Clipy

Professional YouTube video downloader & editor. 100% free, open-source, and privacy-focused.

<a href="#features">Features</a> •
<a href="#installation">Installation</a> •
<a href="#tech-stack">Tech Stack</a> •
<a href="#contributing">Contributing</a> •
<a href="#license">License</a>

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Clipy is a fully open-source, bloat-free Electron desktop application for downloading and editing YouTube videos in their original quality without compression or re-encoding. It provides a clean, advanced, and completely free alternative to proprietary tools, with a strong emphasis on user privacy and a high-quality user experience.

All processing is done locally on your machine. We use yt-dlp for reliable video downloading and FFmpeg for video processing, ensuring maximum compatibility and quality.

Note: This project is currently under active development. Some features may be incomplete or subject to change.

Features

Core Features

• High-Quality Downloads: Download videos up to 4K/2160p in original quality with no re-encoding
• Dual-Stream Preview: Preview videos in 1080p+ quality with synchronized audio before downloading
• Built-in Video Editor: Trim and clip videos with a professional timeline interface
• Quality Selection: Choose your preferred quality (4K, 1440p, 1080p, 720p, etc.) - downloads respect your choice
• Multiple Formats: Export to MP4, WebM, MKV, or audio-only formats (MP3, M4A, Opus)

Privacy & Security

• 100% Local Processing: All video processing happens on your machine
• No Telemetry: Zero tracking, analytics, or data collection
• No Accounts Required: Just paste a URL and download
• Sandboxed Architecture: Secure Electron setup with context isolation and strict CSP

User Experience

• Modern UI: Clean, responsive interface built with React and Shadcn UI
• Dark/Light Themes: Full theme support with system theme detection
• Download Queue: Manage multiple downloads with pause, resume, and retry
• Download History: Track all your downloads with easy access to files
• Cross-Platform: Native experience on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Comparison

Feature	Clipy	cliply.space	yt-dlp CLI	4K Video Downloader
Cost	100% Free	Freemium/Paywall	Free	Paid
UI/UX	Modern React UI	Basic Electron	CLI Only	Desktop Native
Video Preview	1080p+ with Audio	Basic	None	Basic
Built-in Editor	Timeline + Trim	None	None	Limited
Max Quality	4K/Original	Original	4K/Original	4K (Re-encoded)
Dual-Stream	Yes (Synced A/V)	No	N/A	No
Privacy	100% Local	100% Local	100% Local	Cloud features
Platforms	Win/Mac/Linux	Win/Mac	All	Win/Mac
Open Source	Yes (MIT)	Yes (GNU)	Yes (Unlicense)	No

Installation

Download Pre-built Binaries

1. Go to the Releases page
2. Download the installer for your OS:
3. Windows: .exe installer
4. macOS: .dmg disk image
5. Linux: .deb (Debian/Ubuntu) or .rpm (Fedora/RHEL)
6. Run the installer and launch Clipy

Build from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/BankkRoll/clipy.git
cd clipy

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Run in development mode
pnpm start

# Package the app (creates unpackaged build)
pnpm package

# Build distributable installers (.exe, .dmg, .deb, etc.)
pnpm make

Tech Stack

Frontend

• React 18 - UI framework
• TypeScript - Type-safe development
• TanStack Router - File-based routing
• Zustand - State management
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first styling
• Shadcn UI - Accessible component library
• i18next - Internationalization

Backend

• Electron - Cross-platform desktop framework
• yt-dlp - Video downloading engine
• FFmpeg - Video processing and conversion
• HLS.js - Adaptive streaming support

Architecture

• IPC Channels - Secure main/renderer communication
• Context Bridge - Safe API exposure to renderer
• Sandboxed Renderer - Enhanced security model
• Custom Protocol - Secure local file serving (clipy-file://)

How It Works

Dual-Stream High-Quality Preview

YouTube limits combined audio+video streams to ~720p. For higher quality preview:

1. Video Stream: Clipy fetches the highest quality video-only stream (1080p, 1440p, or 4K)
2. Audio Stream: A separate high-bitrate audio stream is loaded
3. Synchronization: Both streams play in sync with shared controls (play, pause, seek, volume)
4. Result: Full 1080p+ preview with audio before you download

Download Quality

When you select a quality (e.g., 4K), Clipy: 1. Uses yt-dlp format selectors to fetch that exact quality 2. Downloads video and audio streams separately 3. Muxes them together using FFmpeg 4. Outputs the final file in your chosen format

Project Structure

src/
├── components/        # React components
│   ├── downloader/   # Download-related components
│   ├── editor/       # Video editor (player, timeline)
│   ├── library/      # Download history
│   └── ui/           # Shadcn UI components
├── hooks/            # Custom React hooks
├── ipc/              # Electron IPC handlers
│   ├── channels.ts   # IPC channel definitions
│   ├── context-bridge.ts  # Secure API bridge
│   └── *-handlers.ts # Handler implementations
├── pages/            # Route pages
├── services/         # Backend services
│   ├── downloader/   # yt-dlp integration
│   └── *.ts          # Other services
├── stores/           # Zustand stores
├── types/            # TypeScript definitions
└── utils/            # Utility functions

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how to get started:

1. Fork the repository
2. Clone your fork: git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/clipy.git
3. Create a branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
4. Make changes and test thoroughly
5. Commit: git commit -m "Add amazing feature"
6. Push: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
7. Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

• Follow the existing code style (Prettier + ESLint)
• Write meaningful commit messages
• Test on multiple platforms if possible
• Update documentation for new features

Acknowledgements

This project is built on the shoulders of giants:

• yt-dlp - The powerful video downloading engine
• FFmpeg - Industry-standard video processing
• Electron - Cross-platform desktop framework
• electron-shadcn - Modern Electron template
• Shadcn UI - Beautiful, accessible components
• React, Vite, TypeScript - Development stack
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.