Last updated on April 12th, 2024
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Many users think that the Freemake video downloader is totally free! Does the software really a freeware program? Also, is the Freemake software safe to use?
Well, the quick answer is that it’s NOT exactly free but it’s SAFE to use! Of course, you can use the software for free but with limited features!
Let me show you how to get the lifetime license of the software at 50% OFF. Also, I say safe to use if you know “how to install the software properly”!! So, read on to find out the exact step-by-step guide below.
To Download and Install the Freemake Video Downloader
To Download the Installer
1. Go to the Freemake official page: https://www.freemake.com/free_video_downloader/
2. To download the installer, click on the “Free Download for Windows” button. This will download the “FreemakeVideoDownloaderSetup.exe” file (about 1 MB).
To Install the Software
3. To begin installing the program; double-click on the “FreemakeVideoDownloaderSetup.exe”, this will prompt a “User Account Control” that asks our permission to make changes to our device. Click on the “Yes” button to continue.
4. From the “Select Setup Language:” window, choose your preferred language during installation. Here, I just accept the default language: English and click on the “OK” button.
5. You will see a welcome screen, you can click on the “Read the license agreement” link and this will open the agreement in a new window. Just click on the “Next” button on the screen.
6. You will see the ‘Select Components’ window. Here you need to be careful. Choose the “Custom installation” option and uncheck the “Associate media files with the program”. This is to avoid the program from installing unnecessary toolbar or programs on our computer. Click on the “Next” button to continue.
7. You will ask to choose the destination location where to install the program. If you want to change location, click on the “Browse” button and choose a new location. Here, I just leave it intact and click on the “Next” button.
8. The program will start downloading the component and installing it. After a few seconds, the installation is complete and just click on the “Finish” button.
Is Freemake Video Downloader Really Free & Safe to Use?
How to Know It’s Safe?
Why are some people concerned about whether the Freemake video downloader is safe to use or not? The main reason is that the software will install an extra toolbar or add-on program without you noticing it. When and where?
Remember in the section above, step no 6, if you just accept the “Full installation” option, it may install the program plus some extra tools (that may NOT be needed by you).
Update: As of September 2022, I see that there is no extra program being installed even if you choose the full installation option while installing the program. So, it’s a clean and safe program to use.
Is Freemake Video Downloader Completely Free?
Yes and No.
Yes, the Freemake video downloader is free to use BUT it comes with several limitations. The main problem is that your video will contain the Freemake logo in the middle of the screen (entire video) which is annoying.
If you want to use the program with unlimited features, you need to upgrade or buy their mega pack. Here are the main differences between the free version and the mega pack.
To Buy and Activate the Freemake Video Downloader
Secret to Buy the Software at a Special Price
To get or buy the Mega pack, just go to the program “Help” menu, and click on “Get Mega Pack”. You will see the following plans:
On this screen, if you choose a suitable plan and click on the “Buy” button, you just buy the software at the normal rate.
Here is what you need to do…to get a 50% discount!!
>> Click on the “Close” button in the above screen and you will bring to another screen below:
Click on the “Buy” button and you will bring to the payment page.
You can choose to use a credit card, PayPal, Amazon Pay, or wire transfer to purchase the software. Just key in the payment details and hit the pay button.
Once the payment is made, the product registration key will be emailed to you instantly.
To Activate the Freemake Video Downloader
Go to the program’s main screen. On the menu, click on the “Activate Key” and this will prompt the following screen:
Insert the activation key in the column provided and click on the “OK” button. This will activate the software and unlock all the features.
How to Use Freemake Video Downloader?
Attention: We don’t advocate people using these recommended downloaders for commercial purposes.
In this demo, we will go to download a YouTube and Vimeo video. So, the first step is to copy the video URL that you wish to download. Just go to youtube.com and search for the video that you wish to download, then copy the video URL.
#1: Steps to Download YouTube Videos
You copy this URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kqGlOQwK_4
1. Launch the Freemake Video Downloader. Click on the “Paste URL” button and you will see a pop-up screen like this:
- In the “Format:” drop-down menu, you can choose the intended video output format.
- Below it, you can choose the intended video quality (resolutions). Please note that the higher resolutions, the output file size also bigger.
- In the “Save to” column, you can click on the “3 dot button”. This will open a new dialog box, choose a location, give a file name and click on the “Save” button.
2. Click on the “Download” button and you will prompt with the following screen:
- If you click on the “Download without logo” button, you will be redirected to a page asking you to purchase the software to remove the logo.
- Otherwise, you can click on the “Continue with logo” link and the software will download the video but with the Freemake logo on it.
3. If you haven’t purchased the software, just click the “Continue with logo” link and the software will start to download the video from YouTube.
#2: Steps to Download Vimeo Videos
You copy this URL: https://vimeo.com/336082660
By following the same steps as above, you can use the Freemake video downloader to download the video from Vimeo too.
However, we do encounter some of the Vimeo videos that are unable to download using the Freemake video downloader. For example, this video: https://vimeo.com/777015125
You will see the following error:
Conclusion
So, by now you should know that the Freemake video downloader is NOT free software to enjoy their full functionalities. You need to purchase their mega pack to remove the watermark (logo), their conversion capabilities, as well as video editing.
Also, to play safe you should always download the installer from their official site and install what is needed and not install extra unnecessary add-ons. I believe this article already shows everything to prove that it’s safe to use.