6 Best YouTube Playlist Downloaders That Still Work in 2026

Trying to download a 50-video YouTube playlist one by one is frustrating. Worse still, finding a tool that can actually grab a whole playlist in one go is surprisingly hard. Most "free" downloaders you find online will either hit you with a paywall after the first five videos, flood your screen with sketchy pop-up ads, or crash halfway through a large queue. To save you the trial and error, we tested dozens of desktop programs, web tools, and scripts. Here are the 6 best YouTube playlist downloaders that can still handle full batches reliably in 2026.

1. Desktop YouTube Playlist Downloader for Windows & Mac

VideoProc Converter AI is a dedicated desktop program designed for heavy batch media processing, making it a reliable tool for saving complete YouTube playlists to your local drive.

It instantly pulls up the full playlist from a single link. You can choose to download the whole series in a single click, or select individual episodes you want to keep. It supports original 1080p or 4K video resolutions, and it can also batch-extract audio tracks into high-bitrate MP3 or M4A files for music collections. If the playlist includes tutorials or foreign-language content, the program can download the corresponding subtitle tracks alongside the video.

The developers update the software frequently to ensure playlist downloads stay reliable over the long run. And as an added benefit, the built-in AI tools are especially helpful if you are archiving vintage clips or older video courses. If a playlist contains uploads capped at 480p or 720p, you can use the Super Resolution feature to upscale the footage to clean 4K resolution directly inside the application.

Download VideoProc Converter AI and Save any YouTube Video You Like!

How to Download YouTube Playlist to MP4

Step 1. Right-click on a YouTube playlist to get its link address.

Step 2. Install and launch VideoProc Converter AI. Click "Downloader" on the main interface.

Step 3. Click "Add Video" > "Paste URL & Analyze". Then it will auto analyze the link of the playlist.

Step 4. After the link analysis, choose a format and video resolution. Then choose to download the whole playlist from YouTube, or download selected videos.

Step 5. Select an output folder to save the playlist video. Hit the "Download now" button to start downloading.

How to Download YouTube Playlist to MP3

Step 1. Open VideoProc Converter AI downloader.

Step 2. Choose "Add Music" this time. Paste the link of a YouTube playlist to it and wait for it to analyze it.

Step 3. Set the file extension to MP3 to make the program work as an MP3 converter. Then hit "Download Full Playlist" or "Download Selected Videos".

Step 4. Browse to choose a folder to save these MP3 files. Click on "Download now".

Besides MP3, you can also extract audio from YouTube and save them as AAC, OGG, M4A and other formats for various devices.

How to Download YouTube Watch Later Playlist

Step 1. Go to VideoProc Converter AI > "Downloader" > "Add Video".

Step 2. Sign your YouTube account by clicking on the "Account" button. You are also enabled to download Vimeo videos by adding your Vimeo account.

Step 3. Hit the blue "Analyze" button and wait for it to fetch videos in your watch later playlist.

Step 4. Download the entire playlist from YouTube, or tick several videos to download.

Tips: If an Analysis Failed error pops up, no worry. This is not a bug in this software. YouTube just recently canceled the option to turn private watch later playlist into public. It will work again when you are allowed to make your watch later playlist public like managing other general YouTube playlists in the Library tab.

2. YouTube Playlist Downloader Online

Searching YouTube playlist downloader in Google, you'll get many online tools easily. But then, you'll find most free downloaders redirect you to their sponsors' sites, or ask you to install some add-ons first, otherwise, they won't start downloading videos for you. That's why we do not recommend online tools for YouTube playlist downloading. But if you insist on this method, we dig out a relatively reliable tool, YouTubePlaylist.cc. It is an online downloader that allows users to backup and grab videos, channels, and playlists from YouTube, Dailymotion, and Soundcloud. And during our test with a 20-video playlist, the site parsed all links in about 10 minutes and let us pick individual files to download.

How to Download YouTube Playlist Online

Step 1. Go to the website of YouTubePlaylist.cc.

Step 2. Paste the video link address to it.

Step 3. Choose a desired video resolution. Then it'll begin to save the playlist to your browser Downlods folder.

Pros:

• Download YouTube videos in bulk and selectively.
• Can download YouTube playlist in MP3 and MP4 format.
• Trim videos to a preferable length before downloading.
• Responsive to users' feedbacks.

Cons:

• Account required.
• Intrusive ads on the interface.
• Only download 15 videos for free per day.
• Maximum video resolution 720P.

3. YouTube Playlist Downloader APK for Android

Because Google bans YouTube downloaders from the Play Store, Android users must rely on safe, sideloaded APK files. Videoder remains one of the longest-standing mobile downloaders that still supports YouTube playlists. Besides acting as an in-app browser for platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, it automatically scans links from your clipboard. When you copy a playlist link, Videoder prompts a pop-up window where you can select the entire collection or check off specific episodes.

How to Download YouTube Playlist on Android with Videoder

Step 1. Download the official APK from Videoder’s verified website and allow your browser to install unknown apps in your Android settings.

Step 2. Open YouTube, navigate to the playlist you want, and copy its link.

Step 3. Launch Videoder, tap the link detection prompt, choose your format and quality, then tap Start Download.

Pros:

• Fast downloading speed.
• Integrated search engine to find videos on 50+ platforms.
• User-friendly and customizable interface.

Cons:

• Quality and size limits in the free version.
• Can't download YouTube playlists as MP3.
• Frequent glitches.

4. YouTube Playlist Downloader iPhone

Apple’s strict App Store policies make it impossible for native YouTube downloaders to exist on iOS. The only viable workaround on an iPhone is using the built-in Shortcuts app with a community-maintained script like YouTube Playlist Downloader (available on RoutineHub). These shortcuts use external APIs to parse YouTube video streams and save them straight to your Photos app or Files directory. Keep in mind that because YouTube constantly updates its code, third-party shortcuts break frequently and need regular updates from their creators.

How to Download YouTube Playlist with iPhone Shortcut

Step 1. Added a video downloader shortcut on your iPhone.

Step 2. Open a YouTube playlist, go to share > more, and you will find this downloader.

Step 3. Tap on it, then the playlist videos will be saved to your iPhone camera roll.

Pros:

• Activate the downloader right in the share option of YouTube videos
• Space-saving and easy to use.
• Multiple video quality options.

Cons:

• Broken easily. You have to upgrade and reset the shortcut again.
• Cannot save YouTube playlist in MP3 format.

5. YouTube Playlist Downloader Chrome Extension

If you prefer working within a desktop browser, keep in mind that the Chrome Web Store blocks all extensions that download from YouTube. To bypass this restriction, the most consistent solution is using a userscript runner like Tampermonkey on Chrome, or installing a dedicated add-on like Loader.to on Firefox. Once installed, the extension injects a dedicated download button right beside YouTube playlist headers. Clicking it sends the entire list to a processing queue where you can export the files.

How to Download YouTube Playlist with Browser Extension:

Step 1. Install the extension on Firefox, or install Tampermonkey on Chrome with the corresponding playlist script.

Step 2. Open any YouTube playlist page. You will see a new Batch Download button beneath the playlist title.

Step 3. Select your target format and let the browser queue your downloads.

Pros:

• Easy and fast.
• Download videos without link copy & paste.
• No space pressure on your computer.

Cons:

• Complicated configurable settings before installing this extension.
• Unable to download videos in bulk.
• MP4 output exclusively.

6. YouTube Playlist Downloader GitHub

If you prefer open-source software with zero ads, trackers, or commercial upsells, Open Video Downloader (also known as youtube-dl-gui) is the benchmark choice. Built on top of the powerful yt-dlp library, it gives you a clean graphical interface without requiring any command-line knowledge. It handles massive playlists with hundreds of videos effortlessly. The software reads the link, displays every track with its thumbnail and duration, and lets you extract original 4K video or batch-convert everything to MP3 with complete metadata tags.

How to Save YouTube Playlist for Free

Step 1. Download the Windows or macOS installer from its official GitHub releases page.

Step 2. Paste the YouTube playlist link into the top input bar.

Step 3. Choose your format (Video or Audio) and target resolution, then click the download arrow.

Pros:

• Multiple-language interface for English, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch (NL), French, German, etc.
• No ads, open source and free.
• Automatic tagging of artists, album, title and genre based on the video title.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I download a YouTube playlist to MP4?

Use a YouTube playlist to mp4 downloader, such as VideoProc Converter AI. In addition to downloading and converting the entire playlist to MP4, it allows you to save YouTube in MP3 format.

Can VLC download YouTube playlist?

No. VLC cannot download YouTube Playlist. If you have playlist downloaded on your computer, you can convert YouTube playlist to MP4 or MP3 in VLC.

What is the best YouTube playlist downloader?

The best tool depends on your priorities:

• For large playlists and 4K quality: VideoProc Converter AI is the most reliable desktop pick because it supports GPU acceleration, handles unlimited video batches without crashing, and preserves original audio tracks.
• For zero installation: YouTubePlaylist.cc works fine for short lists under 15 clips.
• For tech-savvy users wanting 100% free software: Open Video Downloader on GitHub is the top open-source option.
• For most users who want an effortless balance between download speed, stability, and high resolution, a dedicated desktop program like VideoProc Converter AI offers the smoothest overall experience.

Disclaimer: Any copy-protected or authorized videos you download from YouTube playlist are not recommended for commercial use.