD" to load your source. You can add a DVD folder or ISO for conversion.

Step 2: Open the format drop-down and choose "Change". Pick an output from "Common Video", "Common Audio", or "HD Video".

Step 3: If you prefer device-based presets, go to the "Device" tab. Use the "Profile Search Bar" to quickly find the format you need.

Step 4: Hover over your selected format to reveal "Edit", then configure parameters such as video codec, frame rate, bitrate, resolution, and audio channels.

Step 5: You can also access the "Profile Setting" panel via "MP4 Video" > "Edit". When ready, click "Convert" to start ripping. Set the output directory and any post-conversion options as prompted. You can cancel the conversion at any time.

7. How to Rip DVDs on Windows with Freemake

To rip DVD, FreeMake is a very convenient tool with multiple functions. You can enjoy unlimited DVD ripping without any registration hassle. It supports a wide range of DVDs and removes various types of regional block or copy protection. It also lets you reduce file size to fit into small device storage for portable devices.

• OS: Windows 10 & lower
• Rating: 3.7/5

Tutorial: How to Rip DVD on Windows with Freemake 

Step 1: Launch Freemake on your PC and insert the DVD you want to rip into the optical drive. Click "+DVD" on the toolbar. In the dialog, select the DVD drive or browse to the VIDEO_TS folder, then confirm to load. Wait for Freemake to analyze the disc. The main movie and other titles will appear in a list.

Step 2: At the bottom format bar, click your target format, such as to MP4, to MKV, or to AVI. In the preset window, pick a profile that fits your needs. For advanced options, click the gear icon to adjust codec, frame rate, frame size, birate, audio channels and so on. If needed, click Edit or the scissors icon to trim the start/end, cut unwanted segments, or crop borders.

Step 3: In the format dialog, set "Save to" and choose your output directory. Click "Convert" to begin. A progress bar shows time remaining; you can pause or cancel at any point.

8. How to Rip DVDs with Prism Video File Converter

Prism Video File Converter is another tool that can rip DVDs into digital formats. Its core strength is converting between digital video formats, but it also supports DVD ripping with outputs to 30+ formats. That said, it isn't a dedicated DVD ripper and cannot open and rip copy-protected DVDs.

• OS: Windows (7 to 11), macOS 10.5 or above
• Rating: 3.3/5

Tutorial: How to use Prism Video File Converter to rip DVDs

Step 1: Open the program and click "Menu" → "File". If you want to rip a DVD disc, click "Add DVD Disc to Convert...". If your source is an ISO, click "Add Files to List" to load your file.

Step 2: After the software finishes loading your source, you'll see multiple entries. Check the Size; the largest one is usually the main movie. Select the main movie to rip. Click "Convert to File" at the bottom of the main window, then choose the format you want to export. You can also pick a common format quickly from the "Output Format" icons. If you accidentally added the wrong file or an entry you don't want to rip, click "Remove" to delete it.

Step 3: Next are the advanced settings. Click "Edit" on the top menu, then choose the tools you need from the dropdown, including "Color Change", "Text Caption", "Rotate", "Flip", and "Crop". You can also use "Effects" at the bottom-right of the main window to edit the video, such as "Noise Reduction", "Speed", and "Split". After adjustments, use "Preview" on the top menu to check the result.

Step 4: When everything is set, click "Browse" to choose where to save the output file. Then click "Convert" and wait for the DVD to be ripped.

How to Pick the Best Way to Rip DVDs: Tested & Compared

Now that you understand how to rip a DVD to your computer, the next step is choosing a right and reliable DVD ripping software for your needs. To help you make an informed decision, we've not only compared key features but also included hands-on test results for these tools.

Conclusion

When figuring out how to rip a DVD, it's important to choose software that balances top-notch video quality, versatile customization, and user-friendly editing tools. DVDFab DVD Ripper is a standout choice thanks to its impressive speed and consistent high-quality outputs with multi-channel audio support. All in all, take your time to compare the available features and you'll find the perfect solution for DVD backup.