ClipGrab Review And Its Best Alternative
Summary: ClipGrab has turned out to be a common name when it comes to saving videos from popular video streaming platforms. It is an open-source and freeware tool compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux devices. This article will first review ClipGrab to know its pros and cons and then will offer you the best ClipGrab alternative. Read below to know more.
ClipGrab is a free converter and downloader for Vimeo, YouTube, Dailymotion, Metacafe, and many other online video streaming platforms. The tool converts downloaded videos to MP3, MPEG4, or other popular formats easily. Downloaded videos can be converted to different file formats such as WMV, WEBM, OGG Theora, MPEG4, OGG Vorbis (audio only), and MP3 (audio only). Even though ClipGrab supports only a limited number of sites, there are many more platforms that is supported "unofficially" by the tool through the automatic site-recognition feature. In addition to this, the tool can also download HD videos from platforms that have support for high-definition videos.
ClipGrab Review: The Bright Side and Down Side
Speaking of the advantages and features that ClipGrab offers, there are many ways users can use ClipGrab. This makes the tool a very handy one that will suffice different needs and suit different working style. The in-built search is the first thing users see when they launch the tool. However, if users have already found video that they wish to download, they are most likely to copy-paste the URL into the app.
The tool quickly detects and verifies the links they users add and asks you to specify the downloading format. Apart from the MPEG4, WMV, and OGG video formats, users also have the option of downloading audio-only files. When it comes to videos, users can also select the quality they might like to download with this tool. This is excellent if users wish to save memory on their device by downloading a lower resolution of the video they wish to view on the go. If users select to convert videos to MP3, the tool can take care of it by adding ID3 tags with the help of video metadata.
ClipGrab Review: The Downside
On the other hand, some macOS and Windows users that are trying to use ClipGrab to download videos from video streaming platform are claiming that the tool does not work and shows the error code 403. This specific HTTP code indicates that access to the requested resource is The reason for this error that users see is because if the security suite that users are actively using has flagged ClipGrab as a possible security threat and it is actively blocking it. This arises the question that is ClipGrab safe. If your security suite is flagging a software as a threat that means users cannot risk their security.
In addition to this, while using the tool users has claimed that they found it difficult to use it due to lack of proper updates. If the tool is not getting any regular updates, then users might get problems due to an outdated build that is not equipped to use the latest streaming protocol enforced by the developers. In addition to this, there is no auto-update feature with ClipGrab and hence users will need to uninstall the latest version manually before opting for the latest available build.
Best ClipGrab Alternative For Downloading Videos
Now that you had a look at the review of ClipGrab, it is clear that the cons of the tool overcome the pros and hence there is a need for a ClipGrab alternative. Apps like ClipGrab allow users to easily download videos and view them any time they want. Even though ClipGrab is a popular free video converter and downloader, it is not a perfect and ideal tool. There are a lots of other ClipGrab alternatives out there that allow users to download videos for free. And the best alternative to ClipGrab is none other than StreamFab M3U8 .
Similar to ClipGrab, StreamFab is also a video downloader. The tool overcomes one of the major drawbacks of ClipGrab—support to different streaming sites. Follow the below steps to know how to download your favorite videos with this tool.
Step 1: Download and open the tool. Tap the VIP Services section on the left. Now, on the right, select the streaming platform from which you wish to download videos.
Step 2: Paste the URL of the video. Once you click on the web series, the tool will analyze the content. Once the analyzing is finished, the tool will offer you different options to download the series.
Step 3: Select the episode that you wish to download. Users can also download subtitles and change other settings, select the video quality, audio, and the subtitle from the list. Once done, click on the Download Now option to begin downloading of your video.
Why StreamFab All-In-One Is The Best ClipGrab Alternative
Below are some features that makes StreamFab All-In-One the best ClipGrab alternative.
- To begin with, StreamFab supports more than 1000 video streaming platforms, which ClipGrab supports to fail.
- StreamFab comes with batch download mode, allowing users to download more than one video at a time.
- The tool downloads videos way more faster and quicker as compared to ClipGrab.
- Last, but not the least, there are no additional software in the installation package of StreamFab and hence no chance for a potential malware.
FAQs
Is it illegal to download YouTube videos?
Well, it is a bit tricky to answer this question. If you have a Premium account on YouTube, then you can use it to download content off YouTube legally. However, using a third-party downloading program (m3u8 downloader) is breaking the terms and conditions of YouTube. But this does not make it against the law. However, U.S. copyright laws do apply to content streaming on YouTube. For users outside of the U.S., odds are the copyright laws of their country also ban downloading content for free. However, as long as the video you download is used for personal use, most governments have no interest in prosecuting or finding people for downloaded videos.
Can I trust ClipGrab?
ClipGrab is a donationware tool, enabling users to download videos from a range of websites such as Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, and Dailymotion. It has been known for its user-friendliness, but also flagged by security software as malware.
What is the pricing of ClipGrab?
ClipGrab is a totally free software to use and download on Linux, Windows, or Mac. If users are capable, they can donate to support their work.
Conclusion
All in all, we just had a look at a brief review of ClipGrab. We also saw that StreamFab All-In-One is the best alternative to ClipGrab and can be used to download streaming video easily and smoothly.