Downie Upgrade

Upgrade to Downie 4

Everything you need to know before upgrading from Downie 1, 2, or 3.

⚠️

Upgrade ≠ Update. If you simply need a fresh copy of Downie, use the Download button on Downie's webpage — that is an update.

An upgrade means purchasing a license for a new major version (e.g. Downie 3 → Downie 4). An update is a free improvement within the same major version (e.g. 4.9.1 → 4.9.2).

All existing customers receive either a free upgrade or a discounted upgrade based on their original purchase date (Downie 1, 2, or 3):

After Jun 1, 2019
Free
Free upgrade
Jan 1 – Jun 1, 2019
75% off
Discounted upgrade
Before Jan 1, 2019
50% off
Discounted upgrade

Notes: Discounts cannot be combined with other discounts. Third-party bundle purchases (e.g. Bundlehunt, not the Downie + Permute bundle) do not qualify for a free upgrade.

Even if you are entitled to a free upgrade, your previous-generation license code will not work in Downie 4 — you must retrieve a new license via the upgrade page below.

Setapp users receive the upgrade automatically as part of their subscription.

Upgrade to Downie 4 Download Free Trial

What's new in Downie 4

  • Updated UI — Revised and updated interface with more options at the tip of the mouse.
  • Major speed improvements — Multiple links can be loaded simultaneously, and YouTube videos are prepared for download ~6× faster than in Downie 3.
  • Sandbox — Downie 4 is fully sandboxed for improved security.
  • Metadata improvements — Gathered metadata can now be written to an external JSON file for custom processing.
  • Improved User-Guided Extraction — The UGE window now has history, saved favourites, and much more.
  • Customisable postprocessing — Write your own shell script to handle custom post-download processing.
  • Synchronisable history — Download history syncs over iCloud across all your devices.
  • Menu-bar only mode — The long-awaited option to run Downie exclusively in the menu bar.
  • Much more — Custom naming schemes, forced MP4 downloads, better cancellation, priority flags, and many other improvements.

Requirements

Downie 4 requires macOS 13 or later (macOS 15 or later recommended).

Permute integration in Downie 4 requires Permute 3.4 or later. It will not work with Permute 2.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to upgrade?
No — upgrading is optional. However, there will be no further updates to Downie 3 after Downie 4 is released. Because Downie integrates with third-party services that can change at any time, it is possible that at some point Downie 3 will stop working. This is not a deliberate plan to force an upgrade — it is simply an unforeseeable change in the structure of those external services.

Ready to upgrade?

Upgrade to Downie 4