Fetchii vs Downie: which Mac video downloader fits you?
Short answer
Both are native Mac apps that download video from 1,000+ sites, and both cost $19.99 once. Fetchii adds SponsorBlock, more audio formats (MP3, M4A, Opus, FLAC), conversion inside the app and, on Apple Silicon, subtitles, summaries and search made on your Mac. Downie is a long-established, focused downloader with iCloud history sync, a Firefox extension and a Setapp option.
Choose Fetchii if
- You want MP3, FLAC or Opus audio, or MKV and WebM video, without a second app
- You want sponsor segments cut out of YouTube downloads
- You want subtitles created and translated on your Mac, or to search what was said in your videos (Apple Silicon)
Downie may suit you if
- You use Firefox: Downie has extensions for Safari, Chrome and Firefox.
- You download on several Macs and want your download history synced over iCloud.
- You already pay for Setapp, which includes Downie.
- You often save from sites that need a manual pick: Downie's User-Guided Extraction lets you browse to the video in its built-in browser.
Side by side
| Feature | Fetchii | Downie |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 once (1 Mac) or $29.99 (up to 3 Macs) | $19.99 once (up to 3 activations), or via Setapp ($14.99/month for 300+ apps) |
| Free trial | 14 days, every feature (up to 2 downloads at a time) | Free trial of the full version (length not stated on its website) |
| Updates | Every 1.x update included | Updates for the major version you buy; new major versions are a discounted upgrade |
| Supported sites | 1,000+ | 1,000+ |
| Requires | macOS 14.6 or later | macOS 13 or later (15 or later recommended) |
| Conversion | Audio-only downloads straight to MP3, M4A, Opus or FLAC; video as MP4, MKV or WebM. After downloading: transcode (hardware H.264/H.265, or VP9), change container or extract audio, in the same app | MP4 (H.264) or audio only (MP3 by default, or M4A). Other formats through Permute, a separate app |
| Record livestreams | Records while live; stops and saves when the broadcast ends or at a time limit you set | Yes, with a scheduled start and a stop date (per its release notes) |
| Subtitles | Downloads the video's own subtitles and can embed them. On Apple Silicon, also creates SRT subtitles from speech on your Mac and translates them into 15 languages | Downloads .srt files; does not merge them into the video |
| Skip sponsor segments | Yes, with SponsorBlock: remove segments or mark them as chapters | Not mentioned on its website |
| Transcripts, summaries and search | Yes, on your Mac (Apple Silicon): subtitles from speech, summaries, tidy file names and search by meaning | Not mentioned on its website |
| Browser extension | Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave and Chromium | Safari, Chrome, Firefox |
| Sign-in for private videos | The browser helper passes your sign-in for the site, or Fetchii reads cookies from Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Brave or Chromium | Built-in Login Browser; experimental Safari cookies |
| History sync | Kept on each Mac, with duplicate detection | iCloud history sync across your Macs |
Downie details come from its official website, checked on 17 Oct 2026:
- Downie product page and pricing
- Downie 4 release notes
- Downie help: postprocessing
- Downie help: subtitles
- Downie help: login
- Charlie Monroe Software: product pricing and upgrades
- Downie help: licence activation
Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Switching from Downie
Your existing downloads stay where they are. In Fetchii → Settings → Downloads, point Download location at the same folder, install the browser helper for Safari, Chrome, Edge or Brave, and keep copying links as before. If you use Firefox, keep its sign-in available to Fetchii under Settings → Advanced → Signed-In Sites → Use sign-in from.
Questions
- Is Fetchii cheaper than Downie?
- For one Mac they cost the same: $19.99 once. Downie's licence allows up to 3 activations; Fetchii's Multi-Device licence covers up to 3 Macs for $29.99. Fetchii saves MKV, WebM, MP3, Opus or FLAC and converts its downloads itself, so you don't need a second app for that.
- Can I try Fetchii before buying?
- Yes. Every feature is free for 14 days, and there's a 14-day money-back guarantee after you buy.
- Is Fetchii a subscription?
- No. You pay once. There is no subscription.
Try it with your next video
Free for 14 days · macOS 14.6 or later