Video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head
HandBrake vs Downie
HandBrake ranks #1 and Downie ranks #3 in our guide to the best video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhone. HandBrake is our pick for most people.
HandBrakePick HandBrake if you need to shrink or convert big video files and don't want to pay.Free, open source#3 in the guide
DowniePick Downie if you save lectures or clips from YouTube and other sites to watch offline.$19.99 onceWhat decides it
- HandBrake costs less over 3 years: Free, against $19.99 for Downie.
- Both run on Mac.
- Downie is included with a Setapp subscription; HandBrake isn't.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
Who should get which
Get HandBrake if
You have video files that are too big to share or refuse to play on your devices.
Get Downie if
You save lectures, tutorials or clips every week to watch offline or cut into your own videos.
Skip HandBrake if
You want to trim or edit a clip, which iMovie and QuickTime Player do for free.
Skip Downie if
You save a video maybe once a year, which doesn't justify $19.99.
Our verdicts
HandBrake
If you have a giant screen recording to send or an old video that won't play on your phone, HandBrake converts almost any file, or a DVD or Blu-ray without copy protection, to MP4, MKV or WebM for free. Presets pick sensible settings for common devices, and a queue converts a batch while you do something else. It converts rather than edits, and Permute at $14.99 is the drag-and-drop option if you'd pay for simpler.
Downie
Most video sites give you no file to keep for a flight or for your own edits. Downie saves video from more than 1,000 sites, including YouTube in 4K, through 1-click extensions for Safari, Chrome and Firefox, and can keep only the audio or convert to MP4 for your iPhone. It costs $19.99 once, with tax added at checkout, and Setapp subscribers already have it included.
What each one helps you do
HandBrake
- Shrink a huge video before you share it
- Convert video to a format that plays anywhere
- Rip a DVD without copy protection
- Convert a batch of files in 1 queue
Downie
- Save a YouTube video in 4K
- Keep just the audio from a video
- Convert downloads to play on an iPhone
- Grab video from sites with no download button
Where to get them
Downie
$19.99 once, or included with Setapp
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From the developerThe download includes a free trial$19.99Get it
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IncludedTry Setapp
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Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhone.
PermutePick this if you convert files every week and want drag and drop for video, audio and images.$14.99 once
KinoPick this if you shoot video on iPhone and want film-style color without editing afterward.$9.99 once
ClopPick this if you only want screen recordings and images smaller, done the moment you copy them.Free to start
Read the full guideAll HandBrake alternativesAll Downie alternatives