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N_m3u8DL-RE vs yt-dlp: catalog facts
N_m3u8DL-RE	yt-dlp
Free Free to download and use.	Free Released into the public domain under the Unlicense; there is nothing to buy.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Handles HLS, DASH and MSS manifests Records live streams as well as on-demand video	Supports thousands of sites, listed in the project’s own supportedsites page Fine-grained format selection, subtitle, thumbnail and metadata embedding
Command line only Older Windows terminals may not display it correctly	Command line only; the graphical tools around it are separate projects Merging separate video and audio streams needs FFmpeg installed
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: Unlicense
No account needed	No account needed
Needs internet	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.