Catalyst vs MeTube
Catalyst
catalyst.tachyon-studios.comMeTube
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Catalyst | MeTube |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Video Downloaders | 8.4 (#32) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Batch downloads | Yes | Yes |
| Device platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux | web,Android,iOS,Chrome extension |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| License | The maker describes Catalyst as free and open source and links to the MIT license. | The repository lists the AGPL-3.0 license. |
| Maximum video quality | 4k | 4k |
| Output formats | MP4 (H264),Best Quality (AV1/VP9),MP3,M4A | MP4,M4A,MP3,Opus,WAV,FLAC,SRT,TXT,VTT,TTML,SBV,SCC,DFXP,JPG |
| Purpose | Catalyst is a video downloader that puts yt-dlp behind a graphical interface. | MeTube is a self-hosted web UI for yt-dlp that downloads videos from YouTube and hundreds of other sites to your server. |
| Supported sources | YouTube,Vimeo,Twitter/X,TikTok,Instagram,Reddit,Twitch,Bilibili,and 1,800+ sites via yt-dlp | YouTube; dozens of other sites supported through yt-dlp |
Plans
In their own words
Catalyst
Catalyst has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
MeTube
MeTube is a free, self-hosted web interface for yt-dlp that downloads media from YouTube and hundreds of other sites to a user's server. It handles video, audio, subtitles, and thumbnails from individual videos, playlists, or entire channels, with video quality up to 4K. Each download can use a selected quality, format, and folder; server-wide yt-dlp options and presets are also available. Channel and playlist subscriptions can queue new uploads. Output options include MP4, M4A, MP3, Opus, WAV, FLAC, SRT, TXT, VTT, TTML, SBV, SCC, DFXP, and JPG. Docker and Docker Compose quick starts are provided, with images for amd64 and arm64. Integrations include browser extensions, bookmarklets, an iOS Shortcut, Android share-menu apps, and a Raycast extension. MeTube has no authentication by design and is intended for a trusted network or placement behind an authenticating reverse proxy. Private and internal addresses are blocked by default. The default concurrency setting allows three downloads at once; others wait. The project is AGPL-3.0, and its scope ends after a download is written, leaving tagging and library organization to other tools.