What Happened to MakeMKV and the Top 3 MakeMKV Alternatives
MakeMKV has long been a go-to tool for DVD and Blu-ray ripping, appreciated for its simplicity and free decryption features. However, over the past three months, the service experienced two interruptions: a website outage due to domain expiration in June, and a delay in beta key updates at the end of July and early August, which affected user access. Some users also reported not receiving registration keys after purchasing the paid version. These events highlight the need for stable and versatile alternatives. In this article, we'll introduce three powerful MakeMKV alternatives that not only offer similar functionality but also bring added value to enhance your media conversion experience.
1. What Happened to MakeMKV?
MakeMKV is a popular free ripping tool that allows users to convert DVDs and Blu-rays into MKV format, which is regarded as preserving the original video, audio, and subtitle tracks with minimum quality loss.However, a series of recent incidents in the past few months has raised concerns among long-time users about its stability.
June 2025: MakeMKV Domain Expired,Users Unable to Download Software
On June 16, 2025, the official MakeMKV website suddenly became inaccessible. The holding page suggested that the domain might not have been renewed or was misconfigured. The outage was likely caused by a domain expiration or DNS issue, as tools showed SERVFAIL errors and parked domain indicators. Similar incidents happened before and were usually resolved within a few days.
As of June 20, the official MakeMKV website (https://www.makemkv.com/) was back online and fully accessible. After several days of unexpected downtime that left users unable to download updates or retrieve beta keys, the site has been restored, allowing the community to resume normal use of the software.
August 2025: MakeMKV Beta Key Not Released, Paid License Purchase Page Taken Down
MakeMKV beta key for July expired on August 1, but as of August 4, the official team has not released a new key, leaving the free version unusable at the moment.Many users have begun to complain about the way free beta keys are distributed.
To avoid interruptions, users opted to purchase a paid license; however, this did not resolve the issue. Numerous buyers did not receive the registration key email after payment.Between August 2 and 4, users attempted to reach out to PayPro Global multiple times but received no response. Shortly afterwards, the purchase page was taken offline. As of August 4, there have still been no official statements or status updates on the MakeMKV website. This once reliable and widely recognized tool is now facing a serious challenge.
These simultaneous problems have caused widespread concern among the MakeMKV community about the project's reliability and future maintenance, leading many to seek more stable alternatives.
2. Top MakeMKV Alternatives to Improve Your Ripping Experience
As mentioned earlier, the MakeMKV website's instability,delayed key updates and the software's inherent limitations—such as its MKV-only output format, lack of compression, absence of hardware acceleration, and dependency on beta keys—can pose significant challenges. Because of these factors, exploring reliable alternatives to MakeMKV is not only practical but necessary for users who need a more stable, flexible, and fully featured ripping solution. So we pick up top 3 MakeMKV alternatives for you to improve your ripping experiences.
Top 1 MakeMKV Alternative: DVDFab All-In-One (Lifetime)
DVDFab All-In-One (Lifetime) is a one-stop solutionfor everything from disc backup and conversion to editing, enhancement, and so much more. For ripping, it comes as the best alternative to rip any encrypted DVD/Blu-ray as well as ISO image files and DVD folders. It is compatible with both Windows and macOS systems. In comparison to MakeMKV in DVD/Blu-ray ripping, DVDFab offers a more stable and reliable service, supports a long list of popular video formats, including MP4, AVI, MOV, and WMV, as well as converts DVDs to MKV (H.264/H.265), FLV, WEBM, Hi-Fi Flac/WAV, MP3, and many other output formats, allowing you to play the created files on mobile, tablets, Plex, home theater, and more.
As a one-stop disc solution, DVDFab offers the following features:
Main features of DVDFab All-In-One (Lifetime)
- Forum support and frequent updates keep you up to date and assisted.
- 50x faster ripping with GPU acceleration.
- Convert discs to over 1,000 digital formats, with built-in video editing tools.
- Copy, back up, and burn DVDs, Blu-rays, and UHD discs in various modes.
- Author new DVDs, Blu-rays, or UHDs from your own video files.
- Remove any typical copy protections for better disc compatibility.
- Convert between disc types, such as Blu-ray to DVD or UHD.
- AI tools for video upscaling, enhancement, and HDR conversion.
- Edit and post-process Blu-ray and UHD content.
- UHD Drive Tool to manage firmware and increase backup options.
How to Rip a DVD with MakeMKV Alternative
To demonstrate, we'll use DVDFab DVD Ripper—a representative feature from the DVDFab All-In-One package—as an example.
Step 1: Run DVDFab after completing the installation of DVDFab.
Step 2: Switch to the Ripper module. You can choose the specific module according to your input files.
Step 3: Put a DVD into the physical drive connected to your PC. DVDFab will automatically detect and analyze the DVD and add the main movie title as the source.
Rename the title, and deselect the audio tracks or subtitles you do not want to keep in the output file.
The default profile settings for DVD will be displayed the first time you add a DVD as below. However, you can change your profile by clicking the profile option on the main window of DVDFab.
You can also open the "Advanced Settings" panel to change the codec, and resolution, set the encoding method to use CRF, fast encoding, or high-quality encoding, frame rate as well as set the output size based on bitrate or pixel.
Step 4: Edit and trim the video. In the Edit window, you can crop the video, change the video effect, add the picture or text as a watermark, import subtitles and change the subtitle position, increase audio volume and remove background noise, and playback speed.
Step 5: Change the output path in the lower area and then click the "Start" button to initiate the conversion.
Top 2 MakeMKV Alternative: HandBrake
HandBrake is an authentic, and open-source video transcoder that allows you to rip DVDs or Blu-rays to the most commonly used three formats like MP4, MKV, and WebM . This cross-platform software works on multiple OSs, including Windows, Mac, or Linux. While ripping, it can preserve chapters, titles, subtitles, etc. It offers file compression to reduce file size.
Pros and Cons of HandBrake
- Can rip DVD and Blu-ray without copy protection
- Support batch processing to save conversion time
- Supportmost of the modern codes like H.264, H.265, etc
- Supporta vast list of built-in device presets such as PlayStation, Android, iPhone, etc
- Provide customized advanced filters like denoising, deinterlacing, resolution, bitrate, and other audio settings
- Cannot remove copy-protection from DVDs or Blu-rays
- With a steep learning curve, there is no video editing option
Top 3 MakeMKV Alternative: VLC Media Player
VLC is a great media player that can also convert Blu-ray to MP4 for free. There is no entry barrier because it is open-source and free software. Even if it isn't your preferred Blu-ray ripper, it's a capable video player that can handle most video and audio formats.
The only problem with VLC is that, as open-source software, it lacks the capability to play protected Blu-ray discs, let alone rip them. You have to go through a few obstacles to enable the ability to play encrypted Blu-ray discs, and even then, the ripping process is lengthy, and VLC cannot handle some Blu-ray menus.
Pros and Cons of VLC Media Player
- Free and open-source, allowing users to rip Blu-ray discs without cost
- Supportvarious formats, making it capable of converting Blu-ray to MP4
- Lightweight, requiring minimal resources
- Limited support for encrypted Blu-ray discs
- Lackadvanced customization options
- Lower conversion quality than dedicated software
- Overwhelming for non-technical users
3. MakeMKV vs. MakeMKV Alternatives: Which Ripping Tool Comes Out on Top?
With so many disc ripping tools available, it's important to pick the one that best suits your needs—whether you're archiving your DVD collection, compressing files for mobile playback, or converting for Plex. Below is a side-by-side comparison of four popular options: MakeMKV, DVDFab All-In-One (Lifetime), HandBrake, and VLC Media Player. This table breaks down their strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases.
| Comparison in DVD Ripping | ||||
| Feature | MakeMKV | DVDFab | HandBrake | VLC Media Player |
| Output Formats | MKV only | MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV, and 1000+ audio and video output formats | MP4, MKV | MP4, limited MKV |
| Video Quality | Lossless (no re-encoding) | High quality with compression options | Good (with re-encoding) | Lossy, depends on settings |
| Compression | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Adjustable bitrate, resolution, size | ✅ Full control | ⚠️ Basic compression only |
| Copy Protection Support | ✅ DVD & Blu-ray decryption | ✅ DVD/Blu-ray/UHD with full support | ❌ None (requires decrypted source) | ❌ None (cannot handle protected discs) |
| Hardware Acceleration | ❌ No | ✅ Intel, NVIDIA, AMD GPU support | ✅ Limited support (depends on build) | ❌ No |
| Editing Features | ❌ None | ✅ Trim, crop, subtitles, audio options | ✅ Advanced filters & subtitle control | ⚠️ Very limited |
| Speed | Very fast (direct copy) | Fast (with hardware acceleration) | Slower (due to re-encoding) | Slower |
| Ease of Use | Simple, minimal interface | User-friendly with presets | Moderate (some learning curve) | Not intuitive for ripping tasks |
| Best For | Lossless backups | All-in-one solution with flexibility | File size reduction, format conversion | Basic video conversion/playback |
While MakeMKV is great for lossless backups and HandBrake is ideal for compression and format conversion, both have limitations—such as lack of editing features, copy protection support, or limited format output.
DVDFab All-In-One, on the other hand, stands out as the most powerful and versatile option. It supports a wide range of formats, handles encrypted discs, preserves high-quality video, and offers advanced features like compression, editing, and GPU acceleration—all within an intuitive interface. If you're looking for a stable, all-in-one ripping solution that does more than just the basics, DVDFab is the top recommendation.
4. FAQs
1. Is using MakeMKV illegal?
MakeMKV is widely used by home media enthusiasts to create personal backups of their DVD and Blu-ray collections, thanks to its ease of use and lossless ripping capabilities. However, because it circumvents copy protection mechanisms like AACS and BD+, its use may technically violate digital rights management (DRM) laws in many countries. It's important to use the software responsibly and ensure you're in compliance with your local copyright regulations before proceeding.
2. What is the alternative to MakeMKV 4k?
If you're looking for a 4K UHD alternative to MakeMKV, DVDFab UHD Ripper is the most complete and user-friendly option. It supports a wide range of formats, preserves HDR and lossless audio, and offers built-in compression and hardware acceleration.
3. Does MakeMKV reduce quality?
No, MakeMKV does not reduce quality.MakeMKV performs lossless ripping, meaning it copies the original video, audio, subtitles, and chapters from DVDs or Blu-rays without re-encoding. The output is an MKV file that contains the exact same quality as what's on the disc — including high-bitrate video and advanced audio formats like DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD.
4. What Can Users Do When MakeMKV Website Is Down?
- Check Trusted Mirrors: Sites like VideoHelp or the Wayback Machine may have cached versions of MakeMKV, but be cautious of malware.
- Browse Forums & Social Groups: Some users may share beta keys, but verify them carefully. Avoid openly requesting keys to prevent account bans.
- Try an Alternative: If you urgently need to rip discs, DVDFab offers a free trial with limited ripping—perfect as a reliable backup while MakeMKV is down.
5. Conclusion
MakeMKV's website outage has disrupted access for users who rely on it for updates and beta keys. While this isn't the first time such an issue has occurred, the lack of updates raises concerns about its reliability going forward. Given its limitations, users may need a more stable alternative. DVDFab All-In-One (Lifetime) stands out with its wide format support, strong decryption, advanced features, and consistent updates. For users seeking a dependable and full-featured ripping solution, DVDFab is the top choice.