Repository brief

ytdl-org/youtube-dl

Read the upstream summary on the left, browse the cached forks below it, and load each fork comparison into the right-hand panel.

Cached analysis

cached 2026-03-29T22:08:36.452Z

ytdl-org/youtube-dl

youtube-dl is a long-running command-line program for downloading videos from YouTube and other video platforms. The repository is large and active, with 139,955 stars, 10,606 forks, and recent commits in November 2025. It includes packaging, docs, tests, scripts, and the core `youtube_dl` package, which makes it relevant for forks focused on downloader behavior, site extractor maintenance, or CLI tooling.

GitHub

Stars139,955

Forks10,606

Default branchmaster

Last pushed2026-02-19T16:45:25Z

Best maintainedytdl-patched/youtube-dl

Closest to upstreamlly1993/youtube-dl

Most feature-richblackjack4494/youtube-dlc

Most opinionatedblackjack4494/youtube-dlc

Forks

Choose a fork to inspect

6 cached fork briefs

Fork comparison

blackjack4494/youtube-dlc

stale

significant_divergence

Prefer upstream if you want active maintenance and current site support. Prefer this fork only if you specifically need its older fork-local behavior or are maintaining an existing deployment already built around `youtube_dlc`.

Likely purpose

To preserve and extend a specialized media-downloading branch with custom extractor behavior and compatibility changes, especially around YouTube and related site handling.

Best for

People who need a historical fork with its own compatibility patches and do not depend on current upstream parity.; Maintainers who want to study or build on a heavily modified youtube-dl lineage.; Users pinned to older workflows where the fork's custom extractor behavior is specifically required.

Additional features

Fork-specific `youtube_dlc` package namespace and renamed module layout.
Large YouTube extractor rework, including client selection, player JS handling, chapter extraction, geo-restriction detection, thumbnail extraction, and watched-state handling.
Expanded compatibility and utility layer changes, suggesting support for more environments and site quirks.
Updated docs, issue templates, workflows, and scripts tailored to the fork's own distribution and maintenance process.
Adds or extends platform-specific client support, such as mobile, Android, iOS, or desktop packaging.
Changes agent workflow behavior, such as prompt handling, handoffs, worktrees, memory, or orchestration flow.

Missing features

Upstream has continued to advance far beyond this fork; the fork is 200 commits behind and has not been updated since 2021-11-01.
Several upstream files are removed or replaced by fork-local equivalents, which likely makes drop-in compatibility with upstream docs, internals, or plugins harder.
Users looking for the latest upstream extractor fixes, bug fixes, and maintenance cadence will likely find this fork lagging.
Some upstream behavior appears to be removed, disabled, or intentionally stripped down in this fork.
It trails upstream by 200 commits, so some recent upstream features and fixes are likely not present yet.

Strengths

Very large rewrite surface suggests substantial customization rather than trivial rebranding.
Focused work on YouTube handling and compatibility quirks may suit users hit by specific extractor breakages.
Could be attractive to adopters who prefer a frozen, fork-stable codebase over upstream churn.

Risks

Stale maintenance increases the chance of broken site support and security/compatibility drift.
High divergence makes future upstream merges and ecosystem compatibility harder.
The fork's age means users may spend time on issues already solved upstream.