A Windows download manager with a compact desktop interface and browser video buttons. Original open-source implementation; not affiliated with Internet Download Manager and not a complete feature-for-feature replacement.
Early preview: Private/sign-in-required, DRM and live media are unsupported. Please report bugs without sharing session tokens or signed media links.
Download Awesome-Downloader-Setup.exe from the project's Windows preview release, then see the installation and usage guide. It is a normal Windows installer with Start-menu and desktop shortcuts. No GitHub account, Node.js, or developer tools are needed for the desktop app.
The installer is currently an unsigned preview. Browser video buttons require one manual "Load unpacked" setup; Chrome/Edge store listings are not available.
- HTTP(S) downloads with parallel ranges where the server supports them.
- Pause/resume for supported transfers, history, scheduling and speed limits.
- Chrome/Edge media detection and quality selection; selected video/audio tracks are combined locally with FFmpeg.
- Download File Info with save location, category, Download Later, Start and Cancel.
- Separate progress and completion windows, duplicate-active-download prevention.
YouTube uses captured browser-session data and the GoogleVideo SABR transport library. It is not a promise of universal site support or DRM circumvention. The legacy manual watch-URL resolver optionally uses yt-dlp; browser quality selection does not invoke it. Firefox YouTube capture has not reached parity.
On Windows x64 with Node.js 22+:
npm ci
npm test
npm startnpm run package builds the unpacked application. npm run dist builds a local
NSIS installer, without publishing. npm run dist:portable builds a portable
executable. See release requirements before distributing
either. Current builds are unsigned and have no auto-updater.
The optional legacy extractor is described in THIRD-PARTY.md.
Do not commit its executable. npm ci installs the locked media dependencies.
New contributor? Start with the contributor guide and roadmap. It explains the current project stage, issue labels, dependency order and how to agree on a task before coding. Major goals are delivered through focused, reviewed PRs; planned platform support is not yet released support.
Bug reports, tests, documentation and pull requests are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md and SECURITY.md. You can fork the project and submit a pull request without repository write access.
High-priority work: YouTube throughput and session refresh, clean-machine installer testing, browser-store packaging, and accessibility.
Media request credentials are held in memory, not stored in download history.
History and browser-integration configuration are stored locally in
%USERPROFILE%\.awesome-downloader. The bridge is authenticated and loopback-only.
Do not publish this directory or browser profiles in issues.
Original project code is MIT licensed. Third-party components retain their own licenses, including GPL-covered FFmpeg components; see THIRD-PARTY.md. Proprietary binaries, extracted evidence, local research and test screenshots are not part of the public source. Only download content you are permitted to save.