How to Rip Blu-ray Discs : Best Free Blu-ray Rippers for Windows & Mac
Summary: To rip Blu-ray discs without playback errors, you need a Blu-ray drive and the best Blu-ray ripper software, such as DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper for one-step ripping and compression of protected Blu-rays, MakeMKV for full backups, and HandBrake for compressing. The process involves loading your Blu-ray disc, selecting titles, tracks, and subtitles, then saving the file to your computer or mobile devices for smooth playback.
Table of Contents
When ripping Blu-ray discs, we face two problems: complex disc encryption and massive storage requirements. If you attempt a 1:1 backup of a standard 1080p Blu-ray, you are looking at 30GB to 40GB per movie, while 4K UHD titles frequently exceed 100GB. As noted by enthusiasts in the Reddit community, archiving a large collection without compression can demand 30TB of space, leading to hardware costs of $400 or more just for hard drives.
In this guide, I will show you how to rip and convert Blu-ray to digital files by bypassing AACS or BD+ errors with the best Blu-ray ripper tools and compatible hardware. I will explain how to balance file size and quality to provide a clear and cost-effective workflow for digitizing your Blu-ray library.

Quick Guide: Software & Hardware Needed for Ripping Blu-ray
To rip a Blu-ray, you need three basic things: a compatible internal or external Blu-ray drive, enough free space for large video files, and the right software to decrypt, rip, and compress discs to digital files. First, let's check the best Blu-ray ripper software I picked based on my real-world tests.
My Top Picks of Blu-ray Rippers
To ensure a fair comparison, I tested DVDFab, MakeMKV and Handbrake using the same Blu-ray source and hardware setup. The goal was to evaluate performance in both compressed (H.264 Encoding) and lossless (1:1 passthrough) modes.
- Test Movie: 2012 (Length: 2h 36m, Original Size: 33.43 GB)
- OS: Windows 10
- CPU: Intel i7-6700
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti
- External Blu-ray Drive: LG WH16NS40
| Top Blu-ray Rippers Tested | |||||
| Ripping Mode | Tool | Supported Blu-ray Protection | Ripping Time | Output Size | Video Quality |
| Lossless (1:1 MKV) | DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper | All, AACS, BD+, BD-J, RC, NEW, etc. | 7m04s | 31.4GB | 1920x1080 |
| MakeMKV | Basic, AACS, BD+ | 7m33s | 34.7GB | 1920x1080 | |
| Compressed (H.264 Encoding) | DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper | As above | 7m45s | 3.74GB | 1920x1080 |
| HandBrake | None | 5h34m50s | 3.46GB | 1920x800 | |
💡My Recommendation for Different Ripping Needs:
DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper: Best for Lossless & Compressed Ripping of Large Blu-ray Discs
DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper completes a lossless or compressed rip in approximately 7 minutes while maintaining 1:1 original quality. Its one-step process integrates decryption and compression, eliminating the need for massive temporary storage and avoiding the "MakeMKV + Handbrake" headache. By reducing discs to a 3-4GB range, a 600-disc library fits onto a single 2.4TB portable drive, making it the ideal solution for rapid, high-density digitization.
MakeMKV: Best for Lossless Backup
MakeMKV performed well in lossless mode, finishing in 7m 33s, though the output was larger than DVDFab's at 34.7 GB. It is a free-to-use tool (while in beta) that excels at "remuxing" original streams into an MKV container. However, it lacks compression features, requiring a second tool like HandBrake if you need to save space.
HandBrake: Best for Compression Control
While HandBrake is good fine-tuning H.265/HEVC settings, its speed is a major drawback; in my test, it took over 5 hours to compress a single movie. It cannot decrypt commercial Blu-ray discs on its own, making it an "optional" second step after using MakeMKV.
Hardware Required: Choosing a Reliable Blu-ray Drive
To rip standard Blu-ray discs, you generally don't need specialized or high-end hardware; most standard optical drives can handle these formats. You can choose between an internal drive for a desktop PC or a portable external USB drive like LG WP50NB40 or Verbatim 43888. Moreover, ensure you have enough HDD/SSD space, as a single 1080p Blu-ray rip can take up roughly 30GB to 50GB if stored without compression.
Then let's check how to rip Blu-ray with the best Blu-ray ripper software.
How to Rip Blu-ray Discs with DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper
DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper is a comprehensive tool that decrypts and digitizes Blu-ray discs, ISO files, and folders into formats like MP4, MKV, and M2TS. It natively handles complex protections - including AACS, BD+, and BD-J - to ensure seamless access to encrypted or region-locked content. By integrating decryption and transcoding into one streamlined workflow, it offers a high-efficiency solution for building a digital media library.
Beyond basic Blu-ray ripping, the software features batch conversion and robust GPU hardware acceleration. It allows for precise customization of bitrates, frame rates size, audio, subtitles, striking an ideal balance between file size and visual fidelity. Additionally, the preservation of metadata makes it an excellent choice for seamless Plex media playback.
Supported OS:
Key Features:
- Deliver 40+ annual updates to promptly support the latest Blu-ray copy protections.
- Rip Blu-ray discs, ISOs, or folders into over 1,000 video and audio formats.
- Provide lossless 1:1 backups or high-quality compressed video to save storage space.
- Allow users to rip all titles and chapters or select specific audio tracks and subtitles.
- Leverage full hardware acceleration to guarantee industry-leading ripping speeds.
- Processe multiple Blu-ray tasks simultaneously using a single batch command.
- Feature built-in tools to crop video, adjust parameters, or add external subtitles.
Video Tutorial:
Detailed Steps:
Step 1: Open DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper and Load Your Blu-ray Disc
Download DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper on your Windows or Mac and run it. Once it's done, choose the "Ripper" module and navigate to the source file by clicking the "Add" button or simply dragging it into the main page.

Step 2: Select a Profile and Customize Output
Select your desired profile by clicking the "Choose Other Profile" button. Then choose which titles, audio track, and subtitle you want to save.
- Select the MKV.H265 or MP4.H265 profile to reduce file sizes by up to 50% compared to H.264 while maintaining identical visual quality.
- You can manually select specific audio languages and subtitle tracks (e.g., SRT or forced subtitles) directly from the main interface.

Click the "Advanced Settings" to set the video, audio and subtitle parameters.

Then, use the built-in "Video Editor" to customize the output video. You can crop, trim, speed up/down, zoom in/out, adjust the video properties like contrast, brightness, saturation, etc.

Step 3: Set Output Folder and Start Ripping Blu-rays
Finally, choose where to save the video file and click the "Start" button to start the ripping. It will take a few minutes once it's done. You can also add multiple discs or ISOs to a Task Queue. The software will process them sequentially with a single click.

How to Rip a Blu-ray For Free with MakeMKV
MakeMKV is a free Blu-ray ripper that extracts content from Blu-ray and DVD discs into the MKV format while preserving all original metadata, subtitles, and chapters. It efficiently decrypts and extracts data, enabling high-quality video playback across various platforms without any loss in fidelity.
I used MakeMKV to rip a few of my Blu-ray discs, and the process was straightforward: load the disc, and within minutes, I had an MKV. These files transferred easily to my media server and played perfectly on my TV. However, the software exclusively outputs to the MKV format and lacks built-in tools for video compression or editing. To reduce the massive file sizes, I had to use HandBrake as a second step, which is a more complex and time-consuming process.
Supported OS: Windows XP or later, x86 or x64; Mac x64 or ARM64 Mac OS X 10.7 or later; Linux
👍Main Features:
- Supports DVD and Blu-ray discs, including AACS and BD+ protected ones.
- Rips DVD discs and Blu-ray to MKV format.
- Maintains all meta-information such as track language and audio type.
- Keeps chapter information intact.
- Offers fast conversion, limited only by your drive's reading speed.
👎Cons:
- Unable to read all copy-protected Blu-ray disc.
- No video editing options.
- The output file is large because of its lossless Blu-ray ripping.
- Certain versions may crash while operating.
Detailed Steps:
Step 1: Launch MakeMKV and Open Blu-ray Disc
Get the installer from https://www.makemkv.com/ and set it up on your computer. When you launch the program, it will automatically scan your optical drives and detect any Blu-ray disc inside. Simply click the Blu-ray icon to load the disc for ripping.

Step 2: Select Titles and Customize Tracks
After scanning, select from a list of titles on the disc. Look for one that matches the length and chapter count of the movie you want to rip, deselecting others. You may adjust audio and subtitle tracks if necessary.

Step 3: Set Destination and Start Ripping
Click the folder icon on the right to set a destination with enough free space, then press "Make MKV". The ripping process may take some time, depending on the disc size and your hardware speed.
Step 4: Compress Large MKV File with HandBrake (Optional)
After creating a massive MKV with MakeMKV, use HandBrake to convert it into a space-efficient format like H.265 (HEVC) for easier streaming.
- Source Loading: Open HandBrake and drag your newly created MKV file directly into the interface.
- Setting Presets: Select a device preset like "Matroska H.265 MKV," to apply optimized encoding settings instantly.
- Quality Tuning: Set the resolution to 1080p and adjust the Constant Quality (RF) slider to 20 to achieve the best balance between visual fidelity and file size.
- Start Encoding: Click "Start Encode" to begin the compression process.
How to Rip Blu-ray Discs with HandBrake
💻Working System: Windows 10 and later & macOS 10.13 and later & Linux
HandBrake is an open-source and free Blu-ray ripper that can convert Blu-ray to MP4, MKV, and WebM. It supports many multimedia formats, including unencrypted DVD and Blu-ray movies. The program offers advanced video and audio settings, along with presets for optimal output quality and batch conversion features.
During my use, HandBrake was generally stable. It simplifies preparing films for playback on my iPhones. However, I encountered occasional crashes when I tried to convert large files with complex settings, which seemed to be related to certain video filters I applied.
👍Main Features:
- Rips Blu-ray/DVD discs without copy protections.
- Supports MP4, MKV, WebM as output profile.
- Selects title, chapter, subtitles and range.
- Supports batch scanning of multiple Blu-ray files.
- Provides a variety of video filters such as deinterlacing, denoise, detelecine, deblock, grayscale, colourspace along with cropping and scaling capabilities.
👎Cons:
- This free tool cannot decrypt Blu-ray discs.
- It is complicated to use for basic users.
- Only support to preview the first four minutes of video.
Step 1: Install HandBrake and Load Your Blu-ray
Download this free Blu-ray Ripper from https://handbrake.fr/. Insert your non-protected Blu-ray disc and launch HandBrake. Choose your BD drive in Source Selection to load the disc. Once scanning is complete, select your desired title under the Title section.

Step 2: Choose Output Format and Customize Settings
Under the Summary tab, choose MP4, MKV or WebM as your output video format. Then customize your video by selecting video resolution or adding subtitles, and so on. Select a preset on the right side that fits your needs.

Web Optimized Setting in HandBrake
HandBrake includes a Web Optimized option, which changes the way data is arranged inside the output file. When enabled, it places the video index at the beginning of the file, so playback can start before the full download is finished.
💡Settings for Web-optimized videos:
By enabling Web Optimized and following these settings, you can create videos that are well-suited for streaming and web playback.
| Items | Recommended Value |
| Format | MP4 |
| Video Codec | H.264 (x264) |
| Constant Quality (RF) | 20 |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 (or 1280x720 for smaller file sizes) |
| Frame Rate | Same as Source |
| Audio Codec | AAC at 160 kbps |
| Encoder Preset |
Medium
|
| Web Optimized |
Enabled
|
Step 3: Set Destination and Start Encoding
Click Browse at the bottom to specify a destination folder for saving ripped files. Once all settings are confirmed, click Start Encode at the top of the interface.

How to Rip Blu-ray Discs with More Options
Rip Blu-rays For Free with DVDFab HD Decrypter
💻Working System: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and macOS 10.13 - 15.x
DVDFab HD Decrypter is a free tool that lets you rip Blu-ray discs, ISO files, or folders to MKV and MP4 formats, including discs with copy protection. Serving as the free version of DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper, this software can also copy DVD or Blu-ray content, making it a simple way to back up your collection or convert discs for digital playback.
👍Main Features:
- Decrypts DVD and Blu-ray discs released one year ago
- Copies DVD/Blu-ray to DVD-9/BD-50 disc, ISO file, or Folder
- Supports multitasking mode for DVD and Blu-ray
- Auto-synchronize all the original metadata information
- Built-in video editor to crop, adjust brightness, tweak playback speed and change zoom level
👎Cons:
- Unable to process newly released Blu-ray disc
How to Rip Blu-ray with this Free Blu-ray Ripper
Step 1: Download and launch DVDFab software
Open DVDFab 13 and choose the Ripper option. Insert your Blu-ray into the optical drive, or navigate to it through the Add button. If the source is an ISO or a folder, you can simply drag and drop the file onto the main page.
Step 2: Select a format and customize the video
To select an output format, click "Choose Other Profile". Then choose which titles, audio tracks, and subtitles you want to preserve. To personalize the output video, go to "Advanced Settings" and use the built-in "Video Editor".
Step 3: Start ripping Blu-ray discs
At the bottom of the main interface, click the folder icon to select the destination folder. When you press the Start button, DVDFab will immediately begin ripping Blu-ray disc and display full progress information.
Rip Blu-ray with DumboFab Blu-ray Ripper
💻Working System: Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista and macOS 15
DumboFab Blu-ray Ripper offers a simple way to rip Blu-ray discs into popular digital formats like MP4, MKV, and AVI. It handles major DRM protections like AACS and BD+, and uses hardware acceleration for quicker conversions. Although it doesn't support lossless conversion, it does include features like batch ripping and basic video editing.
👍Main Features:
- Maintain good video and audio quality (not fully lossless)
- Support AACS, BD+ and some region codes on commercial Blu-rays
- Offer 13 device profiles and 12 audio presets for format selection
- Use NVIDIA CUDA and AMD acceleration for faster processing
- Provide a video preview to check content before ripping
- Include basic editing options such as trimming and cropping
👎Cons:
- Lack disc auto-detection or drag-and-drop importing
- Doesn't support adding or exporting subtitles, including external subtitle files
- Lack advanced editing features compared to top-tier rippers
Step-by-Step guide to ripping Blu-ray using DumboFab Blu-ray Ripper
Step 1: Download the latest version 7.3.0 from www.dumbofab.com. Once installed, launch the software to begin.

Step 2: Insert and Load Your Blu-ray
Click the disc icon on the main screen to import the Blu-ray. You can also load folders or ISO files.
Step 3: Choose Output Format and Adjust Settings
Click on the "Format" bar to select an output format such as MP4, MKV, or AVI. You can fine-tune settings like resolution, bitrate, and audio track using the Settings panel.

- Format: MKV (H.265)
- Resolution: 1080p (1920x1080)
- Bitrate: 15,000 kbps
- Audio: AAC, 384 kbps, 5.1 channels
- Subtitles: SRT (separate track)
- Hardware Acceleration: NVIDIA CUDA (enabled)
Step 4: Edit and Preview
To make basic edits, click the "Edit" option at the top menu or the pencil icon next to the title. You can trim or crop the video. And a preview window lets you see the changes in real time.
Step 5: Start Ripping
Once you're ready, click the Start button. A progress window displays the current status and estimated time left.

Rip Blu-ray Using Blu-ray Master
💻Working System: Windows 11/10/8/7 & macOS 10.12 or above
Blu-ray Master provides a free Blu-ray Ripper that makes disc management simple. With the ability to handle protected discs and convert BDMV to MKV, MP4, and other digital formats, it helps users store movies digitally or watch them on different devices.
👍Main Features:
- Support over 500 output formats, such as WMV, AVI, MKV, etc
- Convert 2D/3D Blu-ray discs such as BD-5/9 and BD-25/50
- Allow audio track adjustments and the addition of external SRT, SSA, ASS subtitles
- Include a built-in video editor for trimming titles, adjusting brightness and contrast, and adding filters
👎Cons:
- The free version does not support encrypted Blu-rays
- Lossless ripping requires the paid upgrade
How to Rip a Blu-ray with Free Blu-ray Ripper
Step 1: Install Blu-ray Master Free Blu-ray Ripper and open it. Click Load Blu-ray to import content from a disc, an ISO image, or a folder. The program will detect titles, chapters, and audio tracks automatically.

Step 2: From the Profile drop-down list, pick your preferred format. You can choose from general video formats or device-specific presets for smartphones, tablets, and media players.

Click Settings to fine-tune resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and audio parameters. This helps balance video quality and file size.

Step 3: Select the Edit button to open the built-in editor. Here you can trim unwanted segments, crop the screen area, add subtitles, apply filters, or adjust brightness and saturation.

Step 4: Set the output destination on your computer, then click Rip All. The progress bar will show the estimated time until completion.
Rip Blu-ray with Freemake Video Converter
💻Working System: Windows 11, 10, 8, 8.1, 7, Vista
Freemake is a free video converter, but can also serve as a free Blu-ray ripper. It can rip Blu-ray videos (M2TS files) into many digital formats for playback on TV, mobile devices, or media servers. Once the output is selected, it will reduce the size of the file so you can view it on a mobile phone as well. Besides ripping, you can edit videos and photos as well.
👍Main Features:
- Rip Blu-rays and region-coded DVDs, including disc folders
- Support common output formats such as MP4, MKV, and AVI
- Allow users to cut, crop, and adjust output size when customizing videos
- Add external subtitles in SRT, ASS, or SSA formats
👎Cons:
- Output videos include a watermark unless you upgrade to the paid version
- Lack hardware acceleration and high-quality presets
- Cannot copy Blu-ray disc to ISO or folder structure
How to Rip a Blu-ray Using Freemake Video Converter
Step 1: Download Freemake Video Converter from the official site freemake.com. Then insert your Blu-ray disc into the drive.

Step 2: Launch the program and click the DVD button on the menu bar. Select your optical drive, and the software will load the available Blu-ray titles or folder.

Step 3: At the bottom of the interface, choose an output format such as MP4, MKV, AVI, or the "to YouTube" option if you plan to upload directly. You can also adjust quality settings, crop or cut segments, and add subtitle tracks before conversion.

Step 4: Click Browse to choose an output folder, then press Convert to begin.
Rip Blu-ray For Free with VLC Media Player
💻Working System: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
VLC is well-known as an open-source media player that also offers basic DVD and Blu-ray disc conversion. It can convert Blu-ray to AVI, MP4 or other formats for free, making it a popular choice for users who don't want to invest in paid software.
However, by default, VLC cannot rip or play Blu-rays protected with encryption schemes like AACS or BD+. To process such discs, users must install extra libraries. This setup can be confusing for newcomers, and results may vary depending on operating system and library versions.
👍Main Features:
- Free to use with no ads, trial periods, or hidden limits
- Support for basic conversion of DVDs and unencrypted Blu-rays to formats like MP4 and AVI
- Wide range of playback features, including video/audio filters, subtitle synchronization, etc
👎Cons:
- Fewer options for output quality control compared to paid Blu-ray rippers
- Conversion speed and quality are often lower than dedicated software
- Interface may feel complex for users without technical background
How to Rip a Blu-ray to MP4 Using VLC
Step 1: Download, install, and launch the new version of VLC on your Windows or Mac from videolan.org. If your PC is 64-bit, you must download the VLC Windows 64-bit version.
Step 2: After that, visit https://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/ and download the files based on your computer's operating system.
- Download the keydb.cfg file and save it to C:\ProgramData\aacs\ (Windows) or ~/Library/Preferences/aacs/ (macOS). If the AACS directory does not already exist, create it.
- Download the libaacs DLL file and place it in the VLC directory (Windows) or /usr/local/lib/ (macOS).
Step 3: Insert your Blu-ray disc and launch VLC. Navigate to "Media > Open Disc." In the new window, select Blu-ray, and then click "Play" to ensure that VLC can access the disc properly.
Step 5: In the "Convert" window, select "H.264+MP3 (MP4)" from the "Profile" list, then click "Browse" to specify a save location and filename. And finally click "Start" to begin the Blu-ray to MP4 conversion process in VLC.

Step 6: You may track your progress using the progress bar located at the bottom.
Best Free Blu-ray Rippers Compared: Features and Speed
I took several features into account, referred to ratings from authoritative websites, and conducted several tests to find the best tool. By viewing this table, you can quickly get to know the pros of each Blu-ray ripping software so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
| Tool | DVDFab | DumboFab | Blu-ray Master | VLC | MakeMKV | HandBrake | Freemake |
| User Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.1/5 | N/A | 3.7/5 | 3.5/5 | 4.3/5 | 2.9/5 |
| Supported Formats | 1000+ audio & video | 300+ | 200+ | Most popular formats | MKV | MP4, MKV and WebM | 50+ |
| Blu-ray Decryption | AACS, BD+, Cinavia, RC, BD-J, etc | AACS, BD+ (Older versions only) | Basic | Not supported by default | AACS, and BD+ | Not supported by default | No |
| Batch Processing | YES | YES | YES | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Hardware Acceleration | YES | YES | YES | NO | NO | YES | NO |
| Video Quality | Lossless or high-quality compression | Slight loss after encoding | Slight loss after encoding | Lossy | 1:1 Lossless | Adjustable | Noticeable quality loss |
FAQs About Ripping Blu-ray
Yes. With the right Blu-ray ripping software, you can convert Blu-ray to digital video files. This is useful for watching on devices without a disc drive, or setting up a home media server with Plex or Kodi. You can also rip audio for Blu-ray. Just keep in mind that most commercial Blu-rays use copy protection, so you'll need a ripper that can handle DRM decryption.
To rip Blu-ray to MP4 and other video format, you can use DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper or other tools recommended in this guide. This powerful software allows you to convert Blu-ray discs into digital files with high quality while preserving subtitles and audio tracks. Simply select the Blu-ray disc, choose the MP4 format, and start the conversion process.
To Blu-rays to a USB drive, you can use a professional Blu-ray ripping software like DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper. First, convert the Blu-ray content to a digital format, such as MP4 or MKV. After the conversion, simply transfer the ripped files to your USB drive for easy storage and playback on various devices. This method is perfect for creating backups or for convenient on-the-go access to your Blu-ray collection.
The most compatible video format for Plex is MP4 with H.264 codec. Therefore, if you want to rip Blu-ray discs for Plex streaming, you could convert them into MP4 with a Blu-ray ripper and add the ripped Blu-ray video to your Plex library so it can be streamed across all of your devices. For the complete settings and workflow, see how to rip Blu-ray for Plex.
Yes, 4K Blu-ray discs can also be ripped using professional software such as DVDFab UHD Ripper. It can convert any protected Ultra HD Blu-ray to MKV/MP4/M2TS format in 15 minutes and keep HDR10/Dolby Vision effect for playback on any devices such as smart TVs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
Digital Rights Management is a copy protection system designed to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution of digital content. When converting Blu-rays to digital files, users often encounter these protections and need special tools to bypass them.
The main Blu-ray DRM protections include:
- AACS: The primary encryption system on Blu-ray discs, requiring decryption keys.
- BD+: A self-updating DRM system that changes protection methods over time, making older decryption tools obsolete.
- Cinavia: A digital watermark embedded in the audio track to prevent playback of ripped copies on authorized Blu-ray players.
- Region Coding: Restricts discs to specific geographic locations, making them unplayable in unsupported regions.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a free Blu-ray ripper for Mac and Windows, the programs above cover both lossless or compressed ripping needs. Choosing the right tool depends on whether you prioritize the rapid speed of integrated one-step processing offered by DVDFab Blu-ray Ripper or the multi-stage open-source utilities like MakeMKV and HandBrake. Once your discs are converted into digital formats, you can store them more conveniently and enjoy playback on devices like iPhone, Android, tablets, or media players without relying on the original Blu-rays.




