Xtreme Download Manager 9: a ground-up rewrite that writes straight to disk, grabs HLS and DASH, and is not ready for code contributions

Downloads are written directly into the final file

The headline change in XDM 9 is how HTTP downloads land on disk. Instead of downloading segments into a temporary copy and running an assembling step at the end, XDM 9 writes straight into the file in your download folder, so a large file is finished the moment the last byte arrives. Segmenting is still the core idea: XDM splits a download across multiple connections to use more of your bandwidth, and recovers downloads interrupted by network drops, crashes or power loss.

Two related details matter when things go wrong. A full disk or a missing folder stops the download and keeps its progress rather than restarting from zero. And an expired link can be refreshed without starting over. You can also verify a finished file's hash from the download-complete window or the download's properties.

The extension only talks to a running app on 127.0.0.1:8597

Browser integration is split in two. An extension for Chrome and one for Firefox, both installed through xtremedownloadmanager.com links, work with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, Brave and other Chromium and Firefox based browsers. XDM 9 also puts the extension on the Chrome Web Store. The extension takes over downloads from the browser and forwards them, along with detected media, to the desktop app over a local-only connection on 127.0.0.1:8597. Nothing leaves your machine on that hop.

The consequence is that the extension is not a downloader on its own. If the XDM app is not running, or something stops the browser from reaching that local address, the handoff has nowhere to go. When XDM does not seem to catch downloads, check the app and that port before suspecting the extension.

HLS and DASH muxed to MP4 without ffmpeg

The video grabber detects HLS (.m3u8) and MPEG-DASH (.mpd) streams on streaming sites and muxes them to MP4 with no external tools. In version 9 stream detection is described as more reliable, and you can choose quality and audio track. Subtitles can be saved as .srt files, timed to match the video.

Bulk modes extend this. Right-click and choose Download all with XDM to grab every PDF, image or video on a page, filtering by type, size or name and saving into one folder. A social media profile's videos and images can be saved in one go, with video and audio merged into ready-to-play MP4s and ads left out. Download categories use rules to sort each download into a category and folder, and you can change the folder or restart a download from the list.

A headless mode for terminals and scripts

XDM 9 adds a command-line mode that downloads HTTP, HLS and DASH without the window:

xdm-app --headless -o <folder> <url>

The -o option sets the output folder, and -q picks quality with best, 720p or audio. Headless mode can run alongside the desktop app, so a scripted download does not require closing the GUI. The flags listed are the output folder and quality pick; if you need proxies, scheduling or authentication from the terminal, check what the headless mode accepts before building a script around it, since those are presented as app features. The desktop app itself covers HTTP and SOCKS proxies, server and proxy authentication including NTLM for Windows/IIS servers and corporate proxies, a scheduler with queues, limits on parallel downloads and shutdown when done.

Files are marked as downloaded, unless you switch it off

Finished files are marked as coming from the internet: Mark-of-the-Web on Windows and quarantine on macOS. That keeps SmartScreen and Gatekeeper checking them the same way they would check a browser download. You can also have XDM scan finished downloads with your antivirus, as an optional step.

The marking can be turned off in settings. Doing so means files fetched by XDM no longer get those operating system checks, which is a real reduction in protection for executables and installers. Leave it on unless a specific workflow breaks. The repository also carries a CODE_SIGNING_POLICY.md and a PRIVACY.md for people who want to read the project's own statements on signing and data handling.

The rewrite is moving too fast for pull requests

XDM 9 is a ground-up rewrite, and as of 2026 the project describes itself as being rebuilt and in active development. The release list shows the pace: v9.0.9-pre.29 on 2026-10-31, then v9.0.9-pre.32 and v9.0.9 on 2026-11-01, with the last push on 2026-11-01.

That speed has a cost for contributors. The maintainers warn that the code is being restructured often, and that pull requests made now may need a lot of rework or no longer apply after the next round of changes. They ask people to hold off on code contributions until things settle, while welcoming translations, bug reports and feature ideas. If you want to fork XDM or carry patches, expect them to break between releases. Translators have their own path through TRANSLATING.md and a translation-generator directory.

Building from source needs JDK 25 and Maven

GitHub labels the project's primary language as C#, but the build requirements for XDM 9 are JDK 25, configured as a Maven toolchain from packaging/toolchains.sample.xml, and Maven. The repository is a Maven project with a root pom.xml and separate xdm-app and xdm-core directories, plus browser-extension, packaging, docs and screenshots.

Most users do not need to build. Installers come from the downloads section of xtremedownloadmanager.com, with a native macOS build for Apple Silicon and Intel, Windows on ARM64 support, and native Wayland on Linux. The license is GPL-3.0. Community help runs through the r/xtremedownloadmanager subreddit, and a SUPPORT.md sits at the repository root.

Editorial conclusion

XDM 9 suits people who want segmented, resumable downloads, browser handoff from Chrome or Firefox-based browsers, and HLS or DASH video saved as MP4 without installing ffmpeg, on Windows, macOS or Linux. It is a poor fit for anyone planning to contribute code or maintain a fork right now, because the maintainers say the rewrite restructures the code often. Before relying on it, install the build from xtremedownloadmanager.com, confirm the extension can reach the app on 127.0.0.1:8597, and decide whether to keep the Mark-of-the-Web and quarantine marking switched on.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. License: GPL-2.0
2. Project website
3. README
4. Releases
5. subhra74/xdm on GitHub