Honest comparison
AudioFetcher vs cobalt
cobalt.tools no longer supports YouTube. When we checked on October 21, 2026, YouTube was missing from the supported-services list that its public API publishes, so YouTube links no longer work on the official site. If you need a YouTube alternative: AudioFetcher is ad-free like cobalt, needs no account for free use, and delivers YouTube's original Opus or M4A audio without re-encoding, plus MP3 up to 320 kbps, FLAC, playlists, chapters, SponsorBlock removal and tag editing. cobalt remains a good open-source choice for the other sites it supports, and it can be self-hosted.
Written by the AudioFetcher team, so we have an interest. Facts about cobalt come from its own site, API, documentation or linked sources. Last checked October 21, 2026.
Side by side
| AudioFetcher | cobalt | |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube links | Yes, built for YouTube audio and video | Not on cobalt.tools: YouTube is not in its supported-services list (checked October 21, 2026). Self-hosted instances may differ |
| Platform | Web app in any modern browser; optional Firefox extension | Web app at cobalt.tools; open-source (AGPL) and self-hostable |
| Install | None | None for cobalt.tools; a server for self-hosting |
| Account | Not needed for free conversions | Not needed |
| Price | Free for single videos up to 60 minutes. Supporter Pass: $5 one-time for 30 days, no subscription. | Free |
| Ads and pop-ups | None | None |
| Output formats | MP3 (up to 320 kbps, VBR options), FLAC, original Opus, original M4A, MP4 (up to 1080p free) | MP3, Opus, OGG, WAV or best available; bitrate 8 to 320 kbps; video downloads |
| Keeps original YouTube audio | Yes, Opus and M4A are delivered without re-encoding | A "best" audio option is available |
| Length limits | Free: 60 minutes of audio per video, up to 50 MP4s a day, each up to 40 minutes. Supporter: audio up to 12 hours, FLAC up to 2 hours, MP4 up to 3 hours | No published length limit found |
| Playlists | Full playlists and queues of up to 100 links with a Supporter Pass; a free Library Pack of up to 10 items once a day | No playlist support; requested repeatedly on GitHub |
| Extras | ID3 tag editing and embedded cover art (MP3), chapter embedding and splitting, SponsorBlock sponsor removal, subtitles, LRCLIB lyrics file, ordered playlist ZIP | Automatic cover art and subtitle downloads since version 11.2 (June 2025); 20 other sites such as SoundCloud, TikTok and Vimeo |
| Checks before converting | One Cloudflare Turnstile check before a free conversion | Varies by instance |
| Where conversion runs | On AudioFetcher's servers; files are temporary and deleted automatically | On the cobalt instance you use; the project describes a zero-log policy |
cobalt.tools no longer supports YouTube
In June 2025 users opened GitHub issue #1356, "Can't download videos from YouTube on cobalt.tools". On August 15, 2025 a maintainer wrote that strict network limits on YouTube's side were still present and that the project could not work around them at its scale. YouTube has since been dropped from the official instance: on October 21, 2026 the root of api.cobalt.tools (version 11.7.1), which lists the services the site accepts, named 20 services such as Bilibili, Bluesky, Instagram, Reddit, SoundCloud, TikTok, Twitch clips, Twitter and Vimeo, and not YouTube. AlternativeTo user reviews from February 2026 describe the same change.
cobalt's source code still contains a YouTube module, so instances run by other people may accept YouTube links; those are separate operators, not the cobalt team. Our cobalt status page checks cobalt.tools every 10 minutes.
Choose cobalt if
- You want open-source software you can audit or run on your own server.
- You download from the sites it supports, such as SoundCloud, TikTok, Vimeo or Reddit, rather than YouTube.
- You only need single files and not playlists.
Choose AudioFetcher if
- You need YouTube links to work, which cobalt.tools no longer supports.
- You want YouTube's original Opus or M4A stream without re-encoding, or FLAC, with no ads.
- You need whole playlists in order, chapters split into tracks, sponsor segments removed, or MP3 tags and cover art set before download.
- You do not want to run a server.
Other comparisons
Sources
- cobalt on GitHubProject README: open source, supported services, self-hosting.
- cobalt about pageNo ads, no tracking, zero-log policy.
- cobalt 11.2 changelog, June 30, 2025Automatic cover art and subtitle downloads.
- cobalt.tools public API, checked October 21, 2026Version 11.7.1; the supported-services list has 20 entries and no YouTube.
- GitHub issue #1356YouTube download limits on cobalt.tools; maintainer update August 15, 2025.
- AlternativeTo: cobalt user reviewsFebruary 2026 reviews reporting that YouTube no longer works on cobalt.tools (individual accounts).
- GitHub issue #193Playlist support request.
Other tools change often. If something here is out of date, email help@audiofetcher.com and we will correct it.