AppGrabbit vs Parabolic (2026)
if you're only going to download, Parabolic; if the video is the beginning, here.
Updated: October 2026 · 6 min read
Parabolic is the free interface for yt-dlp with its code on GitHub: it downloads video and audio in several formats, several at once, with the subtitles the site has, on Windows, Linux and Mac, and charges nothing. If you only want to download, it's very hard to beat. AppGrabbit uses the same engine and charges credits (1 per video, 5 free a month; Pro USD 8.99 a month or a 7-day pass for USD 3.99) because it does what Parabolic doesn't: transcribing and subtitling with AI on your PC, converting to editing formats, cutting, following channels and downloading from your browser. The question isn't which one downloads better; it's what you're going to do with the video.
Feature comparison
| Feature | AppGrabbit | Parabolic |
|---|---|---|
| Download engine | yt-dlp + FFmpeg, inside the installer | yt-dlp + FFmpeg, updated from inside the app |
| Price | 1 credit per video, 5 free a month; Pro USD 8.99 a month or a 7-day pass for USD 3.99 | Free, no plans or credits |
| Code | Private | Published on GitHub (MIT) |
| Runs on | Windows 10/11 | Windows (portable too), Linux and Mac |
| Formats when downloading | Video up to 4K; audio as MP3 or M4A | mp4, webm; audio as mp3, opus, flac, wav |
| Several downloads at once | Yes, in a queue | Yes |
| Subtitles | The site's, and it also generates them with AI on your PC | Only the ones the site has |
| Transcribing with AI on your PC | Yes | No |
| Converting your own files | MP4, MP3, WAV, ProRes, DNxHR, HEIC, WebP | No |
| Cutting a clip | Yes, with Pro or the pass | Yes, by time range |
| Following channels and browser extension | Yes, free | No |
| Watermark and ads | Never | Never |
Sources: GitHub · NickvisionApps/Parabolic · VideoHelp · Parabolic. Read in October 2026.
For downloading, Parabolic charges nothing and does it well
We say it up front because it's true: Parabolic downloads the same things AppGrabbit does, with the same yt-dlp, free and with no cap. Pick a video or audio format, download several at once, get the site's subtitles, cut by time and update its parts from inside the app. It has a portable version and runs on three systems. If your wish list ends at "the video ends up on my disk", download it and stop reading.
What starts once the video is on your disk
AppGrabbit exists for what comes after: the text of a class or a meeting (Transcribe with AI leaves a .txt with a prompt on top for ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini), the word-by-word subtitles (.srt, .vtt, .txt, or burned into the video) without uploading anything because Whisper runs on your PC, the conversion to ProRes or DNxHR for Premiere and DaVinci, the exact cut, the channels you follow and the button in your browser. All in one app that also downloads.
Price and code
Parabolic: free, code published, no account. AppGrabbit: private code, Free with 5 credits a month (1 credit is one video, one batch of up to 10 links, one transcript or one converted file) and 1 extra every 48 hours when you hit 0; Pro USD 8.99 a month, monthly only, no annual plan; a 7-day pass for USD 3.99. Your files never leave your PC with either of them.
When to use Parabolic
When you only download. When you use Linux or Mac. When you want a free program with its code in the open and no credits in the way.
When AppGrabbit is the better choice
When the video is raw material: text, subtitles, a format for editing, a clip. When you want the app to update itself and YouTube's PO token to not be your problem. When you follow channels or download from your browser every day.
Only downloading: Parabolic, free. Downloading and working on the video with AI on your PC: AppGrabbit, 1 credit per video with 5 free a month, Pro USD 8.99 a month or a 7-day pass, with no watermark and no ads.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, completely: it's a free program with its code published on GitHub (MIT license), with no plans or credits. It runs on Windows (a portable version too), Linux and Mac.
No. It downloads the subtitles the site already has (YouTube's, for example); it doesn't generate text or subtitles with AI. AppGrabbit does, on your PC.
Parabolic is around 224 MB on Windows; AppGrabbit is a 109 MB installer, plus the AI engine and the models the first time you use them (between 190 MB and 1.7 GB depending on your graphics card and the model).
Never, and no. Free runs on credits (5 a month, 1 more every 48 hours when you hit 0); Pro removes credits for USD 8.99 a month.
Parabolic updates yt-dlp and deno from inside the app, and the program itself updates with its installer. AppGrabbit updates yt-dlp at startup and every six hours, and the whole app installs itself in the background.
Parabolic: free, no cap and with its code in the open. AppGrabbit makes sense if you're going to do something more with the video.
Related guides
Downloading is the beginning
Windows 10/11 · text, subtitles and editing formats on your PC · 1 credit per video, 5 free a month