Who Yoinks is for#
Archiving videos you have rights to
Save a talk, a clip you made or content you are licensed to keep, choosing the resolution that fits your disk space using the estimated sizes.
Skip if:
You need to download many videos or whole playlists in one go.
Extracting audio as mp3
Pick the audio-only option to pull an mp3 from a video, using ffmpeg for the extraction.
Skip if:
You need to script the download in a pipeline, since the picker is interactive.
Quick downloads without a browser
Run npx yoinks with a link when you want a file fast and do not want to open an ad-heavy web tool.
Skip if:
You need to choose a custom output directory for each download.
The problem it solves#
Web-based video downloaders tend to bury the one thing you want under popups, fake download buttons and redirects. Paid desktop apps avoid the clutter but cost money and live outside your terminal workflow. Developers who already use yt-dlp directly have to remember its flags and format codes. Yoinks gives you a guided picker in the terminal: paste a link, see the resolutions and sizes, choose one, and get the file without ads or detours.
How it solves it#
Wide site support
Downloads from YouTube, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and over 1,800 other sites, using yt-dlp as the extraction engine.
Interactive format picker
Shows the available resolutions with estimated file sizes, plus an audio-only mp3 option. Navigate with arrow keys, j/k, number keys or the mouse.
Zero-setup dependencies
Downloads the standalone yt-dlp binary to ~/.yoinks/bin on first run, so no Python is needed. It uses your existing yt-dlp if you have one, and finds ffmpeg on your PATH with ffmpeg-static as a fallback.
Theme-aware terminal UI
The default auto theme follows your terminal's own colors. Press ^t to cycle auto, light and dark, or start with --theme for one launch. It restores your scrollback on exit.
Strengths and trade-offs#
Strengths
- Free and MIT licensedNo subscription, no license key, and the code is open under the MIT license, so you can read it, fork it or change it.
- No ads or redirectsIt runs locally in your terminal, so there are no popups, fake download buttons or sketchy redirects between you and the file.
- Try it without installingRun npx yoinks to test it once, or install globally with npm. It needs only Node 18 or newer.
Trade-offs
- -Interactive only for nowThe README lists --best and --mp3 flags to skip the picker as roadmap items, so it is not scriptable yet. You also cannot choose the output folder: files go to ~/Downloads.
- -No playlist support yetPlaylists and threads with multiple videos are still on the roadmap, so batch downloads are not available. Bulk work is better done with yt-dlp directly.
- -Young projectThe repository was created in July 2026 and has 20 open issues. Expect rough edges and fast change compared with mature paid downloaders.
- -Terms of service riskThe README calls it a personal-archiving tool and warns that downloading may violate a platform's terms of service. Only download content you have the right to keep.
Yoinks vs alternatives#
Versus paid desktop video downloaders
Paid desktop downloaders such as 4K Video Downloader and Downie are the closest commercial category to Yoinks. They offer a graphical window for pasting links and saving videos. Yoinks does the same job in a terminal, built on the open source yt-dlp engine, and costs nothing under the MIT license.
Interface and workflow
A paid desktop app gives you a mouse-driven window and typically more features around the download. Yoinks gives you a full-screen terminal picker with resolutions, estimated file sizes and an audio-only mp3 option. If you already work in a terminal, it removes the context switch. If you prefer a graphical app, a paid tool will feel more familiar.
Features today
Yoinks is young. Its README lists scriptable flags, a custom output folder, playlist support and clipboard detection as roadmap items, so none of those exist yet. Check each paid tool's own site for what it offers; Yoinks makes no claim about their feature sets.
Cost and control
Yoinks is free, the code is open, and it runs entirely on your machine with no ads or account. The tradeoff is community-level support and a project that is still changing quickly.
Verdict
Choose Yoinks if you want a free, ad-free, terminal-native downloader for single videos and mp3 extraction. Choose a paid desktop app if you need batch or playlist downloads and a graphical interface today.
Quick start#
Install globally with npm (Node 18 or newer is required), or run it once without installing.
```bash
npm install -g yoinks
npx yoinks
```What it's built on#
- Languages
- TypeScript
- Frameworks
- React
FAQ#
Is Yoinks free?
Yes. Yoinks is released under the MIT license, so it is free to use, modify and redistribute. It has no paid tier mentioned in its README.
Which sites does Yoinks support?
It supports YouTube, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and over 1,800 other sites, since it is powered by yt-dlp.
What do I need to install Yoinks?
Node 18 or newer. Run npm install -g yoinks, or try it with npx yoinks. Yt-dlp is downloaded on first run, and ffmpeg is found on your PATH or bundled through ffmpeg-static.
Where are downloaded files saved?
Files are saved to ~/Downloads, and the file path is printed to your terminal when the download finishes. Choosing a different output folder with -o is on the roadmap.
Is it legal to download videos with Yoinks?
The README describes it as a personal-archiving tool and notes that downloading content may violate a platform's terms of service. Only download what you have the right to keep.
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