6 Best DVD Ripper for Mac Review: How to Rip DVD on Mac for Free

DVD ripper software does exactly what it says on the tin: rip DVD content into digital files. Perfect for backing up home movies, work files, or your favorite movies and TV shows. However, finding the finest DVD ripper for Mac is the tricky part. We'll show you how to rip DVDs on your Mac and suggest the best DVD ripping software in this guide. Keep reading!

Why You Need a DVD Ripper for Mac

Physical movies are becoming a thing of the past, just look at how Apple stopped including DVD drives in their computers. But let’s face it, DVDs and Blu-rays are still around, and chances are you’ve got a few lying around at home. Mac DVD ripping software is useful in this situation. These tools let you digitally back up your DVD collection, preserving your movies in high quality so you can watch them on newer devices, with no disc drive required.

The demand for DVD ripping is on the rise, and it’s easy to see why. Not only does it protect your disc content, but it also gives you the flexibility to enjoy your favorite movies on modern gadgets like smartphones, tablets, or lightweight laptops. It’s a simple solution that frees you from relying on outdated hardware, offering more ways to watch wherever and whenever you want.

The Best DVD Ripper for Mac: Features to Look For

When choosing the best tool for yourself, you need to look for these key features to make the ripping smooth and fast. Look for these when choosing the best DVD ripper for Mac.

Top 6 DVD Rippers for Mac: Our Recommendations

Below are six of the best DVD rippers for Mac, each with their own pros and cons. If you own a Mac, here are some DVD ripping apps we recommend:

DVDFab DVD Ripper

• Rating (Trustpilot): 4.6/5
• Compatibility: macOS 10.10 – newer

The top recommendation on our list is DVDFab DVD Ripper for Mac. This software can rip any DVD to video and audio in 5 minutes. DVDFab DVD Ripper detects and removes standard DVD copy protections such as CSS, RC, APS, and Sony DADC. So, DVD-to-digital conversion is easy and painless.

With this software, you can also convert your DVDs into popular formats with smaller file size while keeping the original image quality. It also has a professional video editor where you can trim, crop, add watermarks, merge videos, add subtitles, and even adjust video colors.

How to Rip a DVD on Mac With DVDFab DVD Ripper

Step 1: Download and Install DVDFab

• Install the DVDFab DVD Ripper for Mac after downloading it.

Step 2: Navigate to the 'Ripper' module and insert your DVD.

• Go to the "Ripper" module, insert the DVD into your Mac’s optical drive and click the Add button on the main page.
• If you have an ISO file or DVD folder, simply drag and drop it onto the main screen.

Step 3: Edit the DVD and select the output format

• To rip your DVD, click the Choose Other Profile and select your desired output format (e.g. MP4, AVI, MKV, FLV, etc.).

• You can also adjust video, audio, and subtitle settings.
• For additional editing, click the Video Edit button to add text, images, or subtitles.
• Click Preview to see the source and output video.

Step 4: Set the Output Destination and Start Ripping

• Choose where you want to save the output (hard drive or mobile device).
• Click "Start" and DVDFab will rip your DVD to digital in seconds.

HandBrake

• Rating (TechRadar): 4/5
• Compatibility: macOS 10.13 – later

HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoder for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It’s one of the best Mac DVD rippers out there, where you can rip Blu-ray and DVD to MP4 on Mac with ease. HandBrake's built-in DVD decryption capability has been removed since version 0.9.3. However, you can still rip protected DVDs by installing libdvdcss library. By adding this library to HandBrake’s application folder, the software can dynamically bypass CSS and region-locked protections, allowing you to re-encode protected DVDs on a Mac.

How to Use HandBrake on Mac to Rip a DVD

Step 1: Download and Install HandBrake

• Download and install HandBrake's most recent version.

Step 2: Insert the DVD

• Insert the DVD you wish to rip into your Mac.
• Choose the DVD you inserted from the Source Selection menu. HandBrake will look for titles on the DVD.

Step 3: Select Titles and Customize Settings

• After scanning, choose the titles and chapters you want to rip.
• Adjust as needed, select a preset, format, and adjust video and audio settings.

Step 4: Set Destination and Start Ripping

• Click Browse to select the output destination and name the file.
• Finally, just click the Start button to begin the ripping process.

Cisdem Video Converter

• Rating (Trustpilot): 3.1/5
• Compatibility: macOS 10.13 - later

Cisdem Video Converter for Mac is a paid tool with a built-in DVD ripper that can handle both homemade and protected DVDs. You can rip videos directly from DVDs into over 300 formats and preserve original quality and data. But it doesn’t support creating full DVD backups in ISO images.

How to Rip a DVD on Mac with Cisdem Video Converter

Step 1: Launch the Cisdem Video Converter

• Download and install the Cisdem DVD ripper.
• Launch the software and navigate to the DVD ripping interface.

Step 2: Load the DVD Source

• Insert a DVD into your Mac.
• Next, drag and drop the DVD disc icon or VIDEO_TS folder into the software.

Step 3: Select Titles and Languages

• Tick the box next to the title you want to rip. Uncheck others if you only want the main title.
• Cisdem DVD Ripper will detect all subtitles and soundtracks, so you can select your language.

Step 4: Choose the Output Format

• Click one of the format icon to open the output panel.

Step 5: Rip the DVD

• Click the conversion icon at the bottom right to begin the DVD ripping process.

MakeMKV

• Rating (TechRadar): 4.5/5
• Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.7 – later

MakeMKV is another best DVD ripping freeware for Mac. Designed specifically for converting DVD discs to MKV format, it preserves all video and audio tracks, chapter information, and metadata during the ripping process.

However, the output MKV files are typically very large. A ripped DVD movie in MKV format usually takes 2 to 8 GB of storage, while a Blu-ray movie can take up to 30 GB.

How to Rip a DVD with MakeMKV on Mac

Step 1: Install MakeMKV on macOS

• Because MakeMKV is not authorized by Apple, you may need to modify your Gatekeeper settings in order to install the software.

Step 2: Open the DVD in MakeMKV

• Launch MakeMKV and select File.
• Choose Open Disc from the menu. MakeMKV will detect the DVD and display a list of all titles.
• Tick the boxes next to the titles you want to rip.

Step 3: Start Ripping the DVD

• To initiate the ripping process, click the Make MKV button.
• MakeMKV will convert the specified DVD titles to MKV format on your Mac.

Movavi Video Converter

• Rating (Trustpilot): 4.4/5
• Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.13 - later

Movavi offers a simple and efficient DVD ripper for Mac, making it easy to convert DVDs into video files. You can rip home DVDs into formats like MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV, as well as audio and image files. The software supports Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPU acceleration for fast ripping process.

How to Rip DVDs using Movavi DVD Ripping Software for Mac

The steps to rip DVDs with Movavi Video Converter are as follows:

Step 1: Install Movavi's Mac DVD Ripper

• Run the installation file and follow the prompts to install Movavi’s Mac DVD Ripper.

Step 2: Add Your DVD

• Start up the program and load the DVD into your drive.
• Click Add Media and then Add DVD.
• And choose Open DVD, then pick the DVD you wish to rip.

Step 3: Choose the Output

• At the bottom of the software's interface, choose the format that your DVD video will be saved in.
• Tap the Video tab to see more export choices if you can't find the right one.
• Go to the Devices tab and pick a preset for your phone, tablet, or player (iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc.) to save the video to your phone.

Step 4: Rip Your DVD on Mac

• Make sure the application saves the video to the appropriate place before converting. Click Save to to create or choose a target folder.
• Click Share and select iTunes if you want to transfer the ripped files to your Apple device. This will add the files to your iTunes library after the ripping process.

Step 5: Start the Conversion

• Click Convert to rip.

MacX DVD Ripper

• Rating (we suggest software): 4/5
• Compatibility: macOS X 10.6 – later

MacX DVD Ripper is another software for ripping DVDs on Mac. It can rip DVDs to Mac friendly formats like MOV, M4V, H.264, and device optimized formats for iPhone, iPad, Android and more. But, the output video quality from MacX DVD Ripper Pro may not be as good as other tools.

How to Rip a DVD using MacX DVD Ripper

Step 1: Launch MacX DVD Ripper and Insert DVD

• Open MacX DVD Ripper on your Mac.
• Put the DVD in your Mac's drive.
• Click the DVD icon to load the DVD.

Step 2: Choose Output Format and Personalize Video

• From the profiles list, pick the format you want the ripped DVD to be saved in.
• To make the movie your own, you can crop, merge, rotate, or change other settings as needed.

Step 3: Choose Output Folder and Start Ripping

• Choose the output folder to save the ripped DVD file
• Click RUN to start.

Comparison of the Best DVD Rippers for Mac

Let’s compare the top DVD rippers for Mac side by side. This will show you the key features, performance, and other important bits, so you can make an informed decision.

Extension: Cloning DVDs - An Alternative to Ripping

Cloning a DVD is a ripping alternative and you can do it with DVDFab DVD Copy. It has all the features you need to clone DVDs and allows you to make your DVDs unique with advanced settings. Plus, it has multiple copy modes to fit your needs, so it’s a versatile and easy to use option to make a perfect DVD copy.

Step 1: Download and Launch DVDFab

• Download DVDFab on your Mac.
• Run the program.

Step 2: Choose the Copy Module and Copy Mode

• Click on the Copy module.
• Choose a copy mode according to your needs, Full Disc, Main Movie or Custom.

Step 3: Add the Source

• Place a disc into your device's DVD drive, and the program will begin to load it.
• If your source is an ISO file or folder, simply drag and drop them to the main interface.

Step 4: Customize the Settings

• As soon as the source is loaded, the main movie is chosen automatically.
• Customize if needed:
  • Change subtitles, audio tracks, and chapters.
  • Adjust advanced settings, like output size (DVD-5 or DVD-9).

Step 5: Set a Output Directory and Begin Copying

• Click Save to to select your drive and copy the DVD to a new disc.
• Click Start to copy DVDs.

FAQs 

How to transfer ripped movies to iPhone or iPad?

Here’s how you can transfer ripped movies to your iPhone or iPad:

• Through a USB cable: Connect your iPhone or iPad to your PC with a USB cable and transfer the ripped files.
• Syncing with iTunes: After converting your DVD to MP4, open iTunes and sync the MP4 files to your device.

Can I rip Blu-ray discs with a DVD ripper for Mac?

No, not all DVD rippers support Blu-ray discs. But, you can use all-in-one tools like DVDFab which includes both DVD and Blu-ray ripping features. These tools are designed to handle both DVD and Blu-ray discs, so ripping is easy and fast on a Mac.

Can I compress the DVD rip to reduce file size on Mac?

Yes, you can. Use a tool like HandBrake, which offers presets for shrinking movie file sizes. These presets compress the file with minimal to no loss of quality, making them an excellent alternative for reducing file size.

Does a DVD ripper for Mac work with external DVD drives?

Yes, a DVD ripper for Mac works with external DVD drives. Just make sure the optical drive you use is compatible with your Mac and can read the DVD properly.

Can I rip a DVD to an iPhone-compatible format on Mac?

You can! iPhones can play video files in MP4, MOV, M4V, and AVI formats and play music files in AAC, MP3, and Apple Lossless formats. With DVDFab DVD Ripper, you can change the format of your DVD so that it can be played on your iPhone.

Conclusion

When choosing the best DVD ripper for Mac, it's important to consider your specific needs, such as format compatibility, speed, output quality, and additional features. Whether you're looking for a free solution like HandBrake or a powerful paid option like DVDFab DVD Ripper, there are plenty of choices that can help you rip DVDs to digital files effectively and without losing quality.

If you want to copy DVDs instead of ripping them, DVDFab DVD Copy is a good choice. It makes it easy to create exact duplicates of your DVDs. In the end, the best DVD ripper for you depends on what features matter most to you, like simplicity, editing options, or the ability to handle protected DVDs. With the right tool, ripping DVDs on your Mac will be fast and easy.