- Ten DVD rippers at a glance
- Each DVD ripper and the computer it runs on
- Ripping is for discs you own: the legal line
- The freeware ripper that stopped in 2005
- Open source, free editions and commercial rippers compared
- Five things to settle before you rip a disc
- My plain advice before you rip your DVD collection
- Frequently asked questions
DVD ripping software copies the video from a disc you own onto your computer as a file you can play anywhere. Free open source tools suit anyone happy with a few settings, commercial rippers suit people who want copy-protected discs handled in a few clicks, and Mac owners need a Mac build. Ten rippers follow, in no particular order.
Got a shelf of DVDs and no disc drive on your new laptop? Ripping them to files is the usual fix, but the tools vary more than you'd think. Some are open source projects run by volunteers, some are commercial rippers built around copy-protected discs, and one hasn't been developed since 2005.
The ten below are alphabetical and in no particular order. Every description comes from each maker's own website, as of Nov 2026, and the type column says which computer each one runs on where its page says so.
Ten DVD rippers at a glance
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| AnyMP4 DVD Ripper | Commercial DVD ripper | Lossless ISO, MKV or MP4 copies of a disc |
| DVD Shrink | Old Windows freeware, discontinued | Simple disc backups on an older Windows PC |
| DVDFab DVD Ripper | Commercial ripper with GPU speed-up | Homemade and copy-protected commercial DVDs |
| Freemake Free DVD Ripper | Free Windows ripper | DVDs to files for TVs, phones and consoles |
| HandBrake | Open source transcoder, Windows, Mac and Linux | Free conversion to modern, widely supported formats |
| Leawo DVD Ripper | Commercial region-free ripper | Discs from any region, with subtitle and audio choice |
| MacX DVD Ripper Pro | Commercial ripper for Mac | Ripping DVDs on a Mac for Apple devices |
| MakeMKV | DVD and Blu-ray to MKV, Windows, Mac and Linux | One-click DVD and Blu-ray rips into MKV files |
| WinX DVD Ripper | Free edition ripper for Windows | Protected, old and 99-title DVDs on Windows |
| WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro | Commercial DVD ripper | Finding the main movie on 99-title discs |
Each DVD ripper and the computer it runs on
AnyMP4 DVD Ripper
Best for: People who want a disc, ISO file or DVD folder ripped to a long list of formats, or a lossless ISO, MPG, MKV or MP4 copy of the original.
DVD Shrink
Best for: Windows users with an older PC who want simple freeware for disc backups, knowing development stopped in 2005, so it isn't kept current for modern discs.
DVDFab DVD Ripper
Best for: Home and commercial discs, including those protected by CSS and APS per the page, with GPU acceleration from NVIDIA, AMD, Intel or VideoToolbox on macOS.
Freemake Free DVD Ripper
Best for: Windows 7 to 11 users turning discs into video files for HDTV, USB, iPad, iPhone, Android or Xbox, from a ripper its page calls free.
HandBrake
Best for: Anyone comfortable with a few settings who wants a free, volunteer-built transcoder that turns video from nearly any format into modern codecs.
Leawo DVD Ripper
Best for: Collectors with discs from several regions, since the page lists regions 1 to 6, batch conversion, selectable subtitles and audio tracks, plus a built-in player.
MacX DVD Ripper Pro
Best for: Mac owners ripping discs, including 99-title DVDs, to MP4, HEVC, MOV or MKV for a Mac, iPhone, iPad or Android phone.
MakeMKV
Best for: People with DVDs and Blu-rays who want one-click MKV files with no extra software for decryption; the page says DVD opening will always stay free.
WinX DVD Ripper
Best for: Owners of protected, old or 99-title discs on Windows 10 or 11, using GPU acceleration in a free edition with an upgrade path to Platinum.
WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro
Best for: Ripping 99-title discs, since the page says it picks the main movie and skips ads and trailers, with 300+ export profiles in three steps.
Ripping is for discs you own: the legal line
Before the software, the law. DVDFab's own page says whether ripping a DVD is legal depends on your country and on whether the disc is copy-protected, and its Fair Use Policy says the software is for personal use only, with sharing copies with a third party strictly prohibited.
That's the honest position for every tool here. Rip discs you own, for your own backup or playback, check the rules where you are, and don't share the copies. I'm not going to tell you a commercial disc is fine to rip everywhere, because the makers themselves don't say that.
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The freeware ripper that stopped in 2005
The other thing worth knowing is age. The DVD Shrink page says the program is freeware but that development was discontinued in 2005. It still turns up on lists of free rippers, but it's a Windows-only legacy tool, not something kept current for modern discs.
If you want free and current, the open source projects are the better starting point, and my list of HandBrake alternatives covers more converters in that family.
Open source, free editions and commercial rippers compared
- Open source tools are free and built by volunteers or a small team. They run on Windows, Mac and Linux and handle a long list of formats, but expect to choose a few options yourself.
- Free editions of commercial rippers give you the basics with an upgrade path. Some put the word Free in the product title, so read the download page to see what the free edition includes before you install it.
- Commercial rippers are built around copy-protected and 99-title discs, region codes, GPU speed-ups and long lists of device presets.
- Mac builds matter. Several rippers here are Windows-only, so Mac owners should look for a Mac version or a cross-platform tool.
Five things to settle before you rip a disc
- Which computer you're using, Windows, Mac or Linux, and whether you still have a DVD drive.
- Whether your discs are copy-protected, and what the law says where you are.
- Which file you want: an MKV that keeps every track, or a smaller MP4 for phones and TVs.
- Whether you need subtitles and alternative audio tracks kept.
- Where the files will go, since a shelf of discs fills a drive quickly.
If file size is the worry, my roundup of free video compressors can shrink the results, and my VLC alternatives list covers players for the files once they're ripped.
Do you make DVD ripping software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice before you rip your DVD collection
Start with the free, open source tools if you're happy picking a few settings, because they run on Windows, Mac and Linux and you can try them without signing up for anything. If you'd rather click once and have a commercial ripper deal with 99-title discs, region codes and device presets, try the free edition or the download first and only upgrade if it handles your discs. Skip anything that hasn't been developed in years. And whatever you use, keep it to discs you own and copies for yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to rip a DVD?
It depends on your country and on whether the disc is copy-protected. One commercial maker's page says exactly that, and its fair use policy limits the software to personal use with no sharing. Check the rules where you are.
What's the difference between ripping and copying a DVD?
Ripping turns the disc's video into a file on your computer, such as MP4 or MKV. Copying makes another disc or a disc image, such as an ISO. Several tools here can do both.
Can I rip DVDs on a Mac?
Yes. Some tools here are cross-platform and run on Mac, Windows and Linux, and at least one commercial ripper is built specifically for Mac.
What format should I rip DVDs to?
MKV keeps chapters, subtitles and audio tracks together in one file. MP4 is smaller and plays on most phones and TVs. Many people keep MKV as the archive and make MP4 copies for everyday viewing.
Does old DVD freeware still work?
It may still run, but software that stopped development years ago isn't updated for newer discs. One freeware ripper's own page says development was discontinued in 2005.
Do I need a DVD drive to rip discs?
Yes, the software reads the physical disc, so you'll need a drive. Plenty of new laptops don't have one, and an external USB drive does the job.
