7 Best DVD Converters for Windows & Mac [2024]

If you have a collection of DVDs that are now gathering dust on a shelf, it’s time to bring them back to life and import them to your hard drive. But what’s the easiest way to rip home video DVDs? There is great commercial software and some free DVD video converter programs out there that are worth a try. Free DVD converter software may be missing some features that paid video conversion software for Windows or Mac has and will often be slower or more challenging to use, but it is still a good alternative for tech-savvy users, those on a budget, or users with only basic needs. We've assembled a list of seven excellent freeware DVD conversion software and have presented them below, in no particular order.

OS: Windows, Mac

Like Free DVD Video Converter, Movavi Video Converter is a part of a larger suite of products. This time, instead of various uploaders and downloaders, the software suite focuses on creating video and other media projects. Movavi Video Converter simplifies the conversion process thanks to its ready-to-use presets and compression feature. You can also tweak the conversion settings manually, which allows you to get the exact result you are hoping to get. Movavi Video Converter also boasts its AI-powered upscaling feature that can help you improve the quality of your videos significantly.

You can find more information on Movavi Video Converter in the article on TopTenReviews.

Proceed to the article by TopTenReviews

OS: Windows

Free DVD Video Converter is a part of a larger suite of free programs called Free Studio by DVD Video Soft. It is a very simple program that will be easy for anyone to use. Converting a DVD is as simple as selecting your DVD drive from a dropdown list, selecting an output location and preset, and pressing the Convert button. Even among free DVD conversion software, the program is lacking in features, however. Part of the reason the interface is so simple to understand is that you don't have many options to customize your output. For very basic needs, this program is worth a try. Users may find they outgrow it quickly, though. Other products in Free Studio include various video downloaders, uploaders, and other converters. All products are highly specialized and downloaded individually, so Free DVD Video Converter is a small download.

Find out more about the entire suite of Free Studio products below.

Free Studio by DVDVideoSoft review at CNET

OS: Windows

Freemake is the next free DVD conversion software on our list. This software has some features that aren't in some of the other products we'll look at today. For example, the software lets you trim videos and add subtitles. It even has built-in uploaders and downloaders for YouTube and other popular video sites. Another feature of Freemake, a DVD burner, allows you to not only convert videos from DVD but convert them to DVD as well. It even allows you to create your own DVD menu, making it a good solution to burn DVDs and an excellent all-around video conversion product.

You can read more about the functionality of Freemake in the review below.

Freemake review at Lifewire

OS: Windows, Mac

WinX DVD Ripper has over 70 million users and has been around for over 12 years. It’s easily one of the most popular DVD ripping programs available today. The software can convert DVD files into viewable formats on any number of devices. It features acceleration technology that helps to quickly convert DVDs with ease. You can even try it with scratched or damaged DVDs as the Platinum version has some code to help read and fill in the blanks. This is one of the best DVD converters you can buy.

To learn more about WinX DVD Ripper Platinum, see the link below.

WinX DVD Ripper review by TechRadar

OS: Windows, Mac, Linux

While Handbrake has focused more on its core video conversion functionality in recent years, it was initially created for ripping DVDs and has long been the go-to choice for users looking for a quality free DVD converter. The program has plenty of presets to help you get your settings tuned in quickly, or you can take manual control over many different options. The program doesn't hold your hand while you are navigating through these settings, though, so be sure to understand the basics of how video formats work before you start trying to customize presets. Buried in the user interface, you'll find the option to apply basic video filters, such as deinterlacing and denoising, to the output. Because it was designed with DVDs in mind, you get great features like the ability to extract subtitles and chapters as well.

Look below for a full review of HandBrake.

Review of Handbrake on TechRadar

OS: Windows

Another free DVD converter and burner is ImgBurn. This software is primarily meant as a DVD and Blu-ray maker that you can use to burn disks. Unlike Freemake, the focus of ImgBurn isn't the conversion between different video files and DVDs. But it does serve a useful purpose for someone who wants to backup a DVD onto their computer. The software allows you to read a DVD and copy an ISO version of that disk to your computer. ISO files “fake” physical carriers and can be mounted as DVD images. You can watch ISO images in programs like VLC with all the same functionality that the original DVD had.

If you are looking for a DVD/Blu-Ray burner, you can read more about ImgBurn below.

ImgBurn review at PCWorld

VLC is well-known as a versatile media player that offers a built-in conversion feature. No wonder it can also rip DVDs! With this open-source you can convert ISO images and VIDEO_TS folders to MP4 (or other video format, as VLC offers a wide array of output options). Setting up a conversion session can be challenging, but the result is worth it, and the process itself is pretty quick. Of course you can also use the basic video-editing tools to polish the resulting video.

Whether a DVD converter is free or paid, you want to make sure you are getting something that will do the job well. To properly compare DVD converter software, you need to understand what makes a good DVD file converter. There are three primary things to look for when you are comparing software to rip DVD files. They are:

1. Presets. Getting the most out of a DVD video converter means having an in-depth understanding of how video formats work. As a user, you don't want to study the technical specifications of the various video formats just to copy a DVD to your PC. This is why the best DVD conversion software has plenty of presets that automatically set those specifications for you depending on your goal.

2. Customization. While presets are great, you don't want your DVD format converter to rely on them alone. Sometimes, you will have exact specifications that you'd like to meet that do not fit any given presets. Good software will have the presets available to you and allow you to take fine-tuned control over the conversion process.

3. Conversion capabilities. DVDs aren't as simple as most video files. They can have alternative audio tracks, bonus video content, and subtitles built into them. A basic DVD format converter will handle the main video, but you want one that will give you the power to grab all the extras and special features as well.

Because the programs we've mentioned are free, it is easy to download each of them and try them out. It can help to consider which features you are looking for and narrow down the list a little to spend more time testing the programs that come closest to your needs. As we've covered the types of features you'll likely want in a DVD file converter, you might already have an idea of what to be looking for. Once you have tried out a few of the programs, you'll have a better idea of how each suits your needs, how fast it is, how quickly you can create your final output file, and be better equipped to compare them.

Movavi Video Converter might be one of the most appropriate options. Meeting all the above-mentioned requirements, this software makes for the full-featured customized DVD conversion. But of course, ultimately, the best free DVD converter will be the one that suits your personal needs the best.

A DVD is an optical disc acting as a physical carrier of digital information. A DVD can store media content of all sorts. You are most likely to find .vob and .ifo files on your disc. Below we explain what .vob items are for.