When it comes to powerful DVD rippers, DVDFab vs MakeMKV are two of the most popular options. Both DVDFab and MakeMKV are compatible with Windows and Mac, allowing you to rip any DVD disc with flexibility and customization. With these rippers, you can get ripped DVDs in all device-compatible formats. In addition, each software has its own strengths. Which one is better? Which one is more suitable for you? Next, we will compare and analyze DVDFab vs MakeMKV in terms of features, compatibility, pros and cons, and usage steps.

August 2025 Update

In our recent performance evaluation and testing of these two software programs, we discovered that we were unable to try MakeMKV because the key had expired. We attempted to find a new key, but neither the official website nor third-party sites had released a new one.

This issue has sparked discussions on Reddit. Some users tried purchasing a permanent key to ensure uninterrupted use, only to encounter transaction issues or delays in receiving their keys. This isn't the first unexpected incident; the MakeMKV website experienced unannounced downtime in June due to a domain expiration.

Currently, MakeMKV's site has closed its purchasing channel without providing updates. If you're waiting for a solution, keep an eye on the MakeMKV beta key for updates, and consider downloading DVDFab DVD Ripper for free, which offers more features during its trial period.

DVDFab: Top Contender in the DVDFab vs MakeMKV Battle

DVDFab is one of the leading DVD rippers on the market, with over 20 years of experience. In addition to being a popular DVD ripper, it also includes other modules like Blu-ray and UHD rippers, making it a versatile tool for various disc formats. In this section, we'll focus on DVDFab DVD Ripper module.

DVDFab DVD Ripper
DVDFab DVD Ripper

DVDFab DVD Ripper can make a digital copy of your entire DVD collection in the blink of your eyes. Capable of ripping real discs (DVD-5/9), ISO files, and folders to over 1,000 popular formats, it offers both lossless and compressed conversion options, ensuring a customized viewing experience with your ripped videos on any device.

In addition to its DVD ripping capabilities, DVDFab is also highly specialized and comprehensive when it comes to decryption. If your DVD is copy-protected, DVDFab can quickly remove both old and new encryption, allowing you to back up your disc effortlessly. It can detect and eliminate common and advanced protections such as CSS, APS, RC, Sony DADC, and more, making it easy to convert both old and newly purchased DVDs into digital format. Of course, as a strong contender in the DVDFab vs MakeMKV Battle, DVDFab DVD Ripper offers even more features:

👍Futuristic Functions

  • Using this service, DVDFab can remove any advanced encryption, such as RC, CSS, APS, etc., from any DVD with a few clicks.
  • With this extensive audio-video file format support, such as MP4, MKV, FLAC, M4A, WMA, etc., you can rip your DVD to any desired format according to your streaming device, platform, or storage requirements.
  • When ripping DVDs, DVDFab maintains the original quality of the ripped content with a 1:1 ratio while keeping all the essential information. All the metadata, like cast, title, cover, etc., will be synchronized with the source DVD, and eventually, the ripped DVD will have all the essential metadata.
  • No matter how long your DVD content is, you can fit multiple DVD content in one file by reducing the original file size without compromising the content quality. Using this lossless compression function, you can store multiple ripped DVD content in your device's limited storage.
  • DVDFab lets you enjoy digital copies of your DVDs in 5.1 AC3 audio quality with theatrical sound satisfaction.
  • DVDFab can rip any 2D or 3D content, as it has dedicated profile filters for ripping. It also lets you enjoy output video in HDR10 quality.
  • You can rip multiple DVDs simultaneously using the queueing function. You can keep multiple DVDs in the queues one by one, and they will be ripped one after another automatically to save time.
  • DVDFab offers exclusive video editing options with cropping, trimming, adding subtitles, watermark, etc, to give a personal touch to your ripped DVD for your flexible streaming.
  • DVDFab has consistently updated its cutting-edge features, blog and forum. With quick customer support responses, it ensures a worry-free disc ripping experience tailored to your needs.

❌Cons

  • DVDFab is not available on Linux OS
  • Technical support is available only in the paid version

Complete Guide to Ripping DVDs Using DVDFab

Step 1: Launch, open, and run the DVDFab program > go for the "Ripper" Module > put the DVD in the optical drive for ripping. Otherwise, hit the "+" option to load the video source. You can also go for the drag & drop option to load the video source to the main interface if the source video is an ISO image file or folder.

Steps to Rip DVD using DVDFab

Step 2: Move to the "Profile Selection Box" > from the built-in library, and select the output profile format, such as MP4, MKV, etc., per your requirements.

Steps to Rip DVD using DVDFab

Step 3: Go to the "Advanced Setting" to select the output parameters, such as subtitles, chapters, audio, etc., according to your choice. You can also try the built-in editor to edit the content with multiple options.

Steps to Rip DVD using DVDFab

Step 4: Next, move to the Folder > choose directory to save your output ripped DVD > opt for the "Start" option to begin the DVD ripping process.

Steps to Rip DVD using DVDFab

MakeMKV: Strong Contender in the DVDFab vs MakeMKV Showdown

What is MakeMKV?

MakeMKV is a free and open-source program for ripping DVDs to MKV format, one of the most common and device-compatible container file formats. MKV contains all types of multimedia content, so using MakeMKV, you can rip any DVD containing media content including audio, video, or images.

While ripping, this ripper preserves all the essential information, metadata, and multiple audio-video tracks in the ripped DVD without making any changes. This Windows, Mac, and Linux-compatible ripper is also very easy to use with its user-friendly interface and functions. So, let's see the most useful DVD-ripping functions of this tool.

👍Futuristic Features

  • The Ripped DVD file can be played on any media player or device
  • Decrypt DVDs having any latest and advanced encryption
  • All audio-video tracks, chapters & metadata will be preserved in your ripped DVD
  • Malware, spyware & virus-free DVD ripping tool
  • Fast & hassle-free DVD ripping process
  • It lets you rip multiple DVDs in batches

❌Cons

  • MakeMKV supports only the MKV output format
  • There is no video editing or output parameters customization option
  • Insufficient official maintenance, with delays in releasing free beta keys and permanent keys

Complete Guide to Ripping DVDs Using MakeMKV

Step 1: Go to the MakeMKV website and select the appropriate downloading link compatible with your system OS to launch the program.

Steps to Rip DVDs using MakeMKV

Step 2: After launching the program, insert your preferred DVD into the optical drive. MakeMKV will automatically detect and show it. Select the DVD drive icon and the drive will be scanned automatically.

Steps to Rip DVDs using MakeMKV

Step 3: MakeMKV takes a few minutes to detect and remove if there is any encryption, error, or unwanted file. After this process, you can see all the chapters of the inserted DVD

Step 4: The larger file refers to the main movie, and the other refers to the other content on the disc. You can rip the entire disc or any specific file as per your choice. Now, right-click anywhere in the chapter box > remove "Unselect All" to remove all the "Tick" signs from each chapter.

Steps to Rip DVDs using MakeMKV

Step 5: Now, select the specific file that you want to rip and tick the relevant box according to your choice. Then select the "Title" option to open the drop-down menu and select your desired language for the movie. While scrolling through the subtitles, you can also select the subtitles.

Steps to Rip DVDs using MakeMKV

Step 6: On the right side, you can see the "Output Folder," where you will save the ripped DVD. You can also change the location if you want. Select "MakeMKV" on the right side. Wait for a few minutes, and you will get the ripped DVD in MKV format.

[Comparison] DVDFab vs MakeMKV – Which One is Best for You?

To help you make an informed decision between DVDFab and MakeMKV, let's take a closer look at a quick yet detailed comparison of these two tools, focusing on their DVD-ripping capabilities and overall flexibility.

DVD Ripping Dynamics DvDFab DVD Rippier MakeMKV

Compatible OS

Windows & Mac Windows, Mac & Linux

Ripping Speed

5 minutes for standard video 15 minutes for standard DVD

Output Format Support

Multiple formats (more than 1000 video and audio formats, such as MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, etc.) Only MKV

Output File Size

Reduced size with lossless compression Large file size

Batch Processing

Yes Yes

Decryption

Full support (CSS, APS, RCE, Sony ARccOS, etc.) Built-in support for CSS and most standard protections

Video Resolution

HD to 8K output support
irrespective of source DVD resolution
Output in 480p

Audio Quality

5.1 AC3

DTS-HD MA Stereo
DTS-HD MA-AAC Stereo

Vedio Editing

Yes No

Device Presets

260 + No

Watermark Adding

Yes No

Meta Info & Subtitles Saving

Yes No

FAQs

Is MakeMKV legal?

MakeMKV is legal as long as you use this program for personal and non-commercial purposes. If you own the disc you are ripping and are not sharing or misusing the ripped DVD files, it's legal to use MakeMKV. The legality also varies depending on the type of disc's encryption and the country where you have used the software. Before using, you should also check the disc terms and local laws.

Does DVDFab remove encryption?

Yes, using DVDFab DVD Ripper's Cloud Decryption Service, you can remove any type of old or latest encryption from any DVD disc. It automatically detects and eliminates the encryption from any DVD.

Conclusion

While comparing DVDFab vs MakeMKV to select the best DVD ripper you must know that the more functions and customization will add more flexibility to your DVD ripping experience. You definitely need maximum output format support to compress and reduce file size with maximum device and OS compatibility. So, to compare the overall performance of MakeMKV vs DVDFab, I think DVDFab will stay ahead with its unparalleled functions, customization, editing features and regular website maintenance.