Home Install Now

How to download a Vimeo video

Last updated

Look for the Download button below the video on vimeo.com. If the owner turned downloads on, that button is Vimeo's own way to get a file. For a public video you have the right to save, you can also paste its link into the Vimeo Downloader online tool, which saves one video at a time as an MP4 in the highest quality Vimeo provides for it. Private, password-protected and paid videos are not supported, and you are responsible for having the right to save the video.

Vimeo's help pages and this tool can change, so the official sources are linked where they matter.

Which method fits your situation

Not sure why the button is missing? Read why a Vimeo video has no Download button.

Option 1: Vimeo's Download button

Vimeo lets owners turn downloads on or off for each video. When downloads are on, you can save a file like this, following Vimeo's help center:

  1. Log in to your Vimeo account and open the video on vimeo.com. Vimeo says viewers can only download from the video's own page on vimeo.com, not from an embedded player on another website.
  2. Select the Download button below the video player.
  3. In the window that opens, choose a file size and select the download icon next to it.
  4. Save the file when your browser asks. Depending on the browser, the video may open in a new tab instead of downloading. Vimeo says that on Windows you should right-click the link and choose Save as (or Save target as), and on a Mac you should hold Control, click the link and choose Save link as (or Download linked file).

If you can't see the button, the owner may have turned downloads off. This guide explains how to tell. Vimeo's help center also says that bulk downloading is not supported, and it advises storing downloaded files securely to prevent unauthorized distribution.

Your own videos

If the video is yours, or you are a team member on a paid account, open it in your Library, select the down arrow on the Share button, choose Download, then select the download icon next to the version you want. Vimeo says this requires a paid plan. See Vimeo's instructions.

Option 2: The offline list in the Vimeo app

If you only want to watch a video without an internet connection, the Vimeo app can save it to an offline playlist. Vimeo's help center says videos in the offline list can only be played inside the Vimeo app and can't be exported or played in other apps (Vimeo app for Android). That makes it a way to watch, not a way to get a file.

For your own videos, the mobile app also has Save to device on Android and Save to Camera Roll on iPhone in the video's menu (Vimeo's instructions).

Option 3: The online tool for public videos

The Vimeo Downloader online tool is free, needs no account, and runs in your browser tab. It reads the link to a public Vimeo video and gives you one MP4.

Before you use it. Section 5.4 of Vimeo's Terms of Service (last updated July 8, 2024) says you will not "access, download, reproduce, redistribute, frame, mirror, create derivative works from, decompile, reverse engineer, alter, archive, or disassemble any part of our Services or any content except as expressly authorized by the Service or with our prior written permission" (Vimeo Terms of Service). A Download button that an owner turned on is the service's own way of offering a file. A third-party tool is not, so use it only for videos you have the right to save, and don't redistribute what you save. Is it legal to download Vimeo videos? explains how the Terms, owners' choices and copyright fit together.

How to download

  1. Copy the video's link. Open the video on vimeo.com and copy the address from your browser's address bar. The tool accepts links on vimeo.com, www.vimeo.com and player.vimeo.com, such as https://vimeo.com/123456789 or https://player.vimeo.com/video/123456789. Use the link to the video itself, not to a profile or channel page, and include the https:// at the start. Without it, the tool answers "This is not a valid URL."
  2. Paste it into the tool. On the Vimeo Downloader home page, paste the link into the Vimeo link field, then press Enter or select the Paste Vimeo Video Link button. If you paste several links, the tool reads only the first valid one.
  3. Check the result. When the tool has read the video, a result card shows the file name (the video's title with .mp4), a line with the type, duration, resolution and file size, and a thumbnail when one is available. If Vimeo doesn't report a size, you'll see "Unknown size".
  4. Select Download. The button shows what is happening: first "Checking browser storage...", then "Downloading..." with a percentage. For some videos Vimeo delivers the video and the audio as separate streams. The tool then downloads both and merges them into one MP4 in your browser, and the button reads "Preparing MP4..." while it does. Keep the tab open until the file is finished. If you try to leave the page during a download, your browser asks you to confirm.
  5. Open the file. Your browser saves the MP4 like any other download, in your default downloads folder, or wherever it asks you to save if you set it up that way.

What you get, and what you don't

  • One MP4 per link. The tool works on one link at a time and has no batch mode.
  • The highest quality Vimeo provides for that video. There is no quality menu. The result card shows the resolution before you download, so you know what you are getting.
  • The video as a single file. You get one MP4 with the picture and sound. Separate audio files, subtitle files and cover images are not part of it.
  • Public videos only. The online tool only works with public videos. Private, password-protected and paid videos are not supported, and the tool does not remove DRM or unlock access controls. If it says "This Vimeo video is private or cannot be parsed", read Vimeo Downloader not working.
  • Very large files can be refused. Files that are very large, or whose size Vimeo doesn't report, may be turned down. The tool also checks that your browser has enough storage before it starts.
  • Interrupted downloads. If your connection drops while a single-file MP4 is downloading, the page retries on its own and, if that fails, shows Continue so you can pick up where it stopped. Videos that need merging can't be resumed; start those again.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose the resolution?

With Vimeo's Download button you choose among the file sizes the owner offers. The online tool has no quality menu: it saves the highest quality Vimeo provides, and the result card shows the resolution before you download.

Can I download several Vimeo videos at once?

Not with the online tool. It handles one link at a time and reads only the first valid link if you paste several. According to Vimeo's help center, Vimeo's own download feature doesn't support bulk downloads either.

Do I need an account?

The online tool doesn't need one. Vimeo says you need to be logged in to your Vimeo account to download a source file for a public video with its Download button.

Can I download a video that is embedded on another website?

Vimeo says viewers can only download from the video's own page on vimeo.com, not from an embedded player. Open that page and copy its link. Private, password-protected and otherwise restricted videos are not supported, and the tool does not work around those limits.

It depends on the owner's settings, Vimeo's Terms of Service and copyright law. Our legal guide walks through each of them. It is general information, not legal advice.

What if the tool shows an error?

Find the message in Vimeo Downloader not working: error messages and fixes.

Using the tool responsibly

Vimeo Downloader is an independent tool operated by Ginyo Technologies Limited. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Vimeo, Inc. Vimeo is a trademark of Vimeo, Inc. The tool is meant for videos you already have legitimate access to and the right to save. You are responsible for copyright law and for the terms of Vimeo and of the video's owner. Don't use it to redistribute copyrighted material or to get around access controls you are not entitled to.