With the rapid rise of streaming services, it’s time to digitalize your DVD collections. By doing so, you will be able to play your DVD movies on iPhone, iPad, Samsung Tablets, or any other portable devices and put them on the cloud. Moreover, ripping DVDs to media files can save your room space. This article points out the tips you should consider, and lists the top 5 free DVD ripper for Mac, together with the best alternative to free ones.
Top 8 Best Free DVD Decrypters For Windows and Mac Last Updated on August 4, 2021 by Angelos Chronis The ability to rip DVDs, that is to extract the data from the physical disc and store it on a computer, has always been a point of contention. Download Any-Make DVD Ripper for macOS 10.7 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. Free Any DVD Ripper is the best DVD Ripping freeware. This free version allows you to rip any DVD to almost all video/audio files like MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, M4V, FLV,WMV, MPEG, H.265, MP3, AAC and even HD videos with 30X fast ripping speed and 100% original sound.
Best DVD Ripper for Mac (Support DRM-ed DVD)
Use Cisdem Video Converter- the powerful DVD ripping software for Mac to:
- Rip movie DVD to MP4/HD MP4/HEVC MP4, MOV, AVI MKV, M4V, etc.
- Extract audio from DVD to MP3, AAC, AC3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, etc.
- Convert DVDs to optimized presets for iPhone, iPad, HUAWEI, MI, PS4, etc.
- Rip DVD/DVD folder/ISO to digital formats
- Remove DVD copy protection like Region Code, CSS, etc.
- Convert video & audio files between 300+ digital formats
- Download videos from 1000+ websites, YouTube.com included
- Edit (trim, crop, apply effects, etc.) and merge DVD videos
- Advanced settings to change the output file codec, quality, bitrate, etc.
- Preview DVD movies via built-in video player
- 30X faster speed
- >> 4 Tips to Choose the Best Free DVD Ripper for Mac
- >> Top 5 Best Free DVD Ripper for Mac
- >> Where Free DVD Ripping Software for Mac Fall Short?
- >> Perfect Alternative- The Robust yet Simple DVD Ripper for Mac
4 Tips to Choose the Best Free DVD Ripper for Mac
There is a vast variety of free DVD ripper software on the market. Each of them has a common advantage, which is to help you rip DVD for free. But it's not enough, and more aspects you should take into consideration while choosing a free DVD ripper for Mac. I've sorted out several tips below for your reference.
1. DVD Ripping Speed - DVD videos are usually in large sizes and need to spend some time to convert. Using a super-fast free Mac DVD ripper will save you a lot of time.
2. The Output Quality - To enjoy the high-definition video is of great pleasure. Or else, not only your eyes may get hurt, but also the annoying jumpy and mosaics will also bother you.
3. Supported Format - The output format compatible with your digital player device is another point you should take in. The more output options, the better the DVD ripper.
4. Additional Customization Features- It will be the icing on the cake if a free DVD ripper lets you configure the output parameters and edit DVD videos before ripping them out.
Top 5 Best Free DVD Rippers for Mac
#1 HandBrake
OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.11 or later
HandBrake is an open-source video transcoder. It's the most welcomed free DVD ripper for Mac and Windows. The app was produced by Eric Petit and originally designed for ripping movies from DVD.
Today, Handbrake allows you to rip non-protected DVDs, Blu-ray to MP4, MKV, and universal device presets like iPhone, iPod, Apple TV (2/3), Android Tablet, etc. But this free Mac DVD ripper can only output MP4 or MKV video files. If you wish to make the ripped video compatible with other formats such as AVI, MOV, MPEG, MP3, etc., HandBrake can't help.
Its ripping speed depends on the files upload. For a small file, it won’t take too long. For a large one, it maybe takes a long time. The final quality is not bad. If you are not hurrying to get your converted video, you could take it.
#2 MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition
OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.6 or above
MacX offers a free DVD ripper for Mac users. The free version can rip DVD movies to MP4, MOV, M4V, MP3, AAC, AC3, Apple TV, and iTunes.
But Compares with its paid version, it's unable to back up & rip the latest copy-protected DVDs for free, and rip DVDs for some hot devices, like iPad Pro, iPhone (11/Pro/Max), Android, Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC, PS4, etc.
If you can bear the limited output formats and unsatisfying speed, this Mac DVD ripper free is a decent option. Anyway, it can meet your basic DVD ripping necessary.
Note: MacX seems to have given up upgrading and promoting DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition. The download link on its official website has been replaced by MacX DVD Ripper Pro (the paid program). To download the free version, you are able to find it on some app download sites like softonic.com, download3k.com, etc.
#3 ffmpegX
OS Platform: OS X 10.7 to 10.14 (OS X 10.3 to 10.7 version available on official site)
ffmpegX is an open resource free DVD ripper for Mac. It was first to run on Linux, and later it can be compiled under most operating systems, including Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, AmigaOS.
Mac Dvd Ripper Pro
ffmpegX is a very experimental and developer-driven project. It supports the most popular formats except HD video. Based on the customers' review, its output quality is not too bad. The components mpeg2enc (mpeg-2 encoder and multiplexer), mencorder (mpeg-4 encoder with subtitles support), myplayer are not distributed with ffmpegX and must be self-installed.
This free DVD ripping software for Mac has not been updated for over 10 years. When you start encoding, it's prone to failure. Meanwhile, ffmpegX doesn't recognize a DVD disk device, just a DVD folder & VOB file, and can't remove any DVD decryption.
#4 MacTheRipper
OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.8 or higher
MTR (named MacTheRipper) is the Mac’s oldest and smartest DVD - backup application, now greater than ever. The speed of the MTR is ok. It merely takes a few minutes to rip a small DVD.
However, this free DVD ripper for Mac is unstable, especially on Sierra, High Sierra version, and later versions. It may be crashing, shut down by itself, or failure to launch. And the output quality will not as good as you think.
Note: MacTheRipper is no longer free currently. For example version 5.0.0.5 is a paid upgrade. Licensed owners of version 4.3 who donated within the last 365 days can upgrade for free. But for those who donated more than 365 days ago should upgrade for $10. The last free version is MacTheRipper 2.6.6, which only supports Mac OS X 10.6 Leopard or older.
#5 VLC
OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.7.5 or above
VLC, coming from a non-profit organization composed of volunteers, is dedicated to the development and promotion of open-source multimedia solutions. It can also run on Windows, Android, and Ubuntu. The initial function of this free DVD ripper for Mac is to play media files in various formats and resolutions. Through improvements, VLC began to support audio and video transcoding to help you convert videos and DVDs.
However, VLC free Mac DVD ripper can't process multiple videos, DVD folders, or ISO images in batches and won’t defeat any kind of DRM. And you have to accept the fact that the video ripped by VLC will cause quality degradation.
Note: If you agree with its concept and its effort in developing VLC, don't forget to donate $5.00 on its page.
Where Free DVD Ripping Software for Mac Fall Short?
From the above introductions, we can judge that the free DVD ripper for Mac has obvious shortcomings, for example:
- Can't retain high-quality output
- The speed is not always fast
- Limited output formats and profiles
- No further video editing feature
- Can't rip DRM encrypted DVDs, like Handbrake and VLC
- Stop update, like MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition
- Not free in the new versions, such as MacTheRipper
- Difficult for the novice, such as FFmpeg
Ripping Dvds Mac
It seems that no free Mac DVD ripper meets the criteria mentioned in part 1, but paid one does. Therefore, you are better off using the commercial and effective DVD ripper instead.
Perfect Alternative- The Robust yet Simple DVD Ripper for Mac
Cisdem Video Converter is the best alternative to the free DVD ripper Mac. It's a highly interactive program that delivers lossless ripping of media content at an ultra-fast speed and obtains high-quality possible results. It provides a free trial version for you to test its performance before purchasing. The trial version can rip the first 5 minutes of the DVD. If your DVD video is less than 5 minutes, it will convert half of the content.
Best DVD Ripper for Mac
- Rip general or copyrighted DVD to mainstream video/audio formats
- Rip movie or music DVD to ready-made presets for all popular devices
- Adjust the frame rate, resolution, bit rate, etc. of DVD video
- Edit DVD video with trimming, cropping, subtitles, watermarks, and more
- Convert digital video from one format to another
- Download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and other 1000+ sites
- Rip DVDs, convert & download videos in batches
- Crisp and easy-to-use interface
- Available on OS X 10.10 or higher, including macOS Big Sur
How to Rip DVD via the Best Alternative to Free DVD Ripper for Mac:
Step 1. Launch Cisdem Video Converter
After installation, run the software. You will see 3 tabs for different functions. The second tab is for DVD ripping.
Step 2. Import DVD videos
Insert your DVD into the Mac slot. Its icon will appear in the sidebar of the Finder app. Then you have two ways to add the DVD disc:
- Straightly drag the DVD or VIDEO-TS folder to the interface of Cisdem Mac DVD ripper.
- Navigate to 'File' > 'Add DVD' in the menu bar to import your DVD content.
Step 3. Configure output profiles
Click the format icon to open the output file panel. All the output formats have been already divided into various categories. For example, if you desire to play the DVD movie on your iPhone, you can go to 'Apple Device' > 'iPhone', and choose your phone model. Or select the universal format- MP4, just head over to 'General Video' > 'MP4 Video'.
Best Free Dvd Rip Software For Mac
For getting better video/audio quality, click icon to open a window, and tweak the output parameter settings.
Step 4. Choose titles and languages
A DVD movie may contain multiple titles, audio languages, and subtitle languages. You can manually choose what you want.
Step 5. Rip DVD to digital files
Hit button at the lower right corner to begin ripping your DVD to MP4, Apple TV, or other formats.
Pro tip: edit your DVD videos
Click button to find your ripped videos. Drag-n-drop them to the “convert” interface.
Click button, and you'll able to edit the DVD movies by rotating, adding 3D effects, and external subtitles & audio.
Bottom line
These are the 5 free DVD rippers for Mac and alternative. If you only want to rip DVD to a common-used format without editing feature, I recommend Handbrake, MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition, and VLC for beginners. For users who are using OS X 10.6 or lower, MacTheRipper 2.6.6 and ffmpegX are nice options. To make everything easy and efficient, an all-in-one DVD ripping software for Mac like Cisdem Video Converter is the best choice, which can rip copy-protected DVDs as well.