Cobalt: The Free, Open-Source Media Downloader

Are you tired of paywalled or ad-filled download tools? Cobalt is a free, open-source media downloader that lets you save videos and audio from the web — no ads, no trackers, no paywalls, no nonsense.

What makes Cobalt stand out

Cobalt is built to be simple and efficient. Paste a link, get the file, move on:

• Paste a link, get the file: Works with YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, SoundCloud, Vimeo, VK, Twitter and more.
• No ads, trackers or paywalls: Cobalt is a clean, friendly downloader that doesn't try to sell you anything.
• Open source: Fully open source (AGPL-3.0) with 42,000+ GitHub stars and an active community.
• Web app: Use it directly at cobalt.tools — no install needed.
• Self-hostable: You can run your own instance if you want full control.

Free, open source, and private

Cobalt is completely free and open source. It works like a fancy proxy — you paste a link and it fetches the media for you. There's no account, no subscription, and no data collection.

Best for

Anyone who wants to save videos or music from the web — for offline viewing, personal archives, or just to keep a copy — without paying for a downloader or dealing with ads and trackers.