JDownloader alternative for Mac

A JDownloader alternative for Mac.

JDownloader 2 is free, open source and hard to beat for file-hosting sites and long lists of links. If that’s your work, keep it. Lynx is a Mac app for everything else: it catches big downloads from Chrome, Edge, Brave and Arc, splits them across up to 32 connections, saves video from the pages you visit and can download just part of a long video.

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Free · Pro free for 14 days · No account, no ads

Lynx and JDownloader

Lynx compared with JDownloader
FeatureLynxJDownloader
Price Free · Pro $29.99/year or $99 onceFree
Open source
Built as A Mac appA Java app
Macs Apple silicon, macOS 11+Apple silicon + Intel; installers back to old macOS versions
Start, pause and resume downloads
Unpacks archives when they finish
File-hosting sites, link containers, captchas
Browser Catches big downloads in Chrome, Edge, Brave, ArcSends links from Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera
Downloads just part of a video
Vertical, square and GIF clips Pro
Download progress in the notch

JDownloader facts from its developer’s own pages, checked September 28, 2026 (sources). If something is out of date, tell us.

When to choose JDownloader or Lynx

Stay with JDownloader if…

  • You download from file-hosting sites, link lists or containers, and need captchas handled.
  • You want free, open-source software with a lot of settings to tune.
  • You’re on an Intel Mac or an older macOS. JDownloader still has installers for those.
  • You want archives unpacked automatically when downloads finish.

Choose Lynx if…

  • You’d rather use a Mac app than a Java app, with Mac menus and keyboard shortcuts.
  • You want big downloads in Chrome, Edge, Brave and Arc caught automatically and split across up to 32 connections.
  • You save video from web pages, or need just part of a long video for an edit: a 35-second clip is 11 MB instead of 255 MB.
  • You’d like download progress in the MacBook’s notch.

Questions

More in the Help Center.

Does JDownloader work on a Mac?
Yes. JDownloader 2 is a Java app with installers for macOS Catalina through Tahoe, and older installers for older macOS versions; its installer server has separate builds for Apple silicon and Intel (checked on September 28, 2026).
Is JDownloader safe to download?
Get it only from jdownloader.org. On May 6–7, 2026, attackers pointed two download links on that site at malware: the Windows “Alternative Installer” and the Linux shell installer. JDownloader’s incident report says the other installers, including the macOS downloads, weren’t affected, and the site was back with verified links on May 8–9.
Is JDownloader free?
Yes. Its site describes it as free and open source. Lynx has a free version with no time limit, and Pro for $29.99 a year, $4.99 a month or $99 once.
Does Lynx handle file-hosting sites like JDownloader?
Not the way JDownloader does: Lynx doesn’t solve captchas or read link containers. With the Lynx extension, you click through the site in your browser as usual, and Lynx takes over the download when it can. When it can’t, the download stays in the browser.
Can I use JDownloader and Lynx together?
Yes. Keep JDownloader for file-hosting sites and link lists, and let Lynx catch your browser’s other big downloads.
Is downloading legal?
It depends on what you download and where you live. Saving your own uploads, public-domain and Creative Commons works, or anything the owner lets you download is fine. Don’t download or share content you don’t have the rights to, and respect each site’s terms.

Sources

Checked on September 28, 2026.

  1. JDownloader home page: free, open source; pause, bandwidth limits, auto-extract (page updated Sep 23, 2026)
  2. JDownloader downloads: macOS installers, Catalina to Tahoe, and older ones
  3. MyJDownloader apps and browser extensions: official extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Opera; link containers, Click’n’Load, captchas
  4. JDownloader website installer incident (May 2026): which links were affected, and what wasn’t
  5. jdownloader on Homebrew: Apple silicon and Intel installers from installer.jdownloader.org

JDownloader is a product of AppWork GmbH. Lynx isn’t affiliated with AppWork.

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Get Lynx for Mac

Free to download. Every Pro feature is free for 14 days, with no card or account needed.

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macOS 11 or later · Macs with Apple silicon · Intel coming soon Available for Mac. Windows is coming soon. Available for Mac. Windows is coming soon.