How to Download Vimeo Videos for Free on Mac

Free methods and tool-based workflows for saving Vimeo videos on macOS for offline viewing or editing.

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How to Download Vimeo Videos for FREE (No Extensions Needed)

These instructions are specifically for macOS users.

👉 Get the Vimeo Video Downloader App Here

PRE-REQUISITE STEPS (initial one-time setup):

  • Install Homebrew by visiting homebrew.sh and following the install instructions
  • Use Homebrew to install Streamlink: fire up Terminal and run brew install Streamlink

STEPS (after you have the pre-requisites):

  1. Find the Video: Navigate to the webpage containing the Vimeo video you'd like to save.
  2. Inspect the Page: Right-click anywhere on the page and choose "Inspect" to open DevTools. Press Command/Control + F and search for "player.vimeo" within the HTML source. You're looking for a URL that contains a numeric video ID.
  3. Extract the Video URL: Double-click the URL to select it, copy it, then paste it into a new browser tab to confirm it loads the standalone video player.
  4. Build the Streamlink Command: Combine the video URL with Streamlink, choosing your preferred quality level (e.g., "best") and an output file path on your Mac:
# syntax
$ streamlink https://player.vimeo.com/video/{vimeoID} best -o {path/to/download/to/video_name.mp4}

# example (mac)
streamlink https://player.vimeo.com/video/949271536 best -o ~/Desktop/vimeo_video.mp4
  1. Execute and Wait: Hit enter, and Streamlink takes care of the rest — the video file will appear at the output path you specified.

📺 Click to watch & follow along with the video on YouTube

vimeo

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