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13 Video Grabbers for Online Recording

Ben Jacklin Edited by Ben Jacklin
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Need to record an online video? Try Movavi Screen Recorder!

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  • High-quality video and audio capture

  • Basic editing options

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Our review of the best video grabbers

If you want to enjoy videos independently from hostings or just save them for later, a video grabber may help. You can save clips via desktop screen recording software or use a video grabber online.

Software

OS

Best for

Download

Windows, Mac

Lots of features

Editor included

Download
Download
Download
Download

Windows, Mac, Linux

Easy-to-use search function for YouTube videos

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Windows

PC screen, game, and webcam recording

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Making a video grabbing could help you have the videos downloaded so you can enjoy them during your free time. Here we will tell you how to screen grab video content from popular video sites through software and online video grabber channels above. Some allow users to download videos; some of them are screen recorders that function as video grabbers.

At Movavi, we’re committed to providing you with verified information only. Here’s what we do to ensure this:

  • When selecting products to include in our reviews, we research both demand and popularity.

  • All products mentioned in this article have been tested by Movavi Content Team.

  • When testing, we aim to highlight the best features of a product and what it’s best suited for.

  • We study user reviews from popular review platforms and make use of this information when writing our product reviews.

  • We collect feedback from our users and analyze their opinions of Movavi software as well as products from other companies.

Desktop video grabber software

The first method, which involves the use of video grabber software, is only suitable for Windows and/or Mac operating systems. These may, however, be incompatible with smartphones with Android or iPhone operating systems.

Best for: Windows and Mac operating systems

Movavi Screen Recorder

Download for Free
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Features:

  • Can record multiple audio sources

  • Offers annotation tools

  • Can record your entire screen or its portion

  • Offers scheduled screen recording

Movavi Screen Recorder is a desktop software for Windows and Mac. It offers many options for capturing the screen, but it also provides the user with an editor to edit the captured movies. It is possible to pause the screen capture and resume it later, but when you click the Stop button, the video will be captured and shown in an integrated player, which already allows some minor adjustments. On this screen, it will be possible to see what has just been captured. The free trial version allows you to test the software with the Movavi watermark on the screen but without the possibility to export the captured videos.

Pros

  • Packed with features

  • Lots of screen capture options

  • Editing tool included

  • Complete, but intuitive in operation

Cons

  • The free version puts a watermark on videos

Best for: downloading videos from YouTube

ClipGrab

Features:

  • Can grab ​​Vimeo, YouTube and Dailymotion

  • Offers clipboard monitoring

  • Can grab videos in higher or lower resolution

ClipGrab is a free video capture and conversion program for YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and many other popular video sites. It is a browser extension that works mainly for Windows. It can convert downloaded videos to many formats in one simple step. The ClipGrab for Windows installer includes InstallCore, an advertising software module classified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) or potentially unwanted application (PUA) by some anti-malware products.

Get ClipGrab

Pros

  • Offers a built-in, easy-to-use search function for YouTube videos

  • Captures HD video (1080p and 720p) and converts downloaded videos to MP3, MPEG4, or other formats

Cons

  • ClipGrab has been described as "litter-loaded" software

Best for: PC screen, game, and webcam recording

Bandicam Screen Recorder

Features:

  • Offers schedules recording

  • Can also capture gameplay

  • Can be used for streaming

Bandicam is a lightweight screen recorder software for Windows, and it allows users to record a certain area on a PC screen, webcam or capture a game that uses the DirectX/OpenGL/Vulkan graphics technologies. It comes with an easy-to-understand user interface with advanced recording features such as real-time drawing, webcam overlay, scheduled recording, mouse click effects, audio only recording, and so on.

Get Bandicam

Pros

  • Record PC screen and audio

  • Record DirectX, OpenGL, Vulkan, UWP games

  • Record external devices such as webcams

Cons

  • The free version has a recording limit of 10 minutes per video with an added watermark

Best for: advanced users who need a free service

JDownloader

Features:

  • Offers clipboard monitoring

  • Can pause and resume downloads

  • Can batch-download videos for you

JDownloader allows you to download and save videos from a wide range of websites instantly and conveniently. It offers faster video transfers using multi-threaded download technologies. You can upload 4K, HD, or other standard content of your choice. JDownloader also allows you to watch and enjoy multiple videos at the same time. The desktop software has the so-called Link Grabber that tracks the clipboard to identify and download the video automatically. Remote monitoring helps you track downloads when you are away from your device. It also allows you to import standard files from various file-sharing sites.

Get JDownloader

Pros

  • It has a simple and intuitive style

  • Very easy to use

  • Gets updated frequently

Cons

  • Requires a lot of memory space

Best for: leisure and advanced use

4K Video Downloader

Features:

  • Can download videos in a higher or lower resolution

  • Can download the audio track from a chosen video as an MP3

  • Downloads individual videos or playlists

4K Video Downloader is a desktop software for PCs that allows downloading of playlists, channels, videos, and subtitles from YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Vimeo, and other video sites in high quality. It is a basic video downloader that helps you to save all your favorite Internet videos on your device. 4K Video Downloader supports all popular video pages. 4K and 8K HD video downloads are supported. It also allows you to download videos in a group. You can download an entire playlist and channel from YouTube and save the downloaded files in MP4, MP3, M4A, FLV, MKV, 3GP. It captures video in HD 720p, HD 1080p, or 4K. The software offers support for downloading subtitles in the .srt file and for 360° video viewing. Multi-threaded update technology makes it easy to stream to this freeware software. Plus, the Smart Mode feature ensures that all videos are seamlessly accessible using your desired settings.

Get 4K Video Downloader

Pros

  • The software comes with an advanced download and subtitle option

  • You can stream 3D and 360-degree images

  • 4K Video Downloader is available on desktop operating systems (Windows, macOS, Ubuntu) and as an Android app

Cons

  • The desktop program sometimes refuses to download videos for no reason, then starts working as it should again

Best video grabbers online

Video grabber online services are offered to virtually all operating systems: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and more. You don't need to have an extension or program downloaded on your system to access the service. Some of the best online video grabber services are listed below.

Best for: professional screen recording

VideoGrabber.net

  • OS

    Web-based

  • Price

    Free

Features:

  • Downloads videos in popular formats like MP4, FLV, WMV, and MP3

  • Works online but also offers a desktop app

Video Grabber is an all-in-one video editing platform for cloud-based video saving. You can search for videos on the site and also download videos. Just paste the video link and download. VideoGrabber.net lets you download videos into various formats, from MP4 to FLV, 3GP, WEBM, WMV, and MP3. You can also download high-definition videos by using the online service. You can use the service to grab video from a website if you don't want to download any additional apps for this task.

Go to VideoGrabber.net

Pros

  • Also downloads HD videos

  • Suitable for audio and video downloads

Cons

  • Only limited usage in the free trial

Grab a video
Best for: capturing streamed videos

Screencapture.com

Features:

  • Can record your webcam and mic, too

  • Saves videos in MP4

Screen Capture is an online screen grabbing service that captures everything you want on a desktop. It captures videos through supported browsing software. These can be Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera. You can schedule recordings, snow keystrokes, draw on the videos or save files on almost all popular formats. You can grab videos online, capture the activities on your screen, include your face in the video through a webcam, and can also record your screens with sounds.

Go to Screencapture.com

Pros

  • Free screen recorder

  • Offers high privacy during the recording process

  • Fast video saving in Full HD

Cons

  • Cannot download videos

Best for: YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

VideoGrabber.cc

  • OS

    Web-based

  • Price

    Free

Features:

  • Designed to download videos from  YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vimeo

  • Can download videos in any resolution

Video Grabber is an online service that allows you to download any video. It downloads videos into 480 x 270, 640 x 360, 1280 x 720, and 480 x 27 into different formats from MP4 to M3U8. It is fast, safe, and secure. It helps users grab videos for free. However, you can only convert videos that have links and can already be shared. It doesn't show unnecessary ads, and the service is free.

Go to VideoGrabber.cc

Pros

  • No unnecessary advertisement

  • Available in MP4 and M3U8 formats

  • Fast and straightforward

Cons

  • Limited download formats

Best for: instant downloads

SaveFrom.net

  • OS

    Web-based

  • Price

    Free

Features:

  • Also offers a Chrome extension, a desktop app, and an Android app

  • Downloads videos to various compatible formats

Many Internet sites allow you to download videos from the Web: one of the most popular is SaveFrom.net. Its strength is undoubtedly in the minimal and straightforward user interface, designed to download a video on the fly without distractions. To start using it, go to the official web page. Then in the bar located in the center of the screen, paste the address of the movie to download and then click on the download video button in the browser, located at the bottom of the new screen that will open. This tool is also available in the form of a browser extension, and you can install it by clicking on the Install button.

Go to SaveFrom.net

Pros

  • Offers HD-quality videos

  • Fast download speed

Cons

  • Displays lots of ads

  • Not for all video hosting sites

Video grabbing extensions for your browser

These browser extensions allow you to download and save videos from a wide range of websites instantly and conveniently. They can be installed on Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or other browsers. However, they support only a few browsers.

Best for: Mozilla Firefox

Video DownloadHelper

Features:

  • Supports DASH and HLS streamed videos

  • Helps hide ads from videos

  • Can convert videos to another format

This is one of the Mozilla Firefox add-ons that makes it easy to download videos from various platforms used to distribute this type of content. Like Facebook, Vimeo, Vine, Periscope, Break, Metacafe, Twitch, Dailymotion, etc. Among other features, it allows you to select the desired resolution for the video, and you can even record Periscope and Twitter sessions with it. It is one of the best browser extensions you can install on Chrome or Firefox. Using it is very simple: a button is added next to the address bar of the browser. Whenever you stumble upon a video that interests you, click it, and it will download.

Get Video DownloadHelper

Pros

  • It is a lightweight and fast tool

  • Comes with a user manual

  • For virtually all video hosting sites

Cons

  • Browser may freeze if multiple videos are queued

Best for: downloading videos on TV

Video Downloader Professional

Features:

  • Can grab videos in your preferred resolution

  • Helps play your videos via Google Chromecast

  • Also offers an app for all browsers

This is one of the main extensions provided by Chrome to its users to download videos posted on YouTube. This way, you can enjoy them offline whenever you want in an MP4 file that you can play on any computer and mobile device. When you install this tool, a new icon will be added to the browser bar from which you can download and save the clip. Not just for Chrome browser, it is also available for Firefox.

Get Video Downloader Professional

Pros

  • Allows playing videos on TV

  • Downloads online videos faster

Cons

  • Can’t grab videos from YouTube, Instagram, Dailymotion, and TikTok due to Chrome Store restrictions

Best for: users who want a free extension with no ads

Video Downloader Plus

Features:

  • Can grab videos in HD, 2K, and 4K

  • Supports MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WEBM, ASF, MPG and many other formats

  • Supports Chromecast devices

Video Downloader Plus is an extension that helps you grab a video from a website on Firefox or Chrome. It supports sites like Facebook, Vimeo, Twitch, Dailymotion, RaiPlay, and other streaming websites. One of the best browser extensions for video downloaders, it can download all popular media types from any website. You need to add the extension available for Chrome and Firefox, and an icon will be created on the top bar. When you are on a site that contains a video, you need to click on the icon, and the list of available video formats will appear. Just click Download, and the video will download to the Downloads folder. You can save videos in .3GP, .MP4, .MP3, .WMV, and .FLV. The quality is exceptional because the different resolutions in which you can download videos are offered.

Get Video Downloader Plus

Pros

  • You can grab multiple videos simultaneously

  • Detects and saves any type of format

  • Free and easy to use

  • Without ads and unlimited

Cons

  • Extension doesn't work with YouTube

Best for: recording and sharing videos

Loom

Features:

  • Records in 720p, 1080p, 1440p, or 4k HD

  • Stores your videos in its cloud

  • Creates your own media library to manage

  • Offers an incredibly large variety of tools (frames and effects, reactions, comments, and more)

The Loom desktop client has three different recording modes: Camera Only, Screen Only, and Screen + Camera. You can quickly access the menu by clicking the ellipsis in the upper right corner of the program and selecting Preferences to adjust the default recording options to best suit your needs. For example, users can set the quality of their recording to automatically adjust according to available bandwidth or a number between 360p and 1080p. You can also decide if the control menu is visible, have a countdown before your recordings begin, and highlight the clicks you make with the mouse while recording.

Get Loom

Pros

  • You can start, stop, pause, resume, and cancel recording

  • You can save and access up to 25 videos

  • All Loom videos are stored at no cost

Cons

  • Only works on Chrome extensions

How to screen grab a video from a website

Movavi Screen Recorder is capable of grabbing videos from websites and lets you record any screen activities to create video clips while browsing the web, watching online videos, chatting via Skype, or working with a new application. Download Movavi Screen Recorder right now and read this guide to learn how to use it.

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Step 1. Install and run the video grabber

Once you’ve downloaded the app, install it according to the on-screen instructions.

Step 2. Set the recording parameters

First, click on the Screen recording icon and designate the capture area by drawing the capture frame with your mouse. You can also adjust the size of the capture area later by pulling on the frame’s edges.

Now set the audio preferences. By default, the program captures sound from your output sound device. If you also want to use an input device (microphone or other), click the Microphone icon to activate input device sound capture. Make sure you have your microphone plugged in. If you connect more than one input device, you’ll need to open the drop-down list above the microphone icon and pick the name of the other device(s) from the list.

You can also add webcam video to your screen recording. To do this, click on the Webcam button – it should turn green.

For a more informative video, you can configure the program to memorize keyboard and mouse actions. To do this, go to the Effects menu and set up the Keystroke Recording or Cursor Effects.

Step 3. Grab your video

Now click REC on your screen to grab a video. You can manage the process by clicking the appropriate buttons on the program’s control panel or use hotkeys: in Windows, press F9 to pause/resume the process and F10 to complete it. To take a screenshot, hit F8. If you're a Mac user, press ⌥ ⌘ 1, ⌥ ⌘ 2, and ⌥ ⌘ 3, respectively.

Step 4. Trim and convert the footage (optional)

After you’ve finished grabbing your footage, it will be automatically saved in MKV, so if you don't need any editing or format changes, you can simply check your recording in the preview window. If there are any segments you'd like to cut out, use the Cut tool to mark the beginning and end of the unwanted fragment, then select it with the left mouse click and remove it using the Delete button.

Click Export to apply any changes you've made, an export dialog will open. Here, you can choose a new format for your recording. Finally, hit Save and wait for the clip grabber to finish processing your video. Screen Recorder is the best tool that will help you save any video to your hard disk!

What to look for in a screen grabber

We hope this article will help you find what you are looking for. Here is a short list of things you should pay attention to when choosing the best free video grabber software:

  • Watermark: there are a lot of apps that are technically free. But they leave a mark on your recordings.

  • Quality: make sure that the app provides the necessary quality of sound and imagery. It may be relevant for your recording to be clear and understandable.

  • Features: if you need anything besides video grabbing, like export to the cloud, for example, you find it in the features descriptions. Check the official websites of the apps for more information before downloading anything.

  • Reviews: it is a good idea to see what other people have to say about an app you are about to download. User reviews can hint at hidden issues or perks.

  • Support: it is good to know that you can contact the support team via live chat, email, or else in case of trouble. If there is no such option, it is better to consider using another app.

Summary

We have attempted to cover as many services as possible, so you can quickly find an app that can help you import your favorite content. Video grabbers help you save videos, so you can stream them anywhere and wherever you want. Try out Movavi Screen Recorder for free now to see the benefits it offers!

Warning: Downloading of copyrighted videos is illegal. This tutorial was written for illustrative purposes only. It is not our intention to encourage piracy, and therefore, we do not take any responsibility for how you will use the information contained in it.

Movavi Screen Recorder

The perfect way to record from your screen
Download for FreeAbout the Windows version
Download for FreeAbout the Windows version
Download for FreeAbout the Mac version
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Disclaimer: Please be aware that Movavi Screen Recorder does not allow capture of copy-protected video and audio streams.

Frequently asked questions

How do I grab a video?

  1. Download and install a screen grabber
    Get Movavi Screen Recorder for Windows
    Get Movavi Screen Recorder for Mac

  2. Run the program and adjust the recording settings

  3. Hit the REC button to start

  4. Hit the Stop button to finish

  5. Edit the record if you want and click Export to save the file

What is the best video grabber?

The best video grabbers are software, extensions, and websites that offer seamless download or recording processes. They must be compatible with as many formats as possible (from MP4 to WEBM, MP4, MOV, AVI, ASF, MPG, and more). They must also be compatible with the most popular operating systems, from Windows to Android, macOS, Linux, and more. Overall, the best video grabbers are:

  • Movavi Screen Recorder

  • ClipGrab

  • 4K Video Downloader

  • Screencapture.com

  • SaveFrom.net

To see the complete list of online video grabbers, read our article.

Is VideoGrabber.net safe?

VideoGrabber.net is one of the most popularly used video grabbing online services. The service is safe to use according to user reviews and service reviews by experts online. However, if you don’t trust online tools like this, you can always use a desktop program such as Movavi Screen Recorder.

How to grab a video from a website?

Many media files are only available for a few days. If you want to save them for future reference, there are two ways to do this. You can use a screen grabber and record what’s on your screen, or you can use desktop apps, online tools, and browser extensions specifically designed to download video clips. Below is a list to help you choose.

Screen grabbers:

  • Movavi Screen Recorder

  • Screencapture.com

  • Loom

Desktop programs:

  • ClipGrab

  • JDownloader

  • 4K Video Downloader

Online tools:

  • VideoGrabber.net

  • VideoGrabber.cc

  • SaveFrom.net

Browser extensions:

  • Video DownloadHelper

  • Video Downloader Professional

  • Video Downloader Plus

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