OmniGet vs Parabolic
Both speed up yt-dlp with aria2c; OmniGet adds torrents, followed channels and an MCP server for agents.
Short answer
Both speed up yt-dlp with aria2c and parallel fragments; a timed test is under construction. OmniGet adds torrents, direct files, followed channels, an extension that forwards your login and an MCP server for AI agents. Parabolic wins on Linux and Windows on ARM: a native GNOME app on Flathub, an ARM64 Windows build and more translations. OmniGet is also the smaller download: 37.1 MB against 223.9 MB on Windows.
Pros and cons, side by side
Written from our study of each app's repository and releases. Every row names the better app, including when it is not OmniGet.
| What matters | OmniGet | Parabolic |
|---|---|---|
| Sites | Own extractors, yt-dlp, torrents, direct files | yt-dlp sites |
| Download speed | aria2c, parallel fragments, segmented files, speed limit | aria2c with tunable connections, fragments, speed limit |
| Private and members content | Extension forwards your cookies per site | Browser cookies, cookie file, saved logins; extension sends URL only |
| Watch channels | Followed channels checked for new uploads | Not offered |
| Linux and Windows ARM | .deb, .rpm, AppImage; no Windows ARM | Native GNOME app on Flathub; Windows ARM64 |
| Translations | 12 languages | 47 translation files on Weblate |
OmniGet wins 3, Parabolic wins 2, 1 tied
Download speed
Download speed is being measured: same links, same connection, same computer, several runs each. The results will appear here with the script to run them again.
What each app can do
| What each app can do | OmniGet | Parabolic |
|---|---|---|
| Playlists and channels | Yes | Yes |
| Subtitles | Yes | Yes |
| Audio only | Yes | Yes |
| Choose quality and format | Yes | Yes |
| Private and members-only videos (your login) | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes |
| Torrents and magnet links | Yes | No |
| Direct file links | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Queue and parallel downloads | Yes | Yes |
| Watch channels for new videos | Yes | No |
| SponsorBlock, chapters, metadata | Yes | Yes |
| AI agents and MCP | Yes | No |
Parabolic, earlier called Tube Converter, is a well-known yt-dlp front end with a native look: WinUI on Windows and GNOME on Linux. OmniGet is a Tauri app that uses the same interface on the three systems. Both are free and open source.
The numbers come from each project's latest GitHub release, read on the date at the top of the page.
Download size and packages
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What that means in waiting time
Time to download each app (Windows installer) at common connection speeds.
| 2 Mbit/s | 20 Mbit/s | 100 Mbit/s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OmniGet | 2 min 36 s | 16 s | 3 s |
| Parabolic | 15 min 39 s | 1 min 34 s | 19 s |
Files each project offers
| OmniGet | Parabolic | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows installer | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Windows portable (x64) | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Windows on ARM build | —No | ✓Yes |
| macOS, Apple Silicon | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| macOS, Intel | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Linux AppImage | ✓Yes | —No |
| Linux .deb | ✓Yes | —No |
| Linux .rpm | ✓Yes | —No |
| Linux Flatpak | —No | ✓Yes |
| Linux on ARM | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
The apps in this benchmark
-
OmniGet
- License:
- GPL-3.0
- Built with:
- Tauri (Rust + web UI)
- GitHub:
- 14.4k stars · v0.10.1
- Version tested:
- v0.10.1 (September 21, 2026)
- Its own extractors, torrents and direct files on top of yt-dlp.
- An MCP server and AI coding agents in the same app.
-
Parabolic
- License:
- MIT
- Built with:
- .NET (C#): WinUI on Windows, GNOME on Linux
- GitHub:
- 7.2k stars · 2026.5.0
- Version tested:
- 2026.5.0 (May 24, 2026)
- Native look on Linux: a GNOME app, also published as a Flatpak.
- MIT license; the Flatpak id shows its earlier name, Tube Converter.
Linux packaging
This is where the two differ most. Parabolic is a Flatpak, which suits people who install apps from Flathub and like sandboxing. OmniGet offers .deb, .rpm and AppImage for x64 and ARM, which suits people who install from their distribution's tools. OmniGet has no official Flatpak yet.
What each app does
Parabolic focuses on converting and downloading what yt-dlp supports, with a native interface. OmniGet adds its own extractors, torrents, direct files, a browser extension that forwards your login, an MCP server and AI coding agents.
Download size
OmniGet is several times smaller on Windows and macOS, and smaller on Linux too, where Parabolic ships a Flatpak bundle and OmniGet an AppImage. On a slow connection the Windows difference is minutes, as the table below shows.
Which one should you pick?
- Choose OmniGet if you want a smaller download, .deb or .rpm packages, torrents and direct files in the same app, or the MCP server and AI agents.
- Choose Parabolic if you want a native GNOME app, prefer Flatpak on Linux, or use Windows on ARM.
Where OmniGet still loses
We publish this on purpose. It is the list we work from to make OmniGet better.
- Flatpak: Parabolic is packaged as a Flatpak; OmniGet has no official Flatpak yet.
- Windows on ARM: Parabolic ships ARM64 Windows builds; OmniGet only runs the x64 build through emulation.
Trying OmniGet costs nothing
Both are free and save to normal folders, so you can install OmniGet next to Parabolic and compare them on your own downloads before choosing.
Method
Run it yourself
node scripts/bench/gui-downloads.mjs Sources
Questions
Is there a Flatpak of OmniGet like Parabolic?
Not yet. OmniGet ships AppImage, .deb and .rpm on Linux. Parabolic ships a Flatpak.
Which is smaller, OmniGet or Parabolic?
OmniGet, on Windows, macOS and Linux, measured from their latest GitHub releases.
Other benchmarks
Try OmniGet 0.10.1
Free and open source, for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Download