Import a Video From a Link and Download the MP4
Paste a video link and ScreenApp pulls in the source file, processes it in your account, and makes it available to download as MP4. It works with links from YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer.
107,088 people signed up to ScreenApp from this page in the last 90 days. Because the import lands in your account like any other recording, it is not just a file transfer: you can also get a transcript in 99 languages, chat with an AI about what is in the video (AI chat with any recording), or translate it (transcript and caption translation).
What you get:
- The video imported from YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer
- A downloadable MP4 once processing finishes, no watermark on any recording or export
- A transcript, in 99 languages, and AI chat on the imported video
- The import saved in your account, next to anything you record or upload directly
How to Download a Video From a URL
- Copy the link: Open the source page, from YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer, and copy the URL.
- Paste it into ScreenApp: The video is imported and processed in your account.
- Download the MP4: Once processing is done, download the file. Downloading needs a paid plan; importing and processing do not.
Only public links work. A members-only post, a paid stream, or a private or unlisted video needs a login the tool does not have, so it cannot be pulled in.
Video Downloader vs Other Apps
| Feature | ScreenApp | 4K Video Downloader | yt-dlp | SnapDownloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Import free, download needs a paid plan | Free version available | Free, open source | 48-hour free trial |
| Paid plan | $19/month annual | $15/year (Lite tier) | Free forever | $7.99/month or $39.99 lifetime |
| No software install | Yes (browser-based) | No (desktop app) | No (command line) | No (desktop app) |
| Platforms | YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer | YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, SoundCloud, Bilibili, Flickr, Facebook, Dailymotion, Naver TV and Tumblr | thousands of sites | 900+ sites |
| Maximum resolution | Not stated | 8K | Not stated | Not stated |
Sources, checked 2026-09-13: github.com/screenappai/screenapp-new/blob/main/apps/web/src/lib/import-platform.ts, screenapp.io/pricing, snapdownloader.com, 4kdownload.com/products/product-videodownloader, github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp, snapdownloader.com/buy
- 4K Video Downloader covers more sites (YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, SoundCloud, Bilibili, Flickr, Facebook, Dailymotion, Naver TV and Tumblr) and states resolution up to 8K at $15 a year for the Lite tier, but it is a desktop installer you manage on every machine.
- yt-dlp is Free and covers thousands of sites. It runs from the command line, so you need it installed along with its dependencies.
- SnapDownloader gives you a 48-hour trial, then $7.99 a month or $39.99 for a lifetime license, again a desktop app across 900+ sites.
ScreenApp is the browser-based pick when the job is limited to YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer and the import also needs a transcript or AI chat, not just the file.
Who Downloads Videos From a Link
Creators studying competitors. Pulling a rival’s video into a real editor is easier than scrubbing back and forth in a browser player, and the transcript makes it simple to find the exact line a hook or a joke lands on.
Journalists and researchers. Social posts get deleted and accounts get suspended. Having the source file, plus a searchable transcript of what was said, matters when the original disappears.
Students and educators. A lecture or talk posted to YouTube or Vimeo can be pulled in, transcribed, and searched, instead of scrubbing through the original to find a section again.
Marketers reclaiming their own content. Teams that lost access to a CMS or a contractor’s login can pull their own published videos back from YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer and keep working from the file.
Anyone who wants a transcript of a public video, not just the file: the Instagram video downloader and the TikTok downloader run the same import for those two platforms specifically.
FAQ
How do I download a video from a link or URL?
Copy the link, paste it into ScreenApp, and let it process. When it is done, download the file as MP4. Importing works with YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer; downloading needs a paid plan.
What sites does the video downloader work with?
YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and most other public video links (Twitch, Loom, Dropbox, Google Drive, Pinterest, X, Threads, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili) through a generic importer. If a link is from a different site, it will not import.
Is the video downloader free?
Importing and processing a video is free. Downloading the finished MP4 needs a plan at $19 a month, billed annually.
Can I download YouTube videos?
Yes. Paste a YouTube link and it imports the same way as the other supported platforms. For resolution-specific YouTube downloads, the YouTube 4K downloader is the dedicated page for that.
Can I download TikTok or Instagram videos?
Yes, from a public post. Use the TikTok downloader or the Instagram video downloader for those platforms specifically, or paste the link here.
What format does the download come in?
MP4. That is the only output format the tool produces, whatever format the source video was published in.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. The tool runs in any mobile browser; there is nothing to install.
Can I download private or paid videos?
No. The tool reads a public URL. Members-only posts, paid streams, private accounts, and unlisted videos that need a login are not accessible.
Does the download have a watermark?
no watermark on any recording or export. If the source video itself has a watermark burned into the file, that stays, since ScreenApp downloads the video as published.
