Best 3 HLS Downloaders: Real User’s Guide to Downloading HLS Streams

Introduction

As someone who often downloads streaming videos for offline use, I’ve come to realize that a huge share of modern music and video sites use the HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) protocol.

Originally launched by Apple in 2009, HLS has become the standard for delivering high-quality, resilient, and cross-device streaming through the internet. If you’ve ever tried to save online videos and discovered that right-clicking “Save As” no longer works—chances are you were dealing with HLS streams.

How Does HLS Works & Why We Need a Special HLS Downloader?

HLS works by chopping a video file into many small pieces—usually .ts chunks—and serving them through an M3U8 playlist. HLS supports modern codecs (H.264/HEVC) and is widely adopted by Netflix, Disney+, etc.

If you’ve tried to download streaming videos, you’ll know screen recording and traditional video downloading methods usually fail on sites using HLS. That’s why dedicated HLS downloaders exist—they’re designed to detect, download, and merge these video segments, outputting a complete MP4 or MKV format video.

In this following content, I’ll share the best HLS downloaders I’ve used for both PC and mobile, including some practical browser extensions.

Verified 3 HLS Video Downloader for PC: Client & Online

1. StreamFab: All-in-One HLS Downloader Solution

Choose StreamFab if you care about quality, want reliable downloads from paid streaming services, and often batch or schedule videos to watch later.

StreamFab Video Downloader

Unlike generic downloaders, StreamFab is constantly updated, supports more encrypted sites and hls streams, and offers genuinely high quality (1080p/4k, HDR/Dobly Vision) with batch/scheduled downloads.

  Try for Free

  Try for Free

Operation steps to download HLS streaming video with StreamFab are simple and clear: 

💡My Using Experience:

Based on my experience, StreamFab offers a very high success rate when it comes to downloading HLS streams. It’s not limited to major OTT platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu—StreamFab also supports a wide range of YouTube-style video streaming sites and other online platforms that use HLS (m3u8) technology.

If you often encounter different types of m3u8 video links or want to download from both streaming services and web video sites, StreamFab is an all-in-one solution that handles almost every HLS stream I’ve come across.

2. M3U8 Dev: Online HLS Downloader

Choose m3u8.dev if you want something fast, online, and free for simple, low-quality downloads from open sites. Great for casual or occasional needs—just lower your expectations for quality.

As someone who often needs to save quick clips or online lectures for offline use, I sometimes also need an online HLS downloaders that are fast and require no installation. One tool I've tried recently is m3u8.dev , a browser-based downloader for HLS streams.

Website: https://m3u8.dev/

Step 1: I first copy the m3u8 link from the website where the video is hosted (sometimes found in browser network tools).

Step 2: Visit https://m3u8.dev/ on my browser and I paste the m3u8 URL into the box on the website’s homepage.

Step 3: After clicking the start or download button, the site processes the stream and quickly gives me a download link.

3. HLS Downloader on Github: For Chrome Extensions

Choose HLS Downloader Extension if most of your downloads are ad-hoc, discovered while browsing, and you want everything handled in-browser.

There are times when I don’t want to install a separate video downloader client, so, in addtion to PC HLS client and online tools, I also explored a few Chrome extensions for saving HLS (m3u8) video streams directly in the browser. One of the tools I tested is HLS Downloader, which is available for both Chrome and Firefox.

It is free to use, but I have to highlight that when I tried using it with popular streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, it consistently failed to detect, process, or download those protected streams. For me, it never worked with DRM-protected content or paid OTT platforms.

Website: https://github.com/puemos/hls-downloader

Step 1: Install the extension from the official GitHub page.

Step 2: When I play an HLS video in my browser, the plugin icon lights up if it detects a valid m3u8 stream. I click the icon, view the available stream qualities, and select which one to download.

Step 3: The extension then stitches the video segments together and saves them as a single file on my computer.

HLS Downloader extension is a lightweight, no-frills solution for basic, non-DRM HLS video downloads within Chrome. For anyone hoping to use it with major streaming services like Netflix or Amazon, however, my experience was that it simply doesn’t work—the downloads always failed. For protected or high-quality content, and for better reliability, I’d recommend to use StreamFab instead.

Quick Compare among These 3 HLS Downloaders

After spending time with several HLS video downloaders, I’ve found that each tool has clear strengths and trade-offs depending on your needs. Here’s an honest user-to-user breakdown of StreamFab, m3u8.dev, and the HLS Downloader browser extension.

Consider your actual needs and streaming habits. For comprehensive, hassle-free results with the best quality—especially from services like Netflix or Disney+—StreamFab truly stands out. For light or quick jobs, m3u8.dev or an extension may be enough.

Conclusion

HLS streaming is everywhere today, and downloading HLS streams is much easier with the right tools. Whether you want a professional-level option like StreamFab DRM M3U8 Downloader, a quick online solution, or a handy browser extension, there’s an HLS downloader that fits every need. Try out a few, see which approach works best for your sites and devices, and enjoy offline video without the hassle.