7 Best DVD Rippers for a Mac [Free Included]

Not sure of which program to use for ripping DVDs on a Mac? Our list of the best DVD rippers for a Mac gives you overviews of excellent options with steps to complete the task.

Download and install the DVD ripping software on your Mac computer and start digitizing your DVD collection. Here’s how to rip DVDs on your Mac with Movavi Video Converter.

Best for: users who want fast DVD ripping with no quality loss

OS: Mac OS X 10.13 or later, Windows

G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5

Movavi offers a powerful and easy-to-use DVD converter for Mac that enables you to process a DVD* into a video file in just a few simple steps. With Movavi Video Converter, you can rip DVDs on your Mac and save them in a wide variety of formats – AVI, MP4, FLV, MOV, MPEG-1,2, 3GP, and more – to create web-compatible and mobile-friendly versions of your DVD videos. You can even do a reverse operation – convert videos to the DVD-compatible VOB format on your Mac – just as easily.

* Disclaimer. Please be aware that Movavi Video Converter for Mac does not allow you to convert copy-protected DVDs.

How to rip a DVD on a Mac with Movavi Video Converter:

1. Install Movavi's Mac DVD ripper
2. Add the DVD to the program
3. Choose the format
4. Rip your DVD on Mac

Go to the full guide

Best for: experienced rippers who need a variety of tools but don’t care about a user-friendly interface

OS: macOS 10.13 or later, Windows, Linux

TechRadar rating: 4 out of 5

If you are looking for a powerful DVD ripper for Mac, HandBrake should be among your top picks. This tool is packed with a wide range of tools and presets, giving you many options. However, to accommodate all these features, this Mac DVD rip software has sacrificed user-friendliness. As such, it is not ideal rip software for Mac for beginners.

If you already know how to rip a DVD on Mac, you will benefit from the additional features such as multiple video filters, video preview, title and range selection, chapter markers.

Once you have installed and configured the software, the following steps will help you rip DVD on Mac.

How to rip a DVD on a Mac with HandBrake:

1. Insert the DVD you want to rip and launch HandBrake.
2. Drag and drop the video you want to convert into the app.
3. Select the output format.
4. Select the destination folder using the Browse button.
5. Click Start Encode to run the Mac rip DVD process.

Best for: people who want a beginner-friendly interface

OS: Mac OS X 10.9 or later, Windows

PCWorld review

When it comes to DVD ripper for Mac, few tools can compare to the Xilisoft. With this tool, you will be able to convert DVDs into popular movie formats quickly. It also allows you to adjust video effects, crop image frame size, clip, merge and split files, and add subtitles and watermarks.

Despite the wide range of features available on this DVD rip Mac software, it is surprisingly easy to use. All the important options that will enable you to convert files are accessible via the main screen.

The steps you need to follow to rip DVDs are:

1. In the Profile field, select the desired output format.
2. Hit Add and load your DVD.
3. Click Start to run the conversion.

If you have multiple files to convert, Xilisoft can handle them concurrently, or you can cue them. Alternatively, you can use the CPU usage throttle settings to choose which videos should be prioritized while the rest continue slowly.

Best for: rippers who want to preserve meta-information of the original tracks

OS: Mac OS X 10.7 or later, Windows, Linux

TopTenReviews rating: 4 out of 5

MakeMKV is standalone software that allows users to rip DVD to Mac conveniently. It can also be used to convert encrypted files into formats that are readable on other devices. If you rip DVD for Mac using MakeMKV, you will be sure that the converted files will be similar to the original one.

Besides offering fast conversions, all video and audio tracks, including HD audio, will be preserved. Other elements that will be preserved include meta-information such as audio type and track language and the information on chapters.

MakeMKV is easy-to-use software to extract video from DVD to Mac.

How to rip a DVD on a Mac with MakeMKV:

1. Insert the DVD and run the application.
2. Click the scan title icon for the software to scan the headlines.
3. Select the titles you want to rip.
4. Choose a storage folder for the ripped files.
5. It may take 20 to 30 minutes to extract a video.

Best for: those with little ripping experience

OS: Mac OS X 10.6 or later

Macworld review

With numerous devices such as iPhones and iPads that you can use to watch movies, access to a reliable free DVD ripper for Mac is now somewhat of a necessity. In this regard, MacX DVD Ripper is an ideal option, especially if you do not have prior experience with ripping DVD on Mac.

It is not only easy to use but with the MacX DVD Ripper Pro, but you will also be able to convert DVDs to all the major video formats. It has in-built presets that make it easy for you to convert videos for your Apple devices.

How to convert your videos with MacX DVD Ripper:

1. Insert your DVD and launch MacX DVD Ripper.
2. Click the DVD Disc button and select the disc.
3. Select a preset output such as iPhone depending on your device.
4. Select a destination folder for the converted files using the Browse button.
5. Click the RUN button for ripping to begin.

Best for: possibly ripping a scratched DVD

OS: Mac OS X 10.10 or later

TechRadar rating: 4.5 out of 5

Since 2009, WinX DVD Ripper has been in the industry as one of the best DVD rippers for Mac. This is why it has over 70 million users. It allows you to back up your videos to MPEG2 format without losing any quality, and the process only takes five minutes. Another key feature of WinX DVD ripper can work on new, non-standard, regional, and even scratched DVDs.

It is just as easy to edit your videos as it is to navigate on the platform. Additional operations you can perform include adjusting frame rate, resolution, bitrate, codec, adding subtitles, and trimming videos.

To rip files DVDs using WinX DVD Ripper, you will need to take the following steps.

How to rip a DVD with WinX DVD Ripper:

1. Open the program and click DVD Disc.
2. Select the source disc for conversion and click OK.
3. In the Output Profile window, select the target format.
4. Click Browse and choose the export folder.
5. Hit RUN to rip your DVD.

Best for: users who need to save some money

OS: Mac OS X 10.7 to 10.14

CNET rating: 4.1 out of 5, 229 reviews

ffmpegX is free audio and video conversion software that allows you to rip DVDs to your computer. If you want to learn how to import video from a DVD to Mac, this software can be helpful. It’s not very intuitive, though, and most of the information available can be found in online forums. Like most freeware, if you get stuck, you’ll have to dig through a lot of articles and forum threads to find the answers to your questions.

How to rip a DVD on Mac with ffmpegX:

1. Save your DVD file(s) to your Mac as TS files.
2. Open ffmpegX from your Applications folder.
3. Locate the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders in your TS folders.
4. In ffmpegX, click Open, navigate to your VIDEO_TS folder, and select it. Click Choose.
5. Click on the Target format dropdown menu and choose the format you want (e.g., MOV, MP4, etc.)
6. Select the Audio tab, navigate to your AUDIO_TS folder, and select it. NOTE: You may not need to do step 6, as ffmpegX will automatically scan for audio tracks. You may want to play the video in ffmpegX to ensure that the audio is correct before you finish ripping the DVD.
7. Adjust any presets that you want to change for the video or audio files.
8. Click the Encode button to convert a DVD to the desired format.

There are plenty of rip software for Mac, and each has unique features and capability. When choosing the best DVD ripper for Mac, it's all about finding one that adequately meets your needs. Some of the factors to consider are:

1. Supported formats

From smartphones to smart TVs and gaming consoles, there are many devices that you can use to watch converted videos. With each, you will require a compatible video format. Though most tools for ripping DVD on Mac offer most of the popular formats, the best of the lot go the extra mile to give you more options.

2. Quality of output files and speed

During the conversion process, some of the video properties may be altered, affecting the output quality. For a great user experience, make sure you select a Mac DVD rip tool that preserves the video's quality. Along with quality, the speed of conversion is a major consideration. A reliable tool should not take too long to convert videos.

3. Additional features

Advanced Mac rip DVD applications offer additional tools enabling you to convert videos into what you want. They have video editing capabilities allowing you to crop videos, edit subtitles, add watermarks, and trim unwanted parts of the video. Other features include the ability to adjust frame rates, aspect ratios, bitrates, codecs, and more.

4. Cost of a DVD ripper for Mac

There are plenty of free ripping tools for Mac. However, to get the best quality and access to advanced features, you will need to pay for a subscription. Prices range from around $30 to $50 for the best tools available.

5. Available support

Some applications have highly complicated interfaces that make them suitable for experienced users, whereas some are friendly to beginners. Either way, you should choose software for ripping DVD on Mac from a manufacturer that offers dependable support. This can come in the way of live chat, FAQs, tutorials, and other resources on their website.

Can you get software that has it all?

In most cases, you will be forced to choose between priority features. But that shouldn't be the case. Movavi Video Converter for Mac offers a combination of all these features accompanied by unparalleled conversion speed.

If you’re wondering “What format is a DVD video?”, have a look at the table below. You’ll find information about video and audio formats that can be used in a DVD video.