How to Copy DVD on Mac: 6 Best DVD Copy Software for Mac in 2025

I've spent years collecting DVDs, and some of discs are rare editions I hunted down at flea markets or got as gifts from close friends. Trying to keep every disc spotless and intact can get stressful, especially when you've seen a favorite movie scratched by accident. Trust me, it happens. My family, especially my curious nephew, has more than once slipped a disc out of its case and left fingerprints or little scuffs all over it. That's why, over the years, I've tried every trick in the book to copy DVDs on my Mac.

For those in my shoes, there are two main ways to safeguard your DVDs on macOS:

👉🏻 DVD copy software for Macintosh: Convert any DVD to a blank disc, make a lossless backup of it, or save it as an ISO file or folder on an HDD. It is ideal for users who wish to make an exact backup of their DVDs—either onto a new blank disc, as an ISO file, or as a folder on their hard drive—making it perfect for collectors and anyone looking to archive or preserve the original disc structure for safe-keeping or future burning.

👉🏻 DVD ripping software: Copy and convert DVDs into a variety of audio or video files. Copied Digital files can be played anywhere and stored on USB sticks, iPads, mobile phones, etc. It is more suitable for those who want to duplicate their DVDs as digital files that can be easily played on various devices such as Apple devices and iPhones, iPads, or Apple TV, as well as stored on USB drives or shared online. This makes ripping the preferred choice for people seeking flexibility, device compatibility, and portable access to their movies or video content.

So, how to copy DVD to blank DVD on Mac? How to save DVDs to Mac as digital formats? Let me walk you through the best tools and straightforward steps I've tested myself, so you can keep your collection safe, flexible, and ready for any device.

Before Copying a DVD on Mac

Modern Macs haven't included built-in DVD drives since 2012. If your Mac doesn't have an optical drive, you'll need to connect an external DVD drive—something like the Apple USB SuperDrive or a certified third-party USB DVD±RW—before inserting your disc. Apple's USB SuperDrive is compatible with Macs released in 2008 or later that don't have a built-in optical drive. Just plug it right into a USB-A port. For newer Macs with USB-C or Thunderbolt ports, use Apple's USB-C to USB adapter or a USB-C multiport adapter to connect. Try to avoid unpowered USB hubs, since they may cause connection issues or power failures during the copying process.

How to Copy DVDs on Mac as Digital Files (Ripping Method)

Best DVD Copy Software For macOS: DVDFab DVD Ripper

After struggling to get my favorite movies onto my iPad for a long trip—and finding that most free converters either crashed or couldn't handle copy-protected discs—I wanted one solution that would let me digitize any DVD I owned, no matter how new or protected. That's when I discovered DVDFab DVD Ripper.

DVDFab DVD Ripper

Powerful DVD ripping software that specialized in copying both protected and home-made DVD on Mac to digital formats with fast speed. Also, it provides customizable settings for audio, video and subtitles parameters and editing features.

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💻Available on: Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 & macOS 10.10 - 15.x

👍Key features

• The only tool that can decrypt the latest copy protection from discs.
• Input any protected DVD disc (2D & 3D), DVD folder, DVD ISO image file.
• Output 1000+ video/audio formats: MP4, MKV, AVI, MP3, TS, WebM, etc.
• Profile Filter: 3D, Passthrough, 4K/5K/8K, H265, 10/12 bit, etc.
• Export 260+ devices: iPhone, Android, Xbox One, USB, and other preset devices.
• Speed: 50x faster ripping speed with GPU acceleration & batch conversion.
• Quality: 1:1 original video quality and 5.1 audio tracks.
• Video editing tools: trim, crop, watermark, subtitle, video effects, contrast, brightness, etc. 

How to Duplicate DVD on Mac with DVDFab DVD Ripper?

Step 1: Install and launch it on your Mac, and click the module "Ripper" first. Insert your disc into a DVD drive, and then this program will detect it quickly. If your source file is an ISO image or folder, you can also simply drag and drop it to the main interface. 

Step 2: Click "Choose Other Titles" to select the whole or part of DVD titles you want to rip. You can also select chapters, audio tracks, subtitles or add external subtitles. Then use the options of Advanced Settings and Video Edit to edit your file based on your reference.

Then click "Choose Other Profile" to customize it by selecting the output video/audio formats and device category. 

Step 3: Save the file and click the "Start" button to convert DVD to MP4 on Mac. You can check the real-time schedule and stop the process at any time.

Copy DVD to Hard Drive on Mac: MakeMKV

Sometimes, I just want a quick and easy way to back up my older DVD collection on my Mac, especially those that aren't highly protected and don't need editing. In these straightforward cases, I turn to MakeMKV for a fuss-free solution.

💻Available on: x64 or ARM64 Mac OS X 10.7 version or higher, Windows and Linux

If your DVD is simply encrypted with region code or CSS, MakeMKV is also a great option to save DVD to Mac. MakeMKV is a free DVD ripper and DVD copy software for Macintosh that allows you to convert discs and files into MKV format only. The program also supports ISOs and BDMVs as well as folders containing IFO and DAT files. Despite its simplicity, MakeMKV offers little customization options which may not appeal to advanced users.

Features:

• A simple tool for copying DVD on Mac in the fastest speed
• Allows choosing of preferred directory for output to provide great and proper management of files
• keep all meta-information (track language, audio type), as well as all video and audio tracks

Open-Source DVD Copy Solution for macOS: HandBrake

If you are a fan of open-source software, you'll prefer using free tools whenever possible, especially for converting personal home videos or unprotected DVDs. That's why many people often reach for HandBrake when they need something fast, flexible, and free for basic DVD ripping on my Mac.

💻Available on: MacOS 10.13 or later; Windows 10 or later; Linux

If you are looking for an answer to how to copy a DVD on Windows 10 and Mac free and effective, then HandBrake software can be your third choice. HandBrake is an excellent free tool for copying non-protected DVDs on Mac, offering powerful encoding features and clean output. However, if you need to rip commercial DVDs with DRM, you'll have to pair it with tools like VLC + libdvdcss or consider alternatives like DVDFab DVD Ripper that offer built-in decryption.

Features:

• Supports converting standard DVDs to digital formats like MP4 or MKV, making them compatible with Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
• Includes pre-configured settings optimized for Apple devices.
• Offers advanced settings for video codec (H.264, H.265), resolution, bitrate, audio tracks, subtitles, and more.
• Allows multiple DVD titles or episodes to be converted in one session.
• Can add soft or burned-in subtitles from DVD sources.
• Efficient for ripping entire DVD series with multiple titles.

How to Copy a DVD on a Mac With DVD Copy Software

Copy Any Protected DVD to Mac: DVDFab DVD Copy

When I wanted to preserve my favorite movie DVDs—including those with complex copy protection—on my Mac, I needed a solution that could handle both old classics and the latest releases, and give me the flexibility to choose full disc backups or just the main movie. That's when I turned to DVDFab DVD Copy.

DVDFab DVD Copy allows you to copy DVD on Mac with 1:1 ratio or compress it to save storage space, only copy main movie title, or copy any content you desire from the source. Besides, you can split one DVD-9 into two DVD-5, or merge multiple DVDs into one DVD. Moreover, you can burn DVD to a blank DVD disc, or clone DVD with 1:1 ratio to gain lossless output DVD.

💻Available on: macOS 10.10 - 15.x & Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

👍Features of DVDFab DVD copy

• Copy homemade and commercial DVDs to Mac, including Disney X-project DRM, RCE, CSS, etc
• Support to encrypted new discs by providing services like cloud decryption
• Copying DVD for MacOS in batch at lightning-fast speed
• Customized settings for output size, audio and subtitle languages
• 6 Copy modes: Full Disc, Main Movie, Clone/Burn, Merge, Split and Customize

How to Copy DVD on Mac by using DVDFab DVD Copy?

Step 1: Launch the DVDFab software and load the source.

Now you can proceed by inserting a DVD that you need to take backup of into your optical drive. In case it is a folder or an iso file then you just need to drag and drop the required file into the software's main page.

Step 2: Selection of the copy mode and customize the output DVD.

Clicking the copy mode as per your requirement. Next, select "Advanced Settings" to choose between DVD-5 and DVD-9 as the output size. Remember to check the "Copy DVD-Video (Video_TS folder)" box; if you don't, you'll receive a blank disc. Next, place a blank DVD disc into your computer's optical drive. Of course, if you prefer to back up your DVD as an ISO file or as a folder on your hard drive, you don't need to insert a blank disc at all. Simply click the ISO or folder icon at the bottom of the main interface, and choose your desired storage path.

Step 3: Starting the DVD copy process on Mac.

Now, you just need to tap on the Start button to save DVD to computer. DVDFab software will be completing the task of copying a DVD with amazing lightning speed and great quality. 

Built-in Tool to Copy Unprotected DVD to Mac: Disk Utility

Choose this route if you want a free, built-in way to make a simple 1:1-style backup of a non-protected video DVD on a Mac—e.g., to clone the disc to another blank DVD or keep an image on your drive for later burning. Disk Utility can create a DVD/CD master image from the disc, and you can burn that image back to a blank DVD using Disk Utility or the Finder. It's straightforward, requires no third-party installs, and works best for non-DRM content.

Disk Utility is macOS's built-in imaging tool. It can create disk images (including DVD/CD master images with the .cdr extension) and burn images back to physical media. If you just need to burn files/folders or a ready image, the Finder can also burn discs. I'll start by walking you through how to create a disk image using Disk Utility, and then show you how to burn that image to a physical DVD using either Disk Utility or Finder.

Copy a DVD on a Mac Without Software

Part A: Create a disk image

Step 1: Open Applications → Utilities → Disk Utility (or press ⌘+Space, type "Disk Utility," and hit Return).

Step 2: Click View → Show All Devices so you can see all hardware, including the physical DVD device.

Step 3: Select the physical DVD device (like "SuperDrive" or your external drive) in the sidebar. It's important to choose the device itself—not just the mounted volume—so you capture the entire disc structure, which is essential for making an exact, clone-ready image.

Step 4: Choose File → New Image → Image from "[device name]". This option instructs Disk Utility to create a disk image from the physical disc itself (not just from its files). This is different from "Image from Folder," which will only bundle files, not the whole disc structure.

Step 5: In the save dialog:
- Save As: Choose a name and a destination with enough free space.
- Format: Select DVD/CD master (this makes a .cdr file).
- Encryption: Set to None (since you're cloning, not encrypting).

Step 6: Click Save to start.

Apple's documentation emphasizes that a DVD/CD master contains all sectors of the original, so when you later burn this image, you get a true, exact copy. Depending on your DVD's size, this process can take an hour or even longer. Once it finishes, you'll have a .cdr image of your disc on your Mac. At this point, you can safely eject the original DVD.

Note: Need a real .iso? Convert with Terminal: hdiutil convert /path/source.cdr -format UDTO -o /path/destination.iso 
After converting to ISO image files, you can convert ISO to DVD with DVD Burning tools. Both .iso and .cdr files can be burned to physical discs using this tool.

Part B: Burn the image to a blank DVD

Step 1: Eject the original disc from your drive and insert a blank DVD-R or DVD±R. For best results (especially on older drives), use good quality blank discs and select a slower burn speed with verification enabled.

Step 2:

Finder Method — for macOS 10.11 El Capitan and later

- In Finder, Control-click the .cdr (or .iso) image file, then choose Burn to Disc….
- Select your drive and preferred burn speed, make sure Verify is checked, and click Burn.
- Apple details this easy right-click burn workflow in Mac Help.

Disk Utility Method — for Yosemite or earlier

- In Disk Utility, select the .cdr image (or its mounted volume) in the sidebar.
- Click Burn (the icon, or use the menu), choose burn speed and Verify, and then click Burn again.
- You'll see progress and eventually a confirmation that the burn was successful.

Now, just wait for your disc image to be written to the blank DVD. Like creating the image, burning can take anywhere from several minutes to over an hour, depending on the size of your source and the speed of your drive.

Note: This built-in workflow doesn't bypass copy protection and is intended for non-DRM discs only. If you run into read/burn errors on commercial titles, that's often why. If you want to copy the new-released movie discs or other discs with copyright encryption protection, we still recommend that you use reliable third-party software such as DVDFab DVD Copy.

1:1 Copy DVD to Mac: AnyMP4 DVD Copy

I recently found a box of old family DVDs and wanted to make sure I had digital backups before the discs grew too old or got scratched. Since I didn't need advanced editing or lots of extra features, I was simply looking for an easy, hassle-free way to make exact copies on my Mac. That's when I decided to try AnyMP4 DVD Copy, hoping for a straightforward solution to preserve those memories.

💻Available on: Mac OS X 10.9 or later & Windows 10/11/8/7

AnyMP4 DVD Copy for Mac enables you to duplicate and save any DVD disc, folder, or ISO file on Mac with high-quality and fast speed. Whether you want to clone a DVD to another blank disc, back up your DVD movies, or make a digital copy for easy playback, this versatile software can meet all your DVD copying needs.

With AnyMP4 DVD Copy software for MacOS, you can choose to copy the entire DVD or just the main movie to save space. Additionally, you can also compress DVD-9 to DVD-5 with excellent quality, ensuring your copied DVD occupies less space without compromising on the visual and audio effects.

Conclusion

From the feature-rich options to the more straightforward and user-friendly ones, there is something to suit every need. Whether you want to create 1:1 backups of your DVD collection or copy DVD for portable devices, these top six copy software for macOS provide the capabilities required for a smooth and efficient copying process.