MakeMKV Review (2026): Pros, Cons, Features

Leia 08/02/2026

Blu-ray Ripper

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If you have been searching for MakeMKV’s review, you probably know that it is an old faithful tool of disc ripping. But honestly, does classic really mean it is really perfect? Although MakeMKV is a rite of passage for many movie collectors, most people eventually get tired of its big file size old school interface. I have put this tool to the test once again to see if it is still the one good to use, or maybe it’s time to get a new one.

MakeMKV Overview – What is MakeMKV

MakeMKV is a program that can copy the content from a physical disc to your computer. It is famous by it’s one click way to remove the protections that prevent people from copying the content. Just insert a DVD or Blu-ray, and it will read the disc and convert it as digital format.

The most important thing is that MakeMKV stores the file as MKV format, which is lossless. This means the converted file quality is exactly the same as the original disc. However, because it doesn’t compress the movie, the file size is huge. Although it is good to keep high quality, it leaves no other options, no editing, no shrinking, and no changing the format to work on your phone.

Key Features of MakeMKV

MakeMKV may appear to be a simple application, but it provides many useful features. The primary purpose of Make MKV is to convert discs into digital files much easier for you. The following are the main features of MakeMKV:

Lossless Converting: The lossless ripping feature lets you convert the raw data from DVD or Blu-ray directly to your hard drive without losing any quality.

Track Selecting: This feature lets you select which video track and audio track (and associated subtitle track) you would like to keep from the disc.

Bypass Protections: It is possible to remove common copy protection that is used on most movie discs.

Chapter Marker Retention: Chapters will be preserved, allowing you to skip to a specific chapter in your media player.

Meta-Data Preservation: When utilizing MakeMKV, any metadata associated with the disc is retained in the converted file.

Multi-Platform Compatible: MakeMKV is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

Pros & Cons of MakeMKV

I have used MakeMKV for a long time, and I respect what it gives; it’s definitely not perfect. According to your attention to the hard drive space, your usage experience is different. Here is my honest breakdown:

The Pros:

Good Quality: Since MakeMKV does not edit the video data, your video seems high quality as you watch it directly from the discs on the player. I think this is the biggest advantage.

Free to Use: Let’s be real, most people use MakeMKV because it is free (need to find the beta token to make it active). It’s hard to argue with a price tag of zero dollars.

Simple Logic: No confusing buttons and sliders, and no complicated steps.

The Cons:

Super Big Files: This is a point that I cannot take. A 4K movie is about 60GB-90GB, which is too big for the drive, unless you get a massive server.

Compatibility Issues: MakeMKV only generates MKV format file and if you want to play the MKV on an iPad, iPhone, or Android device, you probably see problems.

Ancient Interface: The interface of MakeMKV is too old, like I use a software that was developed in the 90s.

How to Use MakeMKV

If you are new to this tool, don’t worry, it’s easy to use, even though the interface seems outdated. Here is the step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Go to https://www.makemkv.com/download/ to download and install the latest version.

Step 2: Insert your disc into your drive and open MakeMKV. Wait for MakeMKV to load your disc, or you can directly click on File to manually load your disc.

Step 3: The software will show you related information in a list. Just choose the title from the list that you want to rip. You can also select the audio tracks and subtitles.

Step 4: In the right panel, choose the folder as the output directory to store your ripped file.

Step 5: Click on the Make MKV icon to start.

MakeMKV Best Alternative

While MakeMKV is a good start, some users may find it a bit old school. If you are the same or having trouble with the huge file size, I think you may try Leawo Blu-ray Ripper. It is widely recognized as one of the best Blu-ray rippers because it actually lets you choose how you want to save your movies. You can rip and convert Blu-ray to MP4 if you want to save space on your phone, or rip Blu-ray to MKV if you want to keep every bit of the original quality. It’s much more flexible for most people’s needs today.

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• Leawo Blu-ray Ripper

  Comprehensive Blu-ray ripping and converting software to decrypt, rip and convert Blu-ray/DVD disc, folder and ISO image file.

  • Remove multiple Blu-ray/DVD disc protections and region restrictions.
  • Convert Blu-ray/DVD to video/audio in 180+ different formats.
  DownloadDownload

Why Leawo is the Better Choice

Massive Format Support: Leawo supports 180+ formats for you to choose, including MP4, MKV, WMV, MOV, MP3, FLAC, etc.

Save Huge Amounts of Space: Leawo’s new technology can shrink the huge file size into a high-quality, smaller MP4 to save your space.

Built-in Video Editor: You can edit the content, like trim long intros, crop black bars, or even add watermarks to your videos before ripping.

Advanced Decryption: Leawo easily bypasses the complicated protections like AACS, BD+, and the latest MKB protections, and the support keeps updating.

3D Movie Creator: This is a unique feature that MakeMKV doesn’t have. You can turn a 2D disc into 3D with 6 different effects, for your VR or 3D TV. 

How to Use Leawo Blu-ray Ripper

From my perspective, the interface of Leawo is much clearer than MakeMKV, and use is also as simple. You can follow the steps below to start using Leawo Blu-ray Ripper.

Step 1: Insert your disc and open Leawo. Click UHD/Blu-ray/DVD > Add from CD-ROM to load your disc.

Step 2: The disc information will show on the screen and you can choose the angel, chapter, etc. Click on the file icon next to the title, you can choose subtitles, audio tracks, etc.

Step 3: Back to the main screen, click on the Output Profile tab to enter Profile section. In the format, choose the output format that you need.

Step 4: Back to the last page and then click on the Convert button. In Save to section, choose a folder as the output directory. Click the white Convert button to begin.

FAQs

1. Why does MakeMKV fail to open the disc?

This is normally due to two main reasons: the disc is physically dirty/scratched, or it has a new type of copy protection that the software is not yet aware of. MakeMKV is not frequently updated, so it may not be able to cope with the new copy protection on the latest Blu-ray discs.

2. What is the MakeMKV token?

The "token" (also known as the beta key) is a code necessary for the free use of the software’s Blu-ray capabilities, which are currently in the long-term beta phase. Every month, you must go to the official forum and find the new updated code, as the program locks you out if you don’t, until you can find a new one.

3. Is ripping a disc illegal?

If you rip your disc for personal use, like watching movie on the tablet or phone, it is considered fair use. But if you sell or share the digital copy, it is illegal.

Conclusion

If you just want to find a free way to back up your discs and don’t mind the constant beta keys, MakeMKV is a good choice. But honestly, you get what you pay for. I prefer Leawo Blu-ray Ripper, although it is paid software. Because it saves me time to deal with the space, and gives me freedom to choose whatever formats I like. For me, the convenience and modern features are worth every penny compared to the headaches of using an old-school free tool. Leawo offers a free trial, and if you are interested, I think you can give it a try.