On this page
SaveFrom.net stopped serving US visitors in 2020 and is blocked in some other regions. Even where the page opens, downloads can stall because of changes to YouTube’s video delivery. This guide separates access problems from download failures and explains the options for each.
The quick answer
- Page never loads: you are probably in a region SaveFrom does not serve. Nothing on your side changes that.
- Loads but spins or redirects: open a private window, close every pop-up, and never install the “helper” it offers.
- You want something that works: YouTube's own download for offline viewing, or yt-dlp on your own computer for files you have the right to save.
Is SaveFrom.net down? What happened
No. Unlike Y2mate, which was shut down with eleven sister sites in October 2025 (IFPI; see our y2mate article), SaveFrom.net is operating as of October 2026. In April 2020 it stopped serving US visitors, citing pressure from US copyright holders (Computer Hope). From a US address you may see that notice or a blank page, and some other countries block it at the ISP or court-order level.
The download flow is wrapped in pop-ups, fake Download buttons and prompts to install the SaveFrom.net Helper. Security software flagging its installers has been reported, and its older Windows installer was reported to bundle adware; we have not verified those reports.
ssyoutube.com has historically been SaveFrom's shortcut domain, and its lookalikes are covered in our SSYouTube article.
Why it fails even when the page loads
SaveFrom is a web extractor: a server that fetches the video for you. Platform changes work against that design, and the site adds one problem of its own.
| Symptom | Cause |
|---|---|
| Download dies at 0% or partway | YouTube's stream links expire within hours and are tied to the requesting IP. A link made for SaveFrom's server often fails from yours. |
| “Could not retrieve” or endless “processing” | Bot checks and throttling of datacenter IPs (see yt-dlp's PO Token Guide). |
| 720p with no sound | Above 360p, YouTube sends video and audio as separate streams that must be merged (muxed) on a computer. |
| “Verify you are human” loop | SaveFrom's own Cloudflare protection, usually triggered by an ad blocker, a VPN or a datacenter IP. |
Official options and terms
YouTube Premium includes in-app downloads: $15.99 a month in the US and $26.99 for a family plan (Tech Advisor), ¥1,280 in Japan. Premium Lite ($8.99; ¥780) added downloads in February 2026, except for Shorts and music (YouTube blog). Downloads play while the device reconnects at least every 30 days.
Your own uploads download as MP4 from YouTube Studio, up to five times per video per day.
Other platforms: Instagram's Reel download adds a watermark and mutes licensed music, TikTok's save adds its logo and username, and X allows downloads only between Premium subscribers on mobile. See our Instagram, TikTok and X guides.
The rules: YouTube's Terms of Service forbid downloading unless YouTube permits it, you have written permission, or the law allows it. So a download through SaveFrom can breach the Terms even when it is not copyright infringement. We only describe your own uploads, permitted content, and Creative Commons or public-domain material. We are not lawyers; this is not legal advice.
Terms and law in detail
The other platforms SaveFrom covers have similar clauses, and copyright is a separate layer.
- Instagram forbids collecting content “in an automated way without our express permission” (Instagram Terms).
- TikTok grants a view-only license and limits downloading to its own features (TikTok Terms).
- X prohibits scraping without written consent (TechCrunch).
- Copying someone else's video without permission is infringement in most countries, whatever the tool. Some countries, Japan among them, also make knowingly downloading infringing copies illegal.
Tools and their limitations
Clipmoth is our own product; weigh that as you read.
| Tool | Works on YouTube? | Watch out for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| yt-dlp + ffmpeg | Yes: every quality, playlists, 1,000+ other sites in its extractor list | Terminal only; ffmpeg required for 1080p and above | Free |
| 4K Video Downloader Plus | Yes | Free tier is limited; lifetime-license change reported | $15/yr · $25 one-time · $45 Pro |
| Clipmoth (our product) | Windows app: yes. Chrome extension: no (ordinary sites only) | App is Windows only | Free 10/day · $9.99 one-time |
| YouTube Premium / Lite | Yes, inside the app | No exportable file; reconnect every 30 days; Lite excludes music and Shorts | $15.99 / $8.99 per month (US) |
| Cobalt (public instance) | No (disabled since mid-2025) | The link goes to Cobalt's server; TikTok, X, Instagram work | Free |
| SaveFrom.net | Partly: low-res with sound, or HD without; not served in the US | Pop-ups, redirects; Helper install prompts | Free, ad-supported |
Here is how yt-dlp and our Windows app differ in setup and everyday use.
| yt-dlp (command line) | Clipmoth for Windows | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free, unlimited | Free 10/day · $9.99 one-time |
| Setup | The binary plus a separate ffmpeg install on your PATH for HD | One installer, ffmpeg included |
| Use | Type commands and options (-f, --merge-output-format …) | Paste the URL, pick a quality. Download queue; MP3 is one switch |
| Updates | Run yt-dlp -U yourself | The engine updates itself |
| When it fails | Read the English error output | The reason is shown in plain words (unsupported, login needed, region-locked …) |
| Best for | Fine-grained options, scripts, cookies and proxies; Mac and Linux | Windows users who want to click, not type |
- Command line: yt-dlp gets the stream on your own IP and, with ffmpeg installed, merges HD audio and video (options in our YouTube download and YouTube to MP3 guides).
- Desktop apps: 4K Video Downloader Plus and Clipmoth, our Windows app with a 14-day refund, do the same job with buttons.
- Browser extensions: SaveFrom's Helper comes from SaveFrom's own site, not a store, and extensions that capture HLS or DASH video, ours included, do not work on YouTube (see our compatibility guide).
- Online sites: Cobalt is open source and ad-free, but its public instance has had YouTube disabled since mid-2025 (GitHub issue), and 9xbuddy hits the same limits as SaveFrom.
When it doesn't work
- Check the video plays while logged out. Private, members-only and age-restricted videos fail on every online tool.
- Clear the cache or use a private window. A stale cached script can leave the form stuck at “processing.”
- Use a plain watch URL without
&list=,&t=or tracking parameters. - Verify loop: pause your ad blocker or VPN for that tab and reload once. If it persists, the block is on the site's side.
- Nothing loads from a US connection: stop there. SaveFrom chose not to serve the US, and no setting changes that.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SaveFrom.net Helper extension safe?
We have not audited it, but it is typically installed as a userscript in a manager such as Tampermonkey, with no store review and updates pulled from the author's server at any time. Any script that runs on YouTube pages can read everything on them, including which account you are signed in to.
Does clearing the cache fix SaveFrom?
Only when an old copy of its conversion script is the cause; it does nothing for a regional block, a Cloudflare loop or a silent HD file. If a private window behaves like your normal one, the cause is not on your machine.
Can I fix a 720p file with no sound?
If you also have the audio file, ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i audio.m4a -c copy out.mp4 joins them without re-encoding. Most desktop downloader apps do this merge automatically.
Does a VPN make SaveFrom work in the US?
We do not recommend it, and it does not change the Terms position. VPN exit addresses sit in the datacenter ranges that trigger YouTube's bot checks and SaveFrom's Cloudflare wall, so it usually trades one failure for another.
A downloader that runs on your own PC
Clipmoth is our own downloader. The Windows app supports YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram and over 1,000 sites, with options for 4K video, playlists and MP3.
The Chrome extension saves video playing on websites such as news sites and online courses, including HLS and DASH streams. It does not support YouTube.
Both offer 10 free downloads a day. Premium removes the limit in both for a one-time payment of $9.99, with a 14-day refund policy.
Get the Windows app Add to Chrome (for video on regular websites)