Compare · Fetchii vs the rest
Three apps' work.
One window.
Downie downloads. Permute converts. yt-dlp does both — from a terminal. Fetchii does all of it, records livestreams, skips the sponsors — and adds on-device AI none of them have. One native Mac app, one price.
- Download
- Convert
- Record
- On-device AI
- SponsorBlock
- No terminal
01 — Head to Head
What each one actually does.
The honest version. Where a tool needs a workaround or an add-on, we say so.
| Feature | Fetchii | Downie | Downie + Permute | yt-dlp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in video format conversion | ✓ | Limited (MP4, audio) | All formats via Permute (+$14.99) | Manual setup required |
| Total price for download + convert | $19.99 | $19.99 (limited conversion) | $34.98 | Free (technical setup) |
| AI subtitles for videos that have none | Any video, on-device | — | — | — |
| Search your library by meaning | Cross-lingual | — | — | — |
| Instant video summaries | Instant, private | — | — | — |
| Subtitle translation without the cloud | 15 languages, offline | — | — | — |
| SponsorBlock — auto-skip sponsor segments | ✓ | — | — | Via terminal commands only |
| Livestream recording | ✓ | partial | partial | Via custom scripts |
| Browser extension | Safari/Chrome/Edge/Brave | Safari/Firefox (Chrome: manual install) | Safari/Firefox (Chrome: manual install) | — |
| Works standalone — no extra software needed | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Depends on setup |
Comparison based on publicly available information as of July 2026. "Manual" / "plugin" / "partial" means achievable only with extra steps, command-line flags, or third-party add-ons. Fetchii's AI features require an Apple Silicon Mac. Product capabilities and pricing may change without notice; Downie and Permute are trademarks of their respective owners, and yt-dlp is an open-source project. Please verify current features and pricing on each product's official website before making a purchase decision.
02 — Real-world
What it looks like on a normal day.
Four things people actually do — and how many apps it used to take.
- Offline study
Save a course for the flight
Grab a full lecture playlist in 1080p and have it ready offline before boarding.
Downie → export → Permute → convert
Fetchii: paste playlist → done
- Music
Rip a DJ set as MP3
Pull a two-hour set and get a tagged MP3 with artwork, no video file left behind.
Download video → convert → tag
Fetchii: audio-only preset
- Live
Archive a live AMA
Record a livestream as it airs so you keep it even if it's deleted afterward.
Screen-record → crop → convert
Fetchii: record live → saved
- Find it again
Find that one explanation
You've saved 200 videos — which one explained the thing you need right now? Describe it and Fetchii jumps to the moment, even across languages.
open each file → scrub → give up
Fetchii: describe it → found
03 — The math
One app vs. two apps.
Downloading and converting the old way means buying — and updating — two separate apps.
The old way
2 apps- Downie · downloader
- $19.99
- Permute · converter
- $14.99
- Livestream recording
- n/a
- On-device AI
- n/a
- SponsorBlock
- n/a
- Total
- $34.98
Two purchases · two update cycles · still no livestream, AI, or SponsorBlock.
Fetchii
1 app- Downloader
- included
- Converter
- included
- Livestream recording
- included
- On-device AI
- included
- SponsorBlock
- included
- Total
- $19.99
One purchase · free 1.x updates · save $15.00 and an app.
04 — No terminal required
yt-dlp's power, without the command line.
Fetchii is built on the same class of engine — wrapped in an app your hands actually like.
The yt-dlp way
$ yt-dlp -f "bv*+ba/b" \
--merge-output-format mp4 \
--sponsorblock-remove all \
--embed-subs --embed-thumbnail \
"https://…"
# install ffmpeg first. then read the man page.The Fetchii way
Paste or drop a video link, then press Enter
↓ Fetchii handles the rest
Saved · MP4 · sponsors removed
subtitles & thumbnail embedded
Replace the whole stack.
One download. One price. Everything those other tools do — and the things they don't. · Free 14-day trial · macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon & Intel